Cat. R C Hilty
after they got home from church.
Cat was doing a lot of thinking on her bike ride home. Would Mike call the law on her if she went back? She would find out tomorrow afternoon. She couldn’t give up now. When she got home, she put her bike and fishing pole away and walked into the house.
Betty asked, “Catch anything?”
“Some small ones, I threw them back.”
“Supper should be ready by the time you get cleaned up.”
“That’s good. I’m kinda hungry.”
*****
Saturday morning, Mike left his list at the grocery store, bought a paper and coffee, then went over to his bench. There wasn’t a doughnut sitting there like there usually was. Mike had gotten kind of used to it being there. As he sat down to read the paper, he began thinking, Maybe I was a little hard on that girl. Now she probably won’t come over and fry the fish. In a way he was starting to like her even if she was stubborn as a mule. He finished reading his paper and drank the last of his coffee. He went back to the store to pick up his groceries.
As he walked in, the cashier said, “I’ve got everything ready for you. You have a pretty big order today, you expecting company this week?”
“Nah, I was just getting low on groceries.”
“You all right, no smart-ass comment?”
“I’m fine, see you next week.” Mike left the store feeling kind of down. He really missed that doughnut.
After he got home, he put his stuff away, looked in the refrigerator, saw the fish, and thought to himself, I guess I can fry them tomorrow. Mike grabbed a glass of ice water, went outside, and sat on the porch. He sat there for a while, looking at the trees blowing in the breeze. He looked up, and there came Cat, riding her bike up the lane. When she got to the house, she said “Hi,” and walked right into the kitchen and started preparing the fish.
Mike came in right behind. “What are you doing here? I told you not to come back. Didn’t you hear me?”
“Oh, I heard you. I just didn’t listen. Now where are your skillets?”
“Get out of here. There in the drawer under the stove where they’re supposed to be. Now leave!”
“I will as soon as I’m done.” Cat kept right on working on the meal. She fried some potatoes and onions to go along with the fish.
Mike sat at the table. After Cat was done cooking, she put it on a plate and set it on the table with a fork and a glass of water. Mike looked at it. “I ain’t hungry.”
“Suit yourself. I’m gonna go out and see if I can get a couple of squirrels for your dinner tomorrow. I will stop by and fry them up for you tomorrow after church.”
“Oh no, you don’t. Get out of here!”
Cat went outside to her bike took her rifle out of its case and headed for Mike’s woods. After Cat left, Mike wolfed down the fish and potatoes. He hadn’t had a meal like that in a long time. Cat came back with two squirrels already cleaned. After she rinsed them off, she put them in a container of water and added some salt.
As she placed them in the refrigerator, she turned to Mike, “Changed your mind?”
“Couldn’t see throwing it out, after all it was mine.”
“Well, don’t get used to it. I will see you tomorrow.”
“I probably don’t have a choice.”
“Nope.”
“So you’re pretty good with that little rifle?”
“Not bad.”
“There’s a groundhog that’s under my workshop that sticks his nose out about this time every day. Think you can hit him?”
“From your porch? Yeah, piece of cake.”
Mike knew soon as the groundhog would hear the click when Cat cocked her rifle, he would be long gone. Cat got her rifle and sat on the porch and waited. Mike couldn’t wait. He knew she wouldn’t be able to get him. It wasn’t long till the groundhog stuck his head out. Cat raised her rifle. She held the trigger back as she cocked the rifle so it wouldn’t make the click. The groundhog was sitting there. Cat let out a shrill whistle. The groundhog stood up on his hind legs and looked around. When he did that, Cat squeezed the trigger. The groundhog fell over and started flopping on the ground.
“One dead groundhog!”
Mike couldn’t believe it. Maybe she was a little smarter than he had given her credit. “I guess so. That wasn’t bad.”
“Well, I had better get going. I have some chores to do.”
“Good, it’s about time you’re leaving.”
“You know, I bet deep down, you have a heart probably real deep.”
“Just go. I expect a doughnut on my bench next Saturday.”
Cat would stop by two or three nights a week after school and visit with him. Mike would act like he didn’t want her around, but he never actually kicked her off his place. He was starting to enjoy her company. There was no way he would let anyone know.
*****
Cat was walking toward the diner one day after school when Mike walked past her.
“What are you doing here? Today ain’t Saturday?” asked Cat.
“None of your business, brat.”
“Oh, you like me. Just don’t know it yet.”
“Whatever.”
Cat walked into the diner and sat up at the counter.
Betty said, “Hi, Cat, what you doing?”
“Oh, thought I would just stop by and see how you’re doing.”
“AKA, buy me a cup of coffee?”
Cat smiled. “Sure, thanks for offering.”
Judge Bean walked in and sat down beside Cat. Betty brought Cat a cup of coffee then turned to Judge Bean and asked, “What would you like?”
“Coffee will be fine.” He turned to Cat. “I take it you have started ‘phase 2’ on getting to know Grumpy Mike?”
“You’ve heard?”
“Oh yeah, Mike has talked to me more in the last few days than he had for the last two years.”
“I take it my stray-dog approach is starting to work?”
“I think so. He calls me every time you show up and complains about you. I always ask him, ‘What do you want me to do about it? Put her in jail?’”
“What’s he say?”
“Not much, he won’t admit it, but I think he likes you being around.”
Judge Bean laid a dollar on the counter. “See you later.”
Betty replied, “Thanks, Judge.”
“Mom, thanks for the coffee. I am going to stop by and see Mike on the way home. I’ll be home in time for supper.”
“Your dad is going to put something on the grill tonight. The last thing I want to do after cooking all day is to go home and make supper.”
“Okay, see ya then.”
*****
Cat knocked on Mike’s door. Mike opened the door. “What do you want?”
“Good to see you too.”
“Why you keep bothering me?”
“’Cause you like me.”
Mike shook his head. He was