Contents
Title
Copyright
Hill Country Mysteries
Author's Biography
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
PURRFECT ROAST
A Dragon Cozy Mystery
Hill Country Mysteries Book 4
By Verena DeLuca
Purrfect Roast by Verena DeLuca
Published by Aconite Cafe
P.O. Box 63
Marble Falls, TX 78654
www.AconiteCafe.com
www.NAKBaldron.com
© 2020 Verena DeLuca
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:
[email protected]
Cover by Aconite Cafe.
Hill Country Mysteries
A Fresh Brew: A Dragon Cozy Mystery (Hill Country Mysteries Book 1)
A Bitter Cup: A Dragon Cozy Mystery (Hill Country Mysteries Book 2)
Rainbow Mocha: A Dragon Cozy Mystery (Hill Country Mysteries Book 3)
Author's Biography
Verena DeLuca is a pen name for the life partner duo Sabetha Danes & Nicholi Baldron. When we're not homeschooling our artistic daughter, we spend our afternoons arguing the finer details of books. Failing that, we can be found walking the many nature trails around our home.
Marble Falls is an actual tourist destination, an hour west of Austin, Texas, that we're proud to call home. While Aconite Cafe isn't an actual coffee shop in the town, it is the name of our publishing company. We love coffee nearly as much as Hailey, though we've been known to break the cardinal rule and drink tea.
Azure is based on our cat James, who's just as snarky.
CHAPTER ONE
Sunday, May 17th, 8:00 AM
Cats filled the elevator giving one another darting looks, but stayed on their best behavior while their owners chatted about the upcoming awards. Surprisingly, I was the only dragon protector, none of the other women wore cute little bat pins on their name tags. And of course, males were not protectors. Azure said it had to do with dynasties and wars or something or other. Yet another long story he promised to tell me later.
The weekend turned out to be dragon education 101 for me. It started with the fact that all dragons were required to maintain cat glamour for the duration of the show—even to the eyes of the protectors. In the past, newish protectors would publicly squeal at the variety of dragons attending the show.
The CAA—Cat Association of America—cat show had been so much drama, but we were confident that our tribe would bring home trophies. I was grateful to finally try a local bakery with my own namesake—
"I'm bringing home gold," Azure transmitted, interrupting my hangry thoughts. Thankfully, I held the last two cupcakes from my stash to share with Aubrey.
"I know, I know," I transmitted back. "You've only said so every hour. For the past two weeks."
Azure meowed and rammed his head into my shin, barely enough to hurt.
"Love you too." I laughed, and scratch behind his ears.
Mornings never agreed with me, and starting Friday with the pre-checks, this weekend had been nothing but early mornings. Luckily I packed efficiently, so getting ready was as easy as grabbing the prepared bundle before mindlessly and brushing my unruly chestnut hair into a messy bun. I had packed jeans, flip-flops, and v-necks for the weekend. Simple enough that sleep deprived me could not mess it up. Though today I wore a shirt I bought Thursday after we checked in.
Azure had been such a prima-donna, making sure his coat was perfect all weekend. We packed an array of brushes, leashes, and fur products. It surprised me to discover we owned so much cat stuff, and that his glamour did not take care of his grooming needs. For a strong independent dragon, with a stoic front, he sure had a hidden desire to be the prettiest cat at the show.
"The honor of my tribe is at stake," Azure had assured me, but I think he just enjoyed being put on a pedestal. Either way, I was happy to have the fluffball back. Dragons were cool and all, but there was nothing quite like cuddling with a fluffy cat to make stress melt away.
I rubbed the corner of my eyes, but it did not help. I should have brought my French press and a bean grinder. Instead, my only option was the coffee from the hotel, which left a taste of chalk in my mouth that lingered even after I rinsed with water. Though too much alkaline in the water source could have caused it.
Regardless, I was eager to be home, kick off my shoes, and drink the magic that was a fresh espresso. Owning my own cafe had spoiled me.
The elevator chimed, and the doors opened to reveal Aubrey waiting for me.
"Hailey," she called out as if we had been separated for months on either side of the globe, rather than two days by less than sixty miles.
I matched her tone and called back, "Aubrey," as we rushed toward each other.
Her excitement made me put my cynicism aside, and I embraced her with a strong squeeze under her armpits. Even Azure got in on the affection, rubbing his side against her leg.
I cringed at the thought of what time she woke up to make it here, still dressed in her usual jeans and blouse, with low-heeled boots. Even her blonde hair looked like she spent time doing it, plus makeup. Oh, man. How she, a morning person, and I, a night person, ever continued our friendship this long, the world would never know. Opposites attract, right?
"I've missed you! Tell me all about the show. Do you think Azure won? You know they spelled your name wrong on your shirt, right? Cupcakes for breakfast, really?" She knelt down to scratch behind Azure's ears. "Look at this handsome kitty! I bet you're going to win all the awards."
"She gets it," he transmitted.
I would need a gallon of coffee to keep up with her morning energy. Azure had his eyes closed and purred into her hand, lifting himself up to continue receiving scratches as Aubrey stood. I giggled at him, realizing she finished.
"Woah now, slow the tea down. Let's grab coffee first," I suggested, pointing to the downstairs cafe.
That was their trick.
Offer free, undrinkable coffee in the room, so we had no choice but to come downstairs and drink their overpriced, acceptable coffee. Azure's beans had spoiled me. I was a coffee snob, and proud to be so. Coffee gave life color.
"Did you just wake up?" Aubrey followed me to the counter.
"Yes . . ." I forced down a yawn.
Why is it that any time you are tired, and someone points it out, your body instantly responds with a signal, sleep now, through yawning!?
"Two espressos with a splash of cream, please," I ordered.
"I don't think I need one," she said.
"What made you think the second one was for you?"
We broke out in giggles and took a seat at the counter.
"But seriously, you'll need a pick-me-up for the awards ceremony," I said. "It's going to be dull. But this afternoon will be fun. We're going to do Austin right."
"Heck, yes!"
We clinked our small mugs of c
offee, careful not to spill on one another, and then took large sips. The burning of my mouth was worth the pep the coffee hid inside. Tongues heal, but energy levels fade after twenty.
"Before I tell you anything, you've got to try this." I handed her the German chocolate cupcake. "It's literally the best cupcake I've ever eaten."
She took a small bite, and her eyes widened as a smile spread across her face.
Yup. She was hooked. Now if only I could get her to figure out a way to add coffee cupcakes to our menu. Having a baker as a friend should have perks.
"Also, the name on my shirt isn't spelled wrong, it's the bakery. Hayley's Cakes and Cookies." I showed her the full logo. "Funny, right?"
She rolled her eyes, unamused by my antics. I stuck my tongue out and took an obnoxiously large bite of the cupcake.
While we wasted time before the ceremony, I did my best to summarize the weekend, hitting only the highlights of Azure being overly cute as he pranced around on stage with his fluffy tail in the air. In retaliation, he nipped at my ankle, causing me to nearly spill the beloved coffee.
"Award wise," I said. "Today they will announce Best in Show, which is winning the overall competition. It has a first, second, and third place prize associated with it. The next tier of trophies are for Best in Division—Kitten, Altered, Unaltered, and Household. After that are the smaller awards, like Best in Breed and such within each division, but they are more about adding points to the final score for Best in Show, than anything else."
"Altered?"
"Whether or not they are spayed or neutered."
"Oh, right."
"Only unaltered or altered really have a chance at winning the overall competition," I said between bites. "Because after all of the rounds of judging, they are ranked against each other and awarded a final set of points that kittens and household can't receive."
"Guess they're sending a message?" she asked, then followed up with another question before I could get into the politics of the cat show circuit. "Do you think he's going to take Best in Show?"
"He's in the running," I admitted, relieved she asked an easier question.
Azure had been right—he was better than most of the other cats here. Even better than the dragons pretending to be cats, who were scattered into all of the categories as to not take a sweeping win in any one spot. It was still unclear to me how they decided which category a dragon was entered into though.
"Neat." She took a sip of her coffee.
"I can't say for sure, though. Each judge ranked the cats to an insane degree throughout the weekend, so we know we are in the top tier point-wise, but they haven't announced any sub totals for scores yet."
"Fascinating," she said. "Who would have thought cat shows would be so intricate."
"Right," I said with a smile, then looked down at my mug to think of a way to change the subject. She had exceeded my knowledge base for the show aside from dragony stuff, which I was forbidden to share. First two lessons of being a protector—do not talk to anyone about being a protector. I shook myself out of my thoughts, realizing a silence had fallen between us.
"But enough about us," I said. "Where are the kids?"
"Left them with William's parents," she said. "They love spending time together, and I thought it would be more fun if we turned today into a no kids adventure."
"After the awards, we'll separate ourselves from the other ladies," I said. "I already told Skylar we were going to ride back with you."
"Ladies?" she asked mid-sip, as if I had blindsided her with the news.
"The Hill Country Aristocats," I said, already dreading her response. "It's a group my aunt started. They're ladies from around the area who love to come to this cat show."
"That's cute," Aubrey said, suppressing a giggle. "I bet Tona was a real treat at this thing. She always loved to meet new people at the cafe. I imagine she would have loved coming here."
"Love doesn't cover it," Azure transmitted.
"I think you're right," I said. "But she never spoke about the show with me. Maybe she thought it was a bit silly, or thought I would make fun of her?"
"I mean, it definitely screams old cat ladies . . ." Aubrey started with a slight cringe and then thought for a moment. "It is a bit over the top, and I will for sure be making fun of you for months. But I'll admit, these women look happy."
She gestured around the downstairs to all the passersby walking cats—many of whom were on leashes. Azure had made it clear, under no condition would he wear the leash off stage. It was a performance prop, nothing more. But he sure was cute in it.
"Are you calling Skylar and I old," I asked with an insincere shock. "It's not just old ladies with their cats. It's not that lame."
"How long have you been on the tea?" Aubrey asked, laughing. "Have they been replacing your coffee?"
That would explain the off taste.
I laughed. "I would never partake in that vile drink."
This made Aubrey laugh all the harder because of my serious tone.
I took another bite of cupcake, savoring the rich flavors. Dessert for breakfast was the best way to live life to the fullest.
"Did that lady just mention the breed of her cat?" Aubrey asked, nodding over to a woman walking by.
"Of course," I said. "They require owners to submit their cat's breed at check-in, otherwise you get filtered into the household category which does not compete for Best in Show."
"So that means you actually know Azure's breed?"
"Bombay." I reached down to rub Azure behind the ears.
"As if you knew it prior to having to fill out my paperwork," Azure transmitted with a huff.
I did not give him the satisfaction of a response, taking another sip of my espresso instead. I did in fact know his breed long before the show.
"Fascinating, well, that settles it," Aubrey declared. "I am going to discover as many cat breeds as possible today! The kids will get a kick out of this. We just thought there were cats with different colored fur."
It was my turn to laugh. "I don't think I even know them all. They keep breeding new ones too."
Okay, truth be told, I would have never known Azure's breed had it not been for Tona discussing it, and I could not pick out breeds within the sea of cats at the show. It was all various colors of fur to me. Even the ones I knew were Bombay's did not look like Azure.
"Oh yeah," Aubrey said. "This is going to be fun."
"It'll probably be more entertaining than the ceremony," I said. "Speaking of which, we should make our way into the main room. The ladies will have saved us seats."
I finished the last of my far-too-small cup of coffee and led Aubrey to the room where the events took place all weekend. Today they had set up the stage with a three-step podium for the winners to stand on. With as many subcategories as they had, there was an excellent chance Azure would win something. Whether it would be gold, was left to be seen. I hoped he was not too disappointed with silver or bronze. I refused to consider what would happen if he did not place at all.
Skylar waved from the other side of the room and came toward us as we made our way through the entrance. Her red hair stood out in the crowd of onlookers waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The room was spacious enough to host a formal ball. Not that I had ever been to one. The stage sat at the far end and spanned the width of the room with a curtain hung behind it. From the center stage, a catwalk—pun intended—shot out into the center of the room. They placed seating on all three sides of the catwalk enough for one hundred spectators and participants.
Before Skylar could say hi, Aubrey jumped in asking, "What breed is your cat?"
Skylar gave me a puzzled look, and I shrugged it off, laughing. What was I supposed to say? When Aubrey got a crazy idea, she always saw it through. Thankfully, they were few and far between.
"He's a Korat?" Skylar said in a high-pitched voice, implying, "Why are you asking?"
"That's neat." Aubrey used her phone to take a
photo.
"Thank you," Skylar said. "Shadow is totally going to take home gold this year."
"Isn't that right?" Skylar asked as she scratched Shadow's back.
He arched into the scratches. It made me smile to see how much joy the dragons got out of being cats. While Shadow's dragon form was scales of deep greens and a lighter shade for his belly, his cat form featured silverish gray-toned short-haired fur and a small build. When he stood next to Azure's medium build, and silky black fur, he looked like he had a shadow. Especially if Azure closed his eyes. This had obviously been a photo-worthy moment for us over the weekend.
"Not if Azure has anything to say about it," I teased.
She stuck her tongue out and we laughed. For us, it had been a weekend of taunting. While our dragons were dead set on taking gold, we were not picky about the trophy.
From where I stood, I could hear Shadow purr. It was such a deep rattle—I thought he might shake the actual floor.
We followed Skylar across the room to our seats, and the other ladies said hi, introducing themselves to Aubrey.
Only two of the event coordinators were on the stage. The awards were scheduled to start in one minute. All weekend the three coordinators wore the same khakis and logoed polo, making it easy to spot them in the halls. Or duck out of sight if one was avoiding unneeded conversation about the competition.
We had cut it close, but it was better than sitting there with nothing to do besides stare at the sea of cats and their owners. The bat pens on their badges made it easy to see that dragon protectors made up half the attendees.
"Thank you everyone for coming out today," Nathan said. "We want to recognize all of you, without whom this wouldn't be possible. Let's all give a round of applause."
The room filled with thunderous applause, and more than one cat meowed.
"Before we get to announcing the winners, let's take a moment to thank everyone that donated prizes."
He listed off over thirty businesses, some names I recognized, like big box pet stores. I probably should have planned ahead for how we would handle taking swag back with us. Carpool was the most efficient way to get the tribe to the show, but it turned luggage packing into a game of Tetris. Hopefully, Aubrey would agree to filling her trunk if the entire tribe swept the awards.
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