Forty-three
Nadine held the door for Wes as he struggled through with his hands full. After talking earnestly to Erma and the other cats in a low voice, he’d rushed out in the morning to come back with a sour cream glazed doughnut for Nadine and a carful of carriers for the cats.
“They’re a posse,” he insisted to Brent when he’d called to tell him he was taking all four. “They can’t be separated.”
Brent had named Wes the cats’ official human companion and invited him to take the rest of the organic meals in the fridge as a gift as well as their portrait in the dress room. Wes had accepted the food and regretfully declined the portrait, which Nadine had snapped up.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” asked Nadine as he gave them each a treat through the barred windows of their carriers in a futile attempt to stop the cacophony of plaintive meows. It had taken almost an hour to wrangle them all in.
“No.” He pointed at Erma. “But how could I leave that face?”
Nadine looked down at his complaining baggage. “They’re not going to appreciate their new kibble life,” she predicted.
“They’re very adaptable animals and know going nonorganic is worth it to be together.”
Cats secured in his car, they returned to the front hall for one last look. Nadine could almost see the ghostly figure of Dot in a sequined caftan sweeping by Janice and Sir Latimer. She should be depressed. There was an extremely good chance Daniel would reject her, and they’d fail despite their hard work and best intentions. Instead, she was filled with an intense gratitude to have been able to experience Dot and Wes and everything this magical house had to offer. She looked at the ceiling and gasped. It was patterned with the reflections thrown up from Sir Latimer’s armor, and they looked like little flags.
Wes wrapped his arm around her waist as if he would always be there to support her. He whispered, “Thanks, Dot.”
Nadine swore she heard that low wheezy laugh and a familiar gravelly voice say, You got it, handsome.
Then, they walked out and locked the door to Dot Voline’s house for the last time.