really hate to go back out in this weather, but I am famished.”
“I’m absolutely starving,” Colleen added.
The two left the room and drove to Irish pub. They sat at the bar and shared a large order of fish and chips. After they finished eating, Katherine texted Mark and keyed in a brief message: Staying in Clarion, PA. Snowstorm. Call or text me.”
“Okay, let’s just settle up and go back to the room,” Colleen suggested.
“Excellent idea. I’m exhausted.”
They paid their tabs and returned to the motel. As soon as they stepped through the door, Katherine’s cell phone rang. One of the cats growled from under the bed.
Katherine quickly put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Mark. Snowstorm, huh?”
“We came upon a nasty storm in Pennsylvania and decided to check into a motel earlier than intended. I’m not sure how far Akron is from Clarion. I’d look it up, but we don’t have Wi-Fi here.”
“Hang on. I’ll look it up on my map app.” In a few seconds, he said, “You’re about two hours from Akron. What’s the weather doing now?”
“Just a sec,” Katherine said, moving the curtains aside. “It’s still snowing, but not quite as hard.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to travel tomorrow?”
“I’m optimistic. We’re certainly going to try. I’m not sure what time we’ll get to Erie. We plan on driving straight through.”
“When you get close to Erie, call me so I can make sure I’m at the house.”
“What if it’s really late?”
“Not a big deal,” he said. “Drive safely. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
Katherine set the phone down on the nightstand, then crawled onto the bed. “Well, I’m going to call it a day.”
“Make sure those furry creatures of yours stay off of my bed.” Colleen pulled the sheet over her head and feigned snoring. Lilac observed the lump and sneaked up onto the bed. She flattened into a stalking pose, raised her rump slightly, and wiggled it. Before Katherine could react, Lilac pounced on the unsuspecting Colleen. Colleen shot up out of the bed and screamed. Lilac scampered into the bathroom.
“Bad cat,” Katherine scolded, mildly.
“I knew I needed my own room,” Colleen protested. She collapsed on her pillow.
“She’ll settle down in a while,” Katherine said, then added facetiously, “But wait until the others come out.”
“What?” Colleen said startled, sitting back up.
“Just kidding.”
* * * *
A shaft of sunlight fell through the opening between the curtains. Scout and Iris vied for a position on the narrow ledge. Scout fell from the window and scraped the wallpaper with her back claws. Katherine woke up.
“What time is it?” she shouted, nearly falling out of bed.
The covered lump in the next bed moved slightly and said sleepily, “I don’t know.”
Katherine grabbed her watch off the nightstand. “It’s nine o’clock!”
“Why didn’t the alarm go off?”
“Because the clock has gone missing.”
“What?” Colleen asked, sitting up and wiping her eyes.
“I bet I know which one carried it away.” Katherine looked suspiciously at Lilac, who was now taking her turn to jump onto the windowsill.
“The sun’s shining. That must mean it stopped snowing.”
“That’s a good sign. We better get dressed. I vote we skip breakfast and eat a big lunch somewhere down the highway.”
“Good idea.”
The two hurriedly got ready. While Colleen showered, Katherine fed the cats, who ate heartily. “Good girls,” she complimented.
When the time came to check out and put the cats into the dog carrier, Katherine said to Colleen. “You pick up L-i-l-a-c.”
“Why are you spelling?”
“Because she associates “pick up” and her name to mean a trip to the V-e-t. Trust me, she’ll be the first one to bolt, and then we’ll never catch her. Hold her tight while I get I-r-i-s.”
Total pandemonium broke out. The three Siamese streaked throughout the room, catapulting
“I’m absolutely starving,” Colleen added.
The two left the room and drove to Irish pub. They sat at the bar and shared a large order of fish and chips. After they finished eating, Katherine texted Mark and keyed in a brief message: Staying in Clarion, PA. Snowstorm. Call or text me.”
“Okay, let’s just settle up and go back to the room,” Colleen suggested.
“Excellent idea. I’m exhausted.”
They paid their tabs and returned to the motel. As soon as they stepped through the door, Katherine’s cell phone rang. One of the cats growled from under the bed.
Katherine quickly put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Mark. Snowstorm, huh?”
“We came upon a nasty storm in Pennsylvania and decided to check into a motel earlier than intended. I’m not sure how far Akron is from Clarion. I’d look it up, but we don’t have Wi-Fi here.”
“Hang on. I’ll look it up on my map app.” In a few seconds, he said, “You’re about two hours from Akron. What’s the weather doing now?”
“Just a sec,” Katherine said, moving the curtains aside. “It’s still snowing, but not quite as hard.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to travel tomorrow?”
“I’m optimistic. We’re certainly going to try. I’m not sure what time we’ll get to Erie. We plan on driving straight through.”
“When you get close to Erie, call me so I can make sure I’m at the house.”
“What if it’s really late?”
“Not a big deal,” he said. “Drive safely. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
Katherine set the phone down on the nightstand, then crawled onto the bed. “Well, I’m going to call it a day.”
“Make sure those furry creatures of yours stay off of my bed.” Colleen pulled the sheet over her head and feigned snoring. Lilac observed the lump and sneaked up onto the bed. She flattened into a stalking pose, raised her rump slightly, and wiggled it. Before Katherine could react, Lilac pounced on the unsuspecting Colleen. Colleen shot up out of the bed and screamed. Lilac scampered into the bathroom.
“Bad cat,” Katherine scolded, mildly.
“I knew I needed my own room,” Colleen protested. She collapsed on her pillow.
“She’ll settle down in a while,” Katherine said, then added facetiously, “But wait until the others come out.”
“What?” Colleen said startled, sitting back up.
“Just kidding.”
* * * *
A shaft of sunlight fell through the opening between the curtains. Scout and Iris vied for a position on the narrow ledge. Scout fell from the window and scraped the wallpaper with her back claws. Katherine woke up.
“What time is it?” she shouted, nearly falling out of bed.
The covered lump in the next bed moved slightly and said sleepily, “I don’t know.”
Katherine grabbed her watch off the nightstand. “It’s nine o’clock!”
“Why didn’t the alarm go off?”
“Because the clock has gone missing.”
“What?” Colleen asked, sitting up and wiping her eyes.
“I bet I know which one carried it away.” Katherine looked suspiciously at Lilac, who was now taking her turn to jump onto the windowsill.
“The sun’s shining. That must mean it stopped snowing.”
“That’s a good sign. We better get dressed. I vote we skip breakfast and eat a big lunch somewhere down the highway.”
“Good idea.”
The two hurriedly got ready. While Colleen showered, Katherine fed the cats, who ate heartily. “Good girls,” she complimented.
When the time came to check out and put the cats into the dog carrier, Katherine said to Colleen. “You pick up L-i-l-a-c.”
“Why are you spelling?”
“Because she associates “pick up” and her name to mean a trip to the V-e-t. Trust me, she’ll be the first one to bolt, and then we’ll never catch her. Hold her tight while I get I-r-i-s.”
Total pandemonium broke out. The three Siamese streaked throughout the room, catapulting
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