Patricia Fry - Klepto Cat 03 - Sleight of Paw (7 page)

“I think so. I put on that horse-print bedspread that we bought for his room. I hung the curtains. I cleaned up the sawdust. I think we’re all set for our favorite little visitor, aren’t we?”

“I guess so,” Michael said hesitantly.

“Just relax, honey. It will be a good visit.”

“Do we have enough toys in there?”

“Well, let’s just go see.”

“And we’d better go to the grocery store and get his favorite food,” Michael suggested. He stopped midway up the staircase. “What is his favorite food, Savannah?”

“Never mind, Michael. I’ll take care of the food situation. I think we ought to stop for dinner on our way home tomorrow evening. We can go to that chicken place that has kids’ meals. He likes that. He also likes hotdogs on a stick and hamburgers. Oh, he ate two helpings of my Texas hash last time he was here and he loves Jello. I’ll make him lots of Jello.”

“And mac and cheese,” Michael added as they walked through the door into Adam’s newly renovated bedroom.

“That’s right,” Savannah agreed. “I still have some of that crunchy cereal he likes and we can make Mickey Mouse pancakes.”

Michael’s face lit up. “No, remember, he wanted
horse
pancakes last time.”

“Oh yeah,” she said with a laugh. Then she frowned as she recalled, “It wasn’t easy making pancakes into a horse shape.”

Michael laughed. “And after you made them, he didn’t want to eat the horse.” In a more serious tone, he added, “What a neat kid.”

“He sure is,” Savannah agreed. “You just gotta love him.” She then thought of something else. “Bananas and carrots. Must have carrots.”

Michael made a face. “Carrots? I don’t remember him liking carrots.”

“He doesn’t, but he likes to feed them to Peaches.”

“That’s right.” He looked down to see which of their household pets was asking for attention. “Hi there, Rags,” he said, reaching down and giving the cat a body rub.

Rags saw Savannah sitting on Adam’s bed, one foot tucked under her, and he jumped up to join her. “So, what toys do we have here for him?” she asked while scratching the cat behind one ear. She grabbed the fur on both sides of his face, looked into his eyes and said, “Besides, you, Mr. Rags?”

Michael walked over and looked at the books and puzzles stacked neatly on the wall shelf. He pulled out a drawer on a low chest and appeared to be taking inventory of the coloring books, crayons, and marking pens inside. He noticed a plastic box sitting in the middle of a child-size table off to the side, full of colored paper, pencils, plastic shapes, safety scissors, and other craft items. “Where’s his train set?” he asked.

“You mean
your
train set.” Savannah chuckled. “I’m convinced you enjoy that more than Adam does. He only plays with it to humor you.”

Michael looked stunned. “No way.”

“Yes, way. He’d rather play with that farm set Auntie and Max gave him with all of those horses, cows, stock trucks, and stuff.”

“Where’s that?”

“Right up in the closet with the train set and race-car set.” She smiled. “I have a surprise for him this time. I borrowed a child-size saddle from Bonnie. I tried it and it fits Peaches—just barely.”

“He’ll love that,” Michael said. He then turned abruptly and grabbed at Rags as he ran past him and out the door toward the staircase. “Uh-oh, what’s he got?”

Savannah was busy wiping the carpet with a tissue and didn’t see her cat make his rapid exit. “What did it look like?” she asked.

“Um, not sure.” He looked down at the spot on the carpet. “What happened there?”

“One of the cats urfed up a fur ball.” She stood, deposited the tissue in a waste basket, and said, “I’ll go see what Rags has.”

Michael walked out of the room behind her and they headed down the stairs. Rags had dropped his treasure at the bottom of the staircase. When he saw the couple moving toward him, however, he grabbed it and took off down the hallway, waking a sleeping Lexie along the way. The dog jumped to her feet and took off after Rags.

“I think he went into our room,” Michael said. Sure enough, the couple found him sitting in their bathtub staring up at them. Lexie pranced excitedly around the room, looking at the cat and then up at the couple.

“What
is
that?” Michael asked, looking down at the item lying in front of Rags.

Savannah took a closer look. “Oh no. It’s what’s left of the beanbag Adam made for your birthday. Darn it, Rags,” she scolded as she reached in and picked up the empty pouch Adam had decorated with his indelible marking pens. “Pretend you didn’t see it. I’ll fix it up so Adam won’t know Rags tore it open.” She looked over at the cat, who had his front paws on the edge of the tub, his eye on the contraband. “No, you can’t have this, Rags,” she said sternly. She looked down at the piece of cloth and asked no one in particular, “I wonder what he did with the beans?”

“He made me something for my birthday?” Michael said. “That is so cool.” He wiped at his eyes with his palms. “My first gift from my son.”

“It’s not yours yet. You have to wait until your birthday.”

“When is my birthday?” he asked.

She turned to face him. “You don’t know when your birthday is? What, were you raised by wolves?” She laughed.

“Well, I know it’s June twentieth, but when is that—what is today’s date?

She thought for a moment before saying, “Gosh, it’s already the fourteenth.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Close enough. Let’s have birthday cake…and a party.”

She looked at him for a moment before saying, “Yeah, we could do that.”

“I mean just you, me, and Adam—nothing big. A small celebration.”

“Sure—then I’d better go fix the gift he worked so hard on so he can wrap it for you when he gets here.”

***

Saturday morning came on the heels of a busy Friday. “Good morning, Adam. How’d you sleep, buddy?” Michael asked, ruffling the boy’s stick-straight dark-brown hair as he walked past him.

“Good. I like my new room, Dad. It’s rad.”

“I’m glad you like it. What’s that you’re drinking?”

“Orange juice and lemonade.”

Michael looked over at Savannah. “Orange juice and lemonade?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s what he wanted.”

Michael chuckled. “And what are you having for breakfast?”

Adam smiled up at Michael. “Scramble’ eggs and horse toast.”

“Oh good. My favorite.” Michael poured a cup of coffee and sat down across from his son. He glanced up at Savannah, who was standing at the counter beating two eggs in a bowl. “Scramble’ eggs and horse toast for me, too.”

“Savannah has a horse cutter,” Adam said.

Michael looked askance. “A horse cutter?”

“A cookie cutter shaped like a horse,” Savannah explained. She then said, “It’s such a gorgeous morning, I thought maybe Rags would like to go out for a while. What do you guys think?”

“Yeah,” Adam said, excitement in his voice. “Can I put his harness on him?”

“Sure.”

“And hold his strap?”

“The leash? Sure can.”

“Rad,” the boy said before picking up his horse-shaped toast and spreading it with apple butter. “Hey, horses like apples, so I’m putting apple butter on my horse toast.”

Michael laughed. “Good idea. Me, too.”

After helping Savannah put the dishes in the dishwasher, Adam went in search of Rags. Michael and Savannah heard him calling throughout the house, “Rags, time to go outside. Here Rags.” As he walked, he shook the cat harness, making the fasteners jingle. Soon he returned to the kitchen, a downtrodden look on his face. “I can’t find him. Where is he?”

A knowing smile passed between Michael and Savannah. “Well, buddy,” Michael said, squatting down so he was at eye level with his son. “Rags doesn’t really like his harness all that much. He’ll wear it, but he would rather go outside without it. So I think he knows you have the harness there and he’s probably hiding from you.”

Adam looked down at the harness.” Oh,” he said, “then I’ll leave it here and go look for him again.”

“Good idea.”

Adam walked out of the room calling, “Rags, I don’t have the harness anymore. Come here, Rags. Wanna go outside? See, I don’t have your harness.” Within a few seconds, they heard Adam exclaim, “There you are, Rags! Come on, boy.”

“I found him,” he announced as he walked into the kitchen struggling to hold the cat in his arms. Savannah couldn’t help but notice that Rags’s feet were almost dragging on the floor. “Whew,” Adam said, upon releasing the cat, “he’s heavy!”

“Yes, he is.” Savannah laughed.

“Now, can I put the harness on him?” Adam asked with enthusiasm.

“Let me hold him for you,” Michael offered. He picked up the cat and placed him on his lap. “Okay, now, buddy. Let’s get him dressed.”

“Get him dressed…” Adam repeated with a chuckle. “That’s funny, Dad.”

Once outside, the threesome watched as Rags explored through the tall grass and random bushes, jumped in the air after grasshoppers and batted at butterflies. Suddenly, Rags stopped. He seemed to be looking at something in front of him. He crouched into a typical cat’s stalking pose and stared ahead. With Adam right behind him holding onto the long tether, he took a few steps forward, carefully, slowly.

“What does he see?” Savannah asked.

Adam looked over at the clump of grass in front of the cat. “I don’t know—maybe something’s hiding in the weeds.”

Suddenly, the cat leaped high into the air and landed on a clump. He began pawing at the grass and rolling around in it.

“What is that he has?” Michael asked.

Adam walked over closer to the cat, looked down. “It’s just a piece of paper. That’s all.” He reached over and took it from Rags. “See?” He held it up to show Savannah and Michael, who both laughed upon seeing Rags stretching and pawing in an attempt to take his “catch” away from Adam.

“Wait!” Michael shouted.

Adam turned quickly, a somber look on his face. “What?” he asked as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.

“It’s okay, son. I just want to get a look at Rags’s treasure. Savannah,” he said after studying the slip of paper briefly. “This looks like it was torn from that piece of paper with the note on it. Take a look at it.” He held it up for her to see.

“Gamble Pet Supply,” she read out loud. “Well, I’ll be. And you think this could be the missing piece from that note?”

“Yes. Call Craig, will you? And then we’d better get going to work.” Michael looked over where Adam sat on the grass, Rags right next to him, both staring back at him—as if waiting to get the treasure back.

“Adam, do you want to go to work with us or help over at Aunt Maggie’s and Max’s place this morning?”

“Can Lexie go with us to work?”

“Sure.”

“Then I want to go with you guys.”

“Cool.”

“It’s a perfect match,” Craig announced that evening when he called. “So you found it in the backyard?” he asked Savannah.

“Yes. Well, the cat found it.”

Craig chuckled. “Oh yes, the cat.” He then asked, “How do you suppose it ended up back there? Weren’t your cars parked in front of the house?”

“Yes. But remember, we had that big wind.”

“Yeah, right.”

“So what happens now, Craig? Can you arrest him? Is it enough evidence?”

“Well, I’d like to have a match on that car you saw the day they tried to take your dog. There’s nothin’ registered to Gamble matching that description. We can certainly bring him in for questioning about the vandalism and see if we can put him at the scene of the crime.” He paused for a moment and then said, “We’ll keep you posted, guys.”

“Sure. Thanks, Craig.”

Savannah rejoined Michael and Adam, who were going over one of Adam’s school lessons. She smiled when she saw Buffy curled up next to the boy. He had a pencil in one hand and was gently petting the little Himalayan-mix cat with the other. “I still can’t believe they give so much homework in third grade,” she said.

“Yes, times have changed, haven’t they?” Michael looked up at Savannah. “Everything cool with Craig?”

“Yes, it was a match and there will be some questioning,” she said trying to relay the message to Michael without alerting Adam to any potential problems. “How much more homework do you two have?”

“After this page, no more!” Adam announced.

“Then after this page, how about we have a birthday party for your dad?”

***

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…”

“Open my present. Open my present,” Adam begged jumping up and down.

“Okay,” Michael said with a wink in Savannah’s direction. He then looked over at Adam. “Who wrapped this present, anyway?”

“I did!” the boy said excitedly. He glanced at Savannah, and added, “Well, I did most of it.”

Savannah reached out and smoothed his hair. “You sure did, Adam. And you did a great job.”

“I’ll say,” Michael agreed. “I never saw such a creative wrapping. Just look at all this tape.” He smiled over at Adam. “Good job, buddy.” He started to rip into the package and then looked up again. “Gonna need some help here.”

“Okay, I can help,” Adam said as he began tearing into the wrapping.

“What is this?” Michael asked enthusiastically.

“It’s a beanbag game. I…er…Savannah and I made it for you.”

“You made this?” Michael asked.

“Yes, I colored on the beanbags and filled them with beans.” He looked at Savannah. “Savannah helped me sew them.”

“This is great. I really like it.” Michael looked up at Adam. “So the point of the game is to toss the beanbags, is that right?”

Adam reached over and pulled a folded piece of cloth from the wrapping that still lay across Michael’s lap. “Yes,” he said. He unfolded the cloth and pointed to the circles, squares and triangles with numbers inside. “You throw the beanbags and get points!”

“Cool. This is super, Adam. I’m going to enjoy playing this game…a lot.” He grinned over at his son. “Wanna play now?”

“Sure.”

Savannah stood. “Why don’t you boys go play in the living room while I dish up some cake and ice cream.”

“Okaayyyy,” Adam said, racing off toward the living room.

What a great kid,
Savannah thought as she watched him scamper off with his father.
And to think that we’ve only known him for six months. I’m so glad his mother decided to tell Michael he had a son. And for her to bring him to our wedding; it just made our day that much more special. It’s obvious that he was hungry to meet his real dad and Michael has been thrilled to get to know the boy. I love that Adam and I get along so well, too. We have great fun together. And the relationship is so easy between us.

She cut three pieces of cake and began scooping the rainbow sherbet onto the plates.
I can’t wait to give Michael my birthday gift. Michael is going to be so pleased. If only this awful problem with Pete Gamble would blow over and we can go on with our wonderful life together.

“Who wants cake and ice cream?” Savannah asked as she entered the living room.

Adam jumped up from his spot on the floor next to Lexie. “I do! I do!” And then he said, “Hey, Savannah, I beat Dad. I had 175 points and he only had 70. That makes me the winner, huh, Dad?”

“It sure does, son. You’re the best, my man.” Michael’s smile widened as he offered knuckles to his son.

After a few minutes, Adam asked, “Are you finished with your cake, Dad?”

“Almost, why?”

He leaned across Michael’s knee. “Wanna play my beanbag game again?”

“
Your
beanbag game?”

Adam blushed. “I mean your beanbag game. Want to, Dad, huh?”

“Sure do,” Michael said taking his last bite.

“I’ll get it ready.” In a few seconds, Adam asked, “Hey Dad, where’s the other beanbag?”

“Well, it should be around here somewhere. Have you looked under the furniture? You chucked one under the sofa a while ago.”

“I got it out. I found just one beanbag. We’re missing one.”

“Adam,” Savannah said, “do you know where Rags’s stash is?”

“Um, his toy box? Yeah.”

“His toy box. Yes, that’s a good name for it. I’ll just bet if you go look, you’ll find your beanbag in his toy box.”

“Oh Rags…” he scolded as he dashed up the staircase. Within a few moments, Adam could be heard hollering, “Here it is!” He rounded the top of the staircase and started down the stairs. “Rags took it when we weren’t looking. It was right up there in his toy box.”

Everyone laughed. Adam walked over and handed Michael the beanbag, and then he looked up at Savannah, a slight frown on his face. “Why does he do that? Why does he take things that aren’t his? Tiger doesn’t do that.”

Savannah stared into the boy’s blue eyes. “That’s a good question, Adam. Not very many cats do. Walter doesn’t. Buffy doesn’t. I don’t think any of Uncle Max’s and Aunt Maggie’s kitties do it. There are just a very few cats in the whole world who take things that don’t belong to them and hide them like Rags does.” She leaned into Adam as if she was sharing a secret—her eyes glistened with intrigue. “Maybe…just maybe now…he’s the ancestor of a cat that belonged to a pirate hundreds of years ago. It could be,” she said, exaggerating her facial expressions, “that the pirate taught his cat to steal jewelry and gold coins from the wealthy people in the village. Just imagine Rags’s great-great-great grandfather cat wearing an eye patch and carrying a loot bag.”

Michael didn’t even try to conceal the kick he was getting out of watching Adam, who was fully entranced by Savannah’s story.

The boy’s eyes were big as saucers. “Do you think he had a hook paw and a wooden leg?” Adam looked over at Rags, who had just entered the room. The cat spotted him and walked up to rub on his legs. The boy petted the cat affectionately. “How would you like to have a hook paw, Rags, and a patch over your eye?” He covered one of the cat’s eyes with the beanbag he still held in his hand.

Michael piped up, “It could be that Rags just thinks certain things are way cool, like the beanbags you made, and he wants one.”

Adam knelt down next to Rags, his demeanor now serious. He showed the cat the beanbag. “Rags, these are Dad’s beanbags, not yours. They go to Dad’s game. Now you leave them alone.” Suddenly, his face brightened and he turned to Savannah. “Hey Savannah, maybe we could make a beanbag for Rags.”

“Well now that’s a nice idea. I think we should do that. How about tomorrow before church? But now, I think you’d better get ready for bed.”

“Awwww, already? But Dad was gonna play me another game of beanbag,” he whined.

“Yeah,” Michael whined.

“You two are something else,” she said. “Okay, one more game and then how about a story and off to bed.”

“Okay.” Adam looked over at Savannah. “Would you tell me more stories about Rags great-great…great grandfather?”

“Sure, kiddo.”

***

“Hey this is the church where I first saw you guys,” Adam said, looking out the car window as they pulled into the parking lot.

“It sure is, buddy,” Savannah said. “We come here sometimes on Sundays and we thought maybe you’d like to come here with us today before we drive you home.”

“You mean to my other home. I have two homes. My home with my mom and other dad and my home with you and my real dad.”

“That’s right. You are one lucky boy.” Michael reached back and gave him knuckles.

Adam opted to sit in the pew with his dad and stepmom rather than join the other children for youth Sunday school. After the services, the threesome walked out to the foyer toward the refreshment table, when they heard a familiar voice say, “Hi Thavanna. Hi Dr. Mike. Hi Adam.”

Savannah turned. “Charlotte, Reba, good morning. How are you ladies?”

Charlotte smiled shyly at the greeting and stared over at Adam.

“Nice sermon, wasn’t it?” Reba said. She leaned toward Savannah saying, “I think Pastor was speaking to me today.”

“Oh no,” Savannah said with a chuckle, “that message was for me.”

Michael leaned into the conversation. “It was for all of us.” He smiled. “A universal message.”

Adam reached over and pulled on his dad’s shirt sleeve. “Hey Dad, can Charlotte and I go get a cookie?”

“Oh, you already spotted the cookies, did you? Sure, if it’s okay with her mom. Just stay right out there on the patio.”

“Can you come with me?” he asked Charlotte.

The girl looked over at her mom. Reba smiled and nodded.

“Yeth,” she said.

Adam took hold of her hand. “Okay, come on.”

Savannah and Michael watched the children rush toward the refreshment table. At the same time, Reba turned and spoke to an elderly gentleman who was walking toward her.

“They let dog killers inside the church?”

“What?” Michael turned around quickly to see who the angry voice belonged to. There, standing in front of him was a pudgy, well-dressed woman in her mid-seventies. She stared intently at Michael with dark, deep-set eyes. She hissed, “You killed my son’s dog, you miserable excuse for a veterinarian.” She glanced over at Savannah, scowled, and then turned and walked away.

“What’s wrong?” Reba asked as she returned to where the Iveys stood. “Has something happened?”

“Reba, do you know who that woman in the blue coat is?” Michael asked.

“That’s Mrs. Gamble.” She looked up at Michael. “Was she rude to you? Don’t pay her no mind. She’s always unhappy about something. She often has an insulting remark to make about someone’s child. She has been rather cruel to Charlotte a time or two. What did she say to you, anyway?”

Michael and Savannah glanced at one another. He responded, “Oh nothing. Nothing of any importance.” All he had on his mind now was gathering up his little family and leaving. “Adam; where’s Adam?” He excused himself, took Savannah’s hand, and led her toward the patio. He scanned the area quickly. When he didn’t see the children, he started to panic. “Where is he?” he asked, his eyes darting back and forth.

“I hear him,” Savannah said. “Sounds like he and Charlotte are having fun just on the other side of that table. Michael rushed over and saw the two of them sitting on a rock wall eating cookies and sipping punch.

“Hi, Dad,” Adam called out when he spotted Michael and Savannah. He began to giggle. “Hey Dad, you shoulda seen it. A lizard just took a bite of Charlotte’s cookie.”

***

“What a super weekend,” Savannah said as she and Michael drove home after delivering Adam to his mom and stepdad.

Michael reached for his wife’s hand, looked over at her with a smile, and said, “It sure was. It sure was.” He laughed a little. “I got a kick out of your conversation with Adam about Charlotte. It was cute when he asked you why she talks funny.”

“Yeah, he said, ‘she talks like a little kid, but she’s a big kid.’” Savannah laughed.

“I thought you handled his question very well. He understood when you explained she has Down syndrome, since his little sister also has it.”

“But Rose isn’t saying words yet. Reba told me once that many people with Down syndrome have speech impediments because of the way their tongue is formed or the way they use their tongues.”

“Interesting. I didn’t know that.”

The couple drove in silence for a while, each with their own thoughts, when Michael glanced over at Savannah briefly and asked, “How do you think the new girl, Alyce, will work out?”

“Oh, seems okay. Too early to tell, really,” Savannah said. “She’s been with us for…what…four days?”

“As long as she does a good job of disinfecting pens and keeps our offices and waiting room clean, I’m happy,” Michael said.

“Well, yes, but you want her to fit in with our office family, too,” Savannah reminded him. “And it appears as though she’s getting along with Bud and the gals in back okay. Scarlett seems okay with her, too, as far as I can tell.”