by Patricia Fry
“Bell’s the cow?” Savannah asked. “Cute.” She lifted Rags off the fence railing. “Come on, boy. Let’s go have supper, shall we? Tell Peaches bye-bye.”
“Bye-bye,” Lily chirped, waving at the horse.
As Savannah carried the cat back to the house she crooned, “Rags, I wonder what you’ll think when this place is overflowing with horses. Will you make other horse friends? Or will you be jealous that Peaches has more friends?”
“What does he think of Gypsy?” Michael asked. “He doesn’t pay much attention to her, does he?”
Savannah shook her head. “No. It’s as if that horse isn’t here at all. Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts to having a yard full of horses.”
Chapter 3
I wonder if I’ll recognize Kat, Savannah thought as she drove out of her driveway the following day. I’ve only met her that once. I hope I don’t sound like a blithering idiot. She is considering me as a speaker at her conference, after all. I want to come across as articulate. She’s probably had time to look at my book by now, so she knows I’m not illiterate, but just because I can write doesn’t necessarily mean I can speak well to an audience. She cocked her head, thinking, I’ve done okay at book signings. Yeah, but those are usually small crowds—mostly children. She took a deep breath. Confidence, girl. You can do it and you know it. Now shake off that insecurity, will you? She laughed at herself.
Minutes later she parked her SUV along the street in downtown Hammond. It’ll be cool having lunch at the diner again. Gads, it’s been forever since I’ve eaten here. I wonder if I even know anyone who works here anymore. The diner was my go-to place when Iris worked here. As she stepped out of her car, she saw a woman walking toward her on the sidewalk. I think that’s Kat right there. “Kat?” she called.
The woman looked up. “Hi, Savannah! What great timing.”
“Sure is. I was just thinking how long it’s been since I’ve eaten here. I hope it’s as good as it used to be. If it’s changed to something awful, I’ll be totally embarrassed for having suggested it.”
“No worries,” Kat said. “I won’t hold you responsible.”
Savannah smiled. “Thanks. Well, let’s go check it out, shall we?” She opened the door for Kat and followed her inside, where she saw a familiar face. “Kayla, hi. Good to see you’re still here. Is Frank still cooking?”
Kayla nodded. “Yes he is.”
“Good,” she said, “then the food should be pretty much the same.”
“With a couple of exceptions,” Kayla said, smiling. “We now offer bowls. Everyone’s serving bowls, and we thought we should get on the same page.”
“Cool,” Savannah said. She turned to Kat. “Do you like bowls?”
“It depends.” When the others looked at her, she explained, “Well, I like what I like, so if the ingredients are to my liking, I love bowls. I also enjoy a great salad.”
“Well, let me seat you,” Kayla said. After she’d handed each of the women a menu, she explained, “We’re also serving smoothies made with fresh fruit, and salad platters with your choice of greens, veggies, nuts, and dressing. You can design your own salad. You’ll see the ingredients listed on the menu insert. They’re really quite popular.”
“Oh, you’re talking my language,” Savannah said.
Once their beverages had been delivered to the table and they’d placed their orders, Kat leaned forward and asked, “So have you given any thought to your topic for our audience of catty people?”
“Catty people, huh?” Savannah repeated. “That sounds challenging.”
“Not really,” Kat said. “We have fun sort of creating a new language in our communications with each other via text and email and the writing we do. And the conferences are usually laced with feline metaphors and fun fake kitty-cat words. When Savannah looked confused, she said, “Like purr-fect, cat-astic, purr-sonality, paw-some—things like that.”
“Oh, I get it,” Savannah said. “Yes, that does sound like fun.”
Kat asked, “Do you have your kitty ears, yet?”
“No,” Savannah said apprehensively. “Is it a requirement?”
Kat laughed. “No. It’s just something fun we do at the conference. We also wear our favorite feline foo-foo. I think almost every cat devotee has a pair of cat slippers. Well, one year we had a pajama party where everyone was asked to wear their catty-est sleepwear or loungewear. You’ll see the picture display at our Friday night kickoff social. It’s hilarious.” Kat confided, “Frankly, I resisted this at first. I wasn’t ready to become one of those old ladies who wears sweatshirts with cute kitties on the front. But when I saw how much fun everyone was having with their ears and their cat-motif clothing, I caved big time.” She pulled a headband with a pair of white furry cat ears out of her purse. “Now I carry these with me at all times.” She put her hand on Savannah’s arm. “The patients in nursing homes and children’s hospitals love it when I wear them.”
“Are you a nurse?” Savannah asked.
Kat chuckled. “No. I take kittens and elderly cats to visit patients.”
“You do keep busy with cats,” Savannah remarked, grinning. “And do you wear cat-motif clothing now?” When Kat opened her lightweight sweater to exhibit a black t-shirt with a pair of green cat eyes staring out, Savannah laughed.
“And check out this adorable purse. Don’t you love it?” Kat asked.
Savannah ran her hand over the bright kitten faces on the tapestry purse. “Oh my gosh, I do.” She grinned. “So you joined the kitty-cat crowd, huh?”
“Yeah. Not only is it fun in the right circumstances, but I’ve realized I’m at the age now when it’s appropriate.” She leaned closer to Savannah and said more quietly, “I’ll turn seventy in December.”
“I have to say you’re well preserved,” Savannah complimented.
“Thank you. I dye my hair and stay out of the sun. I’ve never been much for sunbathing.”
Savannah picked up the cat ears and examined them. “Where do you find these?”
Kat smiled. She dug around in her large purse and pulled out a pink paper bag. “I brought you these. See what you think.”
Savannah opened the bag and pulled out a plastic headband with leopard-print cat ears attached. She laughed. “Oh, these are great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Try it on. I want to see how they look on you.” Once Savannah had slipped the band over her head, Kat clasped her hands together and squealed, “Purr-fect. They’re adorable on you. Yes, I picked just the right ones. I thought about plain grey to match your cat, but these are better. The colors go nicely with the blond highlights in your hair.”
Savannah removed a compact from her purse and looked into the mirror. “I love these,” she gushed. She then asked suspiciously, “Now, I won’t be the only one wearing them, will I?”
Kat laughed. She slipped her cat ears on. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, those are cute on you,” Savannah remarked, “all fluffy, like a Persian cat.”
“Yeah, the white shows up better against my dark hair, although I sometimes wear tiger or leopard ears.”
Savannah stared across the table for a moment, then asked, “What did you do before you became so involved with cats?”
Kat looked suspiciously at Savannah. “What makes you think I wasn’t always involved with cats?”
“Oh...um…” she stammered. “I guess I assumed—I mean, it’s not exactly something you can make a living at.”
Kat smiled. “You got that right. No, I was in the corporate world for many years. I retired five years ago, but I’ve always adored cats and I’ve almost always worked on causes involving cats and other animals when I could. Several years ago something happened in my community that spurred me to dive in with both feet on behalf of cats.” She looked at Savannah. “I won’t tell you what it was—it’s not appropriate conversation for a pleasant lunch. Just suffice it to say I became so committed that I even ch
anged my name from Katherine to Kat.”
Savannah chuckled. “So you became a cat.”
Kat gazed into space for a moment. “I never thought of it in that context, but yeah, I’ve become of the species in a way.”
“Wow, such dedication. I’m impressed,” Savannah said.
Kat thought about that for a moment and said more quietly, “I’m not out to impress anyone. I just want to make a difference for cats, and I appreciate any and all help because, to quote an old familiar line, it really does take a village.” She smiled at Savannah. “And I’m really happy to have you on board. You’re offering something so different and so fun. I simply can’t wait to start promoting your presentation.” She lowered her brow. “We certainly have some amazing people who’ve jumped on our bandwagon and we have a gazillion stories of cats doing amazing things and making a difference in people’s lives, but nothing compared to what your cat has done. I envision Rags being the poster child for cats—showing that all cats are special and smart and talented, perhaps in ways that no one has thought to foster. Know what I mean?” Before Savannah could respond, Kat leaned toward her. “Can you tell I’ve been reading Rags’s meowmoirs?” She then asked, “So have you decided what direction you want to take your presentation?”
“Oh!” Savannah said. She giggled a little. “I’m still processing Rags being a poster cat. I have to warn you that he can be naughty.”
“Naughty my patootie,” Kat snarked. “If that’s what it takes to save a life or corral a criminal, then naughty is okay in my book.”
When Savannah became aware that Kat was waiting for her response, she said, “Well, I do a lot of book signings, where I talk a little about the books and about Rags and invite audience questions. Last night I jotted down some of the questions I get and I sort of thought maybe I could create a presentation based on what Rags’s fans generally ask.” She handed Kat the list. “What do you think? As you can see, people have a lot of curiosity about his work with the sheriff’s department.” She grinned. “He’s an honorary deputy, you know.”
Kat put her elbows on the table. “I was rather surprised to learn that he has developed that much of a rapport with the police department. Where I come from, cats are considered a nuisance—well, by some people, anyway. It’s probably because they won’t give cats a chance to show what they can do—what they’re all about.”
Savannah nodded and added, “It’s been my experience that not all cats are as in-your-face and pushy as Rags can be. So anyway, I thought I’d share some of Rags’s experiences—when he was in the right place at the right time and solved a crime or pointed out a bad guy or located a clue that saved a life, for example.”
Kat’s eyes lit up. “Like he did at the mountain church.” More solemnly, she said, “If it weren’t for Rags, innocent people might have been hurt when that lunatic went on that rampage.”
Savannah cringed. “I’m still having nightmares over that.” She took a breath and said, “I’m also a photographer and I can put together a slide show to go along with my talk. I have a lot of pertinent photos, actually.”
“Savannah, that sounds great! I have to tell you that of all the programs we’ve presented, we’ve never had anything like what you describe. This could be just the presentation we need to promote in order to get the crowd we want.” Kat shivered. “Oh, I’m so excited.”
“Well, it sounds fun to me. And Rags is looking forward to it as well.”
“You’re bringing him?”
“Of course, no one wants the responsibility of taking care of him.”
Kat laughed.
“So what can I expect?” Savannah asked. “Are the rooms cat-friendly?”
“Oh yes. As I told you before, several people bring their cats. There will be a cat show going on, separate from our conference. As you may have seen on the registration page at the website, cats attending must be inoculated against certain diseases. Check our website for what he needs and bring proof of his inoculations. The book signing will take place at the cat show, which is being held in a large conference room at the same hotel.”
“Sounds great,” Savannah said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Will you drive or fly with Rags?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Oh, and let me know whether you’ll need a double or single room, and we’ll pick up the tab.”
Savannah nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
Kat sat back and smiled. “So what keeps you busy, Savannah, besides your darling children and your interesting cat?”
“Well, we also have horses. In fact, this week we’re taking on six additional horses.” When Kat’s eyes widened, Savannah explained, “A friend’s boarding facility burned over the weekend and we’ll be housing some of her horses, including one that’s training for an endurance ride. In fact, I might get to help with his workouts.”
“Ohhh,” Kat said, “so you’re also a horsewoman?” Before Savannah could respond, she added, “I saw your eyes light up when you spoke of the horses. Sure, it will be an intrusion on your property and your time,” she hugged herself, “but it sounds really cool.”
“Do you ride?” Savannah asked.
Kat nodded. “Used to. I loved that phase in my life—having my own horse and all. Now my focus is on the cats. I have a dozen at the moment. I foster and I also take care of a couple of feral cat colonies.”
“Been there, done that,” Savannah said, smiling. She backtracked. “Well, I haven’t done any serious fostering and I’ve never had as many as twelve cats at once, but I’ve been involved in managing feral cat colonies. Talk about a lot of work.”
“Tell me about it. I’m so fortunate to have a great team working with me so I can get out and spread the word—you know educate and advocate. I believe the behind-the-scenes work with helpless animals is as important as the hands-on part of it—you know, awareness and education. And that’s our goal with the Angels for Felines organization and the conference. The more well-informed we are as cat people, the more useful we are when it comes to helping needy cats. It’s important for those of us with a passion for animals to come together. Our board consists of seven highly active cat people and our goal is to bring together those who write about cats, talk about them, blog about them, and work with them so we’re more well-informed and can better educate others.”
“I agree with the concept,” Savannah said. When she saw the waitress walking toward them with two plates, she leaned back against the booth. “Oh, that looks good, Kayla. Thank you.”
Kayla smiled. “Love your kitty-cat ears.”
“Oh,” Savannah said. “I forgot I was wearing them.” She started to remove them, then realized that Kat still wore hers. What the heck,/i> she thought, smiling.
Kat said, “This looks wonderful. In fact, it’s such a beautiful salad platter I’m going to take a picture of it and send it home.”
“Where’s home?” Savannah asked, once Kayla had walked away. “I don’t think you told me.”
“Sacramento area,” Kat said, “but my writing takes me all over the place. Because of my responsibility with the cats, though, I try to arrange my appointments in clumps so I’m not darting off here and there every few days or so.”
“Who takes care of your cats when you’re traveling?”
“My sister and some of our members. We have a pretty well-organized group that can jump in and take over with each other’s cat families when it’s needed. My sister, Paige, breeds British shorthairs.” Kat perked up when saying, “She’s on the board of a breeders’ association—in fact, she’s the chairwoman for the cat show I just told you about.”
“Neat,” Savannah said. “So she’ll be in Phoenix, too?”
Kat nodded.
“So what else do you hope to accomplish while you’re here in Hammond—I mean, aside from having lunch with me?”
Kat’s eyes lit up. “Well, this afternoon I’m meeting a sweet gal and h
er mentor, a nonagenarian.”
“A what?”
“She’s in her nineties and she runs the most fantastic shelter I’ve ever heard of. Are you familiar with Ragsdale Cat Ranch?”
Savannah laughed. “Yes, it’s named for my cat, Rags.”
Kat looked surprised. “Oh my gosh, that’s right, your cat’s name is Ragsdale. Yes, I saw that in your book, but it didn’t ring a bell. How…” she started. “Oh, you must tell me about this connection.”
“Well, a few years ago June Balcomb, the ninety-something-year-old, was going through a rough patch—her cats were being catnapped and threatened.”
“Really?” Kat said. “How awful.”
“Yes. One cold night someone took her beautiful Himalayan, who was fighting a chronic illness, and dumped her. Sweet Maizie Mae somehow found her way to our property and Rags must have known she was out there, because he managed to escape from the house. The next morning we found the two cats huddled together.” Savannah’s voice cracked. “Rags probably saved her life that night, but that wasn’t the end of June’s problems. She was terribly upset and frightened and had no idea who was behind the horrible acts. It came to the point that she wasn’t sure who she could trust. Even her long-time staff and a few relatives came under suspicion. So a group of us took the place of her cooks, caregivers, housekeepers, and gardeners for a few weeks.”
Kat’s eyes widened. “You did? Well, that’s unique. What a great bunch of friends you have.”
“Yes, we do,” Savannah agreed. She continued, “While we were there, Rags saved her cats from being poisoned and he dug up some of the evidence that helped the authorities solve the case against the people who were harassing poor June.” She chuckled. “June holds Rags in such high esteem that when she opened her feline sanctuary, she named it in honor of him.”
