Purrfect Roast: A Dragon Cozy Mystery by Verena DeLuca (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📗

business, so we just let her come, and now a year later we've all just grown accustomed to her constant gossip train about her tribe mates."

"Fascinating," I repeated. "Well, she served a thirty-day suspension during those months due to her involvement in baking and feeding Azure rosemary laced cookies."

"No way!" Veronica said, loud enough to draw glances from the rest of the girls. She brought her voice back down to a whisper. "I knew she was mad, but dang, never thought she had the cajones to act on it."

Good to know her dragon kept her in the dark like Azure kept me. There was no way her reaction was not genuine. We were going to have a long talk about Tori once we got home.

"She was all tears after we confronted her, and during her first meeting back," I said. "But this morning I had to reprimand her for her snotty behavior again. And I told her if she didn't get a counselor, we'd have to seriously look into replacing her in the tribe."

"Good for you," Veronica said. "Most leaders let the girls run all over them. She's a real piece of work. But for your sake, I hope she pulls it together."

"Thanks," I said.

The compliment made me blush. Talking to the other tribes more might not be that bad of an idea. We all could use the support.

"We're about to go get lunch," she said. "If I see Tori today, I'm going to let her know she is no longer welcome at our meetings, until I hear from you that she is cleared to return."

"I really appreciate that," I said. "My whole tribe has been a dream, but she's constantly bringing the other ladies down. I just don't know what else to do. Being only three months into this, I'm trying to set an example, but also make reasonable requests. I'm not her mom, but when no one wants to come to meetings because of a single person, something has to give."

"I get that," Veronica said. "Don't doubt yourself. Azure is there for support, so make sure to utilize it. He may have to contact the higher ups, but there are always options."

I thanked her again and went to join the girls at the pool's edge. Veronica gave me a lot to think about. But it would have to wait, as both Aubrey and Skylar were giving me a look that demanded I fill them in on all she had said. Like it was even going to be possible to explain the true dynamics of the situation to a non-dragon owner.

CHAPTER TEN

Sunday, May 17th, 01:30 PM

None of us thought to bring our bathing suits, but it felt great to soak my feet. I fully intended to make the most of this moment in the sun before having to head back into the freezing hotel.

After the other cats left, Azure found himself a nice spot just inside the shade of a table umbrella where the concrete was still warm, but without the burn of the sun, and curled up along with Shadow. Together they were the cutest bundle of fur. The perfect little yin yang.

"Do you remember your mom taking us to the coast?" I asked. "We should start that tradition up again."

"Let's do it," Aubrey said and began to laugh. "But maybe not like the time you got stung by a jellyfish and ran out of the water screaming?"

Skylar laughed and said, "I bet that was a sight."

"Oh, it was," Aubrey said. "We were maybe twelve or thirteen, and she went into the water only to get stung right on the butt like ten minutes into swimming. She wouldn't go near the ocean for the rest of the trip."

"I didn't know what it was! Your mom even assumed I was faking until she went in and saw them floating all over the place," I said. "It freaked me out, not to mention the pain."

"Totally understand," Skylar said, still laughing. "There's no way I wouldn't freak out if something swam up to me and stung me in the butt."

"Exactly," I said, crossing my arms.

This only made Aubrey laugh harder. "Your face was priceless. I've never seen you run so fast."

"I'm glad my pain can still make you laugh," I said.

"Whatever." Aubrey gave me a light shove. "It was funny, and you know it."

"We'll see how funny it is when you're on the other side of the tentacles."

This only made her laugh harder, which finally made me crack a smile. Taking her kids to the beach would be the perfect adventure to add to our summers.

I leaned back to lie on the concrete and reached my arms out as far as I could stretch. Coming to the pool to digest had been a great idea. Even if it started with an interrogation.

The Cyrillic tribe had left the pool almost the moment after we were done talking. Despite their cool demeanor, I figured the awkward conversation about the awards made them uncomfortable. That or they really were hungry for lunch. Either way, I was not convinced it was them.

"I was more thinking of the time that someone stole our cooler with lunch," I said. "It reminded me a bit of today, because there were so many suspects. We spent the rest of that trip analyzing everyone's cooler."

"Yeah, looking back, it was probably an accident," Aubrey said. "Someone picking it up thinking it was theirs and didn't realize it was the wrong one until they got home."

"Maybe," I said, lightly splashing my feet as I reminisced.

Aubrey had always been the more trusting of us. Could there be a logical explanation for who had stolen the trophies? Maybe they were not stolen at all, but misplaced?

I let out a deep sigh. There was no hope in me figuring this out. I just needed to wait for that magical moment when I stumbled into the answers.

I would pre-register for every cat show for the next decade if