When Birdie Babysat Spider: A Jayne Frost Short

by Kristen Painter

  Jack had his phone out. “Look on the bright side, the snow will make it easier to spot a black cat.”

  “I guess.” She walked over to stand beneath the fire escape while he called his son. Her gaze stayed on the window as she tried to picture what had happened. She shuffled sideways to see between the grates and her boot kicked something in the snow. She looked down and saw a length of bright red.

  Her breath caught in her throat for a moment until she reached down and picked it up. Then she realized what it was and her stomach knotted up again. Spider’s collar. The breakaway part had done its job and snapped. Which meant he’d been caught on something. She really hoped he wasn’t missing and hurt. She closed her eyes for a second and tried not to panic more than she already was. Without his collar, Spider was just another stray. If he got picked up by animal control—

  “Okay, they’re on their way. Pandora’s bringing a carrier. Plus she has a friend who works at the cat rescue and she’s going to call her and put the word out in case any black cats get turned in.”

  “Great,” Birdie managed. But the lump in her throat wasn’t moving. Maybe getting picked up by animal control wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Nocturne Falls was a no-kill town. But there was no way word wouldn’t get back to Jayne if Spider went into the system. She held out the collar for Jack to see. “I found this underneath the fire escape. He must have caught it on the way down and it broke so he wouldn’t…strangle himself.”

  Jack nodded. “Good thing that happened.”

  She couldn’t quite come up with a response. Instead she stared at the collar in her hands. “I never should have opened that window. Jayne’s note said it was okay, that she did it for Spider all the time, but I never imagined he’d get out.”

  “We’re going to get him back. That cat knows where his bread is buttered.”

  “Let’s pray that’s true.” She looked at the snow beneath the fire escape again. “I was hoping to see some footprints, maybe get an idea of which way to go, but he must have gotten out earlier, before all of this snow came down.”

  Jack let out a low, throaty noise and when she looked at him again, his dark eyes were narrowed and he was tapping a finger on his chin. “Where would you go if you were a cat out in the world for the first time?”

  She gave him an odd look. “I’m a wolf. How do I know what a cat thinks?”

  “Cats and wolves are both predators.”

  “You think he went…hunting?”

  “Why not? Where would the best cat hunting ground in town be?”

  She pointed at Main Street. “Not in that direction. Which leaves the more residential areas of town.”

  Jack’s mouth quirked up on one side. “That’s what I was thinking. Is there a park nearby? Maybe one with pigeons and squirrels?”

  “There’s one a few blocks from here.”

  “You okay to walk?”

  “Absolutely. Broomstick Lane’s not far from here. And we can check the side streets while we go. But what about Cole and Pandora?”

  Jack pulled out his phone again. “I’ll text them. What’s the name of this park?”

  “Balfour. Pandora will know it. Agnes Balfour is the woman memorialized in the park’s statue. She started the very first coven in Nocturne Falls.”

  “A witch, then?”

  Birdie smiled gently. “Yes. And Pandora’s great great great grandmother. Maybe another great. I can never quite remember how that works.”

  Jack let out a deep, husky chuckle. “In that case, Balfour Park seems like the perfect place for a black cat to hang out.”

  Five blocks later, they arrived at Balfour Park without seeing another living creature, human or otherwise. The snow had sent everyone into their homes for the evening. But thankfully, Pandora and Cole were waiting for them near the statue of Agnes.

  Pandora was pointing at it and probably telling Cole about her ancestor as Jack and Birdie walked into the park.

  Pandora turned, no doubt hearing the crunch of their footsteps. “Hey,” she called out in a loud whisper. “We saw a black cat.”

  Birdie’s spirit lightened and she ran forward to meet them. “Where? Did you try and get him? Was it Spider?”

  “Over by the Black Rose. And no, we didn’t try to get him. He went under the porch at the dead and breakfast.”

  “Hang on a second,” Jack said. “Did you say dead and breakfast?”

  Pandora gave him a little smile. “Yes. The Black Rose is a D&B that caters to vampires. Hence the nickname dead and breakfast. There are three or four of them in town.”

  He shook his head. “You learn something new every day.”

  She laughed. “Anyway, there’s a little break in the lattice that skirts the porch’s foundation and that’s where he slipped in. I figured we’d make sure you hadn’t recovered Spider yet, and if not, we could all go over there and coax him out.”

  “I can’t believe he went that far, but then again, cats do like to roam. And he could have been out a while. I opened the window for him at lunch.”

  “He absolutely could have gone that far,” Pandora said. “Unless a cat’s as fat as Pumpkin and then roaming isn’t a big priority.”

  Birdie was beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. “You think he’s still under there?”

  Cole snorted. “With this snow? I’d say so. He’s probably hunkered down, fast asleep until this is over.”

  Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go then. You have your truck?”

  Cole tipped his head toward the street behind him. “Ready and waiting and at your service.”

  Pandora’s brows lifted. “And I’ve got the carrier in there too. Which Kaley has informed me should be returned with a kitten in it, for her.”

  Jack smiled. “I told you, when your fiancé approves it, I’ll be happy to get my granddaughter a cat.” He took Birdie’s hand. “But right now, it’s time to wrangle us a feline.”

  The Black Rose was located in a beautiful old house and run by a lovely hobbit named Mrs. Edna Turnbuckle. She was a kind, gentle woman with a welcoming spirit and a ready smile, but Birdie thought it best to give her a heads up about what was happening outside her inn all the same. It was night, after all, and her clientele were now awake.

  Wouldn’t do to have them step outside only to find a pair of familiars, a witch and a werewolf rooting around under the porch, even if it was a rescue mission.

  Birdie stepped inside the Black Rose. The sounds of conversation carried from the back of the establishment, along with the smell of coffee. “Edna? You around, dear?”

  Edna came out from the other room. She was wearing an apron and carrying a pitcher of thick, red liquid. Birdie didn’t have to ask to know what it was. Not only was the metallic aroma tickling her nose, but this was a D&B. But she also knew the refreshment was ethically sourced thanks to the Nocturne Falls Blood Bank.

  Edna toddled toward her. “Hello there, Birdie. Nice to see you. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

  “We, uh, there’s a cat gone missing and we believe he’s under your porch. The we in question being myself and a few of my friends. Just didn’t want you to see us mucking about out there and think something odd was going on.”

  “Oh, sure. All right. I hope you get him. Do you need help?”

  “No, I think I can coax Spider out. Thank you, though. I’ll let you get back to your guests.”

  She laughed. “If you’re trying to get a spider out from under that porch, you should have no trouble.” Edna headed back the way she’d come. “Best of luck to you.”

  Birdie rejoined her group, coming down the porch stairs quietly so she wouldn’t spook Spider. At least it wasn’t so dark here with the D&B’s landscape and entrance lighting. “Any luck?”

  “Nothing yet.” Cole glanced at Pandora, who was positioning herself on the ground near the gap in the lattice. “Anything?”

  She turned on the flashlight of her cell phone and angled it through t
he hole. “Yep, I see him!”

  Birdie put a hand to her heart and breathed a sigh of relief. “Sakes alive, that is good news.”

  Pandora looked at her. “But how are we going to get him out? This is the only hole and he’s crouched by one of the foundation pilings in the middle. Cats aren’t exactly known to come when they’re called.”

  “Couldn’t you, you know,” Birdie wiggled her fingers, “magic him out?”

  Pandora’s brows went up. “I’d rather save that for a last resort. I know my skills are pretty solid thanks to Cole, but the idea of using it on a living creature still gives me pause. Plus it might really freak him out to be levitated.”

  “I understand.” Birdie let out a sigh. “I brought his catnip mouse, but I should have brought a can of his food. Maybe he’d come for that.”

  Cole checked his watch. “The Shop-n-Save is still open. I could run over there and get a can while you guys stay here.”

  “That would be great,” Birdie said. “Chicken Party by Purrfect Cat. That’s his absolute favorite.”

  Cole made a face. “Won’t any kind do?”

  Pandora rolled her eyes. “Non-cat people don’t get it.” She popped up to her feet. “I’ll go with him. We’ll be quick. In the meantime, maybe you can sweet talk him out.”

  As they left, Birdie pulled the catnip mouse from her pocket. “Maybe this will work.”

  “Worth a shot,” Jack said.

  Birdie crouched down and immediately understood why Pandora had been flat out on the ground. There was no other way to really see where Spider was. Birdie laid down in the snow and used her own cell phone flashlight to get a better look.

  Spider’s eyes shone back at her.

  “I see him!” Thankfully, he didn’t look hurt. Maybe a little skinnier than she remembered.

  Jack got down on the ground beside her, impressing her with his agility. Which made her realize she’d mentally categorized him as an older man, when he wasn’t that much older than her. And clearly, he was just as fit as she was.

  He nodded. “I see him too. Give me your phone. I’ll take care of the light while you try the mouse.”

  “Good idea.” She handed him the phone, then stuck her hand through the hole in the lattice and dangled the mouse by the tail. “Hiya, Spider. Look what I have. Your mousie. Come on, baby, let Aunt Birdie put you in the carrier and take you home where it’s nice and warm. Come on, pretty boy. Come to Birdie.”

  Spider stared back at her like she was Enemy Number One. Okay, maybe Enemy Number Six, but he certainly didn’t seem like he was about to saunter over and be taken home.

  “Bugger,” she muttered.

  Jack snorted.

  She frowned at him. “It’s not funny. What if this cat freezes to death? Or eats something that makes him sick? Or gets into a fight with another cat?”

  Jack dutifully removed his smirk. “I know you’re worried about him, but he’s under the porch. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. We’ll get him.”

  “You don’t understand. This was my responsibility and I screwed up.”

  “No, I get that.”

  She sighed. “The thing is…sometimes I think people expect me to screw up. I’m Birdie Caruthers, town gossip and the over the top aunt of the Merrow kids. I get that I’m not the demure, Junior League, ladies-who-lunch type, and for that, I’m sometimes the joke and the punchline.”

  “Birdie, that’s not at all—”

  “Jack, you haven’t lived here long enough to argue with me. I know who I am and what people say about me, and I’ve learned to brush the bad stuff off. But if word gets out that I’ve lost Princess Jayne’s cat? That will be a story that never dies. Especially if something awful happens to Spider. So it just can’t, okay? This has to come out all right.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment. Like he was making a decision about something. Then he spoke. “It’s going to.”

  “You seem awfully sure.”

  “That’s because I am.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You trust me?”

  She did. Jack was a solid guy. “Yes.”

  “Good. Because I trust you. And I’m about to put my life in your hands.”

  She jerked back. “What are you talking about?”

  Jack hadn’t liked a woman as much as he liked Birdie since he’d lost his wife, may she rest in peace.

  How could he not like Birdie? The woman was a real live spitfire. She did what she wanted, said what she meant, and was about the smartest thing on two legs he’d come across since he’d moved to Nocturne Falls. She was the farthest thing from boring he could imagine.

  Plus she was pretty and had the kind of curvy figure that made a man weak and stupid in the best possible way.

  Which was probably why he was about to do what he was about to do. But Birdie needed him to step up and he was more than willing. He gave Birdie a confident smile, which wasn’t exactly how he was feeling, but like he’d said, he trusted her. “I know how to get that cat out from under there.”

  She pushed up to a kneeling position, eying him warily as she brushed the snow off her coat. “Jack, tell me right now what you’re going to do.”

  “Lure Spider out with something a lot more enticing than a catnip mouse.”

  “Which is?”

  “An injured bird.”

  Her face blanked out for a moment, then a little bit of fear bracketed her pretty eyes. “No. Sorry. That dog won’t hunt.”

  “If you think it won’t work—”

  “I think you’re not putting yourself in danger for me.”

  “What danger?” Was she worried for him because she cared about him? That was a heady thought. “It’ll only take a few seconds. Then you’ll have Spider and this will all be over.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  He laughed. “You have a shifter’s speed. As soon as Spider runs out from under there, you grab him and stuff him in the carrier and I’ll go right back to my human form.”

  “And if I don’t get him in time?”

  “You will.” He hoped.

  “But if I don’t? Or he wriggles free?”

  “Then I’ll fly away.” Provided he got enough distance between him and the ground before the cat jumped.

  She crossed her arms. “We’ll wait for Cole and Pandora to get back with the food.”

  “Are you sure that’s going to work? It’s getting colder and the snow hasn’t stopped. This needs to happen now.”

  She uncrossed her arms and stared off in the distance for a second. “You don’t have to do this for me.”

  “I know. But I want to.”

  She looked at him, her eyes filled with unreadable emotion. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you either, you know.”

  “I’m happy to hear that. It won’t. You’ll see.”

  “Be careful. And…thank you. This is very kind of you to do this for me.”

  He winked at her. “You got it, sweets.”

  The man had called her sweets, which was rather impertinent of him, but seeing as how he was about to risk his life to save her reputation (and Jayne’s cat), she’d allow it.

  He made a motion with his hand. “Pull the carrier back a bit, but have it open and ready. This is probably going to be a one shot deal.”

  That’s what she was afraid of. But there was no way she’d let Spider get to Jack. No way. He might be a big strapping figure of a man, but as a raven, he could be seriously injured by a cat’s teeth and claws. She moved the carrier back, then got her feet under her in a crouched position so she could move as needed. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “All right. Here goes.” The air shimmered with magic and a few seconds later, a sleek, black raven stood where Jack had just been. His bright, coal-black eyes gleamed at her and he cocked his head to the side as if to say, here goes.

  He stuck one wing out at an odd angle, then did a little hop-limp forward. It was very convincing.

  Birdie heard an odd chatte
ring sound. She bent to peer under the porch.

  Spider was transfixed. The chattering sound was coming from him. It was almost like he was mimicking the sound of a bird. Maybe trying to call the raven to him?

  With a slow, stealthy creep, he started forward, inch by inch toward the hole in the lattice.

  Birdie tensed, not wanting to move and spook the little feline, but wanting to be ready to nab him all the same.

  She glanced at Jack. He was limping closer, making small, destressed chirrups.

  Spider stopped cackling and went into a full butt wiggle. Birdie’s heart pounded faster. Any second, Spider was going to fly out from under the porch. She checked on Jack again. He was closer still, maybe half a foot away. That was too close. He was playing with fire.

  She opened her mouth to say something and a black streak darted past. She lunged, only barely catching Spider by the haunches. His paw struck Jack, knocking him back and sending a single, inky feather into the air.

  “Spider,” Birdie hissed. “No.” She pulled Spider toward her, got a firm grip on his scruff and slipped him straight into the carrier, then shut the door before he had time to turn around. She locked it and crawled across the snowy yard to Jack.

  He was already back to being human, but he was just lying there, staring up at the night sky. She knelt beside him. “You okay?” She put her hand on his chest. “Say something.”

  He nodded, sucked in a deep gulp of air, then cracked a weak smile. “Just had the wind knocked out of me is all. I’m all right. You get him?”

  “I did. Thank you.” She couldn’t believe what this man had just done for her. “You sure you can breathe okay?”

  “Yep.” His smile steadied and he winked at her.

  More impudence. It was an utterly endearing thing. “Good.” Her voice cracked a little, but she didn’t care. Impulsiveness drove her to her own kind of impudence. She bent down, planted her mouth on his and kissed him soundly.

  A second or a minute or an hour later, footsteps crunched up behind them, but she was too occupied to turn. Jack’s arms were around her and she was half laying on him and the kiss was causing her head to spin and her heart to pound and she didn’t want it to stop.