Chapter 23 - Nora
I unlocked the door, letting the dogs free into the back.
I softly smiled, feeling I had been doing that a lot lately.
I kept thinking about Kaleb kissing me and his promise.
I believed him. I knew that we still had some things to figure out, but it was clear that Kaleb was trying to make it up to me.
He meant what he said about being better.
“Oh.” Mike entered the back area, looking surprised. “You’re here early. I was going to come let the dogs out.”
I smiled at Mike. “I was up early, and I figured I might as well. Besides, you come in early a lot and stay late. You deserve a rest every once in a while.”
He laughed. “Well, if you’re already here, I’ll run and grab us both some coffee. How about breakfast?”
I shook my head. “I’ll just take a coffee.”
Mike raised an eyebrow at me. “I know it’s none of my business, but I have to ask, mostly because I’ve run into you coming out of the bathroom a few times, and I’ve walked by a few times, and I can hear what’s going on inside.”
My face went hot with embarrassment. “I swear, I’m not sick.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “My wife had bad morning sickness when she was pregnant. She could hardly keep anything down. Had to be hospitalized a few times.”
My eyebrows went up. Mike had never spoken about his wife, and I figured it was because it hurt too much. I just knew that she died a few years ago, but I never knew how. I never pressed the subject, knowing it wasn’t my place.
“I was going to tell you. I promise I’m not trying to hide it.”
Mike waved a hand. “I don’t worry about that. I just worry that I might be overworking you. The last thing I want is to come in and find you passed out on the floor.”
I shook my head. “No, I need this. It grounds me. I promise I’m not pushing myself too far.”
“And Kaleb? I’m gathering he’s the father?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Mike chuckled again. “That explains all the extra visits and the amount of food he’s been bringing. He loves you so much.”
My heart skipped a beat at his words. “Why do you say that?”
“You can see it in his eyes. He looks at you like I used to look at my wife. He’s always looked at you like that.”
Had Kaleb looked at me like that? He only said the words a few days ago, but had he been feeling that longer?
“I guess I didn’t realize others could tell.”
Mike nodded with a grin. “Oh, we can tell. When people are in love, it’s noticeable. You’ve started to look at him differently over the past few months.”
I chewed on my cheek. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but how did your wife die?”
I could see his face shift, the look that people got when they were thinking about the past. “Heart attack. She was out walking our dog. I was getting ready for work when she told me she was going to walk around the block. I went to leave and found our dog, Marty, in the driveway. Melissa was on the ground. Doctors say she died instantly.”
I watched sorrow fill his eyes. “We were married for thirty years. We always talked about wanting to open a shelter at one point, but never got around to it.”
“I’m sorry, Mike. I imagine that was terrible.”
He nodded. “I miss her every day. She was the reason I started this. She had a passion for animals. You think I’m an animal lover? Oh, you would have loved Melissa. She had a way with animals. The entire layout was done by her; I just brought it to life.”
He softly smiled. “Well, I’m going to grab our coffee. I’ll be back in a few.”
I gave him a wave and looked around the space.
There had always been a woman’s touch to parts of the shelter.
The flowers in the front, the bright colored walls in the exam rooms, even the bathroom had nice soaps and dish towels that were a little worn.
I always wondered why a man like Mike had a place like this. It made sense now.
The bell above the door went off, and I turned my gaze just as Gabriella and Hazel walked in.
Gabriella looked around, nervous as always and her eyes dropped to me for a moment before dropping to the ground.
Hazel was chewing a piece of gum and popped it as she turned around, looking at the fish tank.
I offered a smile. “Hi, Gabriella. Hi, Hazel. Do you want to see the cats again?”
Gabriella shook her head. “No, I uhmmm..I actually wanted to start the adoption paperwork on one of the kittens.”
My eyebrows went up. “Really?” I was a little surprised because having a kitten was a lot of work, and for someone who was on the fence about having an animal, might not understand that. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. “Yeah, I just feel it’s right. The little black one with the left white foot. I saw him two days ago, and I already bought everything he needs. I have the cat tree and the food dishes. I got pads and set up an area in my apartment.”
“Our apartment,” Hazel added.
I chuckled. “You don’t sound on board, Hazel.”
Hazel shrugged. “She’s my older sister, and if she wants a cat, she can have a cat.”
I looked back at Gabrella, and I could see the eagerness in her eyes. Mike had likely given her the speech about how much care it would require, so I wasn’t going to.
I dug through my paper and slid her an adoption form. “Here, fill this out, and I’ll let Mike know. He’s out walking one of the dogs, and I know he has a few other things this morning. Do you want to come back with the deposit and the papers in a few hours?”
She nodded. “Yeah, thanks, Nora.” She grabbed the papers, sliding them against her chest before turning. But then she paused. “Do you want to join Hazel and I sometime for lunch?”
The question threw me off. I looked between them before nodding my head. “Sure.”
She beamed. “Great, I’ll drop these off later and we can chat.” She nodded towards the door and they both waved as they stepped outside.
I couldn’t help but smile, my stomach doing a little dance. A year ago, no one would invite me to lunch and now my world is so different.
I looked down at the desk and wrote the information for Mike when he got back. I knew he was going to be over the moon. He’d been helping Gabriella find an animal for months now.
I headed to the back, and I began sweeping out the kennels and filling their food bowls. I was mopping the floor when I heard the front door open. I glanced at my watch, knowing it had been about ten minutes. It was probably Mike back with the coffee.
“I’m cleaning the floors back here, Mike. You want to leave my coffee in the front. I’ll be out in a minute,” I yelled as I finished the floor.
I placed the mop into the bucket and turned around. I pushed the front door open, expecting Mike, but I found Kaleb standing near the fish tank. He was staring into the tank, watching the fish we had swim around.
I felt my heart skip a beat staring at him. I felt fuzzy thinking about Mike’s words. He looks at you like I used to look at my wife.
“Kaleb, what are you doing here?”
He turned around. “I was just stopping by since you didn’t answer any of my messages.”
I frowned and started patting my apron, looking for my phone. I scowled, realizing I didn’t have it. “Crap, I left it at Jade and Brandon’s. I thought I was forgetting something when I left, but I didn’t think too much about it. I was in a bit of a hurry this morning.”
Kaleb raised an eyebrow at me. “Maybe you should move back home. I wouldn’t have to message you every morning to see what you were up to.”
I chuckled, moving toward the counter and taking a seat on the stool. “Do you think we are ready for me to move back in?”
Kaleb nodded his head quickly. “I am. Charlie misses you, too.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “You can’t use the dog against me, Kaleb.”
“I’m just being his voice for him.”
I laughed. “Maybe I’m ready for that.” I had been considering it.
Kaleb had been making an effort, and I felt like I was starting to get in the middle of Jade and Brandon.
They were being sweet and kept telling me I could stay as long as I wanted, but I also knew that Brandon hadn’t been laid since I arrived.
And Jade told me enough about their sex life to know that it was only a matter of time before something snapped, and I found them banging somewhere.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
“How about we discuss it over dinner tonight?” He walked closer to me, leaning against the counter. I could smell that she had showered recently and shaved.
I frowned. “My stomach is still pretty sensitive to certain foods.”
“I took that into consideration, which is why I’ll cook.
I’ve been keeping track of everything you can and can’t eat.
So, I’ll make a vegetable lasagna with a side of cheesy bread, not garlic, because the smell of garlic makes you sick.
No meat because you can’t stand the smell of ground beef.
With a chocolate brownie cake that I’ve found, you can sneak even more vegetables in without tasting them.
It’s healthy and something your stomach will enjoy. ”
I felt moved that he’d put so much effort into thinking about what I could eat. That he kept a list and understood how hard this was for me.
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Wow, that honestly sounds…amazing.”
Kaleb beamed. “I thought so.”
Just then, the front door opened, and Mike came in carrying the two coffees and a small bag. I could smell donuts, and my stomach growled angrily.
Mike paused, looking between us. “Oh, Kaleb. I didn’t know you were going to be here today. I didn’t buy anything for you, sorry.”
“I’m just stopping in. I have some stops to make with some business owners about an idea that Brandon had. I thought I would stop and see Nora before them since she forgot her phone at home.”
Mike walked over and set the coffee and bags down. “What’s his plan?”