She shook her head. “Lucas, I’m the one who stresses me out.”
He chuckled. “I’ll remind you of that the next time we take a road trip. Can I get you anything from your office while I’m up here?”
“No, thanks. I’m going to try some deep breathing exercises. Rebecca texted me a few links.”
He tapped the doorframe. “Sounds like a good plan.”
Kate ate everything on the plate and washed it down with coffee. The decaf didn’t taste as good, but she thought it was the right choice today.
She picked up her phone and watched the first video from Rebecca. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled from her mouth. Her mind began to wander as the breathing became more natural. She felt herself slipping into autopilot and forced herself back to the present moment, returning her focus to her breath.
Breath is the spirit.
Kate thought of Inga’s book and that first cocktail. She’d been so convinced the recipe was wrong or that she’d mixed it wrong, but she was starting to think her friends had been right. They’d encouraged her to let go, yet she kept fighting it, trying to control it.
How do I listen to what the universe is trying to tell me when I think I know better?
But Kate didn’t know better. She glanced at the mug now on the bedside table. Happiness is a continuation of happenings which are not resisted.
She’d been resisting more than she realized, but that was going to change—starting now.
She downloaded a meditation app on her phone and texted her friends, thanking them for their support. She didn’t check emails or her YouTube account. Work could wait.
She took a nap—something she never would’ve done before because it would be admitting she needed more sleep. After feeling refreshed, she went downstairs to seek out the kids.
Ava laughed at the sight of her disheveled mother. “You’re still in your pajamas and your hair is sticking up.”
Kate pretended to lick her palm and smooth it down.
“You missed lunch, but you made it in time for dinner,” Lucas said cheerfully. “I hope you like turkey because we sure have a lot of it.”
Kate laughed.
“There’s a new mattress in the guest room,” Ava announced. “It’s comfy.”
“I must’ve slept through the delivery,” Kate said.
“And you slept through Brett practicing songs for the play,” Gavin said. “Lucky you.”
Kate smiled. “I’m sure you sound great, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you perform.”
“He sounds like a chipmunk that inhaled a helium balloon,” Gavin said. He ducked his head before anyone could scold him. “I’m just kidding.”
They ate dinner as a family and Kate enjoyed their time together without thinking about the next thing on her task list or worrying about the fallout from the video. She delighted in Ava’s loose tooth and her heart warmed when Brett offered to swap puddings with his brother because Gavin wanted chocolate.
After the boys cleared the plates away, they all played Go Fish and Kate didn’t even mind when she lost.
“Make sure not to leave out the leftover turkey or Cat-Cat will run off with it.” Kate paused. “Has anyone seen Cat-Cat?”
Lucas frowned. “Now that you mention it, no. I went to put food in her bowl earlier and noticed it was still full.”
Kate’s pulse began to race. Cat-Cat never missed a meal. That cat could do real damage at an All You Can Eat buffet.
“I’ll go look for her,” Lucas said.
Kate pushed back the chair. “She won’t come to you.” Her legs nearly buckled as she moved to her feet. She’d been in bed or seated most of the day.
“I’ll find her, Kate.”
Kate looked at her husband. She knew he was trying to help and she didn’t want to dissuade him. She’d done quite enough of that the past few years. “It isn’t that I don’t think you’re capable of finding her, it’s that she’s a pain in the ass and I think she’ll run from you.”
His mouth twitched. “Well, when you put it that way.”
“Maybe someone accidentally locked her in a closet or the garage,” Kate said.
At the mention of the garage, his expression shifted to one of concern. “I’ll check the backyard. The weather app says it’ll dip below freezing tonight.”
Kate felt a growing sense of unease. “I’ll check upstairs.”
She checked under the beds and in the dressers, opening and closing each drawer. Cat-Cat loved to jump into drawers when she put clothes away. Maybe someone had inadvertently left her in a drawer. The thought sickened her.
“What are you doing, Mommy?” Ava appeared in the doorway as Kate closed the last drawer.
“Still looking for Cat-Cat. Have you seen her?”
Ava shook her blond curls. “Daddy is checking the backyard with a flashlight.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ll find her.”
“Can I help?”
“N...” Kate was about to default to her usual negative position but stopped herself. “Yes. As a matter of fact, get your brothers. They can help, too.”
Ava clapped her hands. “It’ll be like a secret mission.”
Kate didn’t correct her. There was nothing secret about finding Cat-Cat. She’d involve the entire town of Lake Cloverleaf if it came to it.
Ava began shouting her brothers’ names at the top of her lungs. Kate could tell she was enjoying the excitement, as well as the leadership position.
Gavin met them in the hallway as they left the bedroom. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Cat-Cat is still missing,” Ava said.
Brett emerged from his room. “Cat-Cat’s gone?”
“Missing,” Kate corrected him. “I’d like everyone to look for her. Check in your closets and backpacks. Anywhere a cat might fit.”
“Aye, aye,” Brett said and saluted her. “No cat left behind.”
After a fruitless search both inside and outside, they congregated in the kitchen, each expression more solemn than the last.
“I can draw her,” Ava said. “We can make flyers.”
“I have photos of her,” Brett said. “We can hang them on every telephone pole in town.”
“I wish I’d had the guys leave all that packaging paper from the delivery earlier. We could’ve used it.”
An idea sparked in Kate’s mind. An idea that made her sick to her stomach. “Lucas, what did the delivery men take away with them?”
“The old mattress and box spring. It’s not like we’d want to give them to someone. The box spring had a hole in it.”
Kate closed her eyes as a feeling of dread washed over her. “A hole big enough for a cat?”
Cat-Cat gravitated to boxes the way Kate gravitated to a glass of prosecco.
“Sure. Probably even a small dog,” Lucas said.
Kate opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. What was the next step to achieve her goal? “We need to call the company.”
“No one will answer at this hour,” Lucas said. “We’ll have to wait until morning.”
“We can’t,” Kate insisted. “Tomorrow is Sunday. What if...?” She couldn’t run through her list of possibilities. They were too terrible to contemplate.
Lucas pulled out his phone. “You know what? I can call the delivery guy. He called me half an hour before they arrived, so I have his cell number.”
Hope flared inside her. “Good plan.” She didn’t want Ava to listen too intently in case things went in a devastating direction. “Ava, why don’t you start on that picture of Cat-Cat so we can get those flyers up quickly? We can even hang them up tonight.”
“Okay.” Her bare feet darted across the tile floor as she went in search of her art supplies.
Kate hovered next to her husband as he made the call.
“Calvin? I’m so sorry to bother you after hours. This is Lucas Golden. You delivered a mattress and box spring to me earlier today.”
Kate leaned closer and strai
ned to hear the exchange.
“There’s a chance our cat might’ve ended up in the box spring you hauled away. Where did you take it?”
Kate realized that her hands were clenched into fists and tried to relax her body. Tension wasn’t going to solve anything and the last thing she needed was another panic attack.
Although she couldn’t hear the answer, she could tell from the expression on her husband’s face that it wasn’t good news. By the time Lucas put away the phone, his face had paled considerably.
“Where?” she prompted.
“There are two possibilities. One’s a warehouse about thirty minutes away and the other...isn’t.” He mouthed the word ‘incinerator.’
“We’re going now,” she said.
“But no one is there,” Lucas said.
“I don’t care if we have to break down the door, we’re going.”
“Kate, we can’t get ourselves arrested over a cat.”
She gave him a hard look. “What if it were one of the children? You’d be throwing a blue flashing light on your roof and blaring a siren the whole way.”
“Of course, but we’re talking about a cat. You don’t even like...” Lucas stopped. “You know what? You’re right. Cat-Cat is a member of the family and we go to the ends of the earth for family.”
“Damn right we do,” Kate said firmly.
Ava gasped as she reentered the room with a box of crayons. “Mommy said a curse word.”
“Damn right I did,” Kate said. “Let’s go.”
Lucas observed her. “Now? Don’t you want to get dressed first? Maybe wash your face?”
“Cat-Cat is missing, Lucas. I’m not going to waste precious minutes preening.”
He raised his hands, palms out. “I wasn’t suggesting that you should.” He swiveled away from her. “I’ll get the keys. You get your handbag.”
They scrambled around the house, preparing to launch Operation Rescue Cat-Cat. Kate forgot all about her own misfortune. The only thing she could think about was making sure the cat was safe. She couldn’t bear to contemplate any harm coming to her. She’d belonged to Inga. Her friend had trusted her with a beloved pet. Not only that, but Kate had grown fond of Cat-Cat, fonder than she’d realized until now. She’d be heartbroken if anything bad happened to her.
“Mommy, can I use paper from your book?” Ava asked. “There’s lots of blank pages.” She held open the book from Inga.
Kate started forward. “We can find you other paper. This book is special.” She halted as she noticed an unfamiliar image on the open page. It wasn’t the recipe for her golden-colored cocktail.
“What’s wrong?” Ava asked.
Kate’s heart pounded as she held out her hands for the book. “I need to mix a drink.”
Lucas seemed taken aback. “Now’s not really the time for a cocktail, Kate.”
“It won’t take long.” Somehow she knew the book would have a sense of urgency. She scanned the list of ingredients. As suspected, there was nothing too difficult. “We have lemons, right?” She looked up from the book and saw that Lucas had placed several bottles of alcohol on the island.
“I wasn’t sure which one you’d need, so I got a bunch,” he said.
She walked over and planted a grateful kiss on his lips. She didn’t bother to tell him this one was a mocktail—the recipe didn’t require any alcohol.
“I need a sprig of laurel from the tree in the backyard,” she said.
“On it.” Lucas ducked outside.
Kate turned to see Brett holding up a lemon. “You are amazing,” she said.
Brett flashed a blinding smile.
Kate retrieved two glasses from the cabinet and Gavin set a cutting board and knife on the counter in front of her.
Lucas returned with a small branch and a bleeding hand.
“What happened?” Gavin asked.
“I fought the tree and the tree won.” He handed the spoils of war too Kate. “My queen.”
“Thank you, kind sir.” She plucked off the leaves and added them to her mixture.
“Won’t Daddy have to drive now?” Ava asked.
“Daddy needs to drive his car to the other place.” She didn’t want to say the word ‘incinerator’ for her own sake as well as the children’s. “Besides, this one’s a mocktail.”
“That means there’s no booze in it,” Gavin told his younger sister.
Lucas scratched the back of his neck. “You didn’t need any of those bottles I got out?”
“I wasn’t planning to mention it.”
He offered a sheepish grin. “Sorry about the mess.”
“All for a good cause.” Kate downed the drink, barely tasting it. All she cared about was rescuing Cat-Cat.
“I’m going to head over there now,” Lucas said.
“Drink first,” she said.
He shot her a quizzical look but drank the second mocktail without protest.
“Go,” she urged.
He headed for the door, pausing before he opened it. “I’ll meet you at the warehouse afterward.”
Kate nodded. “We’ll wait for you.” She would’ve liked to feel a special sensation upon finishing the drink, something to let her know there was magic at work. There was no time to wait, however. She gathered the kids and hurried to the Land Rover. It was cold and dark, but no one complained.
Kate drove with a singular focus, ignoring the pinging sound from her phone.
Gavin poked his head between the front seats. “Mom, aren’t you going to get that? It’s annoying.”
Kate kept her gaze on the road ahead. “Not right now.”
“But you always clear your screen right away,” Gavin said.
“A place for everything and everything in its place,” Ava chirped from behind her.
“That’s not the right expression,” Gavin said.
“Close enough.” Brett strained to look at Kate. “Everything’s going to be fine, Mom.”
Kate relaxed. He had a soothing way about him. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?
She craned her neck for a better view of him. “Thank you, sweetheart. You always know the right thing to say.”
“That’s because I sound like you,” he replied, causing Kate’s chest to nearly crack open with an outpouring of love for her middle child.
“Butt kisser,” Gavin said under his breath.
Only when they arrived at the warehouse did Kate question the decision to bring her kids along for the ride. Confronted by the large nondescript building in front of them, Kate realized this moment had the potential to traumatize them for life. Kate was no stranger to that.
“It’s probably locked. How are we going to get in?” Gavin asked.
Kate climbed out of the Land Rover. “We’re Goldens. We’ll find a way.”
“The lights are off,” Ava said. “Did we bring a flashlight?”
“Don’t be a scaredy cat,” Gavin said.
“Don’t say cat.” Ava’s lower lip began to tremble.
“There’s a flashlight in the glove compartment,” Kate said.
Gavin rooted around until he found it and brought it to his mother. Kate tugged on the handle of the door. Locked.
Gavin folded his arms. “Now what?”
“Have a little faith in your mom. Have I ever let you down before?” She paused. “Forget I asked that.”
“We should look for a spare key,” Brett said.
Gavin gave him an incredulous look. “It’s a warehouse, not Mrs. Nocella’s house. There’s no doormat or flower pot.”
Kate focused on the door, her frustration building. There had to be a way inside. The thought of the cat being injured or frightened was too much for her. It was the end of November and the warehouse would be cold. They couldn’t wait until Monday to check for her.
“The windows are too high,” Gavin said.
Kate concentrated on the door. If there was ever a time for magic to reveal itself, it was now. Libbie got to expel her ex-boyfrien
d from her house. Surely Kate would be able to save the cat.
There was only one way to find out.
Kate summoned her strength and lashed out, giving the door a solid kick near the handle. The door creaked open, its squeaking hinges echoing in the night air.
“Mommy’s Wonder Woman!” Ava cheered.
Kate’s heart pounded as she turned to the children. “Stay here and stay together.”
They huddled together in front of the entrance. Kate crept across the threshold of the darkened building and switched on the flashlight. She checked the wall for a light switch but finally gave up. One sweep with the flashlight and she could see she’d have her work cut out for her. The warehouse was in complete disarray, with mattresses and box springs piled every which way. She wondered how the workers found what they needed, let alone something that didn’t belong. Then she remembered these were used items destined for the incinerator and she picked up the pace.
“Cat-Cat,” she called. “Cat-Cat, I’ve come for you.” She stopped for a second to focus. Maybe she’d sense the cat’s presence. She felt mildly silly. Then again, she was a witch with a connection to this cat. If anyone could find her, it was Kate.
She pictured Cat-Cat asleep on the desk at home, bathed in natural light. It was one of the cat’s favorite spots. At first, Kate had been annoyed by the cat’s constant presence, but she’d grown accustomed to it. Cat-Cat had become a friend.
A soft sound emanated from the back wall.
Kate’s palms started to sweat. “Cat-Cat?”
There it was again.
She darted forward and began shifting mattresses and box springs aside. As tempted as she was to simply shove things out of the way, she knew she had to be careful in case the cat was trapped or stuck. She didn’t want to make matters worse.
“I’m here for you,” she said. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Kate didn’t even realize she was crying until she saw the shine of the cat’s eyes in the shadows. It appeared as though the cat had been trapped in the box spring by the mattress on top.
Cat-Cat clawed her way out, yowling at the top of her lungs. Kate scooped the cat into her arms and kissed her head.
“Your poor thing. Are you hurt?” She’d have to take her to the emergency vet and make sure there were no significant injuries.
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