by Patricia Fry
Savannah stood up, put her arms around Michael, and kissed him. “Well, maybe today’s the day you’ll find him. Think positive.”
****
An hour later, Savannah stepped into the space they’d designated as the withdrawing room, where the other women and the children had gathered. She smiled at Teddy, who was propped up on Holly’s lap watching the little girls as they played around him. “Is anyone up for a nature walk?” she asked.
Cassie raised her hand and shouted, “Me!”
“Me too,” Bethany said.
Savannah looked at Lily. “Want to go for a walk, punkin?”
The toddler nodded and headed toward the front door.
“Wait for Mommy. Let’s get Teddy ready.” She wheeled the stroller into the room. “Holly, want to hold onto him while I wrestle this stroller down those steps?”
“There’s a ramp off the porch, over near the woodpile,” Gladys said.
“Oh, great. Thanks, Mom.” She reached for the baby. “Then let’s get him settled in here and we’ll take him down the ramp.”
Meanwhile, Lily approached Gladys. “Gammy walk?”
“Grammy would love to walk with you girls. Let me get my walking shoes,” she said, heading toward the staircase.
“Oh, Rags is going with us?” Holly asked when she saw Savannah snap the leash onto his harness.
“Yeah, he needs his exercise too. Otherwise…” she giggled, “… well, you heard him last night. He can be kind of naughty and noisy.”
“Yay!” Cassie cheered. “Can I hold the leash?”
“Sure,” Savannah said, handing it to her. “Just don’t let go. We don’t want a runaway cat.”
“Yeah,” the child said, wide-eyed, “then we’d have to put up pictures of him on the trees so someone will find him and bring him back.”
“Uh-huh, we don’t want that to happen.” Savannah eased the stroller toward the front door, then picked up Lexie’s leash. “Mom, do you want Lexie or Teddy?”
“Oh, let me start out with the dog. Looks like it might be kind of hard pushing the stroller on those paths.”
“Which way?” Holly asked, as they walked down off the porch.
“How about right?” Savannah suggested. She nodded to the left. “We came in that way, so we’ve seen what’s back there. Let’s explore up the road.”
“Uphill?” Gladys whined.
“Yeah, but no worries,” Savannah said.
“Why?” Gladys asked. “Are you going to wheel me up in the stroller?”
“No, because what goes up must come down.”
Gladys rolled her eyes at her daughter before taking Lily’s hand and trudging after the others with Lexie trotting alongside.
Suddenly they heard a male voice. “Excuse me.”
The women turned and saw a fit man of about fifty approaching them. He briefly studied each of the little girls and asked, “Did one of your children happen to find a little brush?”
“A brush?” Savannah questioned.
“Yes, it’s a gear-cleaning brush.” When Savannah looked puzzled, the man explained, “I use it after a day’s ride on my bike—you know, bicycle.” He pointed. “My friend and I are staying over there in cabin three. I keep it in that bucket on the porch. This morning I noticed it was missing and…well, I just thought maybe one of your children had found it.”
Holly shook her head. “Not our children. They don’t go outside unsupervised.”
“Well, thanks, anyway. If you happen to see it, will you drop it back in my bucket over there?”
“Sure will,” Holly said. “Have a good ride.”
The women and the children walked only as far as the younger girls were willing to go. When Lily and Bethany began to complain and ask to be carried or to ride in the stroller with Teddy, the group turned around and headed back to the lodge.
“Detour,” Savannah said, veering off to the left.
“Detour?” Holly questioned.
“Yeah, Rags wants to explore in this direction, right Cassie?”
“Yes. He about pulled my arm off,” she complained. “Aunt Savannah, would you hold him? I’m tired.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll push Teddy,” Holly offered.
“Thanks,” Savannah said, following Rags along a pathway toward a stand of trees. “Come on, you guys. There might be some pine cones under those trees we can use to make something during craft time.”
“We’re having craft time?” Cassie asked excitedly.
“I think we should,” Savannah said. “I was looking at Pinterest a couple of days ago and found some fun things to do with cones, pods, shells...”
Holly laughed. “I don’t think we’ll find many shells up here.” She pointed. “Hey, where’s he taking you?”
“With Rags it’s always an adventure,” Savannah said, hurrying to keep up with him. She reeled in the cat a little, then turned to the others. “I don’t think the stroller will go through these pine needles very easily.”
“I’ll take Teddy back down to the road,” Gladys offered. She handed Lexie’s leash to Holly. “Here, you girls go see what you can find.”
“Okay, we’ll meet you back at the lodge,” Savannah called. She focused on the cat. “Now, what is it you want to investigate, Rags?”
Holly laughed. “He is an adventurer, isn’t he?”
“Yup. Oops!” Savannah yelped. She looped the end of the long leash around one wrist and reached for the toddler. “Did Lily fall down? Here, let Mommy brush off your knees. Are you okay?”
Lily nodded, then pointed and shouted, “No-no, Rags!”
“What’s he doing?” Savannah asked, looking in his direction.
Holly laughed. “He has something in his mouth.”
“Of course, he does,” Savannah said, under her breath. She moved toward the cat, caught up with him, and eventually got him to release the item. “It’s a picture,” she said. “An old picture. Pretty woman.”
“A picture of Julia Roberts?” Holly asked.
Savannah chuckled. “No. Not that pretty woman.” When Rags began pulling Savannah off balance in an attempt to chase a squirrel, she shoved the photograph into her pocket, grabbed the cat, and walked with him away from the area.
Holly laughed. “I thought walking with small children was an adventure. But that cat of yours—he’s a kick. Look, even the dog is better-behaved.”
Savannah glanced at Lexie and sighed. “Yes, she is. She’d make a model cat. I guess I should be glad Rags isn’t a dog.” She looked into his eyes. “At least cats are easier to carry.” When Rags began to wriggle in her arms, she chuckled. “Except when they’re trying to avoid being carried.” She released him to the ground and sighed. “Yeah, he’s a handful.” When the energetic cat caught Savannah off guard and darted to the end of his leash, she followed and found herself approaching the porch of cabin number five. “Darn it, Rags,” she scolded. Before she could control him, she heard a voice.
“Hey, that’s a cool cat.”
Savannah looked up and saw a young couple sitting on the porch enjoying breakfast. “Oh hi. Sorry about that.” Before she could gain control of Rags, she heard a low growl. What now? she thought. A ferocious cat-hating dog? That’s all I need.
“No, Brutus,” the man scolded. He laughed. “You’re not having a cat for breakfast.”
Her heart in her throat, Savannah quickly scoured the area in search of the dog belonging to the growl and finally spotted him. She let out a sigh and smiled. “A Chihuahua-mix, huh?”
The man chuckled. “Yeah, Brutus is part Chihuahua and part pom; a Pomchi.”
“Cute.” Savannah said, holding Rags close by the leash.
“What’s his name?” the young woman asked.
“Rags… um… Ragsdale, actually.”
“Why? I mean, if you don’t mind my asking. I happen to be interested in why people choose certain names for their animals and kids.
Like me—my name’s Waylynn—for Waylon Jennings and Loretta Lynn.” She shrugged. “Yeah, my dad’s a country-music buff. He played for a local group for a while. So why’s your cat named Rags—or Ragsdale?”
“Well, he’s part Ragdoll…”
Waylynn made a face. “What’s that?”
“A type of cat. So I wanted to call him Rags, but I thought he should have a more substantial name, so I made it Ragsdale.”
Waylynn giggled. “Why would a cat need a… what did you say… substantial name? He’s just a cat.”
By then, Holly and the children had caught up to Savannah. Holly smiled. “Oh, Rags isn’t just a cat. He stars in a documentary. He’s featured in some children’s books. He has even rescued people, right?”
Savannah nodded.
Holly added. “And he solves crimes.”
Aghast, Waylynn stood and approached Rags. She started petting him. “I’ve never met such a cat.” She turned to her partner. “Did you hear that, Sawyer? He’s famous.” Before Sawyer could respond, Waylynn looked wide-eyed at Savannah. “Hey, I have a crime he can solve. My earbuds are missing.”
“Earbuds?” Holly repeated. “Oh, you mean like earphones—for listening to music or an audio book?”
Waylynn nodded. “I left them on the chair when I went inside to get a soda last night and when I came back out, they were gone.”
When Rags began pulling against the leash again, Savannah said, “Hey, good luck finding them. I think Rags is ready to go home. Nice meeting you, Waylynn.” She waved toward the young man. “And you, Sawyer.”
“Have a nice stay,” Holly said, turning to follow Savannah. “I hope you find your earbuds.”
“Can I pet the doggie?” Bethany asked.
Holly glanced at the little dog, then noticed that Lily was running to catch up with Cassie, who held Lexie’s leash. She picked up Bethany. “Not today, sweetie. We need to take the kitty home. Shall we go back to our house?”
“No!” Bethany cried. “I don’t want to go home.”
“We’re going home?” Cassie wailed.
“No. We’re going back to the lodge. Our temporary home—where we’re living this week. Want to go back there?” Holly asked.
Bethany dried her eyes and nodded while Cassie shouted, “Yay!” and ran ahead with Lexie to catch up with Savannah.
****
The women and children arrived at the Ridgecrest Inn at one thirty that afternoon. “So how did it go this morning?” Holly asked the men as they all gathered around a large table.
Michael smiled. “We saw a lot of beautiful country and a few wild animals.”
Holly chuckled. “Unless you were sired by a wolf, I guess that wasn’t much help in your search, right?”
“Ha-ha,” Keith snarked. He leaned toward her and glanced at Savannah. “We did meet up with one odd fellow.”
Michael nodded. “Yeah, just outside the lodge—you know, where we’re staying.”
“Really?” Savannah said. “How odd? What kind of fellow?”
“I don’t know,” Keith said, glancing at his brother. “He didn’t have much to say.”
“Yeah, he was looking for a picture he’d lost,” Michael explained. “We never did figure out if he took the picture or dropped a picture or what the picture was of.”
“Right,” Keith agreed. “He wasn’t very communicative.”
“A picture?” Savannah repeated. “We found a picture this morning near the lodge. She pushed her hand into her pocket. “Oh, I guess I left it in my sweats pocket.”
“Where’d you find it?” Keith asked.
“Close to where our cars were parked.”
Michael nodded. “It probably was that guy’s picture, then. He sure seemed anxious to get it back.”
Holly grinned at Savannah. “You can’t take the credit for finding that picture.”
“That’s right; Rags found it.”
“Of course, he did,” Michael said, rolling his eyes.
“Well, if you see that guy again,” Savannah said, “tell him we have it.”
“Oh, I don’t care to see him again,” Keith said. He turned to Michael. “Do you? Let’s just lay it out there where he thinks he lost it. He’ll find it.”
“Why don’t you want to see him again, Daddy?” Cassie asked, wide-eyed. “Was he mean?”
Keith looked at Michael, then said, “Well, I don’t think he was mean…”
Michael grimaced. “Just kind of gruff and scruffy.”
“Scruffy?” Cassie repeated. “I know a dog named Scruffy.” She wrinkled her nose. “He has messy, messy fur. No one wants to pet that dog ’cause he looks greasy and dirty.”
Keith nodded. “Yeah, that pretty much describes this guy, wouldn’t you say so, Michael?”
He agreed, then said, “Hey, there’s Merle. Let’s ask him about that series of trails, shall we?”
Before the men could leave the table, Wanda approached. “Hi twins.” She smiled at the others. “This must be your family.”
“Yes,” Keith said. “Family, meet Wanda. She’s the best waitress in this place.”
“Yeah, I’m the only waitress,” she complained. “What can I get you?” She looked at Keith. “The usual for you, handsome?”
“The usual?” Holly questioned. “And what would that be, pray tell? Oh, let me guess, a greasy cheeseburger with fries.”
“Hey, you know your man, don’t ya?” Wanda said, grinning.
Holly nodded. “Yes, I do.” She gazed at Keith for a moment, then said, “Well, Wanda, I’d like the beet salad.” She leaned forward. “Now is everything on there fresh?”
“Yeah, except we use canned beets. But the greens are fresh—brought in yesterday. We buy organic eggs from a farmer near the village, so they’re fresh. And we bake our own bread and rolls.”
Holly smiled. “Sounds wonderful. And iced tea.” She glanced at the children. “Can I get a grilled cheese or quesadilla for these two? And a bowl of fruit or some sort of vegetable.”
“Do they eat vegetable soup?” Wanda asked. “We make a good one here.”
“Yes, how about a cup of soup and a small bowl of fruit. They can share.”
“Got it.” Wanda looked at Savannah. “And for you?” Before she could respond, Wanda tilted her head and pointed, asking, “Are you two sisters? Sisters married to twins?”
Savannah and Holly looked at each other and Savannah said, “No. We’re sisters-in-law.”
Wanda squinted. “Well, you sure look like you could be sisters—you’re both tall, you have blond hair, and similar features.”
The women smiled at one another and Holly said, “We’ve been accused of that before.” She addressed Gladys. “You didn’t put me up for adoption at birth, did you?”
“Absolutely not,” Gladys said indignantly. “I’d never do that.”
Wanda grinned at Gladys, then asked Savannah, “So what can I get you, hon?”
“The salad sounds good. Can I have mine with grilled chicken? And iced tea, please.” She stopped and asked, “Can you make ginger iced tea?” She reached into her tote bag with one hand. “I brought a few bags of ginger tea.” When Wanda looked at her inquisitively, she nodded toward Teddy who she held in her arms. “It’s safer for the baby when you’re nursing.”
Wanda grinned knowingly.” Sure, I’ll make that for you.”
Savannah smoothed Lily’s curls. “And for this little one, the grilled cheese and fruit sounds good. And milk.”
“Hey, did you see him?” Merle asked, rushing up to the table as Wanda was taking Gladys’s order.
The waitress huffed. “Merle, I’m working here. What do you want?”
“I’m not talking to you, Wanda.” Merle faced Michael and glanced at Keith. “That guy you’ve been looking for, he just came in through the back door, took one look around and left again.”
The brothers pushed away from the table and moved quickly toward t
he back of the building.
“Hey!” Wanda shouted. “I didn’t get your order.”
“It’s okay,” Savannah said. She flashed a grin at Holly. “We can order for them.”
The waitress relaxed, smiled at Gladys, and asked, “What would you like with your salad, dear?”
“Hot tea.”
“You got it.” Wanda faced Savannah again. “And what are you ordering for your husband?”
“He’ll have the barbecued beef on a roll, potato salad, and iced tea.” When Holly looked at her inquisitively, Savannah explained, “He needs his energy.”
Holly started to order Keith a salad or soup, but finally decided on a turkey sandwich with coleslaw.
The men returned just as Wanda walked away.
“Did you see him?” Savannah asked.
Keith shook his head. “No. Not a trace. It’s like chasing a ghost. Hey, Michael, are we ghost hunters?”
He laughed. “I guess so.”
“You seem rather complacent about the concept, Michael,” Holly said in a teasing manner. “Have you hunted ghosts before?”
Michael looked at Savannah, who said, “Well, actually…”
“Wow! You have ghost stories?” Holly asked, wide-eyed.
“Yeah, we do, as a matter of fact.”
“I’d love to hear them. Hey, that could be our entertainment for tonight. A marshmallow roast and ghost stories.”
Michael and Savannah exchanged looks.
****
“But I want to hear the ghost stories,” Cassie whined when Holly told her it was bedtime later that evening.
“I have something better than that,” Savannah said.
“What?” Cassie asked.
“Adam’s coming to stay with us day after tomorrow.”
“Really?” she shouted. “Awesome!”
“Now, will you go to bed?” Holly asked.
“I still want to hear a ghost story,” the six-year-old complained.
Savannah glanced at the others. “Okay, Cassie, I have one I can tell you. It’ll be your bedtime story, okay?”
“Me too, Mommy?” Lily chirped.
Savannah sighed. “What you’re still doing up, I don’t know. Bethany’s in bed. Teddy’s in bed.” She picked up the toddler and snuggled with her. “What are you still doing up, huh?”