Page 11 of Santa of the Creek
Hebe giggles as I shudder at the thought. I have my limits. I get to my feet and roll my shoulders, working out the tension. I’ll need a workout at the gym after my visit to Echo’s.
I leave her to face the ravening hordes and drive carefully through the snowy landscape. It’s the tree-lighting ceremony tomorrow. The temperature isn’t expected to rise much, and it will look pretty with all the snow. I’ll have to make my usual appearance because Danny is doing his thing, but then I can escape home and watch something like the Alien franchise. I always wished I was as brave as Ripley.
I drive over to the sweet one-story that used to belong to Ben’s grandmother. Someone is still maintaining the flowerpots outside, only now the plants are covered in snow and decorated with solar fairy lights, beautiful in the dark of the late afternoon. I feel a bit awkward letting myself into Echo’s home without him being there, but I remind myself I’m doing him a favor. I fumble for the lights, and a calico cat rushes down the hall toward me, loudly protesting, presumably telling me how hungry she is.
I bow to her. “Ariel, I presume.”
She meows at me.
“I’m Dean. Your mister is at the ER so I’m here to feed you. Is that acceptable?”
Her loud mewing tells me it will have to do because she’s starving.
I nod at her. “Let’s find the pantry then and work through your gourmet dinner. Lead on, Princess Ariel.”
I head into the kitchen, noting how tidy it is, no empty dishes on the counter. I open the door that has to be the pantry and swallow at the sight of all the cat paraphernalia and food. I’ve never had a cat or dog. My parents didn’t like pets. I thoughtwhen you have a pet, you opened a can and dumped slop into the bowl. Not Echo. The guy must have bought out the pet store in Collier’s Creek.
I take one of the small bowls stacked to one side as Ariel wreathes around my feet, purring loudly. “Don’t knock me over, little lady, or you won’t get any food,” I advise her. She ignores me and carries on mewing. I check the list on my phone, checking it twice to make sure I’ve got it right.
“Half a tin of cat food.” I peer in the refrigerator and find a can already open. “Aha! Dean is right.” I dump it in the bowl.
Not caring about my triumph, Ariel meows impatiently.
“Okay, okay. Next. One sardine. Seriously? You really do like smelly food.”
I open the sardine can, hunt for a fork, then place that neatly next to the cat food.
“A sprinkle of seaweed. Ugh? Really?” It takes me a minute, but I find the seaweed.
“A little water.”
I do that.
“A small bowl of kibble.”
The kibble served, I place it and the bowl of wet food on the tray I’ve been told to use.
“And finally, refresh her cup of water on my nightstand.”
“Cup? You have a cup?”
Ariel mews. Apparently, she does.
I put down the tray, and she falls on the food like a ravening beastie. “You’re welcome.”
Then I go in search of Echo’s bedroom. It is as tidy as the kitchen, the bed neatly made with a navy comforter and no clothes on the floor. I’m lucky if my bed is made once a month, and I always miss the hamper.
I refill the cup on the nightstand, grinning at the photo of Echo snuggled with Ariel, clearly a selfie. That man is going to melt my frozen heart if I’m not careful.
I retrace my steps back to the pantry where Ariel is still happily munching. “Okay, I’m going. I may see you in the morning if your daddy is still in hospital.”
She ignores me. I’ve done my job now.
“Ungrateful cat,” I mutter.
I’m unsure whether to leave a light on, but I don’t like the thought of her being left in the dark. Then I remember Echo’s instruction not to leave the pantry door open.
I take the tray despite her protests and place it in the kitchen and shut the pantry door. “Don’t moan at me. This is your daddy’s order. Take it up with him.”
