Page 53 of Cross Check Christmas
"Maybe another neighbor took him in?" Hendrix peers out the window at the darkening sky.
I shake my head, wringing my hands. "The closest neighbor is Old Man Olsen, and he's over a mile down the road. He hates cats—actually, he hates everything.”
A gust of wind rattles the windows, and I jump. The storm's moving in faster than expected, dark clouds now completely covering the lake view.
"Khan!" I call again, dropping to my knees to check under the couch. Nothing but dust bunnies and a forgotten catnip mouse. "He has to be here somewhere."
"What about the basement?"
"There isn't one." I stand up, brushing off my knees. "Just a crawl space, but the entrance is sealed."
Hendrix opens a closet door, and a stack of board games tumbles out. "Sorry!" He scrambles to catch them, sending Monopoly money scattering across the floor.
The wind howls louder, and sleet begins pelting the windows. My stomach churns with worry - both for Khan and the increasingly dangerous weather.
"Khan! Come on, buddy!" I rattle his treat container, the sound echoing through the empty house. "I brought treats!"
A particularly violent gust shakes the whole cottage, and something crashes outside. Hendrix and I exchange worried looks.
"That doesn't sound good," he says, moving toward the window. "We should probably?—"
"Shh!" I hold up my hand. "Did you hear that?"
We both freeze, listening. There—a faint meow coming from... above us?
"The attic," we say in unison.
I race to the hallway, yanking down the attic stairs. "Khan? Are you up there, buddy?"
Another plaintive meow answers me.
"How did he even get up there?" Hendrix asks.
"I don't care. I just need to get him down before this storm hits."
A massive grey shape bolts down the attic stairs, yellow eyes gleaming. Khan circles Hendrix, brushing against his leg, then stretches lazily, showing off his impressive size.
"Holy..." Hendrix stops short in the doorway. "That's not a cat, that's a small lion."
"I told you he was intimidating." I crouch down, holding out my hand. Khan considers it with regal disdain before allowing me to scratch his chin. "Such a good boy. Ready for a little road trip?"
I struggle to keep Khan's carrier steady while juggling his food and favorite mouse toy. "Just a few essentials," I mutter, trying to stuff everything into my oversized purse.
"A few? You've got half his kingdom in there." Hendrix peers out the window. "We need to move fast. This storm's getting serious."
The moment we step outside, bitter wind whips snow into my face. A fallen branch stretches across Michelle's front steps like a wooden roadblock.
"That must've been what we heard earlier." Hendrix kicks the branch aside. "These old trees don't handle storms well."
Khan hisses from his carrier, clearly unimpressed with the weather. I clutch him closer, following Hendrix's path through the deepening snow to his truck.
The engine roars to life, but even with the high beams on, I can barely see past the hood—white swirling hypnotically in the headlights.
"Maybe it'll clear up once we hit the main road?" I suggest, not entirely believing it myself.
Hendrix squints through the windshield, inching down the driveway. "Colette, if we don't turn back now, we're going to end up in a ditch somewhere between here and town."
"But—"
