Free Hearts in Motion by Edie Ramer

spaghetti still on it. Cara took the hint and leaned away from her hand.
    Good. She was too involved with this man and his daughter. She rescued dogs and cats, not an unhappily engaged man—because if he was happy, she was the wealthiest woman in the world—and his lost daughter.  
    “Anyone ready for ice cream?” she asked. And right then, she knew what she needed to do. It had started with Holden’s Aunt Daisy. Who better to end it?  

 
    11
     
    The house seemed empty once Cara, Epic, and Holden left. The dishwasher was on, and Grace was in her room. Abby settled in the living room, Minnie on her favorite perch next to her, Lion on the floor. Quigley wasn’t around, and Abby guessed he was in Grace’s room. Or the basement. Or one hundred other places to hide in.
    Cats weren’t like dogs. Cats went where cats wanted to go. In a closet. A drawer. Sleeping on her bed or, as had happened more times than she liked to recall, throwing up on her bed.
    When it happened, she sighed and dealt with it. Just as she was dealing with her inappropriate feelings for Cara’s dad.
    She picked up the phone and called Daisy. As it rang, she petted Minnie, who was staring at her intently, as if she were remembering everything to convey to the others. The thought made Cara smile as Daisy answered the phone in her strong voice and asked how the babysitting was going.
    “Wonderful.” She pulled her hand from Minnie. “Grace and I and the animals love Cara. She took home a foster kitten. The agency already okayed it.”
    “That was fast. It took me longer to get approval.”
    “You aren’t the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the city.”
    Daisy’s full-throated laugh came through. Abby waited for her to stop; she lived by the rule to never interrupt a laugh. “They trusted my recommendation, too,” she added, “and I did say he’s your nephew. But that’s not why I called. Do you remember telling me that you’d found the perfect man to fix me up with?”
    “Darling, that was months ago. He’s not on the market anymore.”
    Abby wrinkled her nose. “Just as well, I suppose. Men are like vegetables. Leave them hang around too long and they get spoiled.”
    Daisy laughed again. “It’s too bad. You would’ve been good for him.”
    “I don’t want a man I can be good for. I want one who will be good for me .”
    “You’re good for my soul,” Daisy said, laughter still quivering in her full voice. “That’s why I love you.”
    “If only you were a man, you’d be my perfect partner.”
    That set Daisy off again. Abby sat back in her chair and saw Minnie staring at her with her Siamese blue eyes.
    “I do know an im perfect man,” Daisy said, laughter still in her voice.
    “Sounds good to me. Perfect is too much to live up to.”
    “What are you doing tonight?”
    “Tonight?” Abby sat up straight. “I’m talking to you and will undoubtedly pet my cat. I might even go wild and pluck my eyebrows.”
    “Start plucking now. I’ll call you back in five minutes.”
    Abby set down her phone and stared at Minnie. “Wow. Daisy doesn’t waste time.”
    Then she stood and headed to the bathroom. She needed to find her tweezers.
    ***
    Holden felt antsy tonight in his living room, his house too quiet. It was still light out, and he gazed out the French doors at the lake. Too many thoughts swirled in his head for him to sit and relax. Usually he worked late and went to bed early. Maybe reading a book in between or watching a favorite TV show or, when the urge hit him, painting one of his fantastical visions. Sometimes he and Portia would do something with friends, chatting and smiling, not saying anything of meaning that he could recall. Now he wondered what was behind their smiles. Happiness or loneliness or secret desires, hopes, and dreams.
    He didn’t know. He didn’t even know Portia’s hopes and dreams. Did she have any? She seemed to glide through life, doing everything exquisitely. She knew about