Chapter 10 Everybody Wants To Be A Cat
Everybody Wants To Be A Cat
Seth rose earlier than usual. In the kitchens in LA, he’d worked the evening shifts. Hitting the sack before two had been unusual.
That had been his most difficult transition in the army—falling asleep early and waking before dawn had been rough.
After his injury, he’d slept in sporadic chunks. It was better now, but staying in one spot too long still bugged him. Which meant he slept when he could, wandered when he couldn’t.
After the conversation with Gray and Amber, he’d been waking before Mara headed to the inn. Some days he walked with her. Others, he watched to ensure she was safe.
He’d gotten used to doing his dinner prep early, and she didn’t appear to mind him sharing her time in the kitchen.
Hell, he’d even gotten used to the music she played. Well, mostly. Some of her playlists were far too cheerful and optimistic for mornings.
He’d learned to block it out by focusing on his menu choices.
Today, he met her in the farmhouse mudroom where he was swapping his moccasins for his boots. She didn’t need to know he’d waited in the kitchen until he heard her on the stairs.
“You’re up early again. Couldn’t sleep?”
And there she went, mentioning sleep, which led to thoughts of beds, which led to thoughts of a naked Mara in his bed.
Instead of answering, he shrugged and straightened, waiting for her to slip on her blue sneakers decorated with pink polka dots. They shouldn’t make him smile.
On the porch, he locked the door and re-armed the security system. It might seem like too much security for an apple farm in the middle of nowhere Vermont, but he was all for it, even more so after hearing about the incidents that had happened since the Malssums had taken over the property.
He liked knowing that Mara would be safe in the inn’s kitchen when she was alone.
She hadn’t dropped any more hints about what had happened in New York.
He didn’t know if the creep who’d touched her was a stranger, neighbor, or coworker.
He’d put his money on coworker or boss after how she’d reacted in the kitchen, but he wished he had a name to research.
He didn’t want to worry Ford by asking him for the name of her former workplace, but he’d stay on alert for hints.
Maybe even figure out how to ask directly, although he didn’t think she’d answer.
If he were more of a talker, he could figure out how to slip in questions, but he’d always been straightforward and blunt.
Mara’s hand on his arm had him ditching his thoughts, and tuning back into his surroundings. So much for being her protector.
He didn’t sense or see any threats. The mist hanging low on the grass couldn’t conceal anyone. He didn’t see or sense anyone lurking in the area. “What is it?”
She squeezed his arm and whispered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. Look.”
He spotted a scraggly cat huddled against the porch railing.
“Do you think it’s hurt? He looks lost and lonely.”
The compassion in her voice made him want to help. Not that he would ignore an injured creature of any kind, but he tried to reassure Mara and the cat at the same time.
They slowed as they approached the porch steps.
Mara spoke softly. “Hey there, sweetie. Are you hurt? Do you need some help?”
The orange cat blinked at them, but didn’t run away. Maybe it was entranced by Mara, too.
While Mara kept up an encouraging monologue, Seth widened his senses and took stock of their surroundings. Was it possible this was some kind of trap to get Mara’s focus on the cat while someone attacked?
Seemed like a ridiculous scenario, but he wasn’t taking chances with her safety.
If the animal had been abused, it was more likely to be afraid of men, so Seth hung back, guarding Mara’s back as she crept up the stairs, chatting quietly.
The cat didn’t budge, except to blink slowly at her. Was it injured, or did it instinctively trust Mara to help?
Seth was pretty sure animals were sensitive to intentions, and Mara’s gentleness was apparent. She squatted down and held out her hand. The cat studied her, but remained still.
When she moved to pat it, she kept her hand away from its face. Smart. That wouldn’t scare the cat and, hopefully, it wouldn’t strike out.
The cat proved it sensed her intentions and let her touch it.
She ran her hand over its back several times, then extended her reach to include its head.
Her soft touch and words appeared to convince the cat that Mara was safe.
It wasn’t long before a purr rumbled from its body, and it leaned into her touch.
Lucky cat.
For several minutes, Mara touched the animal, extending her reach and checking for injuries.
Eventually, she brought her second hand forward and lifted the cat into her arms. The creature snuggled in without a complaint and rubbed its head against her throat.
He was jealous of a damn cat.
Mara rose and smiled at Seth. “He doesn’t appear injured, but I’m betting he’s hungry.”
Seth climbed the stairs. The cat stared him down, but didn’t struggle in Mara’s arms. The purring stopped, and Seth wondered if there was another ass he wanted to kick. If anyone had abused this animal, he’d be more than willing to teach the jerk a lesson.
Seth unlocked the door and disarmed the system. Once Mara and the cat were in the mudroom, he reversed the actions, then followed her into the kitchen. “I’ve got some tuna.”
Mara stroked the small head. “You’ll like that, Fritter, won’t you?”
“Fritter?”
She grinned up at him. “He looks like a Fritter, don’t you think?”
What the hell did that even mean? Instead of answering, he went to the pantry and grabbed a can of tuna.
He hadn’t been sure why he’d picked up the cans at Phail Phoods.
He used fresh tuna when he cooked, but he’d been trying to stock the pantry with some basics.
It wasn’t as if the stuff in the can wasn’t real or healthy.
He opened the can and scooped some into a bowl. If the animal was starving, he didn’t want it to overeat and make itself sick. Slow was better. He placed two bowls on the floor, one with tuna and the other with water.
The cat had lifted its head when he’d opened the can, and now it mewled and squirmed in Mara’s arms. “Are you hungry, Fritter? Thirsty?”
She squatted on the floor near the bowls and released the cat. The cat looked around warily, checking the area, maybe not trusting in the safety and the food.
Mara continued to stroke the lucky beast as it sniffed at the food and water.
Yep, Seth definitely wanted to kick someone’s ass.
The next minute, the cat basically gulped down the tuna and turned to the water bowl.
Mara smiled up at Seth. “Good choice. He likes it.”
He nodded. “We’ll see how that settles in his stomach. If he keeps it down, we’ll give him more soon.”
“Good idea. Do you think he’s lost? Do you think someone’s looking for him?”
He could hear the longing underneath her questions. Mara hoped no one was looking for the cat because she’d already fallen in love with it. Fritter.
“We can text Garrett or Kimi later and ask if anyone’s been searching for a cat.” He squatted down beside the pair and snapped a couple of pictures.
Mara’s pretty lips formed a pout. “I know it’s an awful thing to say, but I hope no one’s looking for him.”
Seth chuckled. “I knew you were going to say that.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “You named him, and you keep stroking him.” He didn’t say lucky cat out loud, but he sure felt it.
She smiled at him, making him feel like a part of her conspiracy to keep the animal.
“If no one’s lost him, I’ll get Kimi to check him out, make sure he’s healthy.”
He nodded. “He’ll have to stay out of the kitchen.”
Those pretty lips pouted. He wanted to kiss them and retract his words at the same time.
Mara nodded. “I know. We can’t compromise the food and safety standards. He’ll probably be happy to wander everywhere else.”
“I’m guessing he’s an outdoor cat. He’s been fending for himself.”
Another tiny pout. “True. Maybe Fritter would be happy to stay in the other farmhouse.”
Or maybe the cat would take off at the first opportunity. They couldn’t leave food outside for it because it would attract predators, but if the cat was smart, it knew Mara was a soft touch.
Seth found himself hoping that Fritter would stick around. If not, he imagined he’d be asking Garrett to find another cat for Mara.
Fritter yawned and stretched, then climbed into Mara’s lap and promptly fell asleep.
Lucky cat.
Mara knew she should start baking, but Fritter was curled in her arms and purring. What was a girl supposed to do?
Seth moved around the kitchen doing his thing, but Mara couldn’t bring herself to move.
Not with this creature curled in her arms and snoozing peacefully.
He didn’t appear dirty or unkempt. Was that because he’d got himself lost, or because cats were innately neat creatures who groomed themselves whether humans were around or not?
She didn’t have a clue.
Without disrupting Fritter, she managed to pull her phone out of her pocket and look up what she should do next. It was too early to disturb Kimi, but she’d text the veterinarian soon.
She pulled up a site that told her about what to do about a lost cat. She kept her voice soft. “The internet isn’t very helpful. It’s basically common sense.”
Seth snorted out a laugh. “Common sense on the internet is unusual.”
Mara grinned. “It says to call a vet to check the cat and look for a microchip. I’d already figured that out.”
He chuckled, and the warm sound rumbled right down into her heart. Okay, further south than her heart. All of her good parts tingled. The man was potent.
She wanted that rumble right against her skin. Wanted to discover how that laugh tasted.
She had it bad. “He probably needs a bath in case he’s been in the wild for a bit.”
Another soft snort. “Don’t cats hate water?”