Софи Келли - A Tale Оf Two Kitties

He made a face at her. Then turned to Maggie. “Thank you for the invitation, but no. The hockey team has practice.” Now that Eddie was retired and living in Mayville Heights he was helping coach the girls’ hockey team. The girls’ team because of a nudge from his daughter, Sydney.

Eddie’s expression grew serious. “The strangest thing happened to us on the way down here,” he said.

Roma’s smile disappeared and she nodded.

“We were followed down the highway by a drone.”

“Followed?” I said.

“For a close to a mile,” Roma said.

“It was definitely deliberate,” Eddie added, running a hand over the stubble on his chin. “The road turned twice and the drone stayed with us.”

Maggie set her mug on the table. “The same thing happened to Brady on the weekend.”

“When?” Eddie asked.

“Where?” I said.

Maggie let out a breath. “Saturday evening, maybe seven o’clock. But he wasn’t on the highway. He was out past the marina.”

“And something similar happened?” Roma asked, her forehead creased into a frown.

“Very,” Maggie said. “Brady said the drone followed him for about a mile and then veered away toward the bluff.”

“That’s dangerous,” I said. “Someone could have an accident just from being distracted.”

Eddie nodded. “Or the drone could hit a car.” He shook his head. “I thought I’d talk to Marcus when he gets back and see if there’s anything he can do.”

I automatically started to smile. “He’ll be back around supper time tomorrow.”

“I can wait until Thursday.” Eddie grinned and I felt my face get red.

I turned to Maggie. “Isn’t it time for class to start?” I asked.

Maggie smiled. “Yes, it is.” She stepped out into the room, clapped her hands and called, “Circle.”

Eddie planted a quick kiss on the top of Roma’s head.

“I’ll tell Marcus you want to talk to him,” I said.

“Thanks,” he said and he was gone.

Roma and I took our places in the circle. Maggie had that gleam in her eye that told me she was going to work us hard. And she did. Ruby and I paired up to work on our Push Hands and Maggie spent some time watching and refining our technique. By the time we finished class with the complete form, the back of my neck was damp with sweat.

Roma and Eddie were giving Rebecca a ride home. “Eddie has some papers that Everett wants to look at,” Roma said, watching him hold Rebecca’s jacket for her. I noticed that Rebecca was carrying the brown paper shopping bag and Taylor was empty-handed, which told me that Rebecca had decided on both vintage evening bags. “Everett is interested in Eddie’s idea for a hockey school.”

I held up two crossed fingers. “I’ll hold a good thought.”

Roma hugged me and said good night. I sat down to change my shoes. One more day and Marcus would be home. Seeing Roma with Eddie made me realize just how much I’d missed him.

It had taken quite a while for the relationship between Marcus and me to move beyond friendship, even though at times it had felt like the entire town was playing matchmaker. It didn’t help that we’d first met when I was briefly a person of interest in one of his cases. I’d stumbled on the body of conductor Gregor Easton at the Stratton Theatre. Marcus had suggested that maybe I’d been at the theater to meet the conductor—who was older than my father—for a romantic liaison. I’d taken offense at what he’d been insinuating, and he’d taken offense at what he saw as me nosing around in his case. I’d had no idea he’d turn into my happy ending.

• • •

It was much quieter than usual at the library the next day. As promised, Harry came in first thing and assembled the shelves and storage unit. Midafternoon I decided to start putting up the Thanksgiving decorations. I’d hung a conga line of dancing paper turkeys across the front of the circulation desk, but they were crooked, looking as though the big birds were slipping downhill. I took several steps backward to get a better perspective and bumped into a warm, solid male chest. I turned around to find Marcus smiling at me, all six feet–plus of brown-haired, blue-eyed handsome.

He looked around. “Is anyone watching?” he asked, then before I could answer he swept me into his arms. “I don’t care if they are,” he said, pulling me into a long kiss.

For a moment my legs lost the ability to hold me up, so I held on to him, which wasn’t exactly a hardship. This public display wasn’t like Marcus. Not that I minded.

“I missed you,” he said. He was wearing a gray sweater over a light blue T-shirt and smelled like coffee and the spicy aftershave he always wore.

“I missed you, too,” I said, finally breaking out of his embrace. “What are you doing here now?”

“We got out early.” He smiled. “Get your things.”

“I can’t,” I said. “I’m not done until supper time.”

Susan walked through the door then, grinning at me and making a shooing motion with her hands. She was wearing an origami flower fastened to what looked to be a swizzle stick in her hair.

“Go,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “I’ll take care of the rest of your shift. Just because I’m an old married woman doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about romance.”

“You did this,” I said to Marcus.

“Guilty,” he admitted.

Susan tipped her head in the direction of the stairs. “You’re burning daylight. Go!”

I hurried up to my office, grabbed my jacket and purse and left everything else. Downstairs, Marcus and Susan had their heads together. She was gesturing emphatically, the flower in her topknot bouncing as she talked.

“I’m ready,” I said.

“Have fun, children,” Susan said with a knowing smirk.

Marcus caught my hand and we started for the main doors. I turned back and mouthed “Thank you” to Susan. She gave a little wave.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Your house,” he said as we started down the front steps. “I’ll follow you. And don’t worry about Micah. I’ve already been home to check on her.”

I glanced in his SUV as I started for my truck. There was a cooler bag that I recognized as belonging to Susan on the backseat.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A surprise,” Marcus said. He caught my arm and pulled me back to him.

It had to be something from Eric’s Place, the restaurant that Susan’s husband, Eric, owned. I have great friends , I thought, and then Marcus was kissing me again and I forgot how to think at all.

• • •

Eric had sent lasagna, salad, chocolate pudding cake for dessert and even some steamed salmon for Owen and Hercules. It was delicious. By nine thirty Marcus was yawning.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I swear it’s not the company.”

“I know,” I said. We’d been curled up on the sofa but now I sat up and stretched. “You’ve had a long day.”

“But a good one,” he said, pulling me back down against his chest. I tipped my head back and gave him an upside-down kiss. Then I sat up again and stood up, pulling him to his feet as well.

“Are you okay to drive?” I asked.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around me. We walked out to the kitchen that way. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I promise I won’t fall asleep driving home.”

“I went to check on Micah this morning,” I said. “But she must have been happy to see you and was probably a bit annoyed when you left again.”

“I missed the little furball, too,” Marcus said with a grin. “I’ve gotten used to fish breath waking me up.” He pulled on his jacket and once again pulled me close for one last kiss. Or two.

I wanted to say, “Stay,” but Marcus was surprisingly old-fashioned about some things.