Santa Clawed

over the table, knocking rosebuds on the floor.
    “If you don’t behave, missy, you’re going on the floor,” Harry chided Pewter.
    “If you give me treats, I’ll be an angel.”
    “Liar, liar, your pants are on fire,”
Mrs. Murphy sassed.
    That fast, Pewter charged the tiger cat, the gold beads entangled between them. The two boxed. Harry stood up, separating the cats to save the beads.
    Off the table, the two chased each other around the room.
    “Anyone bring Valium for cats?” asked BoomBoom.
    “Remind me next time to stock up,” Harry replied.
    Racquel and Jean had married best friends, and both couples had moved to Crozet when Bryson Deeds took a slot in the cardiology department at the University of Virginia hospital. He’d gone on to become one of the leading cardiologists in the country. Bill Keelo, his best friend, specialized in tax law. He, too, flourished. Both men earned very good money, and their wives reflected being well-tended. Of the two, Racquel was obsessed with her looks and appearing young.
    While both wives were very attractive, any woman paled next to Alicia or BoomBoom. The funny thing was, neither of these great beauties fussed over themselves all that much, which only made them more alluring.
    Harry, good-looking but not drop-dead gorgeous, lived in jeans. Since she farmed, this was as it should be, but every now and then Alicia, BoomBoom, and Susan would gang up on her and drag her to stores to find dresses. It took three of them to make her do it.
    Although Racquel and Jean had not grown up with everyone, they had lived in Crozet for twenty years, fitting right in.
    “You know, this really is lovely.” Susan held up a wreath of magnolia leaves, white magnolia blossoms, red rosebuds, and gold beads wrapped diagonally around the wreath.
    “This looks pretty good, too. A little more plain, perhaps.” Harry held up the bay leaf wreath with cranberries wrapped around it, set off with large pale-green bows and speckled with tiny gold stars.
    “The odor. That’s what makes the bay leaf wreaths so special.” Jean adored the fragrance.
    “What are we going to do with the grapevines?” Susan was twisting some, now pliable from being soaked in water, into lovely wreaths.
    “Well, I thought we could put one big bow on the bottom and tie in the wooden carved figures from that plastic carton.” Alicia pointed to the carton.
    Susan asked, “Want me to do that now?”
    Alicia answered, “No, let’s make the wreaths for the outside doors. By that time we should be able to handle the two huge wreaths for in here.”
    “How huge?” Harry wondered.
    “Three feet in diameter,” Alicia replied.
    “That is huge.” Harry was surprised.
    “It will take two of us to make each one, then hang them over each fireplace, but they will look spectacular.” Alicia felt confident about that.
    One of the outside doors opened. Rushing in were the three Lutheran cats, Cazenovia, Elocution, and Lucy Fur, followed by Herb Jones, wearing no coat.
    “Rev, you’ll catch your death.” Harry called him Rev.
    “Oh, I just ran over from the office.” He glanced at the few finished wreaths and the pile of materials on the table as the cats, now five in number, roared through the great hall.
    “These are so pretty.”
    “Thought about adding walnuts, but I don’t think they’d last long.” BoomBoom pointed to the grapevine wreaths.
    “Alicia’s come up with other ideas. She’s the boss.”
    “I’m grateful to you girls for doing this.” Herb smiled at them. “Do you all need anything? Food? Drink?”
    “Brought it,” Jean replied. “Dip into either of those coolers. You’ll be happy.”
    Rarely able to resist food, Herb flipped up both lids. “Are those your famous turkey and cranberry sandwiches?”
    “The same,” Jean replied.
    Herb picked out one, as well as a Coca-Cola. “I’m going to eat and run. Actually, I’ll eat in the office. Oh, Racquel, how’s Aunt Phillipa doing?”
    “Thank God for the Brothers of Love Hospice. Her mind remains clear, but I doubt she’ll make it to spring. Emphysema takes you down.” Racquel looked up at him.
    Jean added, “The brothers have been wonderful. Apart from the work they do with the dying, it’s inspirational to learn each monk’s history. Everyone is there to atone for some wrongdoing.”
    Racquel said, “Atoning twice. Some have been in jail.”
    “Do you really think a leopard can change his spots?” Harry, ever the