Chapter 23
Charlie
I couldn’t have done any of this without Teague.
Somewhere between that ditch and the front door of the inn, I fell in love with the tiny black kitten inside my shirt.
The wait at the vet’s would’ve been too much for me if I hadn’t had Teague there. He tried to distract me and somewhat succeeded, too.
I’d been shocked to hear how old Salem was, because while I’d never had a cat before, I’d seen enough videos of them online to know how he should’ve looked like. Hell, I followed that Kitten Lady person who took in neonatal kittens and had often watched her cute and informative videos while I needed distraction.
I hoped Salem hadn’t swallowed much of the ditch water, because I was pretty sure that could lead into trouble, too. In the end, he spent two nights at the vet clinic, and once Macy called me that he was ready to be picked up whenever I wanted, I immediately called Teague and we made plans to go collect him after I’d done all the mandatory work stuff for that day.
When Oak came in to clean the office, I smiled at him.
“So I’m your bestie, eh?”
For two seconds, he looked worried, then he grinned like the sunshine personified he could be, and said, “Well, duh.”
“A little birdie told me it’s your birthday next week. Do you have plans?” I asked, attempting to stay calm. “I think, as your bestie, I should know if there are any wild parties at sketchy bars on the horizon.”
He laughed, then shook his head. “No, that’s not really my scene. Currently, my family is trying to decide whether to host my Super Secret party here or at my grandparents’ place. You know, secretly. Because I don’t know about it.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, clearly. Do you have a preference?”
Oak looked bashful all of a sudden, the toe of his Chuck scraping the floor a bit as he gnawed on his lower lip. “I mean, which location would be more likely for you to show up at?”
He glanced at me, a hopeful expression in his expressive eyes.
Smiling, I sighed. “Here, obviously. I will come wherever you want me to be, Oak. I promise. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay, but if it’s here, it’s probably going to be longer.” Then I grinned, “Plus, I wouldn’t want to take the baby in the car anyway. If it’s here, I’m sure I can bring him along.”
“Oh my Dog, you’re bringing Baby Salem home?” He twitched in place in an aborted motion of bouncing on his heels and likely clapping. I briefly wondered who had told him showing emotion wasn’t allowed. Not that I likely had to think too hard about that one.
“Yeah. Teague is coming with me in a couple of hours. I’ll need to go get some stuff from the pet store, as well.”
Oak beamed. “That’s so exciting! I’m happy that he’s doing well enough to come home.”
“Oh, I have to get something for the dogs!” I hummed thoughtfully. “I need to ask their mommies if they have any dietary restrictions for treats.” The phone rang, and I grimaced.
“I’ll go ask. You take the call.” Oak dashed out of the office, and I went back to work.
I’d thought I was excited to go get Salem, but Teague had a whole puppy dog energy going on.
“I have a present for the baby,” he announced as soon as he walked into the office to collect me.
“Oh?” I smiled as I powered down my computer.
“Yeah, it’s in the truck. Should we take your SUV or do you think there’ll be enough room for everything in the truck bed?” He smirked, so I knew he was teasing me.
“Asshole,” I grumped, but couldn’t help my smile.
We went to the truck, and Teague proudly presented me with a wicker cat bed. It was one of those round basket ones, with a bit of a cover on top, so that it would act as a little cave for the little man.
“Aww, this is amazing, Teague!” I hugged him tight, enjoying the way he hugged me back. I was really getting addicted to his hugs.
“It’s from Nostalgia Nook, my friend Felix’s antique store.”
“Wait, the one in town? I go there to get books but haven’t seen your friend. I’ve met Loreena, though.”
Teague read my expression and grinned. “Yeah, that’s Felix’s mom. She’s a character and a half.”
“She’s nice but a bit… much.” Then I frowned at myself. “I mean, she had the mirrors moved for me, so that I can go past them easier.”
“They’re good people,” Teague murmured, then kissed my temple. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah. To the pet store!”
Once we were on our way, Teague held out his hand out and I took it. He pulled our joined hands to rest on his thigh as he drove and hummed along to some random song on the radio.
I felt at ease. Completely relaxed and… happy.
“I feel happy,” I blurted out, sounding confused even to myself.
“Yeah?” Teague squeezed my fingers and glanced at me, smiling.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
I’d never had a pet, so the whole pet-related industry hadn’t been on my radar.
When we stepped into PetSmart, my jaw dropped.
“Okay….” I took in the rows and rows of… everything.
Teague reached for my hand. “Overwhelming?”
“Yeah, a little.” I glanced at him, then grabbed the cart he’d picked for us. “Let’s do this thing.”
I had gotten a message from Macy, telling me they thought Salem should be on a special diet for a while, which they had for sale at the clinic, so at least that was one thing less to worry about here.
“Okay, so I had this idea,” I said when we started toward the back of the store. “What if I get one of those big dog crates for Salem? To put in the office? He could hang out with me in that for the time being, until he’s bigger and stronger? I don’t think kittens know how to behave, so I can’t let him loose, but if I get a small litter box and stuff for a big crate, maybe he’d like it?”
Teague nodded and pointed toward where the crates were. “Let’s go see what they have, I think it’s a good idea.”
In the end, we grabbed a big metal crate, because as much nicer and softer looking the fabric ones were, I wouldn’t be able to watch over the kitten as easily. We also got a small litter box, a bigger one for the cabin, and a few different small beds that were partially covered like caves.
And then we got to the toy aisle. It took us half an hour to pick the about dozen things we wanted to get him. Then we realized he needed something to scratch, so we got two different scratching posts in kitten size. Finally, I picked a soft carrier, my mind immediately going to the old, battered one we’d found Salem and his poor sibling in. Teague seemed to think about the same thing, because he wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple as he squeezed me.
Then there was cat litter, and of course, the treats we wanted to give to the dogs. We also picked each of them a toy—a floppy-eared bunny for Steve, and a raccoon for Cricket—and finally pushed the filled-to-the-brim cart to the front.
“Did you find everything you were looking for?” the cashier asked, and I gave her a look. She blushed a little and chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, it would seem you did fine?”
The amount of stuff we had and the final cost were astronomical, but it was fine. I knew there’d be running costs, but most of this stuff I only had to pay for once.
When Teague had eyed the sum, I’d given him a look, too. He’d not asked to pay any of it, luckily. I was sure he’d be a doting… uncle? Step-dad? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t need or want him to pay for any of this stuff. Besides, he’d already bought that one bed.
We drove to the clinic, and I grabbed the carrier, feeling nervous suddenly. “I hope he likes me,” I blurted out, hoping Teague wasn’t going to laugh at me.
He just smiled, this slightly awed expression on his face and said, “How could anyone not like you?”
I blushed, and we went inside.
There was only one young man with an animal in a carrier sitting in the reception, and he was just called in by a vet I didn’t recognize.
Macy saw us come in and smiled. “Hey, ready to get your boy?”
“Absolutely.” I couldn’t help but to smile. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s doing good. We’ve done everything we can for him at the moment,” she said as she led us through to the back. “Dr. Porter said that we can give him the snip once he’s a bit stronger and has grown up more. Unless you want it done already?”
I shook my head. “No, there’s no rush. Once he’s stronger is good.” I’d feel better about putting him under when his body had more time to recover.
“Awesome, I’ll make a note of that on his record, and I can even put in a notification to give you a call in… let’s say a month?”
We walked toward a sound of insistent meowing.
“Yeah, that sounds excellent, actually. Is that…?” I asked, just as we could see a small black thing yelling at us from one of the metal kennels.
“Your boy has a pair of lungs for sure.”
Teague burst out laughing behind us. “Whoa, boy, this should be interesting.”
Macy went to open the kennel and Salem immediately yelled at her some more. “Don’t you take that tone with me, young man. Your dads are here to pick you up,” she told him as she stepped out of the way so I could go closer.
I held the carrier at Teague who took it, and then I could get my hands on Salem.
“There you are, baby boy,” I murmured, petting him.
He stopped yelling and started to purr incredibly loudly. Then he promptly walked up my arm and bumped my chin with his head with surprising force.
“Aww, I think he recognizes you,” Teague commented, coming closer to offer Salem his finger to sniff. He got a headbutt too, which made me smile and a bit teary, if I was honest.
“Oh, he definitely knows who you two are.” Macy smiled, too. “No doubt about it.”
Teague opened the carrier and showed it to Salem. “Ready to go home, little buddy?”
He held it steady while Salem contemplated, his whiskers twitching like crazy. Even those looked scraggly and kind of sad, and I wondered if they’d grow back. Damn, I knew so little about cats it was starting to annoy me.
Salem marched into the carrier and Teague zipped it up. “Here we go,” he said, clearly pleased.
“You said you had food for him?” I asked Macy.
“Right, let me show you.” She led us back and to the shelves to one side of the lobby where a bunch of bags and tins were stacked.
Fifteen minutes later, my bank account was a bit stunned, but it’d get over it, I was sure.
Teague carried the bag of food and a box of cans, while I held onto the carrier.
“Yeah, this is the outside, isn’t it big?” I asked Salem, who let out a tentative meow from his safe place.
Luckily, he didn’t get sick in the car, nor did he scream, even though Macy had warned us about those things being a possibility.
Teague drove us to my cabin, and then we spent some time getting everything set up for the little guy. He was peering at us through the carrier, meowing occasionally, but the sound was just curious.
“He’s so tiny,” I whispered as we finally sat on the couch, watching Salem explore.
“He really is. Especially for his age.” Teague squeezed my hand. “But don’t worry, he’ll grow up fast now that he has his super food and everything else he needs.”
I’d put some of the “super food” into bowls for Salem, and he went and ate a little, then found his way to the litter box I’d been just able to squeeze between the wall and the toilet in the bathroom.
“He’s such a clever little thing.” I felt like a proud dad at that moment.
Teague grinned. “He is. Takes after his father.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t quite blush. “Which one?”
“Huh?”
“Macy called us his dads.”
“Oh, I….” Teague seemed surprised.
“I mean, you can be an uncle if you want to, but if you want to be his dad too….” I shrugged, as if it was a casual suggestion, which I realized it… wasn’t?
He cleared his throat. As if on cue, Salem climbed up Teague’s jeans leg. The little thing padded up his chest, then over to his shoulder so he could sniff my face, and curled up right there on the crook of Teague’s neck.
“Well, you can’t leave anytime soon, so….” I picked up the remote off the coffee table. “Wanna watch something?”
“Uh, yeah. Okay.” He still seemed a bit flustered and kind of happy, so I picked Schitt’s Creek and pressed play.
A few episodes later, Salem was still snoozing on Teague.
“Do you want to have dinner with us?” I asked Teague, smiling at them.
“Of course.” He lifted his hand to gently pet Salem, who stretched his front half, purred loudly, and fell back to sleep.
I chuckled and went into the kitchenette to figure out what I had to cook.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, which made all three of us jump.
I went to open it, and Nic beamed at me. “Hey, you.” She thrust a couple of Tupperware containers at me. “Dana sends you presents; she thought you might not want to come down or cook tonight.”
“Oh, I was just about to—uh, come in?” I stepped aside.
“Can she come?” Nic asked, pointing over her shoulder.
I peered behind her, and saw Cricket sitting there, trying to look patient.
“Of course,” I replied immediately. “She saved him, after all.”
“Cricket, behave,” Nic told the dog firmly.
I let them both inside and closed the door behind them.
Cricket seemed to realize how big she was in such a small cabin and plopped her butt down in the middle of the open space, her big brown eyes fixed on the kitten that was now sitting upright on Teague’s shoulder.
Nic squeaked. “He’s adorable.”
I knew they’d keep an eye on the situation, so I went to open the boxes to see what we’d be eating tonight.
It was Dana’s shepherd’s pie, which I loved. The other container held a salad.
I plated the food, and because it was still warm, I didn’t bother heating it. When I turned to tell Teague we could eat immediately, I saw Salem on the armrest on the couch, reaching to sniff Cricket’s snout that was at least twice as big as the kitten.
“Dinner?” I asked, my gaze on the cutest reunion I’d ever seen.
“I think he remembers her, too,” Teague murmured as he got off the couch and patted Cricket on the way to the little table.
“Yeah, seems like it.”
“Did he remember you?” Nic asked.
We chatted while we ate, and by the time we were done, Cricket was sprawled on the floor with Salem using her as a jungle gym.
“I bought a crate for the office; I hope that’s fine?”
Nic waved her hand dismissively. “Of course. You get what you need for him. Oh, by the way, remind me to show you where I buried his sibling. I think I found a spot by the yellow house that must’ve been their pet cemetery.”
“Oh?” Teague’s eyebrows jumped. “Should we be worried?”
She laughed. “Not in the Stephen King way at least. It was just two headstones with what I assume were dog and cat names. I thought it was a good spot for the little one, too.”
Her phone beeped, and she checked it. “Okay, I got to go. Dinner rush is about to start.” She got off the couch and looked at Cricket and Salem. “Should I ask her to come or…?”
“No, just leave her. I’ll let her out if she wants to go and at the latest when Teague leaves.”
“Awesome, thanks. See you in the morning,” she said brightly, then leaned down to pet both of the animals. “Be good, kids.”
Cricket thumped her tail, nearly sending Salem flying. Snickering, Nic left, and Teague insisted on doing the dishes, little as there was.
We watched a few more episodes of the show and then it was time for Teague to leave. It suddenly hit me that I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to stay. But it was also Salem’s first night home and Teague had work tomorrow, too, just like I did. Besides, if he stayed, I felt like I’d want to fool around and I couldn’t do that with the kitten watching. There were limits.
So, when Teague was leaving, I stepped out after him. Everything about the day, about how amazing he’d been and how close I felt to him was bubbling over.
“Should we let Cricket out?” he asked me, and I shook my head.
Frowning, Teague walked to his truck, with me almost attached to his back. He didn’t really have the space to turn around when he realized I was so close.
“What—”
I crowded him against the truck door and leaned in to kiss him. “I need… I don’t know… I just…” I whimpered. “Teague.” And then I kissed him again.