Page 67 of Autumn at the Cat Cafe

“Much better. She stayed home today.” Charlie stuck his hands into his frayed red jacket pockets. “She was done throwing up by the time I got there, thank goodness. Must have caught a twenty-four-hour bug.”

“Glad to hear she’s okay.”

“She felt bad about Via having to do the Mingle by herself.” He leaned closer to Leo, lowering his voice. “Don’t tell her, but I was relieved we got out of going last night. Not that I wanted her to be sick, but I wasn’t looking forward to the whole speed dating thing. Of course, I would have helped out.” He rocked back on his heels, staring at the car again before glancing back at Leo. “The things we do for the women we love.”

Love? He’d never been in love. Wasn’t sure he’d recognize it if he were.

“Well, here you go.” He handed Leo the automatic key. “Enjoy.”

Leo took it from him. “Thanks, Charlie.” He went to open the driver side door, then paused. “Want to go for a ride?”

His eyes widened. “For real?”

“If you’ve got the time—”

“You bet I do!” When he started rounding the car to go to the passenger side, Leo stopped him.

“You drive.”

Charlie froze. “Me?”

Leo opened the door for him. “Hop in.”

“Hey, Vern!” he shouted at the other guy in the garage. “Hold down the fort. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Soon they were off, and for the first time, Leo was a passenger in his Gran Turismo. He’d never let anyone drive his car before. He glanced at Charlie. Saw how happy he was behind the wheel. Once they were out of Pecan Corner limits and on one of the less-traveled county roads, he said, “Want to open her up?”

Charlie grinned. “Oh yeah.”

Off they flew.

Via glanced at the cat clock on the wall. One hour until closing time, and then she’d pack up her stuff and Sir and head out for her camping trip. The text she received last night had been from her sister, who was checking in and apologizing yet again for not being there. Via told her the Mingle was a success, not to worry about it, and to focus on getting well. She left the details out on purpose, especially anything having to do with Leo. But she knew Dora would eventually want a complete breakdown of everything that happened. Via would tell it all, except for the foot rub. And the breezy conversation. And seeing Leo relaxed and not so measured. Oh, and him telling her she was beautiful. She was still surfing clouds over that compliment. Those were things she was keeping to herself.

“Meow!” Sir was tapping on her toe for her attention.

Right, she had better things to do than daydream.

Ten minutes to closing time, the café was empty. She was wiping down the tables when the bell rung above the front door. “Welcome to Pawsitive Vibes,” she said, glancing up. She knew it wasn’t Leo because they had agreed to meet upstairs.

A tall, slender woman with short silver hair in a chic bob walked toward her. Immediately, Sir and Luna padded over to investigate. She artfully dodged them, peering down at the floor with disdain as her high-heeled boots tapped against the floor.

Via fought to keep her smile in place. People who disliked cats rarely walked into Pawsitive Vibes, and if they did, it was either with friends or on accident. Thinking it must be the latter, she asked the woman, “Can I help you?”

She came up short a few feet from Via. Looking uncertain, she said, “I think so. Maybe.”

There was something familiar about her, but Via couldn’t place it. She was a stunning woman and dressed impeccably in gorgeous autumn colors—a terra-cotta overcoat that was likely made of cashmere, a cranberry turtleneck sweater, slim rust-colored corduroys with folded cuffs, and supple brown leather boots. Her shoulder bag was a lighter shade of brown and had a Chanel logo on the front. “I really like your outfit,” she said, wanting to put the woman at ease.

She shrugged, as if she’d heard that a million times before.

Via tried a different tactic. “Have you ever been in a cat café before?”

“Is that what this is?” She looked around, her frown deepening.

“Coffee and cats are our specialty. We use locally sourced coffee beans and have a variety of flavors—”

“I’m not here for cats. Or coffee.” Her gaze went to Via again. “Do you know the proprietor of the bookstore next door, Earl Smith?”

Uh-oh. Was she interested in buying the shop? From her outfit and demeanor, she looked like she could afford it. Via also detected a slight East Coast accent. New York, maybe, but she wasn’t sure. “Um, yes. I did.”