Claws for Alarm Read online

  Before we could answer her, Jillian appeared in the doorway again, dragging someone behind her. “Here he is!” she announced. “The man of the hour!”

  Marco Moore stepped into the room and smiled a thousand-watt smile directly at me. “Hi there,” he said.

  Chapter 10

  Marco Moore was even hotter in person than he was on-screen. Up close, his sleepy brown eyes, shadow stubble, and messy brown hair seemed even more appealing. He wasn’t very tall, but his wide chest and bulging biceps more than made up for it. I was kind of glad Lucas had left because I didn’t want him to see me drooling.

  Grandpa dug his not-so-subtle elbow into my ribs to jolt me out of my trance. I’d been starstruck for a few minutes with Peyton, but this was different. This was Marco Moore. In my opinion, way hotter than Chris Hemsworth or the vampire guy—who I actually thought wasn’t hot at all. I don’t know why Marco hadn’t even crossed my mind when I’d been debating the celebrity’s identity with Val. It made total sense. He loved animals too. He didn’t star in movies with them like Peyton did, but he was well known for donating to a lot of animal charities and speaking out for animal rights. He’d even done a series of commercials for the ASPCA. He was a lot younger than Peyton, but they looked good together.

  I shook off the stupid look I was sure was on my face and stepped forward to shake his hand, hoping I sounded like the cool, savvy businesswoman I wanted to portray. “Mr. Moore. It is a true pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” he said. His hand was soft and warm.

  I could feel Grandpa staring at me out of the corner of my eye. He was going to totally make fun of me later but I didn’t care. It wasn’t every day not one, but two celebrities showed up at my café to take pictures with my cats.

  “This is a great place you have here,” Marco said, looking around. “I apologize for being late, but I had a quick call this morning I needed to take.”

  “Dude,” Chip the reporter breathed. “Are you Marco Moore? From, like, Flames of Eternity?”

  Ugh. Of all Marco’s movies, that was my least favorite, a sci-fi flick that hadn’t done all that well at the box office. I stifled a laugh. I needed to tell Becky she should assign a more seasoned reporter next time for something like this.

  “I am,” Marco said with a smile.

  “Marco! Darling, over here!” Jillian called. “We need to get you powdered and ready to go. Peyton has been stealing the show.”

  “As she should.” He smiled at Peyton, a quick, warm gesture, but he let Jillian lead him to the makeup artists stationed over at my front counter.

  I needed to go outside and alert my next client. We were having them wait in the café, where Ethan had permitted the photographers to take pictures as long as our clients assented. When I peered inside, I could see the photographer in the café relentlessly shooting. A bunch of people were in there eating and drinking. I wasn’t sure if they were clients, or passersby who had seen all the action and stopped in for a snack. Either way, it made me happy to see. I popped my head in and called for my next appointment, a young couple who was thrilled to be part of the shoot. Especially the wife, when she heard Marco Moore was there. I joined Ethan behind the counter so the photographer could get a shot of the two of us, then led the guest inside where Jillian waited not so patiently.

  “There you are.” She strode over and grabbed my wrist. “Let’s get moving, shall we? The natives are getting restless.” She indicated the waiting photographers, who were crowding closer to the door, impatient to get the show on the road. Maybe they were heading out on the next ferry. “Leo, JJ, come on!”

  We let Jillian drag us into position. Then everything was a blur for the next couple of hours. I wondered how models did it for hours and days on end, with people moving them around, posing them, barking orders. In this case, they even started shoving different cats into our arms until I stopped that pretty quickly. Most of the cats had gone into hiding anyway from all the lights, the people, the activity. Rhiannon had been quietly going along with everything this whole time. I got the sense she was used to it. You barely even knew she was there.

  Finally Chad sent the wrap-it-up signal to the crew. Once the bevy of photographers and poor Chip had cleared out, Grandpa came over and put an arm around my shoulder. “Well, that was fun,” he said.

  I studied his face to see if he was teasing. He certainly looked serious. “Yeah, it was good. A whirlwind, but good.” I took a breath and looked around. Jillian and Chad were in the corner, heads together, having what looked to be a serious conversation. Peyton and Esther sat on the couch with JJ and a couple of the kittens, laughing at their antics. They seemed to be the only ones not exhausted from the whole ordeal. And Marco was coming my way.

  I felt a rush of nerves and braced myself.

  “Here comes your boyfriend,” Grandpa teased in a stage whisper. I elbowed him.

  Marco stopped in front of us. “Mr. Mancini. This house is gorgeous,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of old houses and I know most of this is your private residence, but would you care to show me around? I’d love to see the whole house.”

  “Of course we can show you around!” I blurted.

  Grandpa looked at me with an amused smile. “Absolutely,” he confirmed. “This way.” We led Marco through the French doors into the house. Grandpa launched into the whole story about his great-great-grandfather building the original, and how over the years each generation had expanded or remodeled to get it to where it was today. I was pleased that he especially loved the book nook on the third floor that Grandpa had built just for me when our family lived here when I was a kid.

  “This is just awesome,” he kept saying. “And the location. You guys are so blessed.”

  It struck me as a little odd that a major celebrity who was probably the co-owner of the giant yacht parked in the marina sounded wistful about our house, but hey, it was nice to hear, whether it was true or not.

  “Have you guys ever thought about making this a bed-and-breakfast?” he asked. “Now that would be a draw. Cats, ocean, hospitality, and by the looks of your café outside”—he jerked a thumb in the direction of the garage—“an amazing chef. You guys would be booked solid all year long.”

  I cringed inwardly at the thought, but I could see Grandpa’s wheels turning in his head at the suggestion.

  “I think we have a full enough house at the moment,” I said. “Right, Grandpa?”

  He looked a little disappointed but nodded. “For now. I mean, you two couples will eventually get married and move out—I hope—and maybe then I can do it.” He winked at me, but I still wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. Who knew Grandpa had such a secret entrepreneurial spirit? Then again, maybe it’s where I’d gotten mine. I guess it was what kept him young.

  But his comment seemed to please Marco. “I’d come stay here,” he said.

  This made me laugh. “Over that fancy boat you guys have? Seriously?”

  Marco smiled. “The boat is nice. This place is homey.”

  “It sure is,” Grandpa said, glancing at me. “We’ve made sure of it, even with my wife being gone.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Marco said, his eyes clouding over. He didn’t just sound like a guy offering trite sympathy—he sounded like he really felt bad for Grandpa. It made me like him even more.

  “Thank you.” Grandpa cleared his throat. “Well, we’d better get back. I’m sure people are looking for you.”

  Marco followed us as we trooped back down to the café. He went right over to Peyton. “You should see this house. I told them they should open a B&B,” he said to her. “It’s amazing. And the view is to die for.”

  “Is that right? Well, I’d come stay here,” Peyton said, stroking the cat between her eyes. I could hear her purring even from where I stood.

  “I already told him that.”

  “Then I’ll make sure you two get the best room in the house,” Grandpa declared.

  Chad came over and paused in fr
ont of us. It seemed he was now trying to charm Grandpa. He reached out a hand to him. “Mr. Mancini. I didn’t get a chance to meet you earlier. Lovely place you have here. Thank you for sharing it with us.”

  Grandpa shook his hand. “Thanks,” he said.

  Chad seemed to be expecting more. When he didn’t get it, he mumbled something about a phone call and went back to the corner with his phone. I noticed Jo had also arrived and slipped in unannounced. She was busy on her phone, too.

  Jillian, meanwhile, hovered in the wings watching everyone socialize. She seemed impatient now that the festivities were over. Finally she came over with that bright smile pasted on. “I’m so sorry to bother,” she said, not looking sorry at all. “Peyton, Marco, may I have a word? Outside?” She inclined her head toward the window in case they needed a reminder of where outside actually was.

  Peyton looked less than enthused. “Can it wait?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Jillian said, her smile trending more toward a grimace.

  Peyton handed the kitten in her lap to Esther, who looked on disapprovingly as she got up and walked to the door. Marco didn’t say anything, but followed suit. When he reached the door he glanced back at me. “It was a pleasure to meet you both, Maddie and Leo. I hope to see you again.” He left, letting the door slam behind them.

  Chad pushed himself off the wall from where he’d been texting again and went out after them.

  Grandpa glanced at me. I shrugged. He turned to Esther, who still sat with the two kittens in silence. “So how long have you been working with Peyton?” he asked her.

  “My goodness, I’ve almost lost track,” she said. But the way she said it told me she knew exactly how long, down probably to the hour. “About seventeen and a half years. But I’ve known her since she was a little thing.” She smiled. “She’s family.”

  I rose, curious about what was going on outside, pretending to straighten cat beds and tidy up while I stole glances outside my window. None of them looked happy. Peyton wasn’t saying much at all, just staring off into the distance as Jillian spoke. The window was open, but I couldn’t catch much of the conversation. Whatever Jillian was saying, she was very passionate about it. She kept jabbing the air with her finger. Chad interjected every now and then. Finally Marco cut him off, said something and walked away. He got on a bike, fastened a helmet on his head and fixed sunglasses over his eyes, then pedaled furiously down the street.

  A bike? Marco Moore was riding a bike around the island? It would be a mob scene if people caught wind it was him. I heard Jillian call after him, sounding frustrated, but he ignored her and vanished from sight.

  I turned my attention hurriedly back to my tasks when I saw Jillian and Peyton coming back toward the house. Peyton trailed slightly behind. Chad went to a big black car and climbed into the driver’s side. When Jillian and Peyton came in, they were both all smiles, though.

  “Well,” Jillian said brightly. “Are we ready to get down to business? We have a planning meeting to do and Peyton doesn’t have much time. And when these photos drop on our site later today, we’re going to have an outpouring of interest in people coming here for the fundraiser, so we better have a good plan!”

  “Sure. Let’s go into the kitchen,” I said, motioning them to follow me.

  “Jo, come on,” Jillian called.

  “Esther? You coming?” Peyton asked.

  Esther and Grandpa had been chatting this whole time. They looked like they were enjoying each other’s company. It was nice to see. Grandpa worked too much. He missed Grandma a lot.

  “Of course,” she said, and stood.

  Grandpa looked a little disappointed, I thought, but he rose too.

  “You’re coming too,” I said, looping my arm through his. “You’re part of the event planning team, after all.”

  Chapter 11

  I excused myself to go get Val out of the café to join us. She’d retreated out there during the photo shoot to help Ethan, although I imagined she would rather have stuck around to see Catwoman in action.

  I stuck my head into the café. “I need you,” I said when Val looked up from the table she was wiping. “We’re going to start talking about the event.”

  She finished what she was doing, then tossed the rag behind the counter. “I’ll be back,” she told Ethan.

  He saluted her with his mug. “Have fun.”

  “I can’t believe they showed up without telling you first,” Val said as we crossed the driveway back to the house.

  “Tell me about it,” I started to say, then paused when I heard a voice. An angry one.

  “No, I won’t reconsider. Peyton, we discussed this. You are going to do it, period. Over. End of story.” Jillian.

  I put a hand on Val’s arm to tell her to stay quiet, then crept to the side of the house and peeked around. Jillian and Peyton were on the back porch and Jillian was right up in her grill.

  I ducked my head back around before they could see me in time to hear Peyton respond, just as furiously but with a lot more composure. “This idea that I’m here to do your bidding? It’s going to stop. Mark my words.”

  I heard the back door slam and hurried back over to Val. “Come on,” I said, pulling her inside after me.

  “What was that about?” she asked.

  “I have no idea.” But it sounded like Jillian and Peyton weren’t the best of friends. Was this a continuation of whatever they’d been talking about with Chad and Marco?

  But by the time we walked through the house to the kitchen, Peyton and Jillian were back at the table with Grandpa, Jo, and Esther. Jillian’s thousand-watt smile was back in place and Peyton was laughing at something, and I wondered if I’d imagined the whole conversation.

  “There you girls are!” Jillian turned to us, beaming. “I can’t wait to start planning!” She pulled out an iPad. “So, what do you have for us so far?”

  Val pulled out a chair, glancing at me as if to say What am I supposed to have??

  “She’s got a planning team,” I said, sliding into the seat next to Grandpa. “She’s already pulled them together. Right, Val?”

  “Yes. I have a three-person planning team, and some other people available to help on the ground, if needed. And of course, Maddie will advise.”

  Jillian tapped on her screen, making notes. “Okay. Jo, how many people are we bringing out?”

  “I have about twelve people who will work the event,” Jo said. “The first shift of five arrive today to help with planning, the rest will be here next Thursday. They will be your on-the-ground team. They’ll help with soliciting and collecting the auction items, get everything packaged and looking good, help with the decorations, hire the people, work the event itself.”

  “And they are all fabulous,” Jillian added helpfully.

  “Great,” Val said. “My sister and my mom, who are on my planning team, will also help with the auction items.”

  “Lovely. We need an auctioneer too. Jo, can you look into that?” Jillian asked.

  “Hold on,” Val said before Jo could respond. “I already have someone for that role.”

  “Great!” Jillian looked up. “Who?”

  Val glanced at me with a smile. “Leopard Man.”

  Grandpa laughed and high-fived her. “Atta girl,” he said.

  “How fun!” I clapped my hands. “He’ll be great at that. And people will come just to see his tail!”

  “Who?” Jillian asked, looking perplexed. “What tail?”

  “This guy who lives on the island. He’s … very well known. And he loves cats,” Val said.

  “Well, that’s wonderful,” Jillian said. “How much experience does he have? And what do you mean, his tail?” She looked from Grandpa to me, a small smile on her lips, waiting to be clued in to the joke.

  “Oh, he doesn’t have any experience,” Val said. “He’s always wanted to do it, he said. And he’s a character. He’ll be great at it. He wears a tail with his best outfits,” she added, not even tryi
ng to hide her grin.

  Jillian stared at her, the smile fading. “No experience? My dear, that’s a skill. It requires expertise. You can’t just have someone try it because they think it will be fun. Especially not for an event like this one!” Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She looked like Val had just told her they were going to have severed heads as a main course.

  I covered my laugh behind a cough.

  Val shrugged. “I want him. He’s going to be great.”

  They stared at each other. A showdown. I had to admit I was proud of Val for standing up to her and taking the lead on this.

  “I’m sure it will be great,” Jo broke in smoothly. “Local color and all. We can give him some tips.”

  I wanted to high-five her. She might not have much affect, but she seemed reasonable.

  “I agree,” Peyton said. “He sounds delightful. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Jillian did not look happy at all, but she apparently decided to not make a big stink in front of the whole group. She pursed her lips and turned back to her tablet. “We’ll discuss it later. Have we made any progress with a venue? How about hotel accommodations for out-of-town guests? I would expect that I can get about two hundred here. Maybe more, but it is short notice.” She took a sip of her coffee, tapping on her phone with her free hand to check something. “Yes, two hundred, maybe two fifty.” She swiped the screen clear, then looked expectantly at Val. “What are our options?”

  “We were talking about the Paradise,” Grandpa said. “Where you’re staying. At least for the event. We can figure out the accommodations once we settle on the event location.”

  “The Paradise would be perfect,” Jo agreed.

  “Yes. They have a lovely outdoor area with a gazebo,” Jillian said. “It would be an excellent location.”

  “The space can hold a lot of people too,” Val said. “I can see if they can fit us in.” She hesitated. “It’s pricey, though. What’s our budget?”

  That was a great question. I didn’t have the funds in my tiny little cat café budget to spend forty thousand on a venue. And I still wasn’t sure what kind of money Jillian thought she could raise for us. Not that I wanted to use it all on a venue.