Chapter 18
The warmth from the leopard’s prone body radiated through the gloves Paradise wore. She managed to control her fear enough
to remove the collar and hand it to Blake. “He’s in good shape. Well fed with strong muscles.” She pulled back its lip. “Good
teeth too. Someone knows how to maintain a leopard well.”
He examined the collar. “So probably not Greene. If he couldn’t even take care of a lemur, it’s doubtful this guy would be
in such good shape. We have an empty enclosure for him.”
She nodded. Leopards were loners. “Let’s move this big guy to his own space. I do want to point out that Creed only had King
Julien a couple of weeks. His poor condition wasn’t necessarily Creed’s fault.”
She turned to Clark, who had been quick to answer Blake’s request for help. He had also fed the restless predators while Paradise
worked on the leopard. “You guys can use a backboard. It’s only a minute or two to get there, and he’ll be out a while yet.”
Blake and Clark lifted the inert animal onto the backboard while she ran ahead to open the door. The men carried the leopard down the lane to the empty enclosure. Paradise opened the gates as they went, then grabbed straw to throw out for a more comfortable resting place for the leopard.
She did a final check of the cat’s heart rate and respiration. “He’s doing fine.”
The three of them left the enclosure, and Blake made sure both the inner and outer perimeters were locked and secure. “It’s
fair to say we have a new leopard. The owner wouldn’t dare admit he’d trained a big cat to stalk a human.”
She exhaled with relief. “I won’t have to keep watching the trees.”
Blake shook Clark’s hand. “Job well done, buddy. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I was close.” Clark headed for his trailer.
Paradise took Blake’s hand to walk back to the house. His firm grip lifted her fatigue, and she slowed her steps to prolong
the time with him. “Anything from Mason?”
“I haven’t checked my phone.” He pulled it out and made a sound of surprise. “He said his camera picked up a couple of predators,
but they were wolverines.”
“So that would explain the meat left for them.”
“I guess so. We’re back to square one on finding the owner. I’ll give Drew the collar. It matches the one out on the bridge
over the pond. Maybe he can track down where they were purchased and see if any were bought in our area.”
“It’s a long shot.”
“It is.” Blake stopped and embraced her. “But hey, I got to spend a few hours with my girl, even if she was focused on another
male.”
“A strong one too. Did you feel that guy’s muscles?” She ran her palms down his biceps. “On second thought, you have him beat
any day.”
“Does that mean it’s okay if I rescue you on occasion?”
His teasing grin made her smile. “I’m learning to like it just a little. Your strength doesn’t have to make me weak. We complement each other.”
He cupped her face in his palms, and his lips met hers in a slow exploration that left her legs trembling. Her breath caught
in her throat when she pulled away. “No fair,” she whispered. “You have to hold me up.”
“I think I can manage that.”
He gathered her closer until she couldn’t tell where his heart left off beating and hers began. Her fingers tangled in his
hair at the back of his head, and she deepened the kiss until her legs were rubber.
He gulped in air when he pulled away. “I’d charge a whole prowl of leopards for just one kiss like that.”
“I think it would be worth more, way more.” Her lids were heavy, and she didn’t want to move from her comfy position against
his solid chest. “We should get some sleep.”
“You mean you’d rather wrestle with Levi’s stretched-out arms and legs than make out with me?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She chuckled. “It’s way past my bedtime.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Clark texted Mom and told her what was going on.”
Shivers ran down her spine at the feel of his lips on her neck.
She wanted nothing more than to stay right here for the rest of her life.
But there was work to do before she could let herself think about what their future might look like.
All she knew was that home was wherever Blake was.
His faith and strength of character were a beacon she could follow even as she learned more about her own walk of faith.
It felt so puny next to his. He’d been through so much, and his steady progress forward never failed.
Maybe it had only been a forward progression of inches at times, but he never gave up.
It was hard to think with his warm lips trailing along her neck and jaw. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
She smiled. “Stay so strong and focused.”
“The only focus I have right now is the taste of your lips.”
“And I haven’t had chocolate-covered peanuts in days.” Paradise gave a little push on his chest, and he let her move him back
a few inches.
He grinned and swiped his hand through his dark hair before his expression grew somber. “It’s all God, babe. But for him I
would have done nothing with my life. So follow him, not me. I’m just a guy with lots of flaws.”
Blake could be hardheaded and determined to wrap her in cotton, but he was the only man she’d ever loved like this. With her
history that said a lot.
Paradise managed to abort her yawn. “I know it’s late, but since we’re going to Pascagoula tomorrow, there won’t be time to
look through that box I got from Lily. You game to stay up and see what’s in there?” She sat on the sofa with all four cats
touching her, either on her feet or on her lap. They wouldn’t take kindly to being disturbed.
Blake got up and headed toward the kitchen. “Sure. I’m a little hungry. I think I had two bites of my shrimp boil before Mom
asked me to do something, and then I forgot about it. Want any leftovers?”
“I only got a taste of your mom’s pecan pie—it was awesome. If there’s any of that left, I’ll have a piece.” She swept her hand over her current feline situation. “I’d come help you, but they have me pinned down.”
He grinned. “I can handle it by myself. I think Mom made extra pies for the family. The boys begged.”
“Of course they did.”
She heard Blake rummaging in the fridge, then the beep of the microwave. She smiled at how content she felt in this small,
yellow, shotgun-style house filled with the people she loved. If she’d gotten her way about staying at the apartment, she
wouldn’t be experiencing this right now. She’d be alone in her tiny space listening to the hum of souped-up cars spitting
gravel in the street outside. By now she’d be in bed listening to the hum of a fan she used to drown out the arguments of
the next-door neighbors at midnight. Contentment like this was found in small moments that created the foundation of security
and belonging.
Blake returned holding two plates. “I cut a big piece of pie, but I can help you with that if it’s too much.”
She eyed the humongous slice. “I think it’s safe to say I’ll need help.” Levi’s kitten, Selah, was always the most interested
in food of any kind, and she sprang up from Paradise’s lap to push her nose toward the plate. “Oh no you don’t.” Paradise
lifted it out of the black-and-white cat’s reach.
“Shoo them off, and I’ll get the box. You’ll need your various appendages anyway.” He put his plate on the fireplace mantel
out of reach of the cats and went to grab the box they’d left by the front door.
Selah meowed a complaint when Paradise put her down, but black Merlin and white Luna wandered over to the cat tree by the window. Bailey’s gray body was a streak as she sprinted in hot pursuit of a fly. Paradise smiled. Another one of those moments too inconsequential to matter, yet it did.
Blake returned carrying the enormous box and set it by her feet, then he grabbed his plate and took a bite of the shrimp.
He settled beside her with his food. “Did Lily say what all was in it?”
“She didn’t. I wanted to ask her about the answering machine, but I thought it might be more fun to discover what’s in the
box on my own.” Paradise had already had a couple bites of the pie and pushed the rest of it toward him before she reached
down to remove the box’s lid.
She reached for the brightly colored fabric on top. “I think it’s a quilt top!” She spread it out on the floor, and Bailey
made a leap for the dangling threads on the end. Paradise pushed the kitty away with her bare foot. “Oh no you don’t.”
The various shades of blue and gray interlocking rings were overlaid on a black background, and the contrast was stunning.
“It’s a double wedding ring pattern. I remember Mom saying she was going to go blind if she had to finish it. But it looks
complete. And it’s big enough for a king bed. I think she was making it for herself and planned to enter it in a 4-H contest.”
Blake touched one of the rings. “It’s beautiful.”
She scooped it into her arms and pressed her face into it. It still held the faint aroma of her mom’s perfume, and tears rushed
to her eyes. Her mother’s face swam so clearly into her memory, and she wished she could remember the name of the citrusy,
fruity scent. It would be a way to hold her close, even now.
Paradise sniffled and laid aside the quilt. “I’ll see if I can find someone to attach the backing and quilt it.”
He set his hand on her knee. “I can stitch up a cut, but I’m hopeless with a sewing machine.”
The thought of Blake bent over a sewing machine made her even more misty-eyed.
He’d do most anything for her. She dove back into the box and pulled up the black backing.
“I think all the parts are here, even the batting.” Deeper into the box she found a bottle of Princess perfume by Vera Wang.
“This is what she wore! I couldn’t remember the name.
” She lowered her voice before she woke the boys.
“Trying to remember the name of her perfume was driving me crazy.”
A memory hit her and she gasped. “When Dad surprised her he brought her a gift. It was a bottle of this perfume.” Was this
the bottle Mom had held that day? Paradise swallowed hard and bent over the box again. A notebook filled with recipes was
the next item out of the box, and she flipped through it, remembering her mother’s ham tetrazzini. The recipe was in here.
She was going to enjoy trying the foods from her childhood.
She reached back into the box. At the very bottom was the answering machine, but the elation she’d thought she’d feel felt
a lot like dismay.
She wasn’t sure she was ready to hear what it might hold.