Chapter 59
Thomas stepped over the remains of an ancient oak tree that rested on the lawn of the Lost House and walked toward the front porch where Marian Hale crouched.
“How many are there?” he asked.
A furry blob squirmed in Marian’s hands as she lowered it into the cardboard box next to her. “Six, but there might be more.”
The Lost House collected the lost and the lonely, which meant he had at least six kittens who needed food, shelter, and love. The high-pitched meowing told Thomas the kittens were hungry. He opened his backpack.
“I can find the rest of the kittens if you feed these,” Thomas told Marian.
She turned toward him. The woman was wan and pale. Whatever magic she’d used to find these kittens had drained her.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.” The sharp tone in her voice told Thomas not to ask questions. “Give me the bottles.”
They shifted positions. Thomas dropped to his knees and peered under the porch.
He crossed his index and middle fingers and flicked his wrist. Three more kittens, a white mouse with her litter of ten babies, and a sleepy garter snake arrived in front of him.
Surprised by the size of the House’s collection, Thomas settled the kittens into the box, returned the startled mouse family to their home under the porch, and banished the snake to the oak tree with another flick of his wrist.
He sat down on the porch steps next to Marian, whose cheeks appeared pinker, and joined her in bottle-feeding the abandoned kittens. They worked in silence, making sure each kitten got enough to eat.
A few minutes later, Thomas stiffened when a horse-drawn trailer full of hay and tourists pulled up. Marian gently placed the kitten she was holding back into the box and stood.
“I’m guiding the Fall Foliage Tour from here to town. Can you handle this brood on your own?”
Thomas stroked the black-and-white kitten in his lap. He didn’t think Marian should be conducting a tour with how tired she looked, but he nodded.
The herd of tourists spilled out onto the lawn.
Thomas shuddered when the air vibrated with Nell’s energy.
He didn’t understand how he knew it was her, but he did.
He cradled the kitten while he scanned the crowd to find her.
She stood at the back of the group, her hair covered with a ball cap that read, “Buy Local, Buy Herb Farm.” The baggy gray sweatshirt she wore hid her athletic figure, but Thomas still felt the pull of attraction.
Marian walked straight up to Nell and greeted her.
Thomas strained to hear, but Marian put up a sound block, keeping their conversation private.
When Nell’s green eyes darted his way, a buzz of excitement replaced his irritation.
He struggled to keep his heart rate from speeding up when the women headed his way.
“Nell volunteered to take my place, Thomas.” Marian’s tone was firm, but Thomas knew better than to argue. Her word was law around Driftwood Pointe. “Make sure you get her home after the kittens are settled.”
He remembered how he’d felt when Nell touched his shoulder the night before, and his heart skipped a beat. Thomas wanted to spend more time with Nell. But he wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
“How can I help?” Nell asked when Marian walked away.
“Are you sure you want to do this? The tour is a hell of a lot more interesting than these kittens.”
The corners of Nell’s lips lifted, revealing the dimple on her left cheek. “Marian promised me a private tour later. I’m all yours.”
Hoping she didn’t notice how certain parts of his body reacted to her statement, Thomas handed her a kitten. Their fingers brushed, sending a shiver up his arm. Thomas glanced at Nell, whose cheeks flushed. She stared at him before turning her wide eyes to the purring animal.
Thomas cleared his throat and gave Nell a bottle. “Don’t let the kitten suck air. Tilt the bottle like this,” he showed the correct angle, “and when she loses interest, she’s full.”
He stepped back, putting some distance between himself and the irresistible scent of Nell’s jasmine-and-vanilla perfume. Her face softened as she cradled each animal and fed them in turn. Thomas’s chest tightened, and he knew it had nothing to do with the kittens.
The next time he handed Nell a kitten and a fresh bottle, Thomas’s hand brushed hers.
The urge to draw her into his arms almost overwhelmed him.
He’d never had a problem controlling his desire, but Nell made him want in a way he didn’t understand.
What was worse, he didn’t know anything about her, except that her ring finger was bare.
When the kittens had been fed, Thomas and Nell loaded them into the cardboard box and climbed into Thomas’s truck. Nell nestled the box on her lap as Thomas backed out of the Lost House’s parking area.
“Does someone live here?” Nell asked.
The House’s sadness washed over him, but he shook it off. “It’s been empty for years. Why?”
“No reason.” Nell stared at the House, then shook her head. “Tell me about Driftwood Pointe.”
“The Historical Society is worth checking out, but here are some highlights: Founded in 1638, Driftwood Pointe gave women equal standing in governing the community and hosted pirate ships.” Thomas skipped the magical parts of the town’s background.
“A town before its time.” Nell scratched a kitten.
“Our real claim to fame is The Hex’s lobster roll.”
The grin Nell aimed at him had him squirming in the driver’s seat. “You are forgetting the bartender who knows everyone’s favorite drink and their high school nickname.”
“Yeah, well, Rowan is talented.” Thomas pointed out a few landmarks and added, “My family’s descended from the Calloways, the original founders.”
“So, you might have a few cousins in town?”
Thomas thought Nell was flirting, but he didn’t have time to find out, because they pulled into the animal clinic parking lot.
He led the way inside to the clinic’s narrow kennel. They transferred the nine kittens into their temporary home. When Thomas turned for the last kitten, Nell fluttered her long black lashes at him. He took that as an invitation.
Thomas dipped his head, desperate to touch her lips with his. Nell leaned in, and their lips brushed for a second before the kitten between them hissed. Thomas jerked back as its claws dug into his hand.
“What the—?” Thomas saw blood on his hand. He raised the kitten to eye level. If kittens could smile, this one was beaming. “Really?”
From the back room, Taz called out, “Slow it down, Romeo. Don’t scare her off.”
Thomas rolled his eyes. Just his luck that his familiar would choose this moment to give him advice on his love life.
“Are you okay?” Nell asked, taking his hand. Her touch made him forget about the scratches.
“Fine.” He searched her face, pleased to see her pulse throbbing at her neck. She licked her lips, and he had to look away. “Can I treat you to an apple cider as a thank you?”
She glanced down at her watch. “I need to get back to my friend.”
Thomas scrambled to think of another reason they could spend more time together. “Can I drive you back to your car?”
“No, thank you. I can walk. But… thank you.” She stared back at him as if she wanted to say something else. Instead, she turned and rushed out the door.
“Your dating skills are rusty,” Taz said, “and she’s out of your league.”
His familiar had a point. What if he had misread Nell’s signals? Thomas started to follow her, but Taz piped up again, “Slow your roll, Casanova. You’re not a stalker. Give her some space. She’ll be back. Trust me.”
Thomas glared at his hedgehog. He didn’t know how, but he knew Taz was right, so he ignored his libido and focused on cleaning up the mess from the kittens.