Chapter 11
THE DRACULA MOVIE WAS NEARLY over, and Malcolm’s arm had been pressed against Lori’s the whole time. She was pretty sure he didn’t even realize it. And she also didn’t think he was paying much attention to the movie. Oh, his eyes were open and on the screen, but he hadn’t reacted to much of what was going on. Not that she could blame him, because he had a lot on his mind.
She’d wondered if he’d hold her hand again, but he hadn’t. They had both once again reiterated that they were only hanging out as friends, so then why was her pulse jumping around at the slightest contact with him? He also smelled great—a subtle cologne and something like outdoorsy pine.
He wasn’t wearing his standard ball cap and T-shirt and jeans, but instead wore navy slacks and a light-brown sweater, which made the gold in his hazel eyes seem to pop out. And she was pretty sure he hadn’t shaved for a few days.
As the closing credits ran, Malcolm didn’t make any move to leave. Which was fine with Lori, since she usually liked to read the credits. Not that she would recognize names, like Everly might. But it was interesting to see the scope of the numerous people who had a hand in creating a film.
She also didn’t want to move for a minute, because she was kind of full from eating so much popcorn. It was Malcolm’s fault, because he barely ate any, so Lori felt like she didn’t want it to go to waste.
After the theater had emptied of everyone else, Malcolm shifted and looked over at her. “What did you think?” he asked. “Was it as good as you remembered it?”
“I loved it,” Lori said. “But I think I was paying more attention to you than actually watching it.”
His brows lifted. “Sorry about that. Was I distracting you?”
“You were.” She squeezed his arm, then withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with so much. Maybe we should have gone on a run or something. Burned off your frustration.”
“Do you run?” Curiosity entered his voice.
“No, but I’ve seen you out running.” It might be a little embarrassing to admit, but if Dracula couldn’t distract him, what could? “I mean, if you do want to go running, I can cheer you on.”
Malcom smiled—probably his first genuine smile of the night. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I think we need a real meal somewhere.”
Lori moved to her feet. “Everything’s closed. You know, small town and all.”
Malcom picked up the empty popcorn bucket. “I could cook—I’ve got some chicken, and I can make rice. Nothing fancy.”
Lori hesitated. It was after ten p.m., and tomorrow would be crazy at the store with Halloween activities. A lot depended on the weather too. If the weather was decent, they’d have most of it outside, but if it was too cold or it rained, it would have to be moved inside the store.
“Or not,” Malcom said with a gentle smile. “We could have cold cereal. Do you like Lucky Charms?”
Lori laughed. “I do, but you’re probably exhausted.”
He shrugged. “I’m getting my second wind,” he said in a ridiculous Dracula accent.
“Just for that, I’ll come over for a little bit,” she said. “I never sleep much the night before Halloween anyway.”
“That’s right—you have your store event tomorrow,” Malcom said as they walked out of the theater. “I can’t wait to see your costume. You’ll have to text me a photo since I’ll probably be with Bronson trying to see if our company will survive.”
They’d reached the truck, and Lori set a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all of that. I guess since neither of us will be sleeping, we should cook.”
“It’s a deal.” Malcom opened the door for her, and she climbed up into the truck.
The ride back to their neighborhood was quiet, but Lori didn’t mind a man who didn’t feel like he had to fill the silence all of the time. By the time they reached his trailer, a light rain had started.
Malcom opted for real food versus Lucky Charms, and Lori wandered about the trailer as he cooked. There was a lot more to the trailer than what it seemed on the outside. The main area doubled as a kitchen and an office. A door separated the next section, and through the partially opened door, she could see the outlines of a bedroom.
The kitchen area had a small table with two chairs. Everything was clean and tidy, which it had to be in such limited space. She paused to look at the handful of photos he’d posted on a white board. “Are these your parents?”
He looked over from where he was grilling the chicken in a fry pan. “Yeah, before the divorce. I was about six, I guess. My mom is on her third marriage now to a guy named Phil. Really good guy, and I think this one will actually stick.”
“And Bronson is from another marriage?”
“Exactly. My dad remarried and got Bronson as part of the package.”
The next photo showed Malcom in a basketball team photo. A third was at a wedding—Bronson and Kari’s. Another showed him and Bronson on what looked like a fishing trip. It was kind of charming he had these photos up.
“Did you hear that?” Malcom asked.
Lori looked over at him. She had to admit, he looked quite appealing standing at the narrow stove, making food for her. “Hear what?”
He brought a finger to his lips, and above the sound of the sizzling chicken, she heard a small cry. No, a whine . . . or . . . “I think it’s a cat,” she said.
“A cat?”
Lori headed to the door and opened it, Malcom right behind her. The rain had started up again, but she stepped out. Another meow sounded, this time more frantic.
“Where are you?” Lori said in a soft voice. “Are you getting wet?”
She crouched next to the trailer and looked under it. It was too dark to see much.
The cat meowed again, but it sounded like a kitten. She pulled out her phone from her pocket.
“Do you see anything?” Malcom asked, crouching next to her.
She turned on the flashlight and two glowing eyes popped into view. “Oh, it’s a kitten.” She handed the phone to him, then held out her hand to the kitten. “Come here, baby. It’s okay. We’ll get you warm.”
“We will?” Malcom mused.
“Go get a piece of that chicken. She’s probably starving.”
Malcom stood and headed into the trailer. Seconds later, he was back with a piece of chicken.
“Hold it out to her, and then I’ll grab her.”
“What are we doing, Lori?”
“Catching a cat.”
He chuckled and held out the piece of chicken.
The cat meowed and moved forward, its poor little body trembling. Lori couldn’t make out the color since its fur was muddy. When it made a snatch for the chicken, she grabbed the kitten. Its tiny claws held on to the food, and the kitten chowed it down as Lori carried it into the trailer.
Malcom came in behind her and shut the door.
“Do you have a towel I can use to wipe her off?” she asked.
Malcom produced a towel, then brought over another piece of chicken. The kitten ate that one too, and as Lori toweled it off, it began to purr.
“Oh, it’s adorable,” she said. “But homeless.” She looked up at Malcom. “You should adopt it. I think someone abandoned it here.”
“You mean someone dropped it off here on purpose?” he asked. “Maybe it ran away? Maybe a family is looking for it?”
“I doubt it.” Lori picked up the kitten and held its rumbling body against her. “She’s pretty rough around the edges. Very skinny. She’ll need a bath. Maybe tomorrow when she’s not starving.”
“I thought cats bathed themselves,” he said, his expression dubious.
“They do, but this one needs extra help.” Lori peeled the cat from where it clung to her clothing. “Maybe we can use a washcloth to get some of the mud off.”
Malcom disappeared again, then returned with a washcloth. Lori turned on the kitchen sink and let the water run until it was warm. Then she began to clean the kitten. It kept squirming, so she spoke to it in a soothing tone. “You’re okay. You’re home now.”
“Lori, I know nothing about cats,” Malcom said. “Didn’t you used to have a cat? I think this is your next one.”
She looked up into his earnest face. “Didn’t you have pets as a kid?”
“Bronson had a dog,” Malcom said. “I’m not opposed to a cat, but this would be the worst place—a trailer on a construction site. Plus, most of my days are twelve hours at least. Don’t you think she’d be better off with you?”
Lori looked down at the kitten. Now she could see that with some of the mud cleaned off, it was an orange tabby. “ Him ,” she said. “This is a boy.”
Malcom’s brows rose. “I think he’d look cute in a Halloween costume, don’t you?”
She smiled. “Maybe next year. This year, he’s going to be resting.”
Malcom reached out a finger and scratched the top of the kitten’s head. “He’s a tenacious little thing. Like a miniature tiger.”
“Maybe we can call him Tiger?” Lori suggested.
“I think it’s fitting.” He took the washcloth and rinsed it out, then handed it back to her.
As she continued to work on cleaning the kitten, he finished preparing dinner. Tiger got a few more pieces of chicken and a bowl of water. Lori couldn’t keep her eyes off of the adorable creature. The kitten explored the trailer, then climbed up her pant leg with its tiny claws. In minutes, it was sleeping on her lap.
“All right, it’s settled,” she said, her heart feeling like it might burst. “I’m taking him home with me. But first, I might be stuck on this chair all night. It’s against the laws of nature to move if a cat is asleep on your lap.”
Malcom’s chuckle was low. “Should I get you a pillow and a blanket? I can turn the lights off too.”
Lori grinned. “Would you?”
He rose as if to do just that, when the kitten’s head lifted, and he meowed.
“Light sleeper,” she said with a laugh.
Malcom began to clear the dishes from the kitchen table. “Is there a crate or something the kitten can sleep in, so it doesn’t keep you up all night?”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Lori said, stroking the soft fur. “He can just curl up next to me until he’s comfortable at my place. Then I can train him to use the cat bed.” Her voice hitched, and she swallowed back her emotion.
Malcom had started to rinse off the dishes, but he turned. “Are you sure this is all okay? I can take him to the animal shelter in the morning.”
But Lori had already fallen in love. Unless the kitten had truly escaped a loving family, she considered Tiger hers. She kissed the top of his head. “I’m okay.”
“Do you want to take some chicken with you?” he offered. “Or I can buy stuff in the morning for it.”
Tomorrow would be extremely busy, and she didn’t have a litter box or kitten food.
At her hesitation, Malcom said, “I really don’t mind. I’m going to have a lot of nervous energy tomorrow anyway while I’m waiting until I can talk to Bronson in person. Why don’t you text me a list, and I’ll go to the pet store—is there a pet store in Everly Falls?”
“The local grocery store has everything,” Lori said. She was trying to think if she’d ever been on such a unique date—or hanging-out event. Malcom was being really sweet and patient and accommodating about all of this. Especially considering he was in a world of hurt.
The kitten yawned and burrowed into her lap again. Lori’s heart tugged with protectiveness. What sort of person would abandon a kitten? She had a sudden thought. What if there were more kittens out there?
“We need to see if there are more abandoned cats,” she said.
Malcom turned from the sink, drying his hands on a towel. “More?”
“Yeah, maybe a whole litter was dropped off.” Lori picked up the kitten and moved to her feet. “We should look.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll look. You stay here since it’s still raining.”
He pulled on a jacket, then grabbed a flashlight and headed outside. Lori paced the kitchen area with the sleeping kitten in her arms. Malcom took longer than she expected, and by the time he came back inside, his jacket and hair were damp with rain.
“I looked all over, under the trailer and throughout the parking lot. I didn’t see anything, or hear any meowing, but maybe daylight will be better.”
“Thanks for looking anyway,” she said. A water droplet skated down the side of his face, and she wanted to brush it away for him. But she kept her hands to herself.
“No worries.” He paused. “Should I drive you in my truck? I don’t have an umbrella.”
“It’s fine, I can walk,” Lori said.
Malcom nodded. “I’ll walk you.”
“There’s no need for both of us to get wetter.”
He opened the door and held it for her.
“Don’t say you weren’t warned,” Lori teased.
Malcom chuckled and headed outside after her. They walked quickly across the lot, then crossed the empty street together.
The light over the shop’s door glowed yellow. Thankfully, there was an awning too, so they were out of the rain while Lori fumbled for her shop keys. There was also a back entrance next to a second door to her apartment, but that would entail more rain.
“Here, I’ll hold the cat,” Malcom said.
Lori relinquished the kitten, who was awake again, and dug out the keys from her handbag. She opened the door, then turned to retrieve Tiger.
Malcom handed him over. “Do you need help with anything?” he asked. His eyes were hooded beneath the door light, and the dark night surrounding them only seemed to accentuate the breadth of his shoulders.
“No, I’ve got it for now.” Lori smiled at him.
“I’ll be waiting for your supply list.” Malcom scratched the top of the kitten’s head. Then his eyes lifted. “Thanks for tonight. It was the perfect distraction.”
“You paid for the movie and snacks, then you cooked, and finally you rescued this kitten,” she said. “I should be thanking you.”
“We can both thank each other.”
Lori laughed. She wanted to hug him, but would that be crossing a line? Besides, she was holding a cat. What was the protocol here?
Malcom took care of her debate though. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Good night, Lori.”