Free Uncovering Secrets: The Third Novel in the Rosemont Series by Barbara Hinske Page A

“You’re on.
But you’ll need to start calling me Frank. Have you had breakfast?” he asked,
knowing that this boy could down another full meal even if he’d already eaten
at home. David shook his head. “Let’s head over to Pete’s Bistro. They have the
best pancakes in town.”

Chapter 19
    Maggie walked David to the kitchen, where the kittens
were now holding court. Roman gently nosed them off the countertop. The kitten
with four white paws, however, had other ideas. He leapt back to the countertop
and streaked away with Roman barking and running along the floor in hot
pursuit. The kitten came to a screeching halt, boxing himself in between the
toaster and the coffeemaker, and Roman picked him up with his gentle mouth and
placed him on the tile floor where David scooped him up.
    The
adventuresome kitten also liked to bait Eve, noiselessly sneaking up on her as
she lay snoring in her basket in the corner of the kitchen. The kitten would
pounce on her then bolt before Eve could uncoil herself from her cozy perch.
Eve chased him the first time, but now she gave all the kittens a wide berth.
She’d experienced enough whacks on her nose from their razor-sharp claws to
know that they didn’t fancy being chased through the house by a
slobbery-mouthed dog.
    “He’s
almost old enough for you to take home,” Maggie said, handing David a bottle
while the kitten squirmed against his chest. “Have you named him yet?”
    David
nodded as the kitten nursed greedily. “Namor,” he said, sliding his eyes to
hers.
    “That’s
an unusual name. Sounds exotic—almost Egyptian.”
    “It’s
Roman spelled backwards,” David said. “I thought it was fitting.”
    Maggie
grinned. “Indeed it is. Very clever of you, David.”
    She
picked up one of the other kittens and started giving her a bottle. “I was
going to keep the others, but I think Sam Torres is getting attached to that
one,” she said, indicating the smallest one of the litter. “When he started
coming here in the afternoons to feed them, you’d have thought he was going for
a root canal. I could tell he was annoyed and only agreed to help because Joan
put him up to it. But these little guys get under your skin, don’t they?” She
nuzzled the one she was holding.
    “I
need to name the ones I’m keeping. Any suggestions?”
    David
shrugged.
    “So,
how did Dodger do in his agility contest?”
    “We
started out pretty good, but it all fell apart fast. Frank—Mr. Haynes
told me to call him that—said that Forever Friends will sponsor us, and
he’s paying for us to take lessons.”
    “Really?”
Maggie replied.
    “Yep.
And the classes are great. Dodger and I are learning a lot. We’ll be so much
better at our next competition. Even Frank and Sally are taking lessons.”
    “You
don’t say.” And this time Maggie couldn’t hide her astonishment. “I never
thought Frank Haynes would tear himself away from his business to pursue a
hobby.”
    “She’s
a sweet thing, Sally is. And with training, she might be almost as good as Dodger.
I’m helping them practice between lessons.”
    What
an odd couple these two must make, Maggie thought. David Wheeler and
Frank Haynes. But it appears the alliance is good for both of them.
    After
they finished feeding the kittens, Maggie picked a large box off of the kitchen
counter. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
    “Here,
let me take this for you, ma’am,” David said. “Where does it go?”
    “Up
in the attic, I’m afraid. You don’t have to do that. I can manage.”
    “Don’t
be ridiculous,” he replied, already halfway up the stairs to the second level.
“Just show me where to put it.”
    Maggie
followed him up the first set of stairs, then led the way to the attic, making
sure that the doorstop was firmly in place before they ascended the final set
of steps. Sam had fixed the knob after that disastrous day just a few months
ago when she’d been locked in the drafty old attic, but she was still leery