Read Online The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online Page A

be. It’s supposed to be a surprise visitation.”
    “Are you kidding?” Beth scowled.
    “I know it sounds nuts,” he admitted. “But can I trust you with a secret?”
    Her blue eyes grew wide. “Sure.”
    “Well, there’s a little surprise that comes with the cats. My grandmother wanted to be sure they found good homes.”
    “And you can’t tell me what kind of surprise?” Beth looked curious. “Is it a year’s supply of cat food? That would be nice.”
    “Something like that,” he assured her. “But I can’t tell you until the cat’s been happily homed for at least three weeks.”
    “I thought you said two weeks?”
    He was just finishing his explanation when Annabelle walked in. “What’s up?” she asked with a suspicious frown.
    “You remember Garrison from Cara’s?” Beth said.
    Annabelle just nodded.
    “He’s offered to give you a cat,” Beth announced.
    Annabelle’s face lit up. “Really? I can have a cat?”
    “That’s right.” Beth glanced at Garrison. “I mean, we did fit the criteria, didn’t we?”
    “What criteria?” Annabelle asked.
    “Take it from me,” her mom told her. “These must be very special cats. Garrison does not just give them to anyone.”
    Annabelle seemed to appreciate this. “When do I get it?”
    “Is now too soon?” Garrison asked.
    “Not at all. Can I get a cat right now?” Annabelle asked her mom.
    “Why don’t you go home with Garrison? I’ve got a client coming in a few minutes. Be sure and bring back the pick of the litter.”
    As they were leaving, Garrison regretted it. This wouldn’t give him time to hide Harry. What if Annabelle fell in love with Harry?

    Garrison rattled the cat treat bag. Just as expected, the cats began to emerge from their favorite nooks and crannies. Before long he was introducing each feline by name. Annabelle went from cat to cat, carefully examining each of them. However, it was the moody calico that seemed to capture her attention. Annabelle offered Spooky some more cat treatsand, to Garrison’s surprise, she soon got the temperamental cat to eat right out of her hand.
    “I want Spooky,” she announced, still holding the cat—who seemed strangely content—in her arms. “Is that okay?”
    “That’s fine.” He grinned. “That’s perfect.”
    “I think she needs me,” Annabelle said.
    Garrison showed her to the cat pantry, inviting her to pick out some things she might need. He explained about the special drops Spooky needed in her food to prevent hairballs and even gave her a cat bed and a carrying case as well as a bag of kitty litter.
    As he drove Annabelle home, Garrison tried to conceal how elated he felt to have the moody feline off his hands. But he was glad for both the girl and the cat—they seemed perfectly simpatico. As he helped Annabelle carry the cat things into her house, she thanked him profusely, acting as if he’d just given her the greatest treasure in the world.
    “You’re completely welcome,” he told her. “Don’t forget that I have to come by to check on the cat after two weeks, and then again after three weeks.”
    “You can come see Spooky whenever you like,” she told him. “I can understand how you might miss her. But I promise I’ll take really good care of her. Don’t worry.”
    Garrison tried not to laugh as he went back to the car. Annabelle had no idea how relieved he felt. And he knew Gram would be delighted to see how much this young girl loved her new cat.

    As Garrison was leaving the church on Sunday, he was approached by an older man. Wearing a worn sports jacketand a tweed driving cap, the man waved to Garrison as if he knew him. “I’m Vincent Peterson,” he said eagerly. “We met briefly at Cara’s Thanksgiving get-together last week.”
    “Oh yeah.” Garrison nodded, ducking beneath a covered walkway to get out of the rain that was just starting to pelt down. “I thought you looked familiar.”
    “Cara mentioned that you’re looking for