12.
C AT
“Sweetie, were you serious about opening a bakery?” Grammy asked as she breezed into the kitchen wearing the caftan I had thought about stealing.
I was not wearing a cool caftan, but I’d taken Sandi’s suggestion and worn the closest thing I had to a bathing suit - a racerback tank top and a pair of shorts. After looking through the clothes I’d brought with me and the clothes Grammy had packed from my apartment, I knew that a shopping trip needed to happen ASAP.
There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d be wearing long sleeves and jeans anytime soon, if ever again, and as much as I hated to shop for clothes with the girls in tow, I realized I’d have to do that soon. They needed new clothes that would fit this climate better too. We’d been here for two weeks now, and I’d only dressed them the two times Chai took us into town for dinner.
“I’ve been researching what I’ll need to open one, and I have to say that I’m a bit overwhelmed with all of the dos and don’ts of the entire situation. I’ve also been looking into daycare for the girls and found that the nearest one is thirty minutes away.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Grammy said as she pulled a banana off the bunch and walked over to the table. After peeling it, she broke it in half, took a bite, and then handed the piece to Charlotte who was happy to ignore the food on her plate and take the fruit Grammy offered. Grammy took a bite from the other half of the banana and then set it down on Mackenzie’s tray before she mushed it with the tip of one finger to make it a more manageable size for Mackenzie to eat - or smear around like she was more prone to do. Finally, Grammy looked back at me and said, “I’ve met several women who supplement their retirement income by babysitting. Three of them live nearby and would be perfectly suitable caregivers for the girls.”
“Will you get their information for me?”
“Of course. Now, back to the bakery idea. I can help with any legal aspects of your endeavor and even invest in the project if you need money.”
“I’ve got my trust fund, so I don’t think I need a loan.”
“Not a loan, sweetheart. An investment. I believe in you not just because you’re my granddaughter but because I’ve been enjoying your baking for years.”
“Thank you,” I said proudly.
“However, I’ve got an opportunity for you even though you don’t have a storefront yet. You can use the kitchen here, which means you can keep the girls with you too.”
“I like the sound of that. What does the job entail?”
“I’d like to hire you to make refreshments for our book club that meets on Tuesday mornings. Something light that would pair well with mimosas.”
I thought about the different things I’d baked for my grandmother over the years and bit back the reminder that she was diabetic and didn’t need to be swilling mimosas. Instead, I asked, “Would you like regular pastries or some diabetic options too?”
Grammy frowned at me, not missing my subtle reminder about her health concerns, before she said, “I’ll have you know that I enjoy one mimosa during book club and then go back to my usual coffee.”
“That’s good to hear. So, that’s a yes to diabetic-friendly options?”
Grammy rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, Catherine.”
“I am happy to do that for you. It sounds fun.”
“We also get together on Thursday afternoons for bingo, and the girls and I were talking last week about how the spread the bingo hall puts out is always so boring. I suggested that you could probably do a much better job of filling the buffet, and Bubbe and Dodie agreed.”
“A buffet?”
“Finger foods, snack items, some sweets. Nothing major.”
“I can do that too.”
“Bubbe is hosting brunch at her house tomorrow and asked if you’d make pastries and breakfast odds and ends.”
“Sure. For how many?”
“Ten or fifteen. Whether or not they’ll be feeling sociable in the morning depends on what they get up to tonight, so I’d stick to ten.”
I’d watched Grammy, Bubbe, and Dodie enjoy themselves with one activity or another every night for the last two weeks and wondered where they got their stamina. Their social calendars were packed to the brim of things to do and places to go. Almost every evening was filled with one event or another.
I thought it was wonderful to see Grammy making so many new friends and was amazed at how different her life was here in Florida compared to what it had been back in Chicago. I thought it must have a lot to do with the weather, but I knew that the real reasons were the friendships she had found with Bubbe and Dodie - the most hilarious and fiery women I’d ever met.
Their bond was understandable - all three women had lived full lives, raising their families while also having fulfilling careers. Bubbe and Dodie still owned a real estate company, even though they were retired, and before our lives blew up in Chicago, Grammy still took on pro bono cases that piqued her interest.
Apparently, she was still interested in freelancing because she said, “I’ll draw up a contract to make sure you’re paid for your time, effort, and supplies.”
“Thanks, Grammy.”
“That leads to my other plan to help you get a bakery established.”
“Always planning, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
Grammy had been a very successful attorney long before that was a common female occupation. Although she’d retired a few years ago, her mind was always active and she kept her license up to date in case she decided to take on a client. Knowing Grammy, she’d already started the process of getting her license to practice law in Florida, which wouldn’t be hard to do for a woman with her knowledge and experience.
“What’s your grand plan?”
“Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll get everyone at bingo and book club hooked on your wares and then you can open a booth on the square and sell your goods every Tuesday afternoon and Saturday morning. You can have an order form for specialty items that your customers might want delivered, which is where Magda comes in. She makes the majority of her income running errands for residents around here.”
“That all sounds wonderful, but shouldn’t I get my food license before I start doing any of that?”
“I’m sure you can get by without that for a little while.”
“Is that legal?” When Grammy just raised an eyebrow, I smiled and said, “I think it sounds like a great plan.”
“Good! Here’s a list of some of the items we would like to have tomorrow for our book club meeting. Bubbe’s granddaughters are at her house right now, so if you’d like to leave the girls with me, I’ll have them help me watch them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“Can I take your cart thingy to the store?”
“Cart thingy?” Fish chuckled as he came through the door followed closely by Magda. He walked into the kitchen and leaned down to kiss Grammy on the cheek before he kissed Charlotte and Mackenzie on the top of their heads and then leaned down to kiss me hello. He looked over at Grammy and asked, “You’re going to let her operate a motorized vehicle?”
“Since you’re here, I won’t have to,” Grammy replied with a grin.
Magda wrapped her arms around Grammy from behind and gave her a smack on the cheek before she said, “I hear you’ve got a new beau.”
“Hush,” Grammy chided good-naturedly before she turned to kiss Magda on the cheek. “Mind your own business, young lady.”
“He’s handsome.” Grammy’s blush got even deeper when Magda teased, “You looked so cute together when he was dropping you off this morning.”
When I looked over at Grammy in shock, she gave me a knowing look before she said, “Imagine my surprise when I saw Chai sneaking up the back stairs as David and I were pulling out of the driveway.”
Suitably chastened, I said, “I hope you had a very good night.”
“Mmhmm,” Grammy said with a secretive smile.
“Well, that took a turn,” Magda said as she plucked Mackenzie out of her chair and walked over to the sink. “Bub, are you going to approach the subject, or should I?”
Fish cleared his throat before he said, “Magda suggested that you and I go on a date this evening and offered to watch the girls at Rachel’s house for us.”
I bit my lip and watched Magda as she gently tried to get the mashed banana out of Mackenzie’s hair and knew that the girls would be in good hands. Since I picked them up in Marlboro, I hadn’t been away from them, but that had been almost a month ago. I knew it would do them good to be around other people, and it would be nice to take a breather.
I hated every moment of our time apart when I was testifying, but after so long without a break, I could really use one.
“I promise to care for them as if they’re my own little cubs,” Magda said as she brought a now-clean Mackenzie back to the table along with a wet cloth to wipe Charlotte’s face. As she did that, without experiencing even a portion of the squirming fit I had to deal with when I tried to do the same thing, she smiled at me and said, “I know I’m not technically a mama bear . . . “
“And won’t be for years!”
Magda ignored Fish’s interruption and continued, “I might seem laid back, but I can lean forward real quick, if you know what I mean.”
I burst out laughing because her tone of voice and the expression on her face looked so much like Chai that it was uncanny. Grammy saw it, too, and thought it was just as funny.
I guess Fish thought we were laughing at what Magda had said and jumped to her defense. “Seriously, she’s great with kids. She watches the feral demon spawn all the time.”
“And I’ve only had to resort to duck tape and Benadryl twice in the last month.” I had met Fish’s nephews and only having to resort to drastic measures twice in the last month was honestly impressive. When they’d come to spend the evening with Fish while their mothers attended a PTA meeting, they’d been wild and crazy. By the time the women came to pick up their kids, Fish was so frazzled that he needed an hour to himself to sit on the boat in peace and quiet so he could get his bearings and calm down. “Plus, I can stay over at Rachel’s and . . .”
“Chai’s been telling me how beautiful the stars are when you’re out on the water, so why don’t you stay here with the girls and let them sleep in their own beds while we spend the night on the boat?” I suggested.
“They’ve adjusted to sleeping on land?” Magda asked.
“At this point, I think the kids may be able to sleep anywhere. When we talked to Fish’s friends who watched them in Tenillo, they said the kids had the same problem adjusting to sleeping in bed, but the friends in Marlboro didn’t have any problems. Then we took days to get them back here and had to start all over again.”
“I don’t blame them, though. I love sleeping on the boat.”
“Magda is refurbishing an old yacht we found for her. It’s docked behind Dawn and Ari’s,” Chai explained. “As soon as we got the cabin livable, she moved in.”
“When do you sleep?” I asked her, honestly curious.
Magda shrugged before she said, “I’m more of a catnap kind of person.”
“So, are we doing this?” Fish asked.
I took a leap and nodded before I said, “I can write out their bedtime routine, and you can call me or Fish if there are any problems, of course.”
“Just to make Cat feel better, I’ll stay close to shore,” Fish assured Magda before he winked at me.
“I’ll take good care of them,” Magda promised. “We need to get to know each other since we’re going to be sisters.”
I looked over at Fish and saw him bite his lip before he smiled at me. He didn’t argue Magda’s assumption, and I was too stunned to try. Grammy saw our exchange and laughed at our discomfort, then laughed even harder when I gave her my most stern frown.
Obviously, my facial expressions weren’t quite as magical as hers. Yet. I had some time to work on them before the girls became teenagers.
“Well, I’m ready when you are.”
“I have one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I got a job.”
“I didn’t realize you’d applied anywhere.”
“I didn’t. Grammy hired me to make food for Bubbe’s brunch tomorrow.”
“They’re lucky,” Fish said with a grin. “Your food is delicious.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll take you shopping and then help you cook.”
“I can do it in the morning if I get the supplies this evening, but I really need to go shopping for some suitable clothes for living in a muggy swamp.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a date,” Magda said with a grin. “Lucky for you, I’m always available to babysit for my family.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that description. Family. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was part of one. Because of Fish, I now had friends I spoke to everyday, kids running around all the time, and even a few geriatric menaces to call my own - Grammy included.
He just couldn’t have given me a better gift than the family he’d brought me into, and I would never take it or him for granted.
Magda was right - someday, not anytime soon, but someday, I planned to marry that man.
◆◆◆
FISH
While I waited for Cat to try on clothes at yet another boutique, I pulled my phone out to check my messages and found that the guys were in fine form today.
Maple: Watch what you say around egg whites. They can’t take a yolk.
Lurk: The next time I see you, I’m going to kill you slowly.
Ajax: And I’m gonna help.
Toris: I might not be available for a while. There’s a new girl in my life.
Ajax: Leave your cousin alone.
Toris: Fuck you.
Ajax: Leave me alone.
Chewie: Does she know you’ve met, or are you waiting for the right time to jump out of the bushes next to her house and introduce yourself?
Toris: I don’t know why I even talk to you fuckers.
Lurk: Because your blow-up girlfriend can’t talk and you’re lonely.
Ajax: Did someone steal your phone? Lurk, blink twice if you’re in danger.
Lurk: What are you going on about?
Ajax: You typed out an entire sentence without sounding like a psycho.
Lurk: I’m not a psychopath. My mom had me tested.
Ajax: That’s it. Someone go rescue Lurk. He’s clearly been taken hostage.
Chewie: Not it!
Toris: Not it!
Sarge: I’m trying to sleep, assholes!
Ajax: You’re awake now. Go rescue Lurk. Someone’s got him, and he’s sending out distress signals.
Sarge: He doesn’t need a rescue. They’ll get to know him and throw him out soon enough.
Maple: Or he’ll kill ‘em.
Ajax: True.
I took a pic of the store around me and sent it to the group with a text that said, In shopping hell. Need a rescue. Lurk can take care of himself.
Chewie: Fish is in more danger than Lurk. Someone go get him before he loses it and starts decapitating mannequins.
Maple: Look at Chewie using the big words.
Ajax: Autocorrect is his friend.
Maple: That’s his only one.
Toris: Isn’t anyone going to ask me about my new girl?
Sarge: We really don’t care.
Lurk: Is she a hostage?
“What’s got you laughing out here?”
“Lurk is a hostage, Toris has a new woman in his life, Sarge is grumpy when he first wakes up, and Ajax doesn’t like corny jokes.”
“Did you send them an SOS telling them you’re shopping against your will?” Cat asked.
“I’ll shop with you every day if I get to watch you model clothes like that.”
“You like this?” Cat asked before she spun in a quick circle, making the dress she was wearing fly out and then swish around her knees.
“Do that again, but faster,” I ordered. Cat spun around again, and I grinned. “Yeah, I like those. They’re pretty, but they’d look better on the floor next to the bed.”
Cat rolled her eyes and said, “The dress, perv. Do you like the dress?”
“Abbie-Cat, you could wear a potato sack and I’d still think you were the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“You say such sweet things, Chai.”
“I’m just speaking the truth.”
“Send the guys a message telling them that you rescind your SOS because you’re a willing hostage.”
“I guess I am seeing as how I volunteered to come with you.”
“As soon as we get back to the boat, I’m going to ravish you as a reward for being such a patient and complimentary boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend, huh?”
“Male companion?”
“Hell no. Boyfriend works for now.” Cat turned away, but not before I saw her blush. Before she got too far, I called out, “I like the title, but at some point, we’re going to have to discuss the fact that you didn’t argue when Magda said that Macaroni and Lottie-Bug would be her sisters soon.”
“I don’t have to discuss anything,” Cat called over her shoulder. “Especially since neither of us are ready for that step yet. Even if we were, I’d need an official proposal with the works.”
“The works? What exactly does that mean?”
Cat had just turned the corner, but reappeared to say, “That’s something you’ll have to figure out as we get to know each other better.”
“I welcome the opportunity.”