Cat's Meow (Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs #6) Read online

  After dealing with Harold’s misery for the better part of the meal, Catherine fought back the urge to cry herself. She knew she loved Harold. She hoped he would offer for her hand in marriage. However, how were they going to have the kind of loving relationship she dreamed of in her marriage—how would they have children—if they had to spend their lives staying at least three feet apart at all times?

  Catherine walked over to the tub on the table put there to collect used dishes. She had no sooner put her enameled plate and mug in the pan than Gretel ran up and stood next to her. “Miss Everett, did you bring Sunny? Mama said I had to wait and not bother you until you finished eating, but you’re done now, aren’t you?”

  A puzzled look on his face, Harold leaned over until he caught Catherine’s eye. Who or what is Sunny?”

  Catherine blinked with surprise. “Oh! I didn’t write to you about Sunny?” At Harold’s shake of his head, she giggled. “Let me go get Sunny and I’ll show you myself.” With her finger to her lips, she turned to Gretel. “Hush, now, don’t say anything. Let me keep it a surprise for Mr. Calloway. After I show him, I’ll turn Sunny over to you for a little while.”

  Gretel clapped her hands and bounced on her feet. “I won’t say anything. But hurry, please.”

  Catherine turned to Harold. “I won’t be long, Harold. Sunny is in my room at the boarding house. Wait right here and I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Without giving him an opportunity to object, Catherine turned and walked with quick steps towards the boarding house. She soon returned carrying the wicker hamper in one hand and a bundle of cloths in the other. She smiled as she approached Harold and Gretel who waited under the shade of a tree.

  Harold raised an eyebrow. “A hamper? You named a picnic hamper Sunny?”

  Catherine placed the hamper on the ground. “No, silly. Sunny is inside.” She opened the hamper and lifted the kitten with both hands. As she stood up, she held Sunny out towards Harold. “This is Sunny. Isn’t this kitten just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”

  Harold’s eyes grew round with alarm. He stepped back and threw his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Keep that cat away from me, Catherine. I’m allergic to cats. They make me deathly sick.”

  Dismayed, Catherine stared at Harold, her mouth hanging open. “You’re allergic to cats?” At Harold’s nod, she blinked in confusion. Catherine turned to Gretel and handed her the kitten. “Here. Maybe you better take Sunny for awhile.”

  Gretel snatched up the rags and stuffed them in the hamper. She picked up the hamper in one hand and took Sunny in the other. “I’ll take real good care of Sunny, Miss Everett. I’ll bring the kitty back to you before it gets dark. Mama said the kitten won’t want to be out of doors when it’s dark.” She turned to leave, but quickly turned around and walked backwards. “Oh, and Papa says Sunny is a girl kitty. He said that’s probably why someone left Sunny at your old house in Kansas. They already had a mama kitty, and didn’t need another girl cat making more kittens.”

  “Th…thank you, Gretel. I’ll find you later.”

  As Gretel walked towards her family with Sunny, Catherine turned to Harold. “Truly, Harold, you know for a certainty you are allergic to cats?”

  Harold nodded. “We figured it out when I was just a little tyke. You wouldn’t know to look at me now, but I was kind of a sickly little guy. I’d be fine, but then I’d go play in the barn. Next thing we knew, my head would plug up so I couldn’t breathe, my throat felt like it was closing on me and my eyes would start watering so bad I could hardly see.”

  “Oh, Harold, that’s awful.”

  “My ma felt the same way. At first she tried to keep me in the house, maybe only let me out in the yard close to the house, because she thought it was the hay or the livestock in the barn doing it.” Harold paused and chuckled. “Chickens didn’t bother me, though, so Ma wouldn’t let me get out of feeding them or gathering eggs. Anyway, whenever I learned our old mama cat had given birth to a new batch of kittens, I’d sneak in the barn behind her back. I loved looking over each new litter to see what color they were, and how soon they would open their eyes. But, that was when I would get really sick. Ma would get after me when I’d come back in the house all sniffling and rubbing my eyes. Finally she put two and two together and figured it out. I learned as long as I stayed away from the cats, I was just fine.”

  “I see. But, just now was the first time you were within even a few feet of Sunny.”

  Harold motioned to her to follow him. “Come, Cat, let’s walk a little ways.”

  The two started walking north, towards the two story brick schoolhouse and the river. Harold made a point to stay three to four feet away from Catherine.

  “I also figured out I had to stay away from other people who got close to cats, too. Evidently cats have dander in their fur like people get on their scalps sometimes. That and the fur sticks to people’s clothing and skin more than you would think. All it takes is for people to have a little on them and—well, you’ve seen what it can do to me.” Harold shook his head. “I can hold my own in a fight with any man, but nothing knocks me down faster than being too close to a cat, or someone who had been near a cat.”

  Catherine’s eyes brimmed with tears. “What are we going to do, Harold?” She was afraid to say more. Although she hoped he would ask her to marry him, he had not popped the question yet, and it was improper for her to say anything until he did.

  Harold folded his arms, a signal to Catherine she was not welcome to take his arm and walk close to him. He looked straight forward instead of at her. “Cat, I had hoped to be more romantic about doing this, but I planned to ask you to marry me this afternoon. I was hoping you’d say ‘yes.’ But the cat changes everything. You seem to be attached to Sunny. But, you must understand, for us to get married and live in the same house, there’s no way we can have a cat inside or anywhere nearby. You’ll have to get rid of the cat.”

  “Oh, Harold. I can’t just abandon Sunny. Surely there is another way so I can keep her without her being around you.”

  Harold shook his head. “I don’t see how, Catherine. These houses the Bainbridges had built for us are nice—they will be much nicer to live in than the bunkhouse where I am now—but they’re small. You don’t want her cooped up in the washroom all the time. And, if she were to be set free in the house while I’m gone to work, even if you put her out before I come home, her fur and dander would still be there. It would still cause me to stuff up and get watery eyes, just like I do being around you.” Harold motioned towards the river. “Come, Catherine. I don’t know what house Royce will assign us, but they pretty much are all the same. Let’s walk over so you can see the houses.”

  Still feeling stunned by what she had learned about Harold, Catherine walked in silence close, but not next, his side. She had no interest in the rushing water or the green shrubbery that banked the river as they crossed the bridge over to the other side. Ahead she could see several long, narrow, identical houses standing side by side in two rows like an army unit out on patrol. The ground surrounding each building had been cleared of most scrub. After having seen the variety of colors and building designs, the greenness of the park, and the shrubbery planted by some of the businesses and homes in Jubilee Springs, the entire neighborhood struck her as stark and uninviting. It was so unlike the homes she was accustomed to in Ellsworth, where no two houses were alike.

  Catherine’s voice came out almost in a whisper. “They all look the same. And there is nothing but wilderness surrounding them.”

  “They are the same. My guess is that was Clive Bainbridge’s doing. By making them all the same, there’s no reason to argue over which one is best, It will be up to each family to add their own individual touches to the their houses.”

  “I see. They look so small.”

  Harold craned his head to look at Catherine. “You must have grown up in a big, fancy place.”

  “Not really. However, it did have three bedroom
s upstairs, a formal parlor, a family room, kitchen, dining room and bathing room. And then there was the front porch and mud room in back.

  “These aren’t that big. They’re built in what the Bainbridge’s call a shotgun style, because you can stand at the front door and shoot a gun out the back door. There’s a living area in front, a bedroom in the middle and the kitchen and eating area in back. I understand there is a small washroom built in part of the kitchen so you can do laundry without going outside. That will be handy in winter. We can use it for bathing, too. If we want a back mud room, we’ll have to build it ourselves.”

  Catherine’s footsteps slowed as she stepped off the bridge and drew nearer to the closest house. “If there’s only one bedroom, where would the children sleep?”

  “I imagine there’s a loft under the rafters where older children can sleep. Catherine, I grew up in a one room log cabin with a loft. My parents raised eight children in that home. This is a luxury compared to that.”

  “Yes, I can see where it would be.” She bent as she peered around the houses. “I don’t see any outbuildings.”

  “No. The lots aren’t that big. We could build a little shed. There’s enough for a little bit of a yard and a vegetable garden. However, in spite of all the mining that goes on, deer and other wildlife come down out of the mountains all the time. If you want to plant a garden, we’d need to build a deer fence first. I suppose Sunny could be real helpful with keeping rodents down—if the coyotes and bobcats don’t get her first.”

  Catherine shuddered at the thought of Sunny being eaten by a wild animal. She jerked her head towards Harold. “You mean, I’ll have to face wild animals coming into my yard?”

  “I doubt they’ll come down during the day. I’m not saying once in a blue moon someone in the area might not have a problem with a cougar or something like that, especially out here away from where there are a lot of people like in Jubilee Springs proper. However, a lot of these animals hunt at night. And these houses are new in territory that was just bare land a few months ago where a lot of these animals were used to coming to hunt on their way to and from the river. They may come down while we are sleeping if they think there is easy prey to be had.”

  Catherine sniffled. “Sunny is used to living in a house. I can’t leave her outside where wild animals might eat her.”

  Feeling at a loss, Harold shrugged. “I suppose I could get a deer fence put up and build a shelter for her inside it. There’s no guarantee, though, she’d stay inside the fence. All I know is, she cannot be inside the house—ever. If you come out here with her, you’ll have to wash up and change your clothes before you come back in. Otherwise, being around you will be just as miserable for me as if I was close to the cat itself.”

  Catherine felt her heart breaking. She could not picture Sunny being condemned to a shack inside a fence with only a vegetable garden for a yard. And what about in the winter when there would be snow on the ground? Jubilee Springs residents had already assured her it didn’t get as cold as one would think in the winter for as high up in the mountains as they were. Still, there would be cold and snow.

  Catherine folded her arms and looked at her feet. She shook her head. “No, Harold, I can’t do that to Sunny. I can’t force her to live like that, wondering each night if she will end up as a meal for some wild animal.”

  Harold reached out, but didn’t touch Catherine. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. But if we’re going to marry, you’ll have to get rid of the cat.” After a few seconds, he motioned in the direction of town. “Come on, let’s walk back to town.”

  The two walked back over the bridge in silence. Catherine continued to watch her feet as she put one in front of the other, rather than look at Harold. They passed the school and were in front of the park. Across the street ahead of them and to the left, Catherine could see Howard’s Boarding House where she was staying.

  Harold stopped and turned to Catherine. “Catherine, have you figured out what you are going to do?”

  Tears in her eyes, Catherine turned to face Harold, the man she loved and wanted desperately to marry. “Oh, Harold, I don’t think you understand. I can’t abandon Sunny. After I found her, I promised her I would always be there, that she would never be abandoned again like she was when someone dropped her off at the house back in Kansas and then just drove away, not caring if she lived or died. I mean, I know what it feels like. After feeling secure in my aunt’s home all those years, and caring for her in her final years, after she died, my cousin told me I had to leave. He made it clear there was no room for me in his home with his family. I felt very much abandoned. I felt forced to make my own way in the world without anyone caring if I lived or died. I can’t do that to Sunny.”

  “No one cared if you lived or died?”

  “No, that’s not true. My sister, Caroline, cared. She said I could live with them. But, she and her husband have a one room soddy and are struggling to make a better life for themselves. I couldn’t impose on them. But it doesn’t change my feelings that I was abandoned.”

  Harold grimaced and shook his head. “You’d sacrifice in order to not impose on your sister, but you won’t do the same for me? I cannot live anywhere near a cat, Catherine, and I cannot have a wife that spends time around a cat either, or I will constantly suffer these allergic reactions like I have these past few days. The more the cat is around where I live, the worse it will get.”

  The two continued to walk until they drew near to the park and walked to stand under the shade of a tree. They were still far enough away from most picnic-goers to not be overheard. Catherine looked into his eyes, imploring him to understand. “I don’t want you to be sick either, Harold. I don’t know what to do.”

  Harold fought unsuccessfully to keep the annoyance and his disappointment from his voice. “I can’t make that decision for you, Cat. If you aren’t willing to give up your kitten, then it just won’t work for us to get married.”

  “Oh, Harold, please don’t say that.” Catherine reached for Harold’s arm, but he stepped back.

  “I can take on any man in a fight and win that battle, Catherine, but I can’t fight and win against this devotion you have for your cat. I’m not willing to take second-place to a cat. Maybe you better try for Aaron Brinks.”

  “No, Harold, I don’t want Aaron Brinks. Besides, earlier I saw Mr. Brinks and his mother leave for a buggy ride with my friend Andrea.”

  “Then maybe you better go talk to Mrs. Millard with the bridal agency. Tell her it didn’t work out between us and she needs to match you up with another miner. I can’t live in a house with a cat, and I don’t want a wife I can’t kiss or get close to without having an allergic reaction. Goodbye, Catherine.”

  “Goodbye?” Catherine turned and reached for him as Harold walked past her. “Where are you going?”

  “Back to the bunkhouse to give you time to decide what you want to do. I’ll see you tomorrow, Cat.”

  .

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  CHAPTER 13

  ~o0o~

  It felt bittersweet that Sunday evening when Andrea returned home and told Catherine she and Aaron Brinks planned to marry the following morning at ten o’clock. She asked Catherine to stand up with her as a witness.

  “You and Harold sure seem to be close. Are you two planning to marry tomorrow?”

  Unable to look Andrea in the face, Catherine sat on the edge of the bed holding the kitten and concentrated on scratching Sunny’s ears for several seconds before she replied. “I don’t know. Harold is allergic to cats. He said I would have to give up Sunny. But, Andrea, I can’t abandon this poor little kitten. She was already dropped off and abandoned once, and I promised her I would never let it happen again.”

  Andrea joined Catherine on the bed. “Can’t you find a new home for her? Maybe one of the other brides will take her. I can ask Aaron.”

  Catherine sobbed. “It’s not that easy. Harold took me out to where the houses are. They�
�re out in the middle of nowhere. I won’t let her go out there to live. Harold warned me if Sunny lives outdoors, she could end up being attacked by a coyote or a bobcat.” Catherine shivered at the thought. “I can’t do that to her.”

  Andrea shrugged. “That’s kind of how my pa’s ranch is, open to nature. It’s not so bad once you get used to it.”

  “Perhaps, but it’s no place for a kitten. Harold can’t have a cat in the house. Just me being near him after being around Sunny has been why he kept getting choked up and sick. Andrea stood up and walked across the room to finger the dress she would wear to be married in. “You’ll have to follow your heart, Cat. That’s what I did. If you love Harold, you’ll have to find a new home for Sunny. Maybe someone in town will want her.”

  “I don’t know, Andrea. I don’t really know people in town. I’m too upset to think about it right now.”

  The next morning, as she fought back tears, to prepare for Andrea’s wedding with Aaron Brinks, Catherine, dressed in her Sunday dress. When Andrea had asked her earlier what she planned to do, she had replied she still didn’t know. The idea of not being able to spend the rest of her life with Harold as her husband broke her heart. However, she wouldn’t say any more than that, refusing to mar Andrea’s special occasion. She had already said too much when she had thought out loud about having enough money to rent one of the Howard’s smaller rooms for a week or two until she and another miner agreed to marry.

  Andrea had studied Catherine with concern. “Are you going to be all right?”

  Catherine had forced a smile and insisted. “I’m fine, and so thrilled you want me to be at your wedding and be your witness.”

  However, inside, Catherine felt like she was dying. How could this be happening? Catherine still could not believe that after all the strong feelings she knew she and Harold shared for each other they might not marry after all. But, she couldn’t abandon Sunny. She just couldn’t. Even though Sunny didn’t understand about the promise Catherine had made to the kitten, Catherine did. How could she go back on her word and live with herself?