Purrder She Wrote

by Cate Conte

  Luckily, Grandpa’s sunny yellow Victorian, which had been in his family for generations, had room for a couple of cat cafés, as well as our whole family if we ever all wanted to live together again. As it was, my business partner Ethan and I were living here. The house was four stories plus a basement, and it sat on a prime corner lot down the street from the ferries. It was only a five-minute walk into the center of Daybreak Harbor, which was the largest town out of the five on the island. Which meant it was in a great spot for visitors. The balconies dotting the back of the house offered obstruction-free views of the ocean.

  It was still my favorite place in the world, so being able to live here again was special. And sharing it with some of the island’s four-legged friends was an added bonus.

  “So you’ve had lots of people?” Katrina asked.

  I nodded. “There have been people in here since I opened the doors. And everyone’s had positive things to say. Well, mostly everyone.” I frowned, remembering Holly’s angry parting words.

  “Yeah, so you didn’t answer my question.” Katrina tucked her dark blond hair behind her ears, blowing her too-long bangs out of her face. As usual, she wasn’t devoting much time to self-care. Or even a haircut. “Someone’s bringing trouble?”

  “That spoiled, rotten diva Holly Hawthorne,” Adele supplied, eager to fill Katrina in. “She came in and wanted precious Georgia, then threw a hissy fit when Maddie wouldn’t give the cat to her.”

  Katrina rolled her eyes. “That woman is a nightmare. She wants a cat like I want an aneurysm. I mean, she’d have to hire someone to scoop the litter box. Which wouldn’t be a problem, but seriously. She just wants the idea of a cat. She should get a stuffed animal.”

  I hid a smile. Holly certainly had gained a reputation. “I don’t remember her being anything like that in high school. Wasn’t she kind of nerdy? And I don’t mean that in a mean way. I was a nerd.”

  “You were?” Katrina looked surprised.

  “Of course I was. A trendy nerd, but still a nerd.” I winked.

  “Oh.” Katrina nodded. “Well, yeah. She used to be nice back then, actually. Her sister was always crazy. And loud. Holly went away to college and came back just as crazy. Maybe her family demanded it so she would fit in. Whatever happened, she’s just like her sister now. So they can’t even stand each other, and they’re practically the same person.”

  “Yeah. I heard Heather yelling at her on the phone while she was in here. Well,” I said. “I’m not going to worry about it. She’s gone, and from the sounds of it, she’s not coming back. And I have a grand opening to celebrate. You guys in?”

  Chapter 3

  Despite the unpleasantness Holly Hawthorne left in her wake, I managed to push the whole scene out of my mind and focus on the happy people crowding JJ’s House of Purrs. Grandpa, of course, who was taking his role as a co-owner seriously. He worked the room, a presence in his red pants and Hawaiian shirt covered with cats in various sunbathing poses. A red baseball cap with a cat in a yoga stretch was perched on top of his thick white hair. He offered food to people like he’d been a waiter all his life, and made sure the cats’ bowls were all full.

  The rest of my family had come to celebrate. My parents and two sisters brought a giant bouquet of yellow roses and two large bags of food to donate for the cats. My best friend Becky Walsh, the editor and pinch-hitter reporter for the Daybreak Island Chronicle, was here to personally do a feature story on the café and its fabulous owners—that would be me and Ethan, as well as Grandpa.

  I watched Becky, meandering around with her notebook, jotting down quotes from visitors with whom she’d struck up a conversation and stopping to pet the cats and take photos. She’d already snapped a bunch of pictures of Ethan working hard in the kitchen and me chatting with visitors and potential adopters. And of course, JJ, who’d been the inspiration for the whole venture. He enjoyed his stardom, posing for pictures whenever he sensed a camera in the vicinity. He was nothing if not smart, that cat.

  People were milling around, playing with feather toys and lasers with the cats, or snuggling with them on one of the funky cushions I’d scattered around the floor. Others perched at café tables with a cup of Ethan’s coffee or a muffin. Humans and felines looked happy.

  The cat café concept was fairly new to the States, and virtually unheard of on a small island like ours. Usually reserved for urban areas, the cafés served as a place where people who either couldn’t have cats or didn’t have time to properly care for them full-time could come and get their cat fix, with a cup of coffee or a pastry on the side, for a minimal entry fee. On the island, the model was a little different. Actually, it was brand-new. I’d seen a couple of needs to fill—those who were here for summer vacations and missed their pets, and those who simply couldn’t afford pets. The Holly Hawthornes of the island didn’t encompass the entire population. There were people here who could barely make ends meet, the ones who worked eighteen-hour days in the summer in the hopes of surviving through the winter. And thirdly, I could provide some relief to Katrina, whose small quarters at the animal control center were full more often than not, with the result that some of the residents ended up in her own house.

  All in all, I was confident our recipe was a good one.

  Grandpa and I, with the help of my dad on the weekends, had worked hard the last two months to turn the house into both a livable space for the café cats and separate our living space. In honor of the cats, we’d moved our area, with the exception of the kitchen, to the top two floors of the house. But we had a long way to go. We were putting the kitchen to double use, baking and making coffee for the café, and cooking for ourselves. Ethan, who also co-owned a juice bar with me out in California, was in charge of the food and drink. So far he hadn’t complained a whit about our MacGyver approach, but I knew he was remodeling in his mind to make the place work even better. And since he was staying here at the house too, I knew he’d be happier with a dedicated kitchen for “real” café prep.

  “Relax,” Ethan said, coming up behind me. “I can read your mind. It’s looking good in here. Stop worrying.”

  I grinned. One of our friends in California had dubbed Ethan “the Maddie whisperer.” He always knew exactly when I was working myself up into a frenzy. He was also one of the only ones who could talk me off a ledge. “I know, I’m getting ahead of myself. I just wish it was all set up the way I want it. But I can’t find a stupid contractor to save my life.”

  “You say you need a contractor?” Adele appeared behind me with a glass of wine in her hand. Apparently she’d found a way to get over her Holly Hawthorne sulk. “Why don’t you call my nephew?”

  “Your nephew? Is he a professional?” I asked, perking up.

  Adele frowned at me. “’Course he is. You think I’d send you a concert pianist if you need a builder?”

  I sighed inwardly. Adele’s delivery could be a bit rough, even with me. Ethan hid a smile and backed away. “What’s his name? Does he have a card?”

  “His name’s Gabe. Gabriel Quinn. My sister’s boy. He works for himself. Been in business for fifteen years. Here.” She rooted in her pockets, pulled a receipt out. Grabbed a pen from the table holding the stack of adoption applications and scribbled a number. “He’s a good worker. Builds furniture too. Those fancy Adirondack chairs? He makes most of the ones they sell on the island.”

  Adirondack chairs? I wasn’t so sure that meant he was overly qualified as someone who could do house remodeling. But I wasn’t about to argue with Adele, not with the mood she was in. “Thanks,” I said, pocketing the tattered receipt. I noticed it was for East’s Liquor Store.

  “Actually, I’ll call him for you,” Adele decided. “As soon as I’m done here.”

  “Oh, I can do it,” I started to say, but she shook her head.

  “I said I’d call.” Her tone left no room for argument, so I shrugged and let it go. One less thing for my to-do list.

  Chapter 4

  “
Maddie. I’m in love,” my mother declared, rushing over to me with another resident black cat snuggled in her arms. My dad trailed behind her, a concerned look on his face. I don’t think my dad wanted a cat.

  “Moonshine is supersweet,” Adele said, reaching out to stroke the cat’s head. “Hates dogs, though. Do you have a dog?”

  “We’re just playing with her,” my dad interrupted, before my mom could speak. “Right, Sophie?”

  My mother gave him her best evil eye, then followed it up with a pouty face. “But Brian. Our house is so empty these days. Especially with Sam moving out. And no, we don’t have a dog,” she said to Adele. “I’m going to need something to love. Besides you, of course.” She winked at my father. He blushed. They were too cute for their own good. I thought it was sweet.

  “Plus you’re working so much lately, I need company,” my mother declared. “So, it’s settled. Maddie, do I need to fill out an application? Do you need references?”

  I hid a smile. “I think I can vouch for your character, Mom.”

  “Excellent,” she declared.

  “Hang on,” my father began, but I cut him off.

  “Sam’s moving out? She didn’t tell me that.” I looked around for my youngest sister, but didn’t see her anywhere.

  My mother nodded. “She’s renting a place with three other girls. I suppose it’s time. I mean, she’s done with college and all. It’s just … she’s our baby.” Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged the cat closer. My sister had commuted to community college on the mainland, so she had yet to live away from home.

  My dad sighed, but I could see him softening. “Let’s go talk about it over here,” he suggested, leading my mom toward one of the comfy couches I’d found at the local thrift shop to replace Grandpa and Grandma’s ancient furniture.

  I left them to it and waded back into the crowd, looking for anyone who needed help, or a coffee refill, or anything. And my heart did a little flip when I saw Lucas Davenport heading my way, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. Lucas owned a pet grooming salon on the island. He’d recently started working with Katrina to help with the strays she picked up around the island, which meant we had a professional connection now since a lot of those cats would be coming my way. Which meant he’d be coming over to the café to do some of the grooming here.

  Lucas was also a musician. He sang and played guitar in a local band called the Scurvy Elephants. He was gorgeous too. At least, my type of gorgeous, with messy dark hair, icy blue eyes, and a smile that could melt you into a puddle.

  And oh yeah, we were kind of dating. I say “kind of” because we hadn’t made it official yet. But we’d been casually seeing each other once or twice a week since I’d been back and things seemed to be going pretty well.

  Actually, so far, Lucas was awesome. Although in the back of my mind I feared his musician status would ultimately reveal him to be a worm. I had a habit of dating musicians, and they usually ended up not being worth my time in the end. It seemed like one of those patterns I was hard-pressed to break.

  Unless Lucas was all about breaking the pattern, because he was a Good Musician.

  “Happy opening,” Lucas said when he finally reached me, and produced a bouquet of gorgeous colorful gerbera daisies from behind his back.

  “Oh!” I stared at the flowers, horrified to feel tears filling my eyes. I’d told Lucas once, way back on our second sort-of date, that I loved gerbera daisies. For him to remember something like that—well, let’s just say I wasn’t used to it. “These are beautiful,” I said, accepting the bouquet once I was sure I wouldn’t cry. “Thank you so much, Lucas.” I was acutely aware of everyone staring at me, including my parents. Great.

  “Of course. Congratulations.” He pulled me toward him for a kiss. I could feel my face burn.

  To make it worse, the people around me started to clap. I guess my status as a perpetual single female had made its way around the island, even though I’d barely been home for three months. I hoped this would put all the questions about me and Ethan to rest, because of course everyone thought that since I’d brought Ethan across the country with me, we had to be together. Well, everyone except the people who thought I was going to get back together with my high school boyfriend Craig, now a local police officer.

  Leading the clapping was the island’s quirkiest character, Leopard Man. That wasn’t his real name. I’m not sure anyone knew his real name. He and Grandpa were friends, but I had no idea what Grandpa called him. Leopard Man was another resident who’d been around at least since I was a kid. I’d made friends with him at a very early age, when I’d pulled his tail once on the street. My father had nearly died with embarrassment. Kind of a straitlaced guy, my dad had never been sure how to react around a guy who dressed in leopard garb from head to toe and wore a tail on days he was extra happy. Most people thought Leopard Man was homeless, mentally ill, or both. I had no idea about the homeless part, but I didn’t think he was mentally ill. Quirky, sure, and cool in a totally unique way that most people on this island were used to at this point.

  Leopard Man winked at me and tipped his leopard fedora. “I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss,” he murmured.

  I suppressed a smile. That was the other fun thing about Leopard Man. He spoke mainly Shakespeare. He had a quote for every life situation imaginable. I didn’t really know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything. Turning back to Lucas, I tried to not pause awkwardly. “Do you want coffee?” I asked.

  “I’d love some.”

  “Cool. Come in the kitchen with me. I’ll get a vase for these.”

  “Hey Maddie!” Becky rushed over, brandishing her notebook and yanking a pen from behind her ear, managing to tangle it in blond, American Girl Doll-like curls. Cursing, she yanked it out. I cringed, thinking of the hair she’d just pulled from the roots.

  She didn’t seem to notice. “I didn’t think I’d have so much fun writing a good-news story. Usually I like crime. Listen, can we do a series featuring the cats once a week? It might help them get adopted and it will definitely get you some extra publicity. Cool?”

  “Really cool,” Lucas said before I could even respond. “Maybe you can even put in a plug for the awesome groomer helping out the strays.” He winked at her.

  “I’ll think about it,” Becky said. “No promises.” She might look like an American Girl Doll, but she was a ruthless journalist.

  “I can live with that,” Lucas said.

  “We’re getting coffee,” I said to Becky. “Want any?”

  “No. Going to get back to the office and write this up. Nice job, Mads.”

  She turned to walk away just as Gigi Goodwin, Adele’s volunteer-in-training, shoved through the crowd until she reached my side. “Maddie,” she said in a stage whisper. “There’s a cop here looking for you.”

  Chapter 5

  I spun around, craning my neck to see the front door. Sure enough, Officer Craig Tomlin stood there, a bit awkwardly in full uniform, hat in his hands, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. In addition to being one of Daybreak’s finest, he’d also been my high school boyfriend. We’d sort of tried reconnecting when I first came back. Mostly Craig’s efforts. He’d grown up nicely, for sure, but I had this real issue with going backward in life. And then, of course, there was Lucas.

  Still, Craig was a good guy. And I was happy to see him here to help me celebrate my opening. I smiled at Gigi. “It’s okay. He’s a friend.”

  Gigi didn’t look convinced, but the girl seemed like a bag of nerves anyway, weighing in at barely a hundred pounds, with hair in a perpetual ponytail and eyes that were always huge and concerned. She chewed on her short red nails. I could see where the polish was chipped and wondered if she was ingesting it. I hoped she was using the nontoxic stuff.

  “He’s not looking too friendly,” Becky said. She didn’t seem too eager to get back to the office anymore. I could see that flash of maybe there’s a story here in her ey
es.

  “Excuse me one second,” I said to Lucas. He didn’t look thrilled to see Craig, but he nodded. Lucas and Craig had picked up on each other’s vibe, and they spent any time in the other’s presence circling each other warily. It was annoying on a regular day, and today I had no time to entertain them. I left Lucas and made my way over to Craig.

  “Hey! Thanks so much for coming on our opening day.” I went to give him a hug, but he stepped slightly back. I frowned. “What’s up?”

  “Maddie. The place looks great. Congratulations. Is Adele Barrows here?” he asked.

  “Adele? Sure. She’s right…” I turned to point at her, then slowly dropped my hand as it dawned on me. He wasn’t here to support my opening. He was here in an official capacity. I narrowed my eyes. “Why do you want Adele?”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry to do this on your first day open, but we’ve had a complaint. A woman said she was verbally abused by one of your employees.”

  “You’re kidding. This is because of Holly?” I shook my head. “First of all, Adele isn’t technically my employee. She’s a volunteer. And secondly, the two of them were guilty of bad behavior.”

  My café patrons had started to inch closer to us and pretend not to be listening, or had blatantly stopped what they were doing and stared. Becky headed our way, the scent of a story ripe in the air. Craig took my hand and pulled me to the side of the room so we were a bit out of earshot.