A MEOWvelous Witness (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 17) (19 page)

“I guess hitchhiking in Stratton. They’d shoplifted a tin of cookies from a deli and the owner got a good description and ID’d them. They sent me a picture and sure enough, I could identify them as the kidnappers. So they’re behind bars or turned over to their parents, depending on how old they are. I just hope they get punished so they never try anything like that again. That was darned scary.”

“I imagine it was. Did they say why they did it?”

“I guess they were just out joyriding and got carried away. They were evidently on a little motorcycle. When it ran out of gas in the mountains, they decided to take someone’s car. I came along just at the wrong time.”

“Riding a motorcycle with one of them on crutches? Didn’t one of them use a crutch?”

Margaret’s eyes widened. “Yeah. I don’t know how that worked, but I guess a passenger could carry a crutch while riding on the back of a bike.”

“So you’ll probably have to go to court to testify, huh?”

“I hope not, but yes, that’s a possibility. Arrgh.”

“Hey, on a lighter note, Michael and I are having a little dinner party here tomorrow night. Colbi and Damon and the Sledges will be here. It’s a celebration of sorts.” She smiled at her aunt. “And now we can celebrate your good news, too.”

“Yes, I’d love that. What time? What can we bring?”

“Say, around six. Want to bring some interesting bread to go with the lasagna and green salad?”

“Sure. Maybe Max will make some sort of Italian dessert. Do you like tiramisu?”

“Oh my gosh, yes! That would be super!”

Margaret took a sip from her cup before asking, “So what’s your sister been up to?”

“I was just telling Michael I talked to her this week. She’s great, needs a bit of a respite and we may do a sistah thing.”

“A trip?” Margaret asked.

“We’re not sure. She might be spending some time at Bud’s ranch and we can do some girlie things while she’s here in town. Want to join us?”

“Depends on what you decide to do,” Margaret said, suspiciously.

“Okay, we’ll keep you posted.”

****

“Less than a week until your big day,” Savannah said as she and Colbi headed for the kitchen the following evening to open the bottle of wine Damon had brought.

“Six days,” Colbi said.

Savannah squeezed her around the shoulders. “Are you excited?”

“Oh yes, thanks to you and my other wonderful friends and family and future family, I’m so happy.”

“Good to hear, Colbi. So did you tell Damon about…”

Colbi glanced toward the living room and said more quietly, “Oh, my condition? No.”

“Colbi, this is not a ‘condition.’ This is a life event that will change everything for both of you. You have to tell him.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that…”

“What? What could possibly be keeping you from sharing this important news with your fiancé? Why are you stalling?”

“Savannah,” she whined, “I don’t know how he’ll react.”

“Of course, you don’t. But I’ll bet you can guess. How long have you known Damon now, a couple of years? How does he feel about having a family? How does he take unexpected surprises of the major kind? What are his beliefs and family values? I believe you know pretty much how he’ll react. What are you afraid of?”

After thinking about it, Colbi said, “It’s just that I’m enjoying the moment so much, I don’t want to do or say anything that will create even a ripple in my perfect life.”

“But Colbi, your life isn’t perfect until…”

“I know. I know. I get it. I really do need to talk to Damon. I promise I will do it.”

“When?” Savannah pushed.

Colbi grinned. “How about when we get home tonight?”

“Hey, don’t promise me, kiddo; promise yourself.”

“Okay. Then I need to talk to Iris.”

“Iris!” Savannah shouted. She started laughing. “Oh my gosh, Colbi, do you know what this means?’

“What? What do you mean—what does it mean?”

“Iris is going to be a grandmother!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone.

“Yeah,” Colbi said, appearing confused. “So?”

“Colbi, can you even imagine Iris warming up to the idea of being a grandmother?”

Colbi frowned. “You don’t think she’ll like the baby?”

“No, she’ll love him or her. It’s the idea of our fashionista friend, who looks like a woman of forty-five, accepting the idea that she’s old enough to be a grandmother. Hey, I want to be there when you tell her. Can I? Can I?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Savannah.”

“Well, record it—make a video when you tell her, okay? This I must see.”

“Oh no, now you have me worried.”

“It won’t be all that bad. I can almost guarantee it. Just do it. And the sooner the better.” “Yeah, you’re right,” Colbi said. “It’s something I really need to do, and now. Yes, I’ll do it.”

As the two women headed toward the living room with two glasses of wine, an hors d’oeuvres tray, and an apple juice for Colbi, Savannah whispered, “Call me later and tell me how it went, will you?”

“Sure. Thanks, Savannah. You’re a good friend.” She then said, “Oh look, here are my future in-laws. Hi, you guys,” Colbi said as they entered the room.

“Wine for me?” Iris asked, smiling. “Now that’s service.”

“Uh…no…I mean,” Colbi looked around, then handed it to her. “Well, sure, this one can be yours, I guess.” Colbi placed her juice on a table near where Damon sat as Savannah handed him a glass of wine. Colbi glanced at Michael, saying, “I’ll get more wine.”

“Got a cold beer?” Craig asked before Colbi left the room.

She looked at Savannah, who nodded and said, “In the fridge.”

Just as Colbi entered the living room again, Margaret and Max stepped in through the front door. “Want wine or beer?” she asked after greeting them.

“Beer sounds good,” Max said, taking the bottle from her. He turned to Savannah, who stood nearby, and handed her a dessert tote. “Tiramisu.”

“Here’s the bread,” Margaret added, handing it to Savannah. She turned to Colbi. “Ohhh, that wine looks good. What kind is it?”

“Um, whatever Damon picked out. I forget what it’s called. Here take this one,” Colbi said, handing the glass to her. There’s more in the kitchen.” She then cringed in Savannah’s and Michael’s direction. “Sorry. The next two glasses will be for you guys.” She gestured toward Craig. “And a beer for you.”

“Come on, I’ll help you,” Savannah said, leading the way into the kitchen. When they returned, Colbi handed Craig a beer and Michael a glass of wine. “Sorry about that,” Colbi said.

“Not a problem,” he said, chuckling. “Your wedding venue is sure coming together nicely. I was over there today looking at the latest additions.”

“Yes it is.” She lowered herself onto the sofa between Michael and Damon and nudged her fiancé affectionately. “I love what the guys are doing out there. I’m going to miss it when I move out.”

Damon wrapped one arm around her. “I told her Harrison and I will fix up our new place real nice, too.”

“Oh? What sort of design will you do there?” Savannah asked.

As Colbi stammered a bit, Damon said, “Probably something similar, only on a smaller scale. It’s a small backyard. We’ll want it to be suitable for…you know…parties. We’ll have a barbecue area. Maybe a patio or deck with a bar and TV for watching games.”

Suddenly Margaret interrupted. “Hey, before it gets dark, I want you all to see something.”

“What?” Savannah asked.

“Come see,” Margaret said, grinning broadly, as everyone followed her out to the porch. Before stepping out, Michael picked up Lily and wrapped a blanket around her.

“Your new car!” Savannah shouted. “Oh Auntie, you got a new car!” She gazed at her aunt. “A flashy red one. I love it!”

“Gosh, that’s nice, Maggie,” Michael said, walking closer to admire the bright red Jeep Liberty. “What year is it?”

“The last year they made these babies. I can’t believe I found one in such good shape.”

“It is nice, Maggie,” Craig said. “Real nice.”

“Yeah, snazzy,” Iris added.

“What is it—a 2012?” Damon asked.

Margaret nodded.

“We’ll have to go for a spin soon,” Savannah suggested.

“Yeah, not to the mountains, though.”

“What, no four-wheel drive?” Colbi asked, chuckling.

As the others walked around the car admiring it and opening the doors to look at the inside, Craig said, “There’s only one problem with this car.”

“What?” Margaret asked, frowning.

Craig cleared his throat. “Well, you know red cars are the most closely watched cars by police officers.”

“What?” Margaret asked.

“But they’re least likely to be stolen,” he added.

Everyone laughed and joked with Maggie as they returned quickly to the warmth of the Iveys’ living room. Once they were seated, Iris reached for something from behind the overstuffed chair. “For you,” she said, handing Savannah a white box tied in a large blue bow.

“Huh?” she said, taking the box. “What’s the occasion?”

“Just a thank you for my favorite faux investigator,” Craig said, chuckling.

“What?”

“For helping me to solve my latest case by bringing Dolly and Rags in to face the murderers at the precinct. It worked like magic. I wanted to show my appreciation.”

“Wow! But, Craig, that was
your
idea,” she reminded him.

“Well, you made it happen—you and Colbi.”

“What is it?” Margaret asked. “Your own billy club? Taser gun?”

“Open it,” Craig encouraged.

“It’s not a cat, is it?” Savannah asked, suspiciously.

“Oh no. We figure you have your hands full with that big cat of yours,” Iris said.

Savannah nodded and proceeded to remove the bow. She lifted the lid, took a peek inside the box, then grinned at Iris, who had a wide smile on her face. “I love it!” she said, removing a fruit bowl. She lowered her brow. “Iris, this is yours, isn’t it? Or did you find one like it? You know how I’ve always admired it.”

“Yes, you’ve lusted over it long enough. I figured I’d better hand it over before you sneak it out of my house in Lily’s diaper bag.”

Amidst laughter, Savannah rushed to hug both Iris and Craig. “Thank you so much.” Looking puzzled, she asked, “But where will you put
your
fruit?”

Iris became animated. “Oh, I found the most adorable wooden bowl in an antique store the other day. I couldn’t resist it.”

“Well thank you. This will look so nice in our kitchen.”

Feigning hurt feelings, Colbi said, “It would have made a great bowl for Dolly or Molly to curl up in, too, don’t you think?”

Savannah hugged the bowl to herself. “Sorry, girlfriend, this is not a kitty bed.” As if in confidence, she added, “But if you start working on Iris right away, she might hand over her new wooden bowl.”

There was another round of loud laughter, when suddenly, Rags lumbered into the room carrying something in his mouth. He stopped in the doorway, stared at everyone, then walked confidently to Damon and dropped it at his feet.

“Well, hello there, Rags,” Damon said, scratching the cat behind one ear. “What did you bring me here?” he asked, picking up a tiny pink shoe. “It’s a baby shoe.” He turned it over a couple of times, saying, “It can’t be Miss Lily’s, she’s too big for it. It can’t be baby Charlie’s, he’s a boy. It’s more your size, Rags. Are you telling me you want to wear shoes?”

“Yeah, his feet are still healing after his adventure in the wilderness,” Michael said. “Maybe he does want to wear shoes. By the way, how’re Dolly’s paws—healing up okay?”

“Yes, that salve you gave us seems to be helping.”

“Well, Rags, what now?” Damon said when the cat walked up to him again and dropped something else at his feet. Damon picked it up and examined it. “A baby sock. Where are you getting this stuff, anyway?” he asked. “And why are you bringing it to me?”

Savannah gave Colbi a look, prompting her to take advantage of the moment.

Colbi understood Savannah’s gestures, but pressed her lips together and shook her head stubbornly. When Savannah looked more sternly at her, Colbi finally said, “Well, Damon, you know how intuitive Rags is.”

“What?” he said, looking confused.

“He tunes in to people. He has instincts,” she explained.

“Yeah—but baby clothes?” he scoffed. “Why would he bring me baby clothes, of all things. Come on…a ball and chain maybe,” he joked, “but baby clothes? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Yeah it does,” Colbi said quietly, gazing into Damon’s eyes.

“No it doesn’t Colbi…” he started. When he noticed the serious look on her face, however, he stared at her for a moment as if he’d seen the ghost of Christmas past. When Colbi continued to look at him, he stood and took a few steps across the room. He then turned back. “Colbi, you’re not…we’re not…?”

Unsmiling, she nodded. “Yes, Damon, I’m afraid we are.”

At that, he walked all the way across the room, running his hand through his curly dark-red hair, then turned. Mom, did you know about this?”

“About what?” she asked, completely oblivious to what had just happened.

In the meantime, Colbi was on the verge of tears. She flashed Savannah an angry look, then took a deep breath and prepared to speak. Before she could utter a word, however, Damon rushed to her, lifted her off the sofa by her arms and peered into her eyes. “We’re going to have a baby?” he asked, his voice filled with emotion.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. He grabbed her and held her tightly for several moments. When he stepped back, she saw he was smiling. “You’re not mad at me?”

“Mad at you? Heck no. Hey, you weren’t the only one there when it happened.” He swallowed hard, then said, “It certainly wasn’t in my plans to start a family so soon. But if he or she wants to come into this crazy world sooner rather than later, I’ll sure be there to welcome him.” He turned to the others and said, “About the barbecue area and bar at our new home…um, maybe we’d better put up a swing set and a jungle gym, instead.”

At that, Colbi burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around Damon and wept into his neck.

“What’s wrong, honey, aren’t you happy?” he asked.

“I’m over-the-top happy. I was just worried about how you’d take it. This was so unexpected and hard to get used to. But yes, I want our baby.”