Джанет Кантрелл - Fat Cat Spreads Out

That last burst of raindrops seemed to have been the final hurrah. She glanced out the window where the moon was peeking through drifting clouds.

“So he’s not really fat,” Chase said. “He needs more exercise.”

Mike grimaced. “That might be splitting hairs. He could stand to lose another pound or two, but this is a very good start.”

The doctor might not agree, but Chase decided that what Quincy needed was more exercise in the future. She fingered the silver-and-turquoise ring that Anna had given her. It was finally resized and she didn’t have to worry about it falling off, unless she started losing weight. She didn’t think that would happen any time soon.

“What ever happened with Dr. Drood?” Chase asked. “I felt sorry for him, after I calmed down over the way he acted. He was out of his depth.”

“Yes, he was. His name was left on a referral list inadvertently. It’s off now, so that should fix the problem of calling him up to sub. My friend insisted on paying part of what I paid Drood, since he felt responsible. He wasn’t, of course. Anyone could have made the same mistake. His credentials, from when he was active and had his own practice, were good.”

Chase didn’t ask Mike if he’d paid Dr. Drood for a whole day at the fair. She knew the answer.

After they ate, they donned their coats and scarves and strolled onto the wooden deck to watch the moon send its stripes onto the water. The rain had stopped completely now and a half-moon was still playing peekaboo through ragged fringes of clouds. A slight breeze blew across the deck, the air fresh and dry after the shower.

Chase shivered slightly and Mike put his arm around her shoulders. She had such a warm feeling about the meal she had just eaten, but the strange thing was, she couldn’t recall what any of the dishes had been. They had all been flavored by Mike’s smiling, dancing eyes and his soft, expressive lips.

He must have felt the same way, because he held her tighter and tighter, until they were embracing face-to-face. It felt so natural to look up at him and to finally—at long last—kiss those lips that had been tempting her for so long. They felt decidedly something more than grateful. So much better than she’d been imagining. Tender, delicious. The kiss went on and on . . .

Recipes

Harvest Bars

1 box of either carrot cake or spice cake mix

1 15-ounce can pumpkin pie filling

powdered sugar or toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the box mix and the can contents together. The mixture will be stiff.

Spread into greased 9 × 13 baking pan.

Bake 20–25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack.

Slice into desired size.

Either sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds or dust with powdered sugar. If using the powdered sugar, do this just before serving.

Store loosely covered at first.

Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, these will keep for several weeks.

Go-Go Balls

½ cup water-packed canned tuna fish (or salmon)

4 ounces light cream cheese

2 tablespoons dried catnip (or more)

Drain the fish. If using salmon, be sure to take out the bones and skin. Flake the fish in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, all with a fork.

Form small marble-size balls by hand and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Makes about 30–32 balls.

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