“Who’s Bert?” Holly asked.

  “You know, the woman who owns Lucy, the cat that Rags found stuck in the pipe.”

  “Oh yes, Gladys told me you took someone to the hospital. How’s she doing?”

  “I don’t know yet, but it’s sure not going to do her health any good if I’ve lost Lucy. Gosh, this just has me so upset.” She glanced around at the other houses. “I wonder where they might have gone.” She looked toward the middle of the cul-de-sac. “Oh, there’s Mom with Teddy. I’d better go. He’s probably hungry. I’ll think some more about what to do. Tell Cassie that we may need her to make some missing-cat posters, after all.” When Holly looked confused, Savannah reminded her that Cassie had mentioned putting up posters when they discussed runaway cats a week or so earlier.

  Holly rubbed Savannah’s arm and said sympathetically, “Okay. I sure will.” She brightened and said, “How about if, after you feed Teddy, we take the kids out and walk around the neighborhood. We’re bound to find the runaway cats.”

  Savannah bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s do that. We’ll be back down in a little while.” She started to walk away, then asked, “How’s Lily doing? Do you want me to take her home?”

  Holly shook her head. “No. Leave her. She’s fine. They’re having a ball playing dress-up.” She giggled. “Cassie’s taking pictures of them. She wants to share them this evening after dinner.”

  Once Savannah returned to the Verano house and had started feeding Teddy, Gladys asked, “When will the guys be back?”

  “Oh, a little later, I guess. I think they’re going out to lunch—you know, sort of make a day of it. Hey, Holly and I and the kids are going to walk around the neighborhood looking for the cats. Want to come? I can carry Teddy in the baby pack and we can put Lily in the stroller.”

  “Yeah. Actually, I would like some fresh air and exercise,” Gladys said. “How’s Lilliana doing down at Holly’s?”

  “Good. Holly said the girls are having a ball playing dress-up.” She laughed. “Cassie’s taking pictures to show us later.”

  Gladys smiled. “Oh, that’ll be fun. I used to love playing dress-up when I was a child.” She looked at her daughter. “But we didn’t have ready-made costumes, like they do now. We played in our mother’s and grandmother’s castoffs.” She rolled her eyes with delight. “Oh, how delicious it was to strut around in flowing gowns of satin and chiffon. I felt so pretty and so grown-up.”

  Savannah smiled at her mother.

  ****

  Nearly an hour later, after the women and children had strolled up and down the streets in two housing tracts and talked to several people along the way, Savannah said, “Well, Miss Cassie, I think we’ve handed out enough of those amazing posters you and your mom made. That’s a great picture of Rags, by the way.”

  “Mommy took it when we were at the lodge,” Cassie said.

  Holly shook her head. “It’s unbelievable that no one has seen those two.”

  “Yeah,” Savannah grumbled, “I just have this feeling that your neighbor, Wayne Morrison, knows something. He may very well be hiding them from me. I wonder if we could get the police to search his place.”

  Holly frowned. “Oh, I don’t know how they’d get a search warrant, do you? And I think possession is still nine-tenths of the law where cats are involved, or has that finally changed—now that we chip our cats?”

  Savannah spoke more quietly. “Well, he threatened me.”

  Holly stopped and faced Savannah. “He did? Seriously?”

  “It sounded like a serious threat to me. He and I did not get off to a very start. It seemed to be hate at first glance.” When the women and the children turned the corner onto Birchwood Lane, Savannah gazed up the street. “Hey, looks like the guys are back.”

  “Daddy!” Bethany shouted, when she saw Keith’s Jeep in their driveway.

  “Daddy!” Lily copied.

  The women laughed.

  “I wonder how long they’ve been home,” Savannah said.

  As the group approached the Pettits’ house, Keith rushed out to greet them. “Hey, there are my girls!”

  “Did you guys have a good shopping spree?” Savannah asked.

  “We sure did. We’re all outfitted with rods and reels and we even have a plan for a fishing outing.”

  Savannah groaned. “Oh that’s right, darn it. Adam’s going home day after tomorrow. I guess you have just the one day to fish.”

  Keith nodded. “We thought we’d make it a family affair. Would you girls and Teddy like to go with us guys? We know a nice park with picnic tables and a great place to fish nearby. We could take lunch…”

  “Sounds fun,” Gladys said.

  Savannah hesitated before saying, “We’ll have to see.”

  Keith frowned. “Why? Michael said you love a picnic.”

  “Yeah, I do, but I have things going on that might interfere with an outing.”

  “Like what?” he challenged.

  Savannah began to tear up. “Well, first of all, Rags and Lucy are missing. And Bert’s in the hospital. We don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

  Keith looked confused. “Missing?”

  “Yes.” Savannah said. “They went missing and we’ve been all over the neighborhood looking for them.”

  “See Dad,” Cassie said, showing him a poster.

  Keith shook his head. “Well, the cats are there at your house now.”

  “Rags and Lucy?” Savannah shrieked.

  “Yeah. I guess that’s the little one’s name. Cute cat.” He lowered his brow. “Who’s in the hospital?”

  “Bert, Lucy’s owner. They think it’s appendicitis.”

  Keith stared at Savannah.

  “Rags and Lucy are back?” Savannah asked again.

  “I don’t know about being back,” Keith said. “We sure didn’t let them in, but they were there when I helped Michael and Adam carry a few things in.”

  “Are you sure they didn’t come in with you?” she asked.

  “Positive,” he said. “We walked in and they came bounding down the staircase.”

  “Interesting. Well, if the cats are safe and if Bert doesn’t need anything, I have nothing to keep me from going on a picnic tomorrow.” She glanced at the Verano house. “I’d better go check on things.” She looked at Holly and Gladys. “Where do you suppose those two were?”

  Gladys shrugged. “Must have been hiding in the house someplace.”

  Savannah frowned. “I can’t imagine where. I looked everywhere. I offered Rags’s favorite treats.” She looked into Keith’s eyes, then Holly’s. “I know they were not in the house earlier. What do you think is going on?” When the Pettits didn’t seem to have an answer, Savannah hugged Holly, waved to Keith and their girls, then she and her mother continued with her children up the street to their vacation home.

  When they entered the living room, Michael appeared from the kitchen. He kissed Savannah, then helped her to remove the baby pack, taking Teddy in his arms. Adam joined the others shortly with an apple juice in one hand.

  “Hi there, buddy,” Savannah said. She looked from Adam to Michael. “So, you had a successful shopping spree, I hear. Did you guys find the fishing equipment you wanted?”

  Michael’s face brightened. “We sure did.” He chuckled. “We’re all set now to become weekend wranglers.”

  She grinned. “Wrangler? That’s a cowboy. Don’t you mean angler?”

  He flashed a look at her, then attempted a John Wayne impersonation, “Well, whatever it takes, pilgrim. Stand back, ma’am and watch us anglers wrangle those fish right into the frying pan.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “So where are the cats?” Savannah asked, looking around the room, into the kitchen, and back toward the staircase.

  “Um…” Michael hesitated, “…I don’t know which way they went. Why?”

  “I want to see them with my own eyes,” she insisted.

  Michael chuckled. “Well, whose eyes do you usually see them with?”

  Adam thought about that for a moment, then he laughed. “Good one, Dad.” He squinted up at Savannah and asked, “Why do you want to see them?”

  “Because they’re naughty. I’ve been all over this neighborhood looking for them.”

  “I’ll bet you didn’t find them,” Adam said.

  She looked at the boy. “Why would you say that?”

  He giggled. “Because they’re right here.”

  “Where?” Savannah demanded. “I don’t see them. Are you sure you saw them inside this house?”

  “Yes,” Adam said. “They came down the stairs when we got home. You know, how Rags always wants to see what new things you bought.”

  “And what new scents you’ve brought in,” Michael added.

  “There they are,” Gladys said, pointing. “Looks like they’ve been bathing.” She laughed. “I think Rags has been giving her a bath. See how it looks all wet on top of her head?” She laughed. “He’s trying to smooth her fluffy fur so it looks more like his.”

  Michael and Adam chuckled.

  Savannah walked toward the cats, stood over them for a moment, and said, “Don’t you guys do that again.”

  “What did they do?” Michael asked.

  “Well, they either escaped, which is a capital offense, or they hid from me, which means…” she addressed the cats firmly, “…which means no treats for naughty cats.”

  Michael put his arm around Savannah. “Oh don’t be so hard on them. They can’t get out of this house. Adam and I made sure of that. Right, Son?”

  Adam nodded.

  Michael continued, “Can’t you just give them the benefit of the doubt and let them off with a light sentence?” He whispered, “Lucy is Rags’s guest, after all. You don’t want to be rude to his guest.”

  She tried not to grin at his attempt at humor, finally saying, “Well, it’s rude of them to take advantage of me like that.” She shook her finger at Rags. “No more shenanigans, Ragsdale.”

  He simply looked up at her, blinked, and emitted a soft mew.

  Chapter 5

  The following morning, Savannah joined Michael, Adam, and Lily in the kitchen with Teddy in her arms.

  “Is he all finished with breakfast?” Michael asked, leaning over and kissing the baby, who smiled up at him. He cooed, “Good morning, sunshine.”

  “All finished,” Savannah said. “He ate like a little piggy.”

  “A piggy?” Lily said, laughing. She wrinkled up her nose and made snorting sounds.

  Adam laughed. “Lily, you’re a funny piggy.”

  This egged Lily on, and soon everyone was laughing at her antics.

  Just then Gladys appeared. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “I piggy, Gammy,” Lily announced, snorting for her grandmother.

  Gladys smiled and shook her head. She approached the toddler and kissed her. “You sure are a piggy. A cute piggy.” She ran her hand over Adam’s hair. “How are you this morning, Adam? All ready for the fishing trip?”

  His face lit up. “Yeah. With my new rod and reel. I sure hope the fish like it.”

  “They don’t care much about your fishing equipment,” Michael said. “It’s the bait. We need just the right bait.”

  Adam looked baffled. “Then why did we spend so much money on new fishing poles?”

  Savannah chuckled. “Yeah, why? That doesn’t make much sense, does it, Adam?”

  Michael grinned. “I guess we could take your pole and reel back. I saw a stick that’s about the right size in the garage. We could tie some string to it and an old rusty hook.” More excitedly, he said, “Or we could make a hook out of a nail.”

  “Never mind,” Adam said. “I think it’ll be easier to catch a big fish on my new pole.”

  “Okay, then,” Michael said. He returned to the stove. “Who wants a pancake?”

  “Me,” Lily called out from her booster chair at the table.

  “I do,” Adam said.

  Gladys approached Savannah and Teddy and ran her hand over the baby’s head, smiling. “Good morning, sweet boy.” She asked, “Vannie, how’s your friend, Bert—Lucy’s mom?”

  “Well, I spoke with her last night when I took her a charger cord for her phone and some toiletries. Her granddaughter, Ellen, the one we met, and her mother were there. I guess it was a gall bladder attack. They’re trying to decide whether to remove it or not. They want to keep her for at least another day. Ellen and her mother came to get Bert’s car—thought they shouldn’t leave it parked in front of our house, although I told them it wasn’t in our way.”

  “Well, there’s the dynamic duo,” Michael said when he saw Rags and Lucy saunter into the room. He chuckled. “She really is a cute cat and she sure seems to be attached to Rags.”

  “Yeah, like Velcro,” Savannah said, smiling. She laid the baby in his infant rocker where he could watch everyone, kissed his forehead, then addressed the cats. “Hi, Rags,” she said, running her hand over his fur as he rubbed against her ankles. She reached out to pet Lucy who sat nearby. The little cat leaped up and head-bumped her hand. Savannah picked her up and snuggled with her. “You really are a cutie. Just like our Buffy.”

  “Where is Buffy?” Michael asked.

  “She was still in her bed last time I saw her. I don’t think she’s too thrilled about Lucy being here.”

  “Why do you say that?” Michael asked.

  “She’s been kind of withdrawn. Last night when Lucy climbed up into my lap, Buffy sat across the room looking a little sad.”

  “Awww, she’s jealous,” Gladys said.

  “Where did they sleep last night?” Michael asked.

  Savannah looked at him. “Rags and Lucy? I’m not sure. They were on our bed for a while.”

  “They came into my room and woke me up playing,” Adam complained. “They act like Tiger did when he was a kitten. Play, play, play.”

  “Sorry about that,” Savannah said. “Maybe we should close your door tonight.”

  “Tonight,” Adam said, pouting. “This will be my last night here in Colorado, right?”

  Michael thinned his lips. “Yup, I’m afraid so. You have a flight out to California tomorrow, Son. Your mom and other dad will be awfully glad to see you. And you’ll have a lot of stories to tell them, won’t you?” He punched Adam playfully in the arm. “You’ve had a good time, haven’t you?”

  “I sure have, Dad. The best. I’d like to live here with you all the time.”

  Michael looked at Savannah before responding. “Well, we’d like to have you with us all the time too, Son. But…”

  “There’s always that but, isn’t there, Dad? Any time there’s something good there’s always a but to make it go away.”

  Savannah and Michael exchanged looks. She took the spatula from him and began tending to the pancakes while he sat down next to Adam. He took a swig of his coffee. “Son,” he started.

  “What?” Adam asked as if he wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “Well, two things. First, we don’t live in Colorado. We’re going home to California too. And the other thing is that you have a mom and other dad who love you very much. You’re part of their heart and their family too. And I know you love them. You have a life with them—school, sports and all. And you have a life with us—a different life. You enjoy both lifestyles don’t you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, and both of my sisters and all of the cats and the dog and horse.”

  “You’re a very fortunate young man,” Gladys said from across the table. When he looked at her, she said, “You have so many people who love you.”

  Adam cocked his head and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right, Dad. When I’m with you guys, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. When I’m with my mom and other dad, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I guess I’m happy wherever I am. Is that silly, Dad?”

  Michael choked up when saying, “Absolutely not, Son. That’s as it should be for every child.” He reached out and Adam walked into his arms. “You are one very fortunate boy.” He pulled away and looked into his son’s face. “And I’m one very fortunate dad.”

  Adam hugged Michael again, then stepped back and asked, “So when are we going fishing? What are we having for our picnic? What should I wear—will it be hot or cold at the river?” Before anyone could answer, he asked, “Hey Dad, can I use your phone to call Cassie? Does she have a fishing pole of her own like I do?”

  Michael grinned. “Too bad you aren’t excited about going fishing today.”

  Adam looked frowned. When he saw everyone smiling at him, he said, “Oh, you were joking, huh, Dad? Yeah, I’m pretty excited.” He leaned over and petted Rags, who pawed at one of his pockets. “Oh,” Adam said, “I forgot that I found something in my room this morning. I guess the cats had it.” He held it up. “See the little teeth marks in it?”

  “What is it?” Michael asked, taking it from Adam.

  Savannah moved closer. “More jewelry?”

  “No,” Michael said, wadding the paper and concealing it in his hand.

  She stepped back, her expression rigid. “Is it like the one we found in our room, Michael?”

  He nodded.

  “What does it say?” Gladys asked.

  Michael glanced at Adam, then Gladys. “It’s nothing. I think it goes to one of the Verano children’s games or something.” He addressed Adam. “Where exactly did you find this, Son?”

  “Just on the floor. Actually, sorta inside one of my slippers. I stepped on it when I got out of bed.” He frowned. “What does it mean, ‘Bang, you’re dead,’ Dad?”

  Savannah gasped.

  “Oh, um, like I said, it’s probably part of a game.”

  “A game?” Savannah questioned.

  “Well, yes. Don’t you think so?” He looked into her face, still fairly certain that he had not convinced her, but hoping he’d convinced Adam.

  ****

  After breakfast, Michael and Savannah took Teddy to their bedroom where they bathed him, dressed him, and prepared for their outing.