Софи Келли - Faux Paw

“Is there any of Eric’s pudding cake in the kitchen?” I asked.

He smiled. “There might be. I can check.”

“Would you, please?” I asked.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Three bowls if there is?”

“Please,” I said. I knew Maggie would never say no to Eric’s pudding cake.

Nic headed for the kitchen.

“Do you understand why I can’t say yes to Eddie?” Roma asked. “He was playing in the minor leagues when Sydney was little and he missed so much of that time with her. He told me once that he wished he could have a do-over. I’m just too old for that.”

“There are other options,” I said gently.

“I know. But they’re expensive and they take time.”

“And?” I nudged.

She twisted the silver ring she wore around and around her index finger. “I’ve seen what the stress of those other options can do to people. I don’t want that to happen to Eddie and me.” She looked at me. “Do you think I’m wrong?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m on your side no matter what. I’m your friend. When Marcus and I finally got together, which both you and Maggie had thought should happen from the beginning, did you say I told you so?”

“Yes, I did,” she said. “At least twice. Maybe three times.”

“All right. Bad example. My point is, even though you thought I was wrong about Marcus, you and Maggie were always there for me.”

“I don’t want either of you to take sides,” she said, wrapping her fingers around her cup.

“I don’t think we have to,” I said. “But if it comes to that, your side is the one we’re on.”

Maggie came in the door then, shaking herself before she walked over to us. Nic stepped out of the kitchen then, carrying a tray with three bowls of Eric’s chocolate pudding cake.

“You ordered pudding cake?” Maggie said, slipping off her jacket and dropping back onto her seat.

“You did want some, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Absolutely. Chocolate is like a good painting.”

I frowned at her.

“Good for the soul,” she said as Nic set a steaming bowl in front of her.

Once we all had a dish, Maggie stretched out her arm and put her hand, palm down, in the middle of the table. “We’re the three musketeers,” she said.

“We’re not the three musketeers,” Roma said. “That’s just something you made up when you and Kathleen carjacked me so you could follow Will Redfern and find out why he was taking so long to finish the renovations at the library.”

“And we did,” Maggie said, picking up her spoon with her other hand and trying the pudding cake. “Umm, this is good,” she sighed. Then she slapped her hand against the table. I reached over and put my hand on top of hers.

“All for one,” I said.

“Stop trying to make me feel better,” Roma said.

I shook my head. “Sorry. I can’t do that. All for one.”

She looked from me to Mags and her lower lip trembled. “You’re the best friends I’ve ever had,” she said. Then she swallowed hard and laid her hand on top of mine. “And one for all.”

21

I drove Maggie home first. She reached forward from the back and hugged Roma in the passenger seat. “‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well,’” she said softly.

“Julian of Norwich,” I said. It had been a long time since I’d heard the quote generally attributed to the Christian mystic.

“If you want to talk or just be quiet, call me,” Maggie added.

Roma nodded. “I will.”

I waited until I saw Maggie go inside her apartment building; then I turned to Roma. “Come home with me,” I said. “I’ll loan you a pair of fuzzy pajamas and I promise that Owen and Hercules won’t ask you any annoying questions.”

“I should go home,” she said.

“Why?” I asked.

She pulled a hand back through her dark hair. “I don’t know.”

“So come with me.”

“All right,” she finally said with a shrug.

“We’re home,” I called as Roma and I stepped into the kitchen.

After a moment a furry black-and-white head peered around the living room doorway. A moment later a gray tabby head looked around the doorframe on the other side. The cats exchanged a look.

“Merow!” Owen said. Then he disappeared. Luckily, not literally.

Hercules padded into the kitchen.

I took Roma’s jacket, hanging it on one of the hooks by the back door.

“How about some tea?” I asked.

“Is it that the herbal tea Maggie likes?” she asked, pulling out one of the kitchen chairs and sitting down.

I nodded. “It is.”

“Then no, not really.”

I smiled. It was good to see Roma’s sense of humor. “How about another cup of hot chocolate?”

She thought for a moment. “I think that would be good.” She tucked one leg up underneath her and folded her arms over her midsection.

Hercules came and sat next to her chair. He looked up at her, his green eyes narrowed almost as though he was wondering why she was here.

“How was your night?” Roma said to him.

“Mrrr,” he said.

When the milk was heated and the cocoa made, I joined Roma at the table. She stirred her hot chocolate, watching the little whirlpool she made in her cup. “Don’t be mad at Marcus, Kathleen,” she said finally, looking up at me. She almost smiled. “I know he was part of all this. Eddie had to have had someone helping him. They probably did some male version of a pinkie swear.”

“I’m not mad,” I said, dropping a marshmallow in my cup and dunking it with my finger. “You’re right. He did help. And he did try to tell me, right before Harry called about the library.”

We sat in silence for a moment, Hercules watching both of us but keeping his own counsel; then Roma said softly, “He’s a good person.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant Marcus or Eddie.

We sat and talked for a while about everything but Eddie’s proposal. There wasn’t really anything else to say about that.

Roma yawned and covered her mouth with one hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not the company.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “The spare room bed is made up. I’ll find you a pair of pajamas.”

Hercules went ahead of us up the stairs and turned in to the bathroom. He stopped under the wooden cupboard on the wall, looked up and meowed.

“Good idea,” I said. Roma was used to me talking to the boys, but she raised her eyebrows at me this time.

“I have some of Rebecca and Maggie’s bath infusions,” I said. “Would you like one for the tub?”

Rebecca’s mother had used a lot of herbal remedies and had acted as an informal nurse in the town when Rebecca was young. Rebecca in turn had learned a lot of her mother’s herbal secrets and had been teaching them to Maggie. They’d made poultices and wraps several times for me, and their tub infusions seemed to help everything from sore muscles to an overloaded mind.

I fished in the cupboard and held out two wraps of cheesecloth tied with string. “What do you think?” I said to Hercules.

His nose twitched as he sniffed at one and then the other.

“Meow!” he said, pawing the air in the direction of the one in my left hand.

“This one gets the paw of approval,” I said. I put two fluffy towels on the wicker stool underneath the cupboard and set the sachet of herbs and flowers on top.

“Thank you, Hercules,” Roma said.

I got her a pair of soft flannel pajamas from my bedroom. They were hot pink, decorated with little gray-and-white images of Bigfoot.

“A present from Ethan,” I said.

“Why did your brother buy you a pair of pajamas with Bigfoot on them?” she asked.