The Cat of Christmas Future

by Kathi Daley

  “What did you think of Jennifer’s suggestion of reserving a block of rooms at the inn for our wedding?” I asked. “I hadn’t even considered we might have a lot of out-of-town family and friends to find lodging for. We’d need to give her plenty of notice for that to work.”

  “Yeah, about that,” Cody said, a hitch of hesitation in his voice. “My mom called me yesterday to discuss the wedding. It seems my grandfather’s health is declining, so she wanted to know if we’d consider traveling to Florida and having the wedding there.”

  “Florida?”

  “I know it doesn’t make sense. Your family and our friends are here. I wanted to tell her no, but she made me promise to at least discuss it with you.”

  I frowned. “I know I was the one who started this conversation by bringing up Jennifer’s suggestion, but I’m feeling overwhelmed again. We were going to wait to make any plans until after the New Year. I think we should stick with that.”

  “It was a good plan, and I’m fine with waiting to discuss the specifics.”

  “But…?” I asked. “I can tell by your voice that there’s a but you haven’t mentioned yet.”

  “It’s just that my mom pointed out that if we do get married in Florida we should do it in the winter so it won’t be so hot. And the winter is the prime season in Florida, so we shouldn’t wait to reserve a venue.”

  “So your mom wants us to get married in Florida next winter?”

  “She wants us to get married in Florida this winter.”

  I was sure I should say something, but I found I was speechless. For a moment. And then panic set in. “This winter?” I screeched.

  “I know we didn’t want to hurry things, but I have a hard time saying no to my mother, so when she made me promise to at least talk to you about it I said I would. Now I can tell her we talked about it and you were against the idea and we can go back to our original plan.”

  I sat back with my mouth hanging open. “You aren’t seriously sitting here telling me that you’re afraid to say no to your mother, so you’re willing to throw me under the bus by telling her I was the one who said no to her plan.”

  “Your voice is getting kind of loud,” Cody whispered.

  I was within two seconds of getting up and leaving when he put his hand over mine. He must have realized I’d become a flight risk because he squeezed my hand just a bit tighter than he really needed to. “I’m sorry. You have every right to be mad. I did plan to make you the bad guy and that was cowardly. I’ll just tell my mom we’re taking things slowly and we’ll let her know what our plans are when we get around to making them.”

  I took a deep breath, then let it out. “Thank you. And I’m sorry about your grandfather. I guess it’s reasonable for your mom to worry about his ability to travel. Maybe we can figure out a way to include him in our plans even if we have the wedding on the island. Perhaps we could have a second small reception in Florida for those who were unable to make the trip west.”

  Cody smiled. “That’s a great idea. I should have thought of that myself.”

  “You probably would have if you weren’t so busy planning to feed me to the wolves,” I said, way too sweetly.

  “Touché. Again, I’m sorry. I know I can come off as a tough guy, but my mom has a way of making me feel like I’m still five years old. She tells me to do something and I can’t seem to say no, even if it’s something I don’t want to do.”

  “Your mom has a strong personality and she isn’t afraid to wield her power to get what she wants. I might have panicked as well if I’d been the one talking to her. I’m sure my mom will have ideas we hate as well. It’s important that we remember this is our wedding and we take our time to make sure it reflects our needs and desires.”

  “Maybe we should just elope,” Cody said.

  “Sounding better and better.”

  Chapter 9

  Sunday, December 17

  The conversation Cody and I had had the previous evening had left me feeling anxious, so I’d had a hard time sleeping. I kept imagining the broken relationships we’d leave spread across the battlefield if our mothers got into a tug-of-war over where we had the wedding, when, and who would be invited. I’d always dreamed of a big wedding with my family and friends in attendance, but just the hint of dissention had me seriously considering a quick trip to Vegas as a reasonable alternative.

  By the time I’d downed my third cup of coffee, showered, and dressed for church, I was feeling much better. Cody would be by to get me in less than half an hour, so I didn’t have a lot of time to spare, but I wanted to check in with Siobhan to make sure she didn’t need any help wrapping things up at the house she and Finn were selling.

  When I entered Maggie’s kitchen through the back door, I found my sister and aunt sitting at the dining table sipping coffee. “Where is everyone?” I asked.

  “Aiden’s sleeping in, Danny never came home last night, Mom and Cassie went to early Mass, and Finn is in the shower,” Siobhan filled me in.

  I walked over to the coffeemaker and poured my own cup. “Cody’s picking me up soon, but I wanted to ask if you and Finn needed any help at the house before I left. I know you said you have to be out this weekend.”

  Siobhan smiled. “We’re completely finished. We moved the last of the boxes into storage yesterday before we had to leave for the sheriff’s dinner and Finn hired a service to do the cleaning. I’m exhausted, he’s exhausted, and we may very well be living with Maggie for quite some time, but we’re out of the old house and ready to get on with the next phase of our lives.”

  “Good. I’m happy for you. I was worried this move would be tough on you and the baby. I meant to check in with you yesterday, but things got away from me.”

  “It does seem like you and Cody have taken on more than your fair share of projects,” Maggie commented. “First there was Willow and her missing baby daddy and then I found out Cody was helping Jack Forrester with his housing project.”

  “It’s not that he wants to help him; it’s that Cody wants to help Burt get his house back, which means helping Jack, which now entails helping reunite Olivia with her daughter.”

  Siobhan laughed. “When you guys jump into a project you jump in with both feet.”

  “The original project to help the homeless people living in the warehouse get a new lease on life has turned into a complex and difficult undertaking. But I think everything we’re doing is worthwhile.”

  Maggie squeezed my hand. “Everything you’re doing is very worthwhile and I’m proud of you both. Cody explained his plan to get the council onboard with the housing project and I have to say I think it may just work. My feeling is that the council members who came out against the variance would like to see affordable housing; they just don’t want to set a precedent they’ll come to regret. Allocating land for a park to offset the denser land coverage on the adjoining tract seems like a stroke of genius.”

  “That’s my fiancé.” I smiled with pride. “A genius.”

  “You got a good one,” Siobhan joined in. “We both did.”

  “Yes, we did. We just need to find Olivia’s daughter and convince her to reconnect with her mother and we’ll have something concrete to propose to the council.”

  “Have you heard from Willow?” Siobhan asked.

  “Not yet, but they weren’t heading up north until early this morning. I figured I’ll call them if they don’t call me by this evening. It would be so nice to get all these projects buttoned up in time to really enjoy the holidays.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “I should get going.”

  “We’re all having dinner here if you and Cody can make it,” Maggie informed me.

  “I’d like that. I’ll check with him, but go ahead and count us in.”

  Cody was just pulling into the drive when I arrived at my cabin. I told him I needed a minute to grab my things and I’d join him in his truck. I was especially looking forward to Mass today because the children’s choir had been working so ha
rd on a selection of Christmas carols I thought blended together to create a feeling of awe and reverence for the season.

  “Maggie invited us to dinner,” I said before I got busy and forgot to pass the news along.

  “Sounds good. It’s been a while since your whole family was together for Sunday dinner. Did Finn and Siobhan get moved out?”

  “They did. At this point it looks like the house they were buying is definitely going to fall out of escrow, but they seem comfortable at Maggie’s, so I imagine they’ll be fine until they find something else. Is Burt okay at Mr. Parsons’s house?”

  “The two of them are getting along fine, but I can tell Burt would like to regain his independence. I made a few calls and ran a Google search, but so far I haven’t been able to get a lead on where Rosemary might have gone after she left the island.”

  “I didn’t know her well, but I do remember her. She’s a few years older than me, I think around Aiden’s age. She grew up on the island and attended school in Harthaven, so I’m sure she had friends who are still around. Maybe she kept in touch with a few. In fact, now that I think about it, I kind of remember she was good friends with Alyson Kilroy. If I see her at Mass I’ll ask her if she knows where Rosemary ended up, or at least where she went when she first left Madrona.”

  Cody pulled into the church parking lot. It was already full, so we had to find a spot at the back. I noticed Father Kilian’s koi pond was frozen over and his garden covered with snow. I wondered if Father Bartholomew would maintain them the way Father Kilian had. It would be a shame if they ended up being neglected. Of course, Sister Mary was still at the church, with no plans to leave St. Patrick’s in the near future, so I was sure if Father Bartholomew didn’t have a green thumb she’d take over the care of the garden.

  “Alyson usually attends eleven o’clock Mass, so I’m going to look for her, if you don’t mind getting the kids organized to go on,” I said to Cody.

  “That’s fine. I’ll meet you in the choir room.”

  The Mass that had been held before the eleven o’clock service had let out more than an hour before, but there were still people lingering in the hallway as they caught up with their friends and neighbors. The first arrivals for the eleven o’clock service had already begun to arrive but so far, I didn’t see Alyson. I hoped if I just hung out near the entrance I could catch her as she came in. I was afraid if I waited until after Mass to look for her I’d miss her altogether. I didn’t know her well enough to have her address or phone number, so catching her now was my best bet.

  “No choir today?” Tara asked when she arrived with Parker and Amy.

  “Yes, there is; Cody’s getting the kids ready. I’m looking for Alyson Kilroy.”

  “I just saw her in the parking lot. She’s heading this way.”

  “Great. Oh, Maggie’s having dinner today if you’d like to come by. I think most of the family will be there.”

  Tara glanced at Parker.

  “It’s fine with me,” he answered.

  “Then we’d love to come, if you’re sure it’s okay with Maggie.”

  “She considers you family. I think Father Kilian and Sister Mary and probably Marley will be there as well. It’s been a while since we had everyone for Sunday dinner.”

  “It has, and I’m looking forward to it.”

  “There’s Alyson now. I’ll catch up with you after the service.”

  I quickly texted Maggie to let her know that Tara, Parker, and Amy would be joining us for dinner and then headed toward the entrance to greet Alyson.

  “Alyson,” I called as she walked in through the front door.

  “Oh, hi, Cait. Won’t there be a choir today?”

  “There is, but I hoped I could talk to you for a minute.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Let’s go down the hall where we won’t be in the way.”

  As soon as we were free of the crowd I turned and looked at her.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, concern on her face.

  “Everything’s fine. It’s just that Cody and I are helping Olivia Stanwell track down Rosemary. I remembered you were friends and hoped you knew where she is.”

  Alyson frowned. “Olivia wants to find Rosemary? Why, after all these years?”

  “She said time has given her perspective and she realizes she was wrong. She regrets the way things went and very much wants to reconcile with her daughter and meet her granddaughter.”

  Alyson paused, considering my words. “Are you sure Olivia doesn’t have some ulterior motive for tracking Rosemary down?”

  “I can’t say I know what’s in her heart, but Cody seemed to feel she was honest about looking to make amends and reconnect with her only child.”

  Alyson bit her lip, taking a moment before answering. “It crushed Rosemary when her mother bailed on her when she needed her the most. I wouldn’t want to do anything that might cause her additional pain. Still, if Olivia’s truly sorry and really is ready to apologize, Rosemary might be open to that.”

  “So you know where she is?” I asked.

  “When she left here she went to stay with a friend in Portland. After her daughter, Hillary, was born she moved to Seattle to take a job working for one of the local television stations. I’m afraid we lost touch four or five years ago, but she might still be in touch with Grayson Hardwater.”

  Grayson had gone to school with Aiden and, again, though I didn’t know him well, I was aware he’d left Madrona Island after they graduated. “Is he still living on Orcas Island?”

  “As far as I know. He owns a hardware store, or at least he did at one point. Not a lot of people know this, but Grayson is Hillary’s father. He and Rosemary hadn’t been dating for more than a few weeks when she got pregnant. She didn’t love him and didn’t want to marry him, but she wanted him to be part of their child’s life if he wanted to be. I know that, at least initially, she stayed in touch with him. He may know where she is now, but be warned, he has a wife and two children now. I don’t know if they know about Rosemary and Hillary, so you might not want to ask him about her if there’s anyone else around.”

  “Okay. Thanks. Maybe I’ll head over to Orcas tomorrow and visit the hardware store. Don’t worry, I’ll be discreet. I wouldn’t want to cause problems for him.”

  I headed to the choir room to join Cody and the kids, my mind on Grayson. I really hoped he knew where Rosemary was and would be willing to put me in touch with her. It would be nice to have at least one item on our ever-growing list of things to do checked off before we became mired in the obligations we had in the upcoming week.

  ******

  Dinner at Maggie’s was a lot of fun. Prior to the family home I grew up in burning down, Mom cooked a big dinner for the extended family almost every week. I admit I sometimes found the weekly dinners an obligation I resented, though now that she’d moved into a condo and the weekly gatherings had come to an end, I found I missed them.

  Dinner this week had been informational as well as interesting. Father Kilian had announced he was formally leaving the priesthood after the first of the year and he and Maggie would marry next fall. I couldn’t imagine waiting more than forty years to finally marry someone you’d known since high school was your soul mate. Neither of them had ever let on how they still felt about each other, though, looking back, I realized there were signs if only one had known to look for them.

  My mother also announced she’d decided to take an extended vacation with the newish man in her life, Gabe Williams. Gabe’s wife had passed away only eighteen months before he and my mother first met, so they’d been taking things slowly, but if the glances they shared were any indication I’d say things were about to heat up. I was happy Mom had found someone to love, especially because Cassie would be leaving home for college in less than a year. I had a feeling Cody and I would need to work our own wedding plans around both Maggie and Mom’s, but given my joy in both these relationships I was thrilled to share my wedding year
with them.

  Not to be outdone by these announcements, Finn and Siobhan told us her baby was a boy and they were going to name him Connor. I couldn’t wait for my nephew’s arrival in June.

  After dinner Cody and I went back to my cabin to spend some time alone before the demands of the week descended on us. We were trying to decide between watching a movie and wrapping presents when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID before I answered.

  “Hey, Alex. Did you make it to Homer okay?”

  “We’re here and checked in at the hotel.”

  “Anything to report?” I asked.

  “Not yet. We spoke to the receptionist at the jail, who confirmed Bryce Barrington had spent time with them last week but has been released. She didn’t know where he’s gone and even if she did she wouldn’t be at liberty to say. We checked a few hotels with no luck. Willow is pretty tired, so we’re going to get some dinner and turn in early. We’ll have all day tomorrow to look around. The pilot I hired isn’t coming back for us until six o’clock.”

  “I ran into the woman who owns an inn here. She told me Bryce rented a room from her for the entire month. We’re hoping if you don’t find him in Homer he’ll turn up here.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ll tell Willow. I can see the stress of trying to find him so she can put the baby up for adoption is putting a lot of pressure on her. Knowing that there’s another lead should help.”

  “How’s Harley?” I asked.

  “He’s fine. He didn’t mind the flight at all, but he has a fit every time Willow and I try to separate. We started off with two hotel rooms, but the cat wouldn’t settle down unless we were together, so we traded the rooms for a minisuite. Willow has the bedroom and I’ll sleep on the foldout sofa.”

  “The cats Tansy sends are very intuitive. It could be Harley senses some sort of danger and doesn’t want Willow to be alone. If he wants you in the same room I think it’s a good idea you made the change.”