by Patricia Fry
"So did you find those two cats?" Savannah asked.
"No," Margaret said. "We looked until nearly dark. There was no sign of them, so we left food out close to the washhouse. Gabby will get up early and see if she can find them."
"You didn't set the traps?"
"No," Margaret said emphatically. "We don't want the mom to get caught in there without her kittens, in case she's had them someplace. They'd be too vulnerable."
"Good thinking," Savannah said. "Listen, how about if I ride over on Peaches tomorrow early and see if I can find them. Michael will be home with the kids. We're going fishing, but they'll just have to hold off until we make sure that cat and her kittens are safe."
"Sounds good. Thanks, Vannie. Sorry we didn't score tonight. Let's hope you do tomorrow."
****
"Good morning!" Savannah called when she saw Gabby walking around near the washhouse early the next morning.
"Hi!" Gabby said. "You brought your horses…and Rags. Two horses?" she questioned.
Savannah smiled. "Yes, I thought you might want to ride up to the old van with me—that is, unless you think the cats are down here. Have you seen a sign of them?"
Gabby shook her head. Her face lit up. "Ride a horse?"
"Yes. Want to go check with your grandmother?" She nodded toward Peaches. "That's the saddle Adam uses, it should fit you just fine. Tell your grandmother that Peaches is a safe horse. I did bring Adam's helmet for you, though." She patted the helmet on her own head. "We wear helmets when we ride."
Gabby squinted up at Savannah, then turned and ran at full speed toward the ranch house, calling, "Grams! Grams, come here!"
Minutes later Stella helped her granddaughter fasten the helmet, and the riders were off: Savannah on Gypsy in the lead, and Gabby following on Peaches.
"This is something I didn't expect today," Gabby said. "I'm actually riding a horse." She giggled. "Yesterday I got to drive the golf cart. Maggie let me drive the golf cart." She frowned. "It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. Maybe if the road wasn't so bumpy…"
"Yeah, it's awful, isn't it? Much easier on a horse." Savannah smiled back at Gabby. "Easier for us, anyway. The horses do all the work."
"Well, I love this. This is so much fun. I didn't even know I could ride a horse, but I'm doing it, aren't I?"
Savannah laughed. "Yes you are. You've never ridden a horse before?"
"I rode a pony around in circles at the fair once when I was pretty small. Not very exciting, but it was an awfully sweet pony. Her name was Penny. Penny Pony."
The pair soon arrived at the site of the van. Savannah dismounted, lifted Rags off the saddle to the ground, and tied the mare to a section of fencing. She strapped her helmet to the saddle, then helped Gabby slide off of Peaches. "Give me your helmet and take Rags, will you?" she said. She tied Peaches next to Gypsy. "Okay, what's your sense?"
"Huh?" Gabby asked.
"Where would you guess they'd be?"
Gabby looked around and said, "Inside the van or maybe under it. If I were a cat with kittens or expecting kittens, I'd want shelter."
"Good thinking," Savannah said. "Okay, let's check it out. Quietly, now."
"Look," Gabby said. "That's where Rags wants to go too."
After several minutes, however, they found no sign of the two cats.
"Listen for kittens," Savannah suggested. "Sometimes kittens squeal and squeak when they're looking for a faucet."
"Yeah, like those squealy kittens we helped the other night, right?"
"Right," Savannah agreed. "Do you hear anything?"
Gabby shook her head. She pointed. "Shall we just start walking around? Maggie and I went that way. We didn't think she would hide out over there, but maybe we were wrong. Maybe we should look around over there." She asked, "What do you think, Rags?"
"Start walking that way and let's see if he wants to follow. He'll let us know if he thinks we're on the wrong track," Savannah said.
"Is he coming?" Gabby asked, glancing behind her.
"Fast and furious," Savannah said, struggling to keep up.
Soon Gabby pointed. "Look, Savannah. What's that?"
"I don't know," she said. "It looks like a tiny tent of some sort. When Gabby started to run in that direction, Savannah stopped her. "Let's take it easy. If she's there, we don't want to startle her. Nice and easy, okay?"
"You're sure teaching me a lot about patience," Gabby complained. "I'm not very patient, but sometimes you have to be in order to get what you want, right?"
Savannah chuckled. "I guess so."
The two walked slowly and quietly toward the bright orange shelter and suddenly Gabby pointed. She hissed, "There's the other cat—the white one. He just ran out of that tent."
"Yes," Savannah said, moving forward. She cautiously peered into it and heard a cat hiss. "Hello," she murmured. "It's okay, girl." She picked up Rags to keep him from entering the female's space.
"Is it the calico?" Gabby asked quietly. "I call her Butterfly."
Savannah smiled and nodded. She motioned for Gabby to join her.
"Aren't you afraid she'll run away?" Gabby whispered.
"She's frightened, but she's not going to leave her kittens."
"There are kittens?" Gabby squealed softly.
Savannah nodded. She squatted next to the mother cat and ran her hand over her.
"How are we going to get them back?" Gabby asked.
Savannah carefully edged out of her backpack, and removed a portable canvas carrier. "I hope to get her to go inside this."
"How?" Gabby asked. When she saw Savannah pull out a can of cat food, she smiled. "Oh, I get it. You think of everything, don't you?"
"I try," Savannah said, snapping the lid off the can. "Oh yes," she said, when she saw the mother cat sniffing the air. When Butterfly stood up, her kittens rolled over. "Yes, she's hungry. I'm going to let her have a little, then I'll get my hands on her. Gabby, I want you to hold the carrier open while I put her inside. Fasten it as quickly as you can. She won't like it, but it's necessary until we get her down to where we can manage her and the kittens better."
"What about the kittens?" Gabby asked.
Savannah grinned. "I guess we'll have to carry them in our pockets."
Gabby watched Butterfly eat, then asked, "Can't we put a couple of the kittens in with her? Don't you think that will help her to feel better? We could barely open it and squeeze them through so she won't be able to escape."
Savannah looked at her. "Another good idea, girlfriend."
Gabby grinned.
Once they'd put three of the kittens into the carrier with the mother cat, she calmed down considerably, and they set about figuring out how to manage for the trek back. "You have some nice pockets on your jacket there. How about you put one kitten in each pocket? I'll hold the carrier and I'll see if Rags will ride between the carrier and me on the saddle. That should work. I hope Gypsy's up for it. She can be a stinker sometimes. Peaches is my go-to, trusty horse."
"Want Rags to ride with me on Peaches?" Gabby suggested.
Savannah thought about it. "You know what, that might work well. He knows how to keep from falling off. We'll lay his blanket across the front of your saddle and he should lie there. You might have to hold onto him when going downhill to keep him from sliding off."
"I can do that," Gabby said. She took the kittens out of her pocket. "Here, hand these to me after I get on the horse, so I don't bump them or squish them."
"Good idea," Savannah said.
Once Gabby was in the saddle and Rags was settled in front of her, Savannah handed her the two kittens. "I'm going to put them both in the same pocket," Gabby said. "Then they'll stay warmer and they won't feel abandoned."
Savannah smiled. "You're a natural, girl."
"A natural what?" Gabby asked.
"A natural kitty-momma."
"Once the riders were moving slowly down the hill back to the ranch, Gabby asked, "What about the other
cat, Savannah?"
"You know what, I think he'll probably get in one of the traps now that' he's hungry. We'll set it before we leave and hope for the best."
When Gabby began to laugh, Savannah asked, "What's funny?'
"Rags," she said. "He's trying to look in my pocket. He wants to see the kittens. One of them is crying and Rags keeps patting my pocket."
Savannah smiled.
"What do you have there?" Randy asked when Savannah handed down the carrier to him minutes later.
"Kittens!" Gabby said. After Savannah took Rags and the kittens from her, the girl slid off the horse. "Look, Uncle Randy. She had kittens in a rainbow of colors." More excitedly she said, "I'll need to use color in my journal tonight."
"Very good," he said. "What are you going to do with them?"
"I guess I'll have to call Bud and have him meet me at the clinic," Savannah said. "I'm pretty sure we can just put her and the kittens in a pen overnight. She can rest up for her check up tomorrow. We have a foster home waiting for her. Or maybe we'll take her directly to the foster family. I'll check with my aunt and see what she wants to do. Meanwhile, Gabby, why don't you get what you need for the fishing trip and ride back to the house with me. Otherwise, I'm not sure how I would handle all these critters by myself."
"Wow!" Gabby said. "I guess I really am a member of the team. I'm not just extra baggage."
Randy and Savannah laughed. She said, "No, sweetie, you are definitely not baggage. You're an integral part of our team. I don't know what we'd do without you. Now, go get your things; I'm sure the guys are more than ready to go fishing."
****
"Did you hear the news, Savannah?" Gabby asked later that day as the two of them sat quietly apart from the others along a riverbank.
"What news?" Savannah asked.
"I may be moving with my dad—my real dad."
"Yes, my aunt said something about that." Savannah faced her. "How do you feel about it?"
"Kind of mixed up," Gabby said. "It will be weird living with people I don't know. Grams said that if I'm not happy there, she'll do everything she can to get me back." Gabby relaxed a little. "But Grams says she knows my dad pretty well and she has talked to his wife. She believes I'll like living with them. I talked to them, too—he really sounds like he wants me." She turned toward Savannah. "Do you know what he told me? Something I sure didn't know. He's been sending me presents and letters and cards all my life, ever since he found out where I was, but I never got any of them. Grams thinks my mother hid that stuff from me." She frowned. "Savannah, why would she do that?"
"I don't know, honey. That certainly wasn't right." Savannah smiled. "It sounds like he has loved you a lot all your life." She took Gabby's hand and said quietly. "What a beautiful gift."
"Huh?" Gabby said.
"A gift of love. It's been there all the time. Your dad was showing his love all these years, and now that you know it, it must feel like a hurricane of love. Whoosh!"
Gabby's eyes lit up at the thought.
After a few moments, Savannah asked, "What do you know about your father?"
"Well, he's married to Marlene. They've been married for about five years and they have a little boy named Alex. They sent me a picture of them. Alex is cute." She smiled. "My dad is handsome."
"Of course he is. Look how beautiful you are."
"I am? I never thought of myself that way," Gabby said.
Savannah smiled. "Trust me—you're beautiful inside and out."
"You're so nice," Gabby said. "I wish you were my mother."
"I can be your pretend mother anytime you want," Savannah said. "What kind of things do your dad and Marlene and Alex like?"
"Well, they go fishing. They have a boat and live close to rivers and lakes and also the ocean. That will be fun. They go to church like you do and Marlene sings in the choir. When I told her I like to sing, she said I could join the choir with her if I want to." She paused before saying, "Oh, and they like animals. My dad has a favorite cat, can you believe it?"
"That's good news. You get to be in a household with a cat again. I'm awfully happy about that," Savannah said. "Do they have any other animals?"
Gabby nodded. "A small dog. I saw his picture too. He's cute. My dad works in technology. He sometimes works from home upstairs in his office. But he also goes to work. Yeah, they seem like nice people—a more normal family like yours and my friend, Pala. She has a normal family, but with a lot of kids. She has four brothers and a sister. That's a lot."
"Yes it is. When are you going, hon?" Savannah asked.
"Dad's coming to get me on Tuesday." She sat back and looked up at the clouds. "I guess Tuesday will be a sort of birthday for me." She chuckled. "I'll have two birthdays—my regular birthday and the day I went to live with my dad."
"How special is that?" Savannah said, smiling.
"Very, but I'll sure miss you, Savannah."
"Hey, we'll stay in touch."
"Yes we will!" she said, excitedly. "Dad said at my age I need a phone. So yes, we can text and talk on the phone, if you have time, that is."
"Definitely. I'd love that," Savannah said.
"Adam gave me his email address so we'll talk face-to-face on our computers. Dad has one I can use."
"Oh, you're going to stay in touch with Adam? That's great."
"Yes, but there's one being that I will miss more than anything."
"You're crying," Savannah said. When Gabby wiped at her eyes and nodded, Savannah took her into her arms. "Oh, honey. It sounds like you'll have a wonderful life, and you'll be able to see your grandmother, I'm sure."
"Yes, I know I will. It isn't Grams I'll miss. She said she'll fly up to see me and fly me down to see her often. Dad said that's okay. No, it's Lizzie that I'll miss. Savannah, I just love her so much."
"Oh, of course. Yes, you two have a beautiful bond."
"From the moment I first saw her out with the other cats, I knew she was special. And getting to help you foster her has made me so happy, but now I have to say goodbye to her and that's really going to hurt." When she saw Savannah wiping at her own eyes, she chuckled through her tears and asked, "Why are you crying, Savannah?"
"I'm not sure," she said. She hugged Gabby. "I guess you've just touched one of my heartstrings."
****
"Who's going to help me clean the fish?" Michael asked on the drive home from the river.
"Gabby," Adam said, pointing and laughing. "She caught the most fish. Isn't that the rule, Dad?"
Michael chuckled and confirmed, "That's the rule."
Gabby frowned. "I've never cleaned a fish before. I never even thought one needed to be cleaned. I mean, they've been in the water all their life, haven't they? How would they get dirty?"
"That's what I said the first time Dad talked to me about cleaning fish," Adam squealed. "But it's true, fish have to be cleaned before you can cook them and eat them."
"Sure, I can do that," Gabby said. "Someone will have to show me how. Do we need a sponge? What kind of soap do you use on them?"
Adam laughed again. "Actually, it's not a very fun job. What it means is you take the guts out of the fish—you know, cut them open and clean them out."
"Oh!" Gabby shouted. "Now that sounds interesting. Sure, I'll help with that. Cut the fish and look at its insides? Cool!"
"You're kidding, right?" Adam asked suspiciously.
Savannah laughed. "Of course she's not. Gabby's being groomed to become a scientist. She's all about dissecting icky things."
****
"You kids had way too much fun cleaning fish than ought to be legal," Michael said a little while later.
"And you've made a mess," Savannah said with a sigh.
"Are you mad at us?" Gabby asked wide-eyed.
"Savannah doesn't get mad," Adam said.
"Yeah, she gets even," Michael quipped.
Savannah put her hands on her hips. "So you say." An impish look on her face, she grabbed a damp
kitchen towel, twirled it in front of herself, then prepared to snap it at him.
"Uh-oh," Michael said. "She's armed and dangerous. Look out, kids. We're under attack!"
"I need a weapon!" Adam shouted. "Where's our weapons?"
Gabby giggled and picked up a handful of fish innards. "Fish guts," she said, holding them in a threatening manner.
"Yeah, fish guts," Adam agreed.
"Naw," Michael said. "She's a veterinarian, remember?" He laughed, "And she changes gicky diapers. Fish guts won't phase that woman."
Savannah continued to dance around threatening to snap one of them with the towel.
"What then?" Gabby asked excitedly.
Michael squinted impishly at Savannah. "I know the one thing she hates most. It will bring her to her knees."
"No!" Savannah shouted, backing away when he came at her wriggling his fingers. "No! No fair tickling."
"No fair? Everything's fair in love and war, my dear," he said in an eerie voice. "Drop the towel!" Michael demanded, continuing to wriggle his fingers at her.
"Yeah," Adam said, laughing. He made claws with his fingers. "Drop it, Savannah!"
"Nooo!" she shouted, running into the dining room. "Not fish gut hands, Adam. That's not fair. I don't want that stuff on my clothes. No!" she bellowed.
"Drop the towel," Michael said.
"Mommy, Mommy," Lily shouted, grabbing around her legs. Lily slapped at Michael and Adam. "No fish guts on Mommy. No!" the child said in her mother's defense.
"No, Daddy! No, Adam!" Teddy shouted. When he began to cry, Michael threw his hands in the air and complained, "She won again. Doggone if she didn't win again. She always plays the mommy card."
Laughing, Gabby asked, "What's that? What do you mean, Mr. Michael?"
"In our house, the game's over when…"
"…when Teddy cries," Adam interjected.
"Oh," Gabby said, looking at the smaller children. "I get it."
Savannah lifted the towel over her head and waved it. "So truce?" she asked.
"Truce?" Michael questioned. "You won. You don't need a truce."
"Oh!" she said. "Okay." She hugged Teddy and Lily. "Thanks guys. You can be on my team anytime." She grinned at Michael, ran the towel between her hands a couple of times, and said, "But I'd sure like to get one shot at you guys."
