The Christmas Cat (6 page)

G
arrison knew that his heart was softening toward Gram’s small herd of cats. Okay, he didn’t actually like
all
of
them. Muzzy’s obnoxious Siamese howling was truly disturbing and Spooky’s moodiness was irritating, but he attributed their bad manners to their general displeasure with him . . . and missing their previous owner. However, Rusty and Oreo were fairly easy to get along with. And then there was Harry . . . that big, slightly wild-looking animal had the best feline manners, not to mention intelligence. Harry was clearly his favorite. Even so Garrison knew he needed to find homes for all five of them. Good homes. No regrets.

This was driven even more firmly home when his phone rang on Friday morning. The man who had interviewed him last week, the same day that Gram had died, was calling to offer him the job. Garrison explained about his grandmother. “So I really need to see to some things regarding her estate,”
he told him. “I might be able to tie it up in a week. Maybe two if I’m lucky.”

“No problem. December is always a slow month for the foundation. Although I would like to get you in the office for some important meetings before Christmas.” He listed some specific dates. “That’s when we start planning for the upcoming year. We have a big fundraiser in February and I like getting tasks pinned down before Christmas. Makes January go smoother.”

“I’m sure I can wrap this up in two weeks max,” Garrison assured him. “I’ll be there in time for those planning meetings. Thank you, sir.”

“I look forward to working with you, son. I really liked your résumé and that you’d spent that much time in Uganda. I can tell you’re a diligent young man, and that you take your responsibilities seriously and see things through. I know you’ll be a real asset to the team, Garrison.”

In the spirit of diligence, Garrison started constructing a new ad on Friday afternoon. It was obvious that his first ad had been ineffective. For the new ad, Garrison decided to lure interest by mentioning that the cats would come with a special “Christmas bonus.” He was careful not to mention cash, but he did word it in a mysterious way that he hoped would garner some prospective pet owners’ curiosity.

He was just editing the ad when the phone rang. “Hey, Garrison,” a woman’s voice said. “I heard you’re looking for homes for your cats.”

“That’s right,” he said eagerly. “Did you see my ad or—”

“Actually it was Cara who mentioned it. I was at her Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. We barely met. My name’s Beth, and I was there with my daughter, Annabelle. Although Annabelle had her nose in her phone and hardly said a word to anyone.”

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I know who you are.” He remembered the flashy, middle-aged redhead with too much makeup and the teen girl who looked like the poster child for post-Goth.

“Anyway, Cara told me you had cats to give away. And, ever since we moved here, I’ve been promising Annabelle that she could have a cat.”

Garrison cringed to think of the strange-looking girl with multiple piercings taking home one of his cats. But then he chided himself for being too judgmental. After all, he’d gone through some rough teen years himself. “You say you just moved here?” he ventured.

“Oh, it’s been a couple years now. I kept making up new excuses not to have a cat. But Annabelle’s not letting me off the hook.”

He explained a bit about Gram’s will. “I know her requirements might sound extravagant to some people, but I have to respect her wishes. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Not at all.” She giggled. “Imagine being interviewed to adopt a cat.”

“I know.” He pulled out Gram’s list and went over the preliminaries, and all seemed to be in order. Beth was a solid candidate. “Sounds good,” he told her. “But I’ll still need to evaluate your house.”

“For what?” she sounded worried.

“To make sure it’s a safe, healthy place for a cat.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. It’s not like I’m inspecting your housekeeping.”

“Well, like I said, I do hair from my home, so I did pass that inspection.”

“That’s great,” he told her. “Mind if I come by for a quick look? And, trust me, I’m as eager to find homes for these cats as you are to have one of them.”

She told him where she lived, and he asked when he should come by.

“Can you do it right now?” she said eagerly. “Annabelle is out and I’d rather she not know about this. I mean, just in case it doesn’t work out.”

“No problem.”

As Garrison hurried the several blocks to Beth’s house, he actually shot up a quick prayer for help that this adoption would work out. One less cat would be real progress. And if Beth and Annabelle did qualify, hopefully they wouldn’t want Harry. Perhaps Garrison would put Harry out of sight.

Garrison did a quick tour through Beth’s house. Although her house was a little messy and cluttered and her breakfast dishes were still in the sink, he felt that the place was just fine for a cat. Before he left, he explained the need for another visitation after a couple of weeks. “I can’t tell you exactly what day it will be. It’s supposed to be a surprise visitation.”

“Are you kidding?” Beth scowled.

“I know it sounds nuts,” he admitted. “But can I trust you with a secret?”

Her blue eyes grew wide. “Sure.”

“Well, there’s a little surprise that comes with the cats. My grandmother wanted to be sure they found good homes.”

“And you can’t tell me what kind of surprise?” Beth looked curious. “Is it a year’s supply of cat food? That would be nice.”

“Something like that,” he assured her. “But I can’t tell you until the cat’s been happily homed for at least three weeks.”

“I thought you said two weeks?”

He was just finishing his explanation when Annabelle walked in. “What’s up?” she asked with a suspicious frown.

“You remember Garrison from Cara’s?” Beth said.

Annabelle just nodded.

“He’s offered to give you a cat,” Beth announced.

Annabelle’s face lit up. “Really? I can have a cat?”

“That’s right.” Beth glanced at Garrison. “I mean, we did fit the criteria, didn’t we?”

“What criteria?” Annabelle asked.

“Take it from me,” her mom told her. “These must be very special cats. Garrison does not just give them to anyone.”

Annabelle seemed to appreciate this. “When do I get it?”

“Is now too soon?” Garrison asked.

“Not at all. Can I get a cat right now?” Annabelle asked her mom.

“Why don’t you go home with Garrison? I’ve got a client coming in a few minutes. Be sure and bring back the pick of the litter.”

As they were leaving, Garrison regretted it. This wouldn’t give him time to hide Harry. What if Annabelle fell in love with Harry?

Garrison rattled the cat treat bag. Just as expected, the cats began to emerge from their favorite nooks and crannies. Before long he was introducing each feline by name. Annabelle went from cat to cat, carefully examining each of them. However, it was the moody calico that seemed to capture her attention. Annabelle offered Spooky some more cat treats
and, to Garrison’s surprise, she soon got the temperamental cat to eat right out of her hand.

“I want Spooky,” she announced, still holding the cat—who seemed strangely content—in her arms. “Is that okay?”

“That’s fine.” He grinned. “That’s perfect.”

“I think she needs me,” Annabelle said.

Garrison showed her to the cat pantry, inviting her to pick out some things she might need. He explained about the special drops Spooky needed in her food to prevent hairballs and even gave her a cat bed and a carrying case as well as a bag of kitty litter.

As he drove Annabelle home, Garrison tried to conceal how elated he felt to have the moody feline off his hands. But he was glad for both the girl and the cat—they seemed perfectly simpatico. As he helped Annabelle carry the cat things into her house, she thanked him profusely, acting as if he’d just given her the greatest treasure in the world.

“You’re completely welcome,” he told her. “Don’t forget that I have to come by to check on the cat after two weeks, and then again after three weeks.”

“You can come see Spooky whenever you like,” she told him. “I can understand how you might miss her. But I promise I’ll take really good care of her. Don’t worry.”

Garrison tried not to laugh as he went back to the car. Annabelle had no idea how relieved he felt. And he knew Gram would be delighted to see how much this young girl loved her new cat.

As Garrison was leaving the church on Sunday, he was approached by an older man. Wearing a worn sports jacket
and a tweed driving cap, the man waved to Garrison as if he knew him. “I’m Vincent Peterson,” he said eagerly. “We met briefly at Cara’s Thanksgiving get-together last week.”

“Oh yeah.” Garrison nodded, ducking beneath a covered walkway to get out of the rain that was just starting to pelt down. “I thought you looked familiar.”

“Cara mentioned that you’re looking for homes for your grandmother’s cats. I might be interested. That is if you still have any cats left.”

“Definitely,” Garrison assured him. “I have four.”

Vincent looked relieved. “I had a cat named Gracie for years. A big orange cat that I was very attached to. But she got a kidney disease and passed away last winter. I told myself I wouldn’t get another cat, but I suppose I’m having second thoughts now.”

“Cats can be great companions,” Garrison said positively as they moved closer to the wall to escape the windblown rain.

“Yes, I think you’re right. And since I’m spending more time at home . . .” He grimly shook his head. “You see, I was forced into retirement last spring. So I find myself rambling around my house. Last week Cara was trying to convince me that I need a cat.” He chuckled. “The more I think about it, the more I think she might be right.”

Garrison quickly went over the preliminary questions and, convinced that Vincent was a good candidate, he explained about the need for a home visit. Although Vincent looked bewildered by this, he agreed. “Why don’t you come over for coffee tomorrow morning,” he suggested. “That’ll give me a chance to straighten up some.”

They agreed on the time and Vincent gave Garrison directions to his house. Garrison tried not to do the Snoopy
happy dance as he hurried across the parking lot to the car. If Vincent took a cat, that would leave just three cats to place. And his new ad hadn’t even been run in the local paper yet.

As he drove home, he pondered over the fact that Cara had sent two potential cat owners his way. Perhaps she didn’t despise him as much as he’d imagined. Or perhaps she was just concerned for the cats in his care. Whatever her motives, he still owed her his gratitude.