Claws for Alarm

by Cate Conte

  “Thank you. And this is my sister Val,” I said, as Val appeared, clearly curious about the crowd..

  Peyton turned to her. “Wonderful to meet you. Peyton Chandler. I’m so excited to be here.”

  “We are too,” I began, but Val’s excited voice cut me off.

  “Holy crap. It’s Catwoman!” She stepped forward, clearly in awe, glancing at me as if to say What the heck is going on here?

  Peyton laughed. “That’s quite an introduction.”

  “Wow. This is … wow,” Val said, a dopey smile on her face.

  I’d never seen her starstruck before. I poked her.

  Peyton pretended not to notice. “Jillian’s told me about your family business and the great things you’re doing. If you could show me around a bit, then we can do some photos?” She waved vaguely behind her.

  I took a better look outside the door and my eyes widened. There were at least twenty people with cameras standing outside, ranging from video cameras to regular cameras. They were already snapping pictures, and as a flash went off it knocked me back to reality. I offered Peyton a weak smile, but she didn’t even notice as she moved past me, her head turning from side to side as she took in the café. Chad followed, avoiding my eyes.

  Lucas, thankfully, stepped in. “Right this way,” he said graciously, and led her into the café.

  I waited until she was out of earshot, then shut the door and turned to Jillian. “What’s going on? Did I miss a memo?”

  Jillian laughed. “You’re so cute. No, you didn’t. It’s all me, I’m afraid. I had an absolute brainstorm this morning—and luckily Peyton was up for it. I asked her if she’d do a photo shoot at the café in anticipation of the event. And that’s my other surprise.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Peyton is our celebrity guest!”

  My jaw dropped again. “For the fundraiser? You’re kidding!”

  “Nope.” She grinned. “How much do you love me right now?”

  I shoved at my hair. “That’s amazing. Really. But I wish I’d had a heads-up. I’m not exactly ready for a photo session.” I indicated my outfit. “Plus I have a full schedule of clients booked today, starting at nine.”

  She arched her perfectly shaped eyebrows at me. “Oh, please, Maddie,” she said, waving me off as if I were a pesky fly. “You look fine. And your clients will get a glimpse of one of the biggest Hollywood names in history! This is a once in a lifetime! Peyton Chandler! I told you I had a surprise for you.”

  I wasn’t really sure how to feel at that moment. I mean, of course it was supercool to say Peyton Chandler had showed up at my café and posed with my rescue animals. But I would’ve liked to be ready for it. The place, luckily, was clean, but I wasn’t. Grandpa wasn’t here, and I just felt unprepared.

  “It’s awesome, for sure. Did you know about this when we were talking yesterday?” I asked.

  Jillian’s smile faded. For the first time since I’d met her yesterday, the bubbly, enthusiastic, sunshiny persona faded. “Really, Maddie. You have to be more flexible in this business,” she said. “I’m offering you a shot at a lot of press and a lot of money. A thank-you would be nice. Now, if you want to get changed, I suggest you hurry up. Peyton has limited time, and we need to huddle for a planning meeting after the photo shoot. Jo is on her way over too.”

  I bristled, but luckily Lucas appeared next to me. “We’ll be right back,” he said smoothly, then tugged me out of the room and upstairs.

  Chapter 9

  Once we’d reached my room, Lucas pushed me firmly inside and shut the door. “What’s that all about?” he asked. “I take it you didn’t know they were coming? And … Peyton Chandler? Did you forget to mention that part?”

  “Of course I didn’t know they were coming! You think I’d be greeting a Hollywood actress looking like this?” I glanced down with some disgust at my T-shirt and shorts. “I haven’t gone that far into crazy-cat-lady status. And no, I had no idea Peyton Chandler was the celebrity she had in mind. OMG. If I wasn’t so flustered right now, I’d be over the moon about this.”

  “So … they want to do a photo shoot? Like now?”

  “Apparently. And a planning meeting for the event. Jillian said yesterday she had a plan for the fundraiser and a celebrity endorsement, remember I told you? But I figured she’d tell us who she had in mind. And I definitely thought she’d tell me about something like this first! God. It’s barely eight a.m.!”

  “A photo shoot without telling you?” Lucas asked doubtfully.

  “Yeah. I guess she likes to surprise people.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “I have to get ready. I have to find Grandpa. And Ethan. Can you help me track them down? Crap! I need to text Adele and tell her not to come until later. I don’t even want to hear what she’ll say about this.” I shuddered at the thought. That would be a tirade about rich people to remember.

  “Of course I’ll help you,” Lucas said. “Ethan will be right back. He went out to get some flour or something before I came in to the café to see you.”

  “Jeez. How do you know all this stuff? I never know where my family is. Okay. Grandpa may have gone for his walk. Hopefully he took his phone. I need something to wear.” I felt quite frazzled right now. “And Becky! We need to call Becky. She needs to cover this for the paper!”

  “Babe. Relax. I’ll call your grandfather and Becky. You text Adele and get ready.” He gave me a quick kiss. “Also, you look beautiful already.”

  “Aww. You’re lying but thank you.”

  Lucas went off to try to get everyone together. I texted Adele and gave her the morning off, insisting when she tried to protest, and made her promise to come in at one. Then I went to my closet and started racking hangers, looking for something presentable yet not too formal for a casual morning at my cat café. After tossing half a dozen outfits out of the way, I settled on a sundress that I’d recently found in one of the new boutiques on the island and was saving for a date with Lucas. He’d promised to take me into Boston for a fancy dinner. I headed into the bathroom and cleaned up as quickly as I could, pulling my hair back in a ponytail and putting on the minimum amount of makeup I needed to look presentable. People would be looking at Peyton in the photos anyway—I wasn’t naive enough to think otherwise—but I had to make the effort.

  Fifteen minutes later Ethan was back, Grandpa was on his way, Becky was sending a reporter, and I had fixed myself up enough that I didn’t feel awful about getting pictures taken. I gave myself one last critical glance in the mirror then headed back downstairs. Lucas had begged off from being in the photos despite my peer pressure to get him to join me. I saw him sneaking out the back door with Ollie once he knew that I was set.

  When I got back to the café, Jillian was nowhere in sight. Peyton, Chad, and Esther were alone in there. Chad leaned against the wall right inside the doorway, texting someone. His jacket, much too heavy for the already-warm summer day, was tossed on the couch. Peyton sat on one of the floor cushions, snuggling with one of the cats. Rhiannon was still in her lap, and she didn’t look too excited about her surroundings. Esther walked slowly around, admiring everything. Chad glanced up when he saw me come in. He must have done some mental strategizing and decided to ignore the fact that I’d seen him act like a jerk at the fish market and prove to me what a great guy he was. He turned on a thousand-watt smile that I could see right through.

  “Maddie. So great to meet you and get to spend some time here. This place is incredible,” he said, waving a hand around.

  “Thanks,” I said. “Are you a cat fan?”

  “Of course,” he said. “Love them. Wish I could have one, but there’s allergies in my family. My oldest kid.”

  “That’s too bad,” I said.

  We stood in awkward silence for a moment until his phone buzzed again. He turned his attention to the text. I grabbed the opportunity to wander over to Peyton.

  She looked up and smiled. “This cat is so sweet,” she said, and for a minute I forgot she was a celebrity
. She just looked like someone who loved cats and relished spending time with them. “Esther, did you see this one?” she called to her assistant. “What’s her name?” she asked me.

  “Ashley,” I said. “She is super sweet.” I crouched down next to them to rub the cat’s ears. “Does Rhiannon like other cats?”

  Peyton smiled. “Sometimes.” She rubbed Rhiannon’s cheek with her finger. JJ, sensing a new cat, came over to sniff around her. Her ears went back.

  Esther came over and knelt down, holding out a finger to Ashley, who sniffed it with interest.

  “She likes the laser toy,” I said, pulling one off a hook on the wall and handing it to Esther. I had laser toys hanging all over the café, an invitation for people to play with the cats.

  “How do you use it?” Esther asked.

  I showed her. Ashley shot out of Peyton’s lap to chase the red dot. Esther laughed with delight. “This toy is amazing,” she said to Peyton. “We must get one for Rhiannon.”

  Peyton nodded. “Where did Ashley come from?”

  “She was an owner surrender,” I said.

  Peyton wrinkled that perfect, perky nose. I wondered if she’d had work done on it. “That makes me so mad,” she said, but really she sounded sad.

  “I know. But sometimes it’s not because they’re bad people,” I said. “That’s actually the case with Ashley. Her owner was old and had Alzheimer’s. She had to go to assisted living. Which makes me sad that they aren’t allowed to take their pets. I’ve always wanted to find a way to do something about that.”

  Peyton’s eyes widened. “Me too!” She sat up straighter. “When I was little, my grandmother had a cat that she loved so much. It was a street cat she’d rescued who was all beat up. For years it was just the two of them. Then she got really sick and had to go to a nursing home because my mom and my uncle didn’t want to take her on. And she wasn’t able to take Marley. I know it’s why she died so fast. She missed him so much.”

  “What happened to Marley?” I asked.

  “My uncle ended up taking him. I basically threatened both him and my mother that if one of them didn’t take the cat, I would never speak to them again.” She grinned. “I was ten. And I also told them Gram would haunt them both forever. Guess it worked. And I guess it was easier to keep the cat than to take care of Gram. He ended up really liking Marley.”

  I laughed. “That’s awesome. But yeah, sometimes it’s because the person truly can’t take care of the cat anymore. That’s a sad story for everyone.”

  “You’re right. It’s the people who give up their pet because they’re moving, or some other bad excuse. They don’t do that to their kids. Why should it be any different for cats?”

  She was passionate. I liked that. I grinned at her. “You’re singing my song, sister.”

  Peyton looked like she was about to say something else when Jillian barged in.

  “Let’s go, everyone,” she said in a singsong voice. “Your paparazzi awaits.” She eyed me from head to toe. I couldn’t help but feel she was judging my appearance now versus a few minutes ago and decided it really hadn’t been worth the wait.

  “We can start, but my grandfather is on his way back,” I said. “He should be part of this.”

  “Of course he should!” Jillian exclaimed. “We’ll make sure to get a number of shots of Leo. We’re waiting for Marco anyway, right, Peyton?” She turned that intense gaze toward Peyton.

  My ears perked up. “Marco? Like, Marco Moore?” I asked, looking from Jillian to Peyton, eyes wide. Marco was another A-list actor, and Peyton had been linked to him for years. He was hot. And another animal lover, which made him even more sexy. Marco Moore was coming to my café too? Suddenly this didn’t seem like such a terrible idea.

  “He will be here shortly,” Esther answered Jillian. “Yes, Marco Moore,” she said to me.

  Peyton got to her feet. “I’d like to take a picture with her.” She still held on to Ashley. “We should tell her story so she gets a home quickly.”

  “Love it,” I said. “Yes, we can do that first.”

  “And we need photos of you and JJ. Where did he go?” We both looked around. He’d been there a moment ago.

  “I’ll find him,” I promised. JJ was the real story. And very photogenic. He’d probably decided it was time for a nap.

  I went to find him while Jillian went outside to herd the photographers in. He’d made his way into the kitchen, where he was on the counter eating what was left of someone’s eggs. “Bad cat,” I scolded halfheartedly. He squeaked at me.

  I picked him up and returned to the café, where they were checking lighting and angles and all that camera-type stuff. JJ squirmed to be let down so he could investigate all the action.

  “Just make sure they’re careful not to let the cats out,” I told Jillian. “How many photographers are there, anyway?”

  “Well, there’s one from our staff at the League, then Peyton’s photographers. And a couple of media outlets that Chad promised exclusives to.”

  “Oh. Well, the local newspaper is coming,” I said.

  “They are?” She pursed her lips. “We’ll have to see if that’s allowed.”

  Before I could ask her what that meant, she’d moved away, calling out directions for different shots. It looked like we’d be doing this for a while since the crews had to work in shifts, given the size of the room. “I do have customers coming,” I said, after what seemed like a hundred different shots with only the first crew. It was just about nine, and I was worried about keeping people waiting.

  “Invite them in,” Peyton suggested. “It’s fine with me.”

  “Not part of the agreement,” Chad muttered to her under his breath. He’d been sticking to her like glue the whole time, barely getting out of the shots. But I could hear him loud and clear, and once he realized it, he tried to backpedal. “They might not want their pictures taken. And they’d need to sign a release.”

  “Then you can ask Jillian to take care of that,” Peyton said.

  “I’ll help,” Esther said, shooting Chad a dirty look. This guy didn’t seem very popular.

  As if on cue, the door opened and a young guy with giant glasses stuck his head in. “Hey there. I’m Chip, with the Daybreak Island Chronicle.”

  Chad looked like his head was about to explode. “We only invited certain outlets,” he said. “This one is not on the list. Jillian?” He spun around looking for her.

  “This is the island paper,” I said. “My best friend is the editor.”

  “It’s fine, Chad,” Peyton said with a barely suppressed sigh. “We can’t exclude the local photographers. That would be disingenuous.”

  Chad looked anything but happy, but he spun on his expensive Italian heel and strode over to Jillian to discuss all of this.

  “Come on in, Chip,” I said. “Meet Peyton Chandler.”

  Chip’s eyes bugged wide. “Wow,” he said, shoving his glasses back up his nose. “Becky didn’t mention this part.” He began scribbling furiously in his notebook while trying to fumble with his camera at the same time. I felt kind of sorry for him.

  Grandpa Leo arrived. He scoped out the situation and slipped right into the fray. He was made for this. I, however, was already kind of tired. I didn’t know how Peyton did it. I also didn’t want the cats to get fatigued. And I was trying to keep an eye to make sure no one let any of them slip out the door as the photographers were switching off.

  Jillian returned with a release form, and I went outside to talk to my first client about what was going on and to offer them a spot in the photo shoot. It was a local, an older woman named Avis, and she couldn’t get inside fast enough to meet Peyton. Problem apparently solved. I anticipated it would be that way for most of my clients today.

  While we were taking a quick break so Peyton’s makeup person could powder her nose, Grandpa came over to me. “Isn’t that the guy from the fish store?” he asked in a low voice, nodding to Chad.

  I nodded. “S
ure is.”

  “So who is he? He famous too?”

  “Her agent,” I said with an eye roll.

  Grandpa raised his bushy white eyebrows. “Really.”

  “Yep. But her boyfriend is coming. He’s … nice.”

  “Hmm,” Grandpa said with a knowing look. “Nice, eh?”

  “Nice,” I said, a tad defensively. “He’s another big actor. He’s cute.”

  “I figured as much,” Grandpa said.

  Peyton wandered over while two new camera guys had an argument about who got the side-window lighting. “Mr. Mancini. This is just so wonderful, what you’re doing here,” she said. “I hope we get a chance to talk a bit more today after all … this.” She waved at the cameras. I wondered if she actually liked the publicity part of her job. She struck me as low-key for as big of a name as she was.

  Grandpa Leo blushed. “Why thank you, but it was all my granddaughter’s idea,” he said. “Maddie has been helping animals ever since she was a little girl.”

  Peyton smiled at me. “She definitely seems like the type.”

  “I hope you’re enjoying your stay,” Grandpa said.

  “Oh, my goodness. It’s so lovely here,” she said.

  “How did you get to the island?” Grandpa asked. “Did you fly?”

  Peyton shook her head. “I have a boat. It’s docked at the Daybreak Island Marina.”

  Grandpa and I slowly looked at each other, then back at her.

  “The, uh, big black boat?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

  Peyton nodded sheepishly. “I know, it seems like it’s a bit big for this marina,” she said with a laugh. “But I love it. I live on it when I’m not filming. I only have a small apartment out in Los Angeles otherwise. I love being on the water.”

  “That’s a classy way to travel,” Grandpa said with a nod.

  “It’s very nice. By the way, do you know where I might find some wild-caught salmon? Chad has been trying to find me some, but we’ve been striking out.”

  I had a sudden, hysterical urge to laugh. This whole scene was surreal. Peyton owned that insanely ginormous boat. And apparently Chad had been trying to find the salmon for her.