Chapter 12
Adam was driving home when he realized he had forgotten the paper with Beth’s phone number and email at Melinda’s. He slowed and clicked on his blinker, and pulled a U-turn in the road. Should I call Mel to let her know I’m coming back? It’ll be quicker just to drop by.
A few minutes later he parked on the street in front of her house. He was walking up the sidewalk when he heard a soft mewling sound. Taking a look around, he noticed a cardboard box next to Mel’s garbage can. He waited. He heard the faint sound again. If it hadn’t been quiet, he would have missed it altogether.
Moving closer, he knelt down and pulled back the flaps of the box. Sitting inside was a very tiny gray-striped kitten. By the size of it, it couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old. His little eyes looked up and locked on Adam. He was shivering and cried again.
Adam reached inside and brought the kitten to his chest. “Hey buddy,” he crooned, “what are you doing out here?”
The tiny bundle of fur shook in his hands. He tucked the little guy inside his shirt to warm him up. He glanced around. Was anyone lurking who might have left the box? Not seeing a soul, he walked up Mel’s front steps and knocked.
The front door swung open. She greeted him with an easy smile. “Hey there. I thought you left.”
Mewl. Mewl. The kitten continued to cry as he poked its head up under Adam’s chin.
Adam pointed to the kitten. “I came back to get Beth’s information and I found this little guy.”
Taking his arm, Melinda pulled Adam into the house. “Where on earth did you find him?”
He jerked his head toward the curb. “In that box next to the garbage can.”
In a carefully controlled voice, she said, “This sweet baby was left for the garbage man?”
“Yeah. He wouldn’t have survived long; it’s going to get cold tonight.”
“I don’t know anyone in the neighborhood whose cat had a litter. Someone just dumped him, like trash,” Melinda said. “Go into the kitchen, I’ll get a towel for you to wrap him in.”
Adam did as she asked, all the while talking to the kitten, reassuring him that he was safe. Inside his blood boiled. He had zero tolerance for anyone who abandoned an animal, let alone one this vulnerable. It would have surely died if left undiscovered.
Melinda came around the corner and handed him a small towel. “Here you go.”
Adam extracted the kitten from the front of his shirt. It cried as he wrapped it in the towel. “Ouch, little guy, your nails are like razors.”
She chuckled. “You might as well give it up, he’s attached to you now.”
Adam looked at the little face and melted. “In more ways than one.” He looked up. “Do you want to keep him?”
Melinda shook her head. “No. I’m not much for pets.” Adam saw a funny look cross over her face. He wondered if that was the real reason.
“Have you had pets before?”
Melinda walked behind the counter and folded a dishtowel and then set it aside. “I grew up with a cat and a dog.” She smiled slightly. “But they got older and passed away. It was heartbreaking.”
“It is hard. But don’t you think having a pet would be nice?”
Melinda avoided the question and said, “It’s obvious you’ve been adopted, so what are you going to call him or her?”
Adam stroked the top of the kitten’s head. “I’m not sure I’m going to keep him. I’ve never been much of a cat person, although I do like them. I’m more of a big dog kind of guy.”
Melinda grinned. “Yeah, right.” She reached out and scratched under the kitty’s chin. A soft purr was the response. “He’s keeping you.”
“I wonder when he ate last. He’s too young to be away from his momma.” He looked at Melinda. “Any idea what to feed him?”
“No. I’ll grab my laptop and we can look it up.” Melinda walked to her office. Adam settled down on a barstool and stroked the tiny puffball.
“Here we go.” Melinda came back into the room, her laptop open and the screen glowing. She placed it on the counter and clicked a few keys opening an internet search window. “Okay, it says here the kitten needs to see a veterinarian. Since that isn’t practical at the moment, he needs to be fed every two to three hours.”
“I’ll warm up some milk and get an appointment tomorrow.”
Melinda held up a hand. “Not so fast. According to what it says here, cow’s milk can make him sick. We need to mix up a kitten formula.” She scanned the page and turned it around for Adam. “I have the ingredients for the last one.”
She moved around the kitchen with ease. Once she had the ingredients on the counter, she shook everything together and popped a cup of milky kitten formula in the microwave.
Confused, Adam asked, “What’s that for? Are you making a cup of coffee?”
“Do you think I’d stop to make myself something when there is a tiny baby in need of our help?” she teased.
“Well, no.”
She frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have an eyedropper.”
Adam looked around her kitchen. “Do you have a tiny spoon? I can use that to dribble the liquid into his mouth.” He gently detached the kitten from his shirt and set him on the towel on the counter.
She dug into a drawer and held up a measuring spoon.
“That will work.” He dipped the spoon into the mixture and held it up to the kitten, who cried. Adam tried to insert the spoon into his mouth, but the liquid dribbled down his fur and onto the towel. He then dipped his finger in. Time after time he continued to encourage the kitten to eat. His patience was rewarded when he saw the tiny pink tongue poke out and lick the droplets of Mel’s mixture.
His eyes grew wide. “Look, he’s eating.” He set the kitten down in front of the saucer and he eyed it. Adam dabbed his finger in and held it out for the kitten. “We did it.”
Her smile grew as the kitten began to lap up his special ‘milk’ from the saucer.
Adam’s grin filled his face. “I’m going to let him drink all he wants.”
The kitten stopped lapping at the milk and picked his way across the towel. Adam set him on the floor. “Look at that, a little bit of food and he’s ready to roll.” He couldn’t begin to explain the feelings he had watching the fur ball totter around Melinda’s kitchen.
“You still haven’t said what his name will be.”
“That depends on if he’s a boy or girl.” He glanced at Mel. “Any idea how you can tell?”
She snickered. “Turn him upside down and look.”
Adam gently picked up the kitten and turned him stomach side up. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mel was shaking with suppressed laughter.
He turned him over and set him down again. “I’ve got no clue, but I’m calling him Skye.”
“I knew it. You’re keeping him.” Melinda’s eyebrow arched.
Adam grinned. “Yes, I guess I am.”
“Why Skye?”
“He makes me smile and all I can think of is an old song my grandmother used to sing.”
Melinda touched his arm. “I haven’t seen you smile like you are right now.”
Adam turned his head away from her. It wasn’t something he could explain. For the first time in a long time, Adam had a purpose. Another living being was depending on him.
He cleared his throat. “I think we’re going to head home so you can have your evening back.”
“This was fun.” She scooped Skye up. “You know, I was just thinking…you’re going to need supplies. If you want, leave Skye with me and you can run to the grocery store. You should be able to get everything you’ll need until you can get him checked out.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Adam hesitated. It would make it easier than tucking the kitten in his shirt. “That’d be great. Thanks Mel.” He dropped a kiss on his head and said, “You be good for Mel. I’ll be back very soon, and then we’ll go home.”
Mel chuckled. “Go, he’ll be fine.” She pushed him to the door.
“You’re sure?” He looked over his shoulder. “Maybe I should just take him now.”
“Trust me it will be easier for both of you. Stop worrying.”
Melinda’s laughter followed him down the path as he hurried toward his truck.
On the drive he thought about how he and Mel made a good team taking care of Skye. He wondered why she didn’t want to keep him, she was good with him and somehow that didn’t jive with not being a pet person. Skye would have been good company for her too.
Adam made the trip in record time, getting everything he could think the kitten might need in addition to a few toys and treats too. He parked the truck in Melinda’s driveway and hurried up the walk. He pushed open the front door. “Mel?”
“In the living room.”
He discovered Melinda cuddling the sleeping kitten in her lap. She looked up through her lashes and said, “Someone was exhausted after all that exploring and conked out.”
Adam smiled. From the looks of things, Mel was a cat person after all. He sat on the cushioned footrest and stroked Skye’s little paws. “Thanks for taking care of him.”
“Did you get everything you needed?”
He nodded. “And then some.”
“Just what I expected.” She picked Skye up and passed him to Adam’s waiting hands. “Here you go.”
Adam held the kitten close. Skye started to purr as they walked toward the door. Melinda opened it for him and handed him a jar. “Here’s the leftover kitten formula. Store it in the fridge and shake before giving it to him.”
He looked at her and said, “Thanks for your help tonight.” Something was different about Mel, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. “All right, see you tomorrow.”
Adam was halfway to his truck when Melinda called after him, “Adam, aren’t you forgetting something?”
He stopped and thought for a moment. “Oh, right. Beth’s information.” He held up Skye. “I got sidetracked.”
“Hold on, I’ll get it for you.”
Adam waited in the driveway while she ran back into the house and skipped down the steps. She handed him a slip of paper. “Here you go. Email and phone number.”
He tucked the paper in his pants pocket. “I’ll call you tomorrow after I get back from the vet’s.”
“You’d better,” she teased. “He’s my first official rescue.”
Keeping his eyes on her face, he said, “We made one helluva team tonight.”
Her smile warmed his heart. “We sure did.”
He got into the truck and made sure Skye was safely tucked into his jacket on the passenger seat. He looked out the windshield and gave Mel a wave.
It was too bad it wasn’t her name on the paper in his pocket. She sure was a great lady. Adam dropped the truck in reverse and slowly drove home.