Meows and Mistletoe, page 7
part #4 of Cat's Paw Cove Series
And it was.
The interconnected banyan-like trunks created hiding places for winding steps, ladders, and hollowed-out hidey-holes, while the many broad-spreading branches offered perches, beds, and other fantastical niches, some of them shaped as colorfully-painted Christmas packages tucked here and there in the tree’s vast canopy. Colorful lights twinkled from deep within the trunks and branches, the wiring and lightbulbs hidden safely away from curious cat paws. Cat toys and what appeared to be catnip balls adorned the tree and also surrounded its base, lending holiday adornment and fun for the cats without endangering them.
A winged cat angel floated above the tree, her green eyes bright as gems, golden halo aglow. Nearly invisible brackets held her close to the ceiling, letting her fly while keeping a cat-safe distance.
“It’s easy to assemble and take down after the holidays,” James told her. “It was my Christmas gift to Humphrey and Bogart five years ago, and they look forward to its arrival every year.”
“I can see why.” Gaby watched her kitten scramble across the tree’s elaborate root system. “Collywobbles seems very interested in the base.”
“He’s a smart kitten. The entire tree has niches and hollows where treats can be hidden.” James drew her closer, leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “The fun is tucking the treats into different spots each time. The cats enjoy finding them.”
“I think Collywobbles is after them all.”
“He has his mistress’s appetite. Speaking of which…” He straightened, releasing her. “Hazel, the housekeeper, left dinner for us. Smoked fish spread and crackers, her special gumbo, and blackened grouper. For dessert, her saucer-sized peanut butter cookies, and vanilla ice cream.”
“Are you serious?” Gaby’s mouth watered even as she tried to protest. “I’m still full from lunch.”
“Then why not enjoy a nice hot bath, maybe take a nap? I’ll use the time to set up a table before the fire.” He glanced at the library’s now-cold hearth, then back to her. “Or would you rather eat in the dining room or kitchen? The kitchen has a lovely bay-windowed niche with a table. We’d have a glimpse at Santa and his elf-cats.”
Gaby considered. “Everything sounds wonderful, but I’ll go with the fireside option.”
I’m hoping we can kiss there – in the glow of the flames. She kept that to herself.
James smiled, the look in his eyes saying nothing stayed a secret in this house. Sure of it, Gaby glanced again at the cat tree, surprised to see Collywobbles peering down at them from one of the highest branches.
“I don’t think I’m needed here just now.” She wanted to tell him she needed him. Him, this house, the whole town, Collywobbles and the tuxedos, just everything, but above all, the contentment and sense of rightness she felt here. “A bath will do me good, and a quick nap.”
“Right, then,” he agreed, his already-sexy voice sounding deliciously British again. Low, fine, and so smooth his words slid through her like molten honey.
“Away with you now.” He guided her to the still-open library doors where he gave her a slight bow. “We’ll all be here when you return.”
“I won’t be long.” On impulse, she leaned up on her toes, lightly kissing his lips. “And thank you, Sir Galahad.”
“My lady,” he returned as she headed toward the stairs. I would do anything for you.
She wasn’t sure if she’d heard that last bit with her ears or her heart. Either way, the oh-so-romantic words buoyed her soul, making her feel like the most loved woman on the planet.
And whether it was Cat’s Paw Cove magic, the wonder of Christmas, or just them, somehow…
She believed it.
Chapter Seven
James stood in the kitchen, kept glancing out the big bay window at the porch swing Santa and his elf-cats. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the cats were watching him. He supposed he should be glad that the Santa’s head was turned away from him. Cat’s Paw Cove had its share of Magicals, but the Father Christmas figure wasn’t one of them, and he wasn’t ready for that to change.
As for the elf-cats, they weren’t real either, yet…
Their eyes seemed to follow him as he moved about the kitchen, checking on Hazel’s feast. Not that he had anything to do beyond heating the gumbo and blackened grouper, putting everything on the fancy little trolley he’d roll into the library when Gaby came back downstairs.
He’d already set up a small table and two chairs before the fire, chilled wine, and even dressed the table with crisp white linen, gleaming silver, holly-edged porcelain, and Chase’s best crystal.
Wanting to include the cats, he’d placed their own special Christmas bowls at the base of the cat-tree, hoping they’d enjoy dining there rather than, as usual, in the kitchen.
There wasn’t a reason in the world to feel odd. No, watched. As if the elf-cats were peering in at him.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t shake the notion.
He also knew where it came from and he wasn’t pleased to go down that road.
Too bad, he had no choice.
So he returned to the library, now illuminated by nothing more than the hearth fire and the colorful lights that twinkled from within the catified Christmas tree. He strode right in, not even pretending he wasn’t heading back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. He was doing just that, but better to confront a beast head-on. And this one deserved his fullest attention.
As if they knew, the tuxedos and the kitten already sat beside the hearthside table.
He walked over to them, claimed the nearest chair. “Waiting for me, eh?”
In answer, they trilled in unison. Collywobbles sat up like a squirrel, thrust out his front right leg, waving his paw as if to underscore the moment’s significance.
The weight of the ages, more like.
Revelations he couldn’t ignore.
And so he closed his eyes and let his logical mind recede as he probed his soul, seeking the ancient truth he’d seen when Collywobbles pressed his paw against his ankle…
As he’d suspected would happen, his chair seemed to dissolve, replaced by what felt like cold, hard-packed sand. He was no longer sitting but sprawled on the unforgiving earth, his life ebbing away. From somewhere above him, he heard running water – Gaby drawing her bath, he knew – but then the sound altered, becoming the roar of huge gray seas, the waves’ thunder accompanied by gusty winds, fast, frigid, and eerie.
And though he kept his eyes shut, he sensed that if he cracked them, he’d see nothing but thick, swirling mist, dark, wet sand, and flying sea spray. Perhaps if he strained his seeking mind, he’d also see a line of high, grass-covered dunes, then a wall of sheer cliffs, the broken rocks beneath them.
He wouldn’t think beyond that, too aware of what he’d find if he searched those jagged, black-glistening rocks.
Fisting his hands, he felt his palms dampen, turning warm and sticky with his own blood as his fingernails dug into flesh, some oddly modern-day version of himself noting the pain if only for a heartbeat.
His pulse slowed, his heart quieting as he finally did look, finding everything as he’d seen in his mind. But then the mist parted to reveal a beautiful woman, tall and slender, raven-haired and with gleaming eyes the shade of summer grass. She came forward with extraordinary grace, then knelt beside him and smoothed his brow, her words clear even though her lips didn’t move…
I cannot undo this wrong. You saved my children and gave a home to one who would otherwise have been cast away for his uniqueness – something most would not understand. Sadly, he has now lost you both, so I shall reclaim him, and someday he will return to you.
Know I am forever grateful, and while I cannot help you now, nor take you into the realm of my own kind, I shall give you a gift that will serve you always – whenever you are in need. Your own strength and courage are great, but you shall possess an advantage against those who act unfairly.
The words said, she drew a gentle hand over his face and then stood.
Except…
A sleek black cat now peered into his eyes, her summer-green gaze holding all the love and compassion of the beautiful woman she’d been but a moment before.
Now you understand, her voice came again. Rest well and know this isn’t the end.
On her words, the mist darkened, and the world was no more.
James blinked, once again on his chair in the library. Humphrey and Bogart sat on his knees, the pair peering at him as always, clearly wanting scratches between the ears. Collywobbles perched on his foot, cleaning his right paw. Then the kitten looked up, his blue gaze saying everything.
A chill raced through James, so much making sense now.
“I’ll be damned.” He pulled a hand a down over his chin. “Can it be?”
Three cats nodded, showing nary a doubt.
“Can what be?” Gaby joined them, looking beautiful in a snug forest green dress with a deep V-neck and braided gold belt. Heels made her already gorgeous legs even more long and shapely, while her dusky rose scent set his heart to racing.
“This is perfect.” She gestured to the table as the cats scattered. Glancing after them, she added, “Did they help you? If so, they deserve extra treats tonight.”
“They-” James broke off, still stunned by what had just happened and equally put off guard by Gaby in all her freshly-showered-and-changed glory.
He stood, pulled out a chair for her. “Have a seat,” he said, trying to smile as if his world hadn’t just been turned upside down. “Some wine…”
Pouring two glasses, he handed her one. “To you, my lady.” He glanced toward the cats, now curled together on one of the tree’s largest ledges. “And to three amazing cats.”
Gaby sipped her wine. “They are special.”
“Sweeting, you have no idea.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.” He smiled, feeling better. “I’ll explain over dinner. There are a few things you should know.”
“I’m all ears.”
I hope you won’t be out the door when you hear what I have to say. He kept the words to himself. Aloud, he said, “I’ll nip into the kitchen and fetch everything.”
“I can’t wait.”
She had that wrong, James decided as he left the library. If he understood correctly, and he was recalling the doomed maid he’d glimpsed when she’d entered The Galley, well, then they’d already waited a very long time.
And no matter how outlandish it seemed, this was Cat’s Paw Cove. He might not be a local, but he was an honorary citizen. As such, he knew to trust the impossible.
He also knew he was about to sound like a madman.
He didn’t care.
Silence wasn’t an option.
“You needn’t look so worried.” Gaby forked her last bit of melt-in-her-mouth blackened grouper. “I believe you,” she told James, and then popped the fish into her mouth.
Still working on his own dinner, he took a sip of wine and then started adding details to everything he’d told her. Long-ago memories, things he’d experienced but discounted at the time. When he again reached the were-cat woman, Gaby leaned across the table and touched his arm.
“You don’t need to convince me.” She gave his wrist a squeeze before sitting back. “I believed you the first time. You are blessed to know where your gift comes from. Not everyone is so lucky.”
He set down his grouper-laden fork. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“Of course not.”
He didn’t look convinced. “If what I told you is true, I lived many centuries ago, was apparently a knight, saved Collywobbles and his siblings, only to have-”
“Only to have their mother give you the most precious gift in return,” Gaby finished for him. “She was grateful.”
“She was a were-cat.” James frowned, pushed aside his empty plate. “It sounds like a late-night movie. The kind they show around Halloween.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Gaby shook her head. “It’s a tale that shines with so much love. Think how much she gave you. She couldn’t save you that day so she shared her magic with you, giving you powers to aid you in later lives.
“From what you described, and her words, someone attacked you from behind.” She waved her wine glass at him. “That’s called an ambush. You didn’t have a chance. She made sure that wouldn’t happen again.”
“You make it sound so logical.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Not when I think too hard.”
“What about this place?” She sipped her wine. “Cat’s Paw Cove? I know there’s powerful magic in this town. Maybe not were-cats, but something.”
“The town is unique.” He gave her that. “But no matter how much time I spend here, my home is Carmel. Yours is Portland. We aren’t a part of what goes on here.”
“Why do I think many here would disagree?”
“This isn’t even my house.”
Gaby smiled, ignoring his argument. “Kristy at the pub says it is.”
“That’s because she likes me better than Chase. She thinks he’s a womanizer.”
“Isn’t he?”
“No. They run after him.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “That’s why we’re so close. I saved his life in college when a jealous husband tried to smash his head with a crowbar. Thing is, Chase wasn’t the one fooling around with the man’s wife. He did have a reputation. That was enough for the man to gather four friends and go after Chase. They’d already pummeled him up, the friends holding him down when I happened by. The husband was waving his crowbar, ready to finish Chase. I ran at them, yelling and waving my arms.
“No one was more surprised than me when something I can only describe as charges of light-energy burst from my fingers and melted the crowbar.”
He paused, shook his head. “The men took off, their feet not even touching the pavement as they ran. I stared after them, not knowing what was going on. But I did get Chase to a hospital. He survived, obviously. And ever since-”
“You’re thicker than blood.” Gaby finished her wine, set down the empty glass. “Now I get your bond. I’m glad you told me.”
“I’ve never shared that with anyone.” He glanced at the fire, then back to her. “I’m not sure I should’ve told you.”
“Why?”
Frowning, he stood, started clearing the table. When she joined him, helping him stack their empty plates on the dinner trolley, he swung about, narrowing his eyes at her. “Why did you not even blink hearing all that? Forget this town – it has its own legacy. I know Portland has a thriving New Age community, but it’s one thing to read tarot and tea leaves, peer into crystal balls and wave around smoking sage. It’s something else entirely to light up alleyways and melt iron.”
“I’m not arguing.”
“Most people would be calling for the men in white suits.”
She shrugged. “I’m not most people.”
“What makes you so different?”
“Just that, don’t you see?” She touched his arm, smiling. “I’m blessed, too. Not that I can claim a were-cat benefactress.”
“A shame.” He smoothed his knuckles down her cheek. “You deserve one.”
“I don’t need one.” She slid her arms around him. “I have you. When I needed help, you were there for me, weren’t you?”
“Gaby…” He lifted her chin, looked down at her. “Let’s just say I am damn glad I wanted a steak-and-ale pie the other night. I could have been hungry for something Italian, might’ve ended up at Medici instead of The Galley. We wouldn’t have met and-”
“But we did.” She gripped his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him.
Several long moments and many slow, deep kisses later, she pulled back, determined to chase his doubts. “Sure, all this might sound crazy to some, but we know better, don’t we?
“And before you argue, I’ll tell you about my gift,” she added, rushing on to explain her real purpose at Old Things. How Mr. Dunrobin had a Scot’s superstitious nature and wouldn’t allow anything inside his antique and curio shop unless she’d checked the object for any trace of negative energy.
“Sure, as assistant manager, I helped him run the place. He was getting up there. But my main duty was looking out for bad mojo.” She gave him another quick kiss. “That’s the reason he hired me. I sense energies. Not all the time and only from things, not people. And unlike you, I don’t have any idea why I have such a knack.”
“Is that how you knew Chase’s girlfriend isn’t a cat person?”
“Sheena Parisi isn’t an any-animal person.”
“True.”
“She has other interests,” she said, following him into the kitchen. “Her energy was on the porch. It overwhelmed me, loving animals as I do, especially cats.
“She really hates them.” She waited as he opened the dishwasher, then started rinsing and handing him the plates. “Maybe she’s allergic?”
Poor Humphrey and Bogart, she wanted to say.
Instead, she watched as James took two ice cream bowls from a cupboard, set them next to a platter of huge peanut butter cookies. Then, turning to her, he pulled her into his arms for more kisses. His open-mouthed hunger chased all else from her mind as her heart raced and their kisses turned even more ravenous. Her entire body tingled, each swirl of his tongue making her think of other more decadent intimacies she hoped they’d soon share – wishes that felt right and good regardless of the newness of their relationship.
Nothing about them felt new and after what he’d shared with her, why not?
She could see them as long-lost lovers reunited after lifetimes of searching for one another. In fact, she had a book upstairs in her luggage that was all about reincarnation and love across the ages, how people meet for a reason and all that.
Maybe she’d go up there now and get the book, show it to him?
Breaking their kiss, she ran a finger along his beard stubble, excited. “Can you give me a minute to dash upstairs? I have something to show you.”
“Anything you wish, my lady.” He stepped back, Sir Galahad again as he gave her a slight bow. “I have a surprise for you, too,” he said as she started away. “Well, it’s for the cats, though you’ll love it, too.”
