And the worst: “It’s about time you met someone.” As if they were engraving her tombstone already!
She knew Autumn Ridge was cozy, but not this cozy. Now that she knew, she was pretty sure she didn’t like it.
By the time Minka handed Cali her sandwich and Oat Couture, Cali was ready to call it a night. The caffeine invigorated her just long enough to kick-start another book discussion, but all bets were off when the caffeine wore off.
Ethan didn’t show to book club. She figured that was for the best. The book they’d chosen wasA Man Called Oveby Frederik Backman, with shades of Ethan filtering through Ove’scharacter. Like his practicality and skepticism, both masking a tenderness. The more The Nine commented, though, the more Cali realizedshewas like Ove. Routine and guarded, experiencing quiet forms of loss. At least she wasn’t a grumpy old man. She had that going for her.
But Ethan arrived in time for the Nine Lives Club, making for awkward glances between them when Leo called them the “the inseparables.” It was hardly the truth. They’d just spent some time together, Cali would’ve insisted. That is, if Ethan hadn’t blushed and given Leo a death stare, which only egged him on.
“Come on, you two, spill it. I hear there’s some chemistry brewing.” He winked at them with that obnoxious, dimpled grin. Cali wanted to crawl under her chair.
“Yeah,” Freya continued. “A little birdie told me they saw you two together at the fall festival.”
“And my café,” Minka added.That traitor.“The whole town’s shipping you two.”
Mrs. Ellery interjected. “What’s this about shipping? Are you two going on a cruise?”
“Not yet,” Lynne chuckled. “Shipping is just a short way of saying relationship. Everybody thinks they’d make a good couple, Mrs. Ellery, that’s all.”
“I see,” Mrs. Ellery said. “I’ll have to tell my grand-daughter all bets are off then, Ethan. You know I sent her your photo.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “When did you take a photo of me, Mrs. E?”
Mrs. E?Cali had never heard anyone call Mrs. Ellery that before. But the casualness didn’t seem to register with anyone but her.
“When you were building my gazebo out back,” she explained. Cali cocked her head at that, too. When had he had time to build Mrs. Ellery a gazebo? When had she asked him? “Or rather, I took a photo of the gazebo and you just happenedto be in it. And then I just happened to send that photo to my grand-daughter and then, well …” Her voice trailed off. “Now that I’m explaining, it sounds rather out of line. But it was all innocent when it started, Ethan, I promise. My point being,” she cleared her throat, “I’m happy for you two.”
Cali gulped, resisting the temptation to explain that she’d given Max to Ethan then basically told him to keep his distance from her. Ethan wasn’t confessing to anything just yet either. Good. They were at least on the same page with this one.
But when she turned toward him, he kept staring down at the floor, refusing to meet her gaze. That muscle in his clenched jaw clenched, and he ran his hand through his hair nervously. A tell Cali was starting to pick up on, now that she knew how he moved. She pushed down the ache growing in her chest and leaned forward into the group.
“New topic,” she said. “Since book club’s done, shall we move onto the Nine Lives Club gala planning?”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, Ethan a little more enthusiastically than the rest, relieved the spotlight was finally off him. “Great. Mrs. Ellery, you said you’d drafted a list?”
“Yes, I’ll need you all to volunteer for as much as possible. There’s the music.”
“Oh, I’ve got that covered,” Bastet said, waving a hand. “My cousin plays the accordion.”
Everyone’s expression tightened except Mrs. Ellery’s. “I think, my dear, we’ll just go with a pre-recorded playlist, yes? Keeps it affordable, and we can control the volume. Turn it off when the bidding starts. You know?”
Bastet nodded her head. “Got it. I can do that, too.”
Lynne, skeptical, offered to help her, to everyone’s relief.
Freya interrupted. “So I was thinking we should have a cat adoption fashion show. It’ll be perfect for social media, and we can all get our cats to come with us, all dressed up, too.”The Nine knew enough about Freya to know she never parted with her cat. He hung out in the florist’s shop and somehow managed not to eat all the pretty plants while she was busy making bouquets. That being said, not everyone’s cat was so well-behaved.
“I’m sure Fred would love to join,” started Leo. “But I can’t guarantee we could get him to stay.”
Laughter burst from Lynne’s mouth.
“Yeah, Purrcy’s a good boy at the café,” Minka added, “but I don’t know if he’d be such a gentleman around shrimp cocktails and a cash bar. Just like his mom.” She sighed. “Maybe next year, Freya. But I’m down for taking photos of our cats to promote the event. If you all send me some of your favorites, I’ll make captions. We can even snag a handle or hashtag. Something with ‘Nine Lives,’ if it’s available. I’ll make fliers for consistent branding, too.”
“Brilliant, Minka,” Mrs. Ellery replied, adding it to her list. “That’s just the kind of thinking we need to get more people interested quickly. But there’s more set-up. Um. Volunteers for lighting, sound, temperature checks?”
Leo raised his hand. “Totally my area.”
“Then it’s yours, Leo. And I already have Freya down for floral arrangement, Lynne for drinks. So, Tabitha, maybe you could help me decorate?”
