Chapter 43

forty-three

PAUL

"We're back," Amy said from Jonathon's kitchen doorway. "Guess what we saw?"

I looked up from the cake I was decorating and smiled. "What did you see?"

"A kitten. He was black and white and cuddly. The lady at the animal shelter said he arrived yesterday. Can we take him home with us?"

Liam placed a bag of library books on the counter. "I've already told Amy it's not a good idea."

"You said we couldn't have a puppy, but a kitten is different. We could teach him to go potty and how to eat out of our hands," Amy begged. "Please?"

I painted silver glitter on a fondant star. "Having a pet is a big responsibility. You have to feed it, keep it warm, and make sure it's safe."

"I could do that. Look…" Amy stood on her tiptoes and took a book out of the library bag. "I found a book on how to look after kittens. Liam read it to me."

My eyebrows rose. "Did he?"

Liam held his hands in the air. "In my defense, I'd like to say there was no mention of a cat joining your family when we started reading."

"That's because we hadn't seen Timmy," Amy sighed. "He was so cute. Please, Uncle Paul."

"We can't take a kitten home with us. For one thing, we don't know how long we'll be in Sunrise Bay. And then there's the problem of looking after him while you're at school."

Amy climbed onto a kitchen stool. "The book said cats like sleeping."

I looked into Amy's big blue eyes. "So do children, but that doesn't make them any easier to look after."

"If we don't do something soon, Timmy will be all alone on Christmas Day."

I reluctantly shook my head. "I'm sorry, Amy. It's not the right time to have a kitten or a cat. When we get back to Milwaukee, we can talk about it again."

Amy rested her elbows on the counter and sighed. "Liam said cats like to play with mice, but sometimes the mice get hurt. If Timmy hurt the mice in the barn, I'd feel sad."

"So would I." I looked around the kitchen, trying to find something else for Amy to think about. "Do you want to see the cakes I've finished decorating?"

"Did you make the present cake?"

Liam stood in front of the shelves on the far side of the kitchen. "It's over here." He stepped sideways, making room for Amy. "I don't know how you do it. This is incredible."

"Wow," Amy said. "It's awesome."

I added the finishing touches to the next cake. "I hope the person who ordered the cake likes it."

Liam frowned. "If they don't, there's something wrong with them."

While I was grateful for his support, I knew my interpretation of a Christmas present cake could be completely different from my customer's. Jonathon had assured me that the pictures I'd drawn would be perfect for each of the cake's owners, but it was still a gamble.

Jonathon walked into the kitchen and smiled at Liam and Amy. "Did you have a good time at the library?"

"It was great," Amy said. "We went to the animal shelter, too. There was a kitten there called Timmy. I wanted to bring him home, but Liam didn't think it was a good idea. When we go home, we're getting a cat."

"I said we'd talk about it," I said firmly. "That doesn't mean we're adopting one."

Amy's shoulders slumped forward.

"That sounds like a sensible plan," Jonathon said. "Would you like a Christmas lollipop?"

Amy's face brightened. "Is it like the ones in the front window?"

Jonathon nodded. "Someone told me you were looking at them this morning." He took three lollipops out of his pocket. "We only had a few left. These are for you, Liam, and Paul."

Amy held the lollipops carefully in her hands. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As Amy handed Liam a lollipop, I slid the cake I'd just finished onto a shelf beside the others. "Four down, one to go."

Jonathon studied the cakes. "I don't know which one I like the best. They're all fantastic."

"That's what I keep telling him," Liam said. "But I don't think Paul believes me. "

"You're nice because you have to be."

Liam's eyes widened. "Why do you think that?"

"Because we're living in the same house and you like eating my cakes and cookies. If you said the cakes were horrible, I might go on strike."

Liam took the wrapper off his lollipop. "No, you wouldn't. You like baking too much."

Amy giggled.

"Hey," I said. "Whose side are you on?"

"You told me it's not good to take sides. I have to do what's right, and Liam's right. You love making cakes and cookies."

I dabbed a blob of buttercream frosting on the end of Amy's nose. "And I know at least two people who enjoy eating them."

"Me and Liam," Amy said proudly. "Especially when we make gingerbread men."

Jonathon sighed. "You wouldn't be interested in making three dozen gingerbread men for my store, would you?"

"When we bring them into town, Liam could take me to the animal shelter," Amy said. "We could see Timmy again."

I didn't know what was worse—giving in to the pleading look on Amy's face or Jonathon's.

Liam wasn't much help, either. He stood sucking his lollipop, waiting for me to make everyone happy. "Okay. I'll make the gingerbread men, but we limit our time at the animal shelter to twenty minutes."

"Yeah," Amy squealed. "Wait until you see Timmy. You'll fall in love with him right away."

As long as we didn't take him home, I'd be happy.