Furever Friends

by Patricia Fry

  Sandy grinned. “Darn near. Hey, I’d better get going. Thanks, Savannah.”

  “Sure, about this time tomorrow?” Savannah asked.

  “Yes. That would be good.”

  Just then she heard her mother calling from behind her. “Vannie, your cat wants to come out. Lily wants to bring him outside, is it okay?”

  “Sure. Is Teddy sleeping?”

  Gladys nodded, then came from the house with Lily and with Rags on his leash. Savannah met her and took the cat from her. “How you manage that cat, I’ll never know,” Gladys complained.

  “Pony!” Lily shouted. “Look, Grammy. Ponies. Two ponies.”

  As Lily guided Gladys toward the ponies’ pen, Rags pulled hard toward Peaches’s corral. “You want to see Peaches, do you?” Savannah crooned. Sandy, who was now at the hitching post grooming Moose, laughed. “The cat likes horses?”

  Savannah leaned over and petted Rags. “Well, he and Peaches are great friends.” She stood up. “And he showed an interest in your horse yesterday.”

  “He did?” Sandy laughed when Rags pulled Savannah toward Moose and then jumped up onto the nearby platform. Moose nickered softly and nuzzled the cat while Rags rubbed against his face.

  “Wow,” Sandy said. “He has a goat friend at my place, and he seems to like my son’s dog, but I’ve never known him to pay much attention to a cat. Although I’ve never known a cat to get so close to him.” She petted Rags. “He’s trusting, isn’t he?” She laughed when Rags batted at a piece of hay stuck to Moose’s forelock. “Cute.” She took out her phone and started snapping pictures.

  “Come on, Rags,” Savannah said, “Moose has to go get his exercise.” She asked Sandy, “Where’s your saddle, in your truck? Want to keep it in the tack room? Since you’re going to ride often, you might as well keep it here.”

  “Thanks. Yes, if there’s room.” She untied Moose’s lead rope and started to lead him out to her truck to saddle him when she heard Savannah laughing. She turned and saw Rags riding on Moose’s back as the horse followed along behind her. When Savannah began snapping pictures, Sandy said, “Send me one of those will you? Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious.”

  Just then Savannah’s phone rang. She removed it from her pocket and looked at the screen. “Rob,” she said under her breath. She scooped Rags off Moose’s back and walked away with him, saying, “I’d better take this.” She released Rags to the ground. “Have a good ride, Sandy.” Into the phone she said, “Hi, Rob. What’s up?”

  “Well, you’re not going to like this.”

  “What?” she asked, holding tightly to Rags’s leash as he pulled toward where Sandy had led Moose.

  “Your new buddy there, Kat, alias Katherine, has been in trouble for copyright infringement.”

  “Oh no,” was all Savannah could manage. “So what does that mean, Rob? What did she do exactly, do you know?”

  “Well, she was evidently sued for publishing copyrighted material under her own name.”

  “Gosh, that’s not good. What should I do?” she asked.

  “It’s up to you how you want to handle her on a personal level, but our attorneys have already been alerted to the situation and they’ll be watching for her to make a wrong move. There’s nothing we can do until she attempts something. It might not hurt for you to let her know we’re on to her.”

  Savannah groaned. “Well, this is certainly awkward and uncomfortable.”

  “I know. Listen, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. Let me suggest, however, that you don’t give her access to any more material, okay?”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t. Thanks for letting me know.”

  ****

  Later that afternoon Savannah was preparing to strip the bed in the room Kat and Suki had stayed in when Rags bounded up the stairs and joined her. “Hmmm,” she muttered, “you guys didn’t put this little table back after you found Auntie’s jury-duty letter.” She shook her head. “Rags, sometimes you should leave well enough alone—you know, let sleeping dogs lie.” She chuckled. “You sure didn’t make Auntie’s day when you found that thing.” When she started to move the small table into position, Rags dove underneath it. She laughed when she saw his tail waving in the air behind him. “What are you doing?” she insisted. “Come out of there, will you?” Remembering how dusty the letter he found was, she decided to scoot the table away from the wall and clean under it. First, she lifted Rags out of the way, then she moved the nightstand. “What’s this?” she asked, stooping to pick something up. But before she could get her hands on it, Rags pounced on it and began chewing it.

  “Stop it,” she scolded. “Rags, you’re shredding it. Let me see that.”

  “What’s going on?” Gladys asked, stepping into the room. She looked around. “Who are you talking to?”

  “The cat,” Savannah admitted. “He’s trying to help and he’s no help at all. Let me have that,” she said, grabbing it from him. He snatched at it with his claws and the sheet of paper tore. “Now look what you’ve done,” she complained.

  “What on earth are you fighting over?” Gladys asked, walking closer.

  “I don’t know. It was behind the side table.” She removed the scrap from Rags’s mouth, held the two pieces together, and gasped. “It’s a copy of an email from Kat to that cartoonist she told me about.”

  “Cartoonist?” Gladys asked.

  “Yeah, she wants to make Rags into a cartoon character.” Savannah huffed, “Now this is just not right. In fact it might be illegal.” She sat down on the bed. “Darn, I was hoping Kat was on the up and up, but Rob told me she could be a scammer. I sure didn’t want to believe it.”

  “Oh, Savannah, she seemed like a good person. I can’t believe she’s a scammer. What does Rob think she’s done, anyway?”

  “Well, I’m not sure, but Rob says we have to protect our rights to Rags’s stories and to his image and all. He thinks Kat might want to steal some of those rights.” She studied the letter. “It sure looks like that’s what she’s planning to do. She says here that she would provide photos and that she wants fifty-percent of the action—you know, royalties.” Savannah stood. “I’d better scan this and send it to Rob. I’ll be right back to strip that bed.” She stopped and looked down at Rags. “Thanks,” she said, “I think.”

  Gladys petted the cat. “Yeah, he doesn’t want to be a silly cartoon character, do you, Rags?”

  ****

  Early the following morning when Michael came out of the bathroom and saw Savannah sitting on the edge of their bed, he teased, “Having trouble waking up, honey?” He sat next to her and pulled her down onto the bed.

  “Yeah,” she admitted, snuggling with him. “I didn’t sleep very well.” When he didn’t respond, she explained, “I’m just kind of upset about Kat. It’s hard to imagine she’s dishonest and is maybe even trying to steal from me.”

  Michael held her tightly. “That would be a hard pill to swallow. We always expect that we can trust people.”

  “Especially someone you like.” She propped herself up on one elbow. “I hate to think I’m so gullible, but then I guess someone who habitually lies and cheats can do a pretty good snow job on an unsuspecting victim.”

  “Sure,” Michael agreed, “but you don’t know the whole story yet.” He ran one finger gently alongside her face. “Why don’t you ask her about it before you judge her?”

  Savannah shuddered. “Ohhh, I hate confrontations.”

  “It doesn’t have to be a confrontation,” he insisted. “Just tell her you heard a rumor and you want to check it out with her. Or bring up what you and Rob discussed about copyright and ask if she understands what she can and can’t do with the information she has gathered about Rags.”

  Savannah sat up and looked at Michael. “Well, that sounds pretty straightforward and logical. Thank you.” She then whined, “Will you call her and tell her all that?”

  He kissed her, then said a s
harp, “Uh…no!” He leaped up from the bed and pulled on a shirt.

  Savannah walked toward the bathroom, slapping at him on her way past. “Meanie,” she teased.

  He smiled at her, finished dressing, then walked down the hall where Teddy sat jabbering to himself in his crib. “Ready to get up, buddy?” Michael asked. “Come on; Daddy will change your drawers, and then let’s go have breakfast.” Once he’d changed the baby, he carried him next door to Lily’s room and peered inside. “Looks like big sister’s already up. She must be in the kitchen with Grammy.”

  Minutes later, Savannah and Michael met in the hallway and walked together to the kitchen. She ran her hand over Teddy’s head and smiled. “How’s my sweet boy?”

  Seeing Lily in the kitchen with Gladys, Michael said, “There you are!” He kissed the child’s cheek. “What are you doing?”

  “Helping Grammy make…what’s this, Grammy?”

  “Apple turnovers,” Gladys said.

  “Yeah, apple popovers,” Lily repeated. “See, I roll it, I put apples on it, I pop it over,” she said, demonstrating slowly and awkwardly.

  “Amazing!” Michael said, settling Teddy into his high chair.

  “Here’s the first batch,” Gladys said, placing a platter on the table. Help yourself to fruit and juice. It’s cold cereal this morning and hot turnovers.”

  “Popovers,” Lily corrected.

  Savannah had just fixed a plate for Teddy when her phone rang. She looked at the kitchen clock. “It’s only seven. I wonder who’s calling so early.”

  “It’s probably your new friend wanting to clear the air,” Michael offered. When Savannah hesitated, he said, “Why don’t you go find out? Go on, hon.”

  She picked up her phone and said, sounding relieved, “Oh, it’s Bonnie.” Into the phone she said, “Hi, Bonnie. How are you this morning?”

  “Okay, but Sandy had a little accident and she wants me to ride Moose for a few days until she can get back in the saddle. She said that you were going to ride with her today. Can you still go?”

  “Sure,” Savannah said. “What happened?”

  “Some freaky thing, I guess—at least that’s what we hope it was.” When it was obvious that Savannah wanted to hear more, Bonnie explained, “She got home after dark last night and thought her porch light had burned out. Her teenage son discovered later that the bulb was missing. Well, evidently she stumbled over a rake that someone had left across the walkway. She said nothing’s broken, but she doesn’t want to try riding until the swelling and pain subsides.”

  “Bonnie,” Savannah said, “does she think someone caused this accident? Sounds fishy to me. I mean, you said she has received threats.”

  “I’m not sure that she has been threatened, just the horse.”

  Savannah was quiet for a moment. “Well, color me skeptical, but I still think that sounds suspicious.”

  Bonnie let out a sigh. “I don’t know. She seemed a little dubious, too, but I think I convinced her it was probably just an unfortunate accident.” She paused. “So do you want to ride with me today?”

  “Oh. Yeah, sure I can ride.”

  “Good. Say, four this afternoon? Joe will lunge Moose this morning and maybe take him out for a morning spin. But he needs a good workout every day. Sandy wants to compete with him in a little ride out in the desert next week.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” Bonnie said. “She plans to enter some minor rides throughout the year for the experience and to test his abilities and her own.”

  “Oh,” Savannah said, “I have another call coming in. I’ll see you this afternoon, then.” She ended the call and took the next one. “Hello.”

  “Hi, it’s Kat.”

  “Oh, hi.” Savannah felt a lump in her throat. “Um, did you and Suki get home okay?”

  “Yes. We’re back in the trenches with cat duty.” She laughed. “Lots of doo-doo. There’s always a lot of that with thirteen cats.”

  “Thirteen?”

  “Yeah, my sister rescued another feral kitten and, of course, she brought her to me.” She took a breath. “Hey, Savannah, I talked to the cartoon guy I told you about. He’s all over the idea of featuring Rags in a cartoon video. He thinks it would go wild on the Internet.”

  “Um, Kat, about that. I spoke with Rags’s…um…agent yesterday about copyright. Is this something you’re familiar with? I mean, our books are copyrighted and I guess we’ll be trade marking Rags’s brand, if that’s possible, so we can’t be allowing random stories being shared and new media being created without our permission. I think we’ll need to have your friend talk to our attorney.”

  Kat hesitated, then said, “Of course, Savannah. In fact, I’m glad you brought that up. The cartoonist is a professional and so am I. Give me your agent’s number and we’ll work things out with him or her.”

  “Certainly. And it’s okay if I give him your number?”

  “Yes, by all means.”

  That went well, Savannah thought after ending the call. I guess there’s nothing to worry about with Kat, but you just never know. She smiled. I’m glad to have that awkward moment behind me and to know that Kat is legitimate and, it seems, savvy. However, there’s still that sticky widget about her having been in some sort of trouble related to a copyright issue before.

  Kat, on the other hand, was not as content with their conversation. Damn, I really don’t want to get tangled up in all that legal mumbo jumbo. I’m just trying to make a living here. Now I’ll have to decide whether to forge ahead and see what I can get away with out of ignorance or if I need to get involved with Savannah’s attorney. Who knew she’d have an attorney? Heck, it just seems fair that I should be paid for the work I do, no matter whose cat I’m writing about.

  ****

  It was a balmy early evening in Hammond, and Savannah and Bonnie had just returned to the main trail in the hills behind the Iveys’ home after navigating a narrow and steep mountain trail. “Wow, that was almost harrowing,” Savannah said.

  Bonnie laughed. “A little out of your comfort zone, is it?”

  “Kind of,” Savannah admitted. “But I do enjoy being challenged and challenging Peaches, as well.” She turned in her saddle toward Bonnie. “In fact, I think I’d probably like competing in one of those endurance rides.”

  “It takes a lot of training,” Bonnie warned, “and the right horse.” She patted Moose’s neck as she rode. “This guy’s certainly the right horse for that sort of competition.” She looked at Savannah’s mount. “I’m not sure Peaches is.”

  “Why not?” Savannah questioned. “She’s a pretty game mare.”

  “That she is,” Bonnie agreed. “Only…”

  “Only what?”

  “Well, endurance animals typically have the breeding for that type of strenuous competition. A horse must be inherently sturdy, but Savannah, if you’re interested in endurance competition, I can sure help you find the right horse or mule.”

  “Mule?”

  “Sure. Mules have been participating in endurance rides for years. Most make it to the finish and a few have even placed well in some of the larger events. With the right breeding and conditioning, a mule can be a tough competitor.” When Savannah scoffed, she continued, “And some are downright handsome.”

  “I guess I haven’t met one of those yet,” Savannah said. “I remember Jake, a mule they kept at the equine center near the veterinary school I attended. He was pretty smart, all right, but he was always getting into some sort of trouble—constantly outsmarting the handlers. I can’t imagine trusting Jake on an important endurance ride.”

  Bonnie grinned. “He might have been well-behaved if they’d given him more to do—more responsibility.”

  “Oh, do you think so? You mean like you would a border collie or a cattle dog or…a cat like Rags?”

  Before Bonnie could respond, something caught her attention. “Who’s that?” she muttered suspiciously. “What do you
think they want?”

  Savannah looked into the distance in time to see two figures dart into the brush. “Probably kids out here smoking dope or drinking beer.”

  Bonnie reined her horse toward a steep embankment, calling out, “Well, just in case they’re not, let’s blaze a trail.”

  “Huh? Down there?” Savannah complained.

  “Come on,” Bonnie urged as she rode over the edge. “Peaches can do it.”

  “Maybe so,” Savannah said, her voice sounding pinched, “but can I?” Once she’d nudged her mare over the bank, she asked, “So why are we doing this?”

  “I’ll tell you in a minute,” Bonnie promised, balancing her weight to assist Moose in making his way down the hillside. Once they’d found a deer trail, they used it to zigzag their way back to the main trail beyond where they’d seen the strangers. Then Bonnie explained, “Those guys seemed a little suspicious to me, and I just don’t want to take any chances with this horse or us.”

  “So you don’t think Sandy is just being paranoid?”

  Bonnie winced. “Well, I’ve been thinking more about that. It’s possible that someone is out to cause injury to Moose or Sandy…or both.” She continued, “It’s certainly possible that someone’s upset to see Moose back in the running as a contender. After he was injured, everyone expected that his career was over. News about horses like Moose travels like lightning through the endurance circuit, and there are some people who would do anything to keep from being beaten, especially by a sort of Johnny-come-lately like Moose.”

  Savannah tried to take in all that Bonnie had said. “Interesting.” She looked around to see if anyone was still lurking. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she said, “Well, I’m glad your brothers are on duty, if that’s the case.”

  Bonnie nodded. She looked at Savannah and revealed, “The investigators think that fire was set on purpose.”

  Savannah gulped. “Arson?”

  “Yes. They just told me that this afternoon. They’re pretty sure someone started a grass fire in the field adjacent to us. It could have been worse for us if the idiots had known what they were doing. The winds that night were blowing mostly east, so although we were definitely affected and all of our animals were in extreme danger, the worst of the flames traveled east and swallowed up two neighbors’ homes.” She shook her head. “Just makes me sick.”