Chapter 4 Nina
NINA
Iheld my breath waiting for Logan to respond to Noah. Based on the frown and crumpled brow, it didn’t look good for the little stowaway and her new caretaker.
“Please?” Noah added, his lower lip trembling.
“Bud,” Logan began with a sigh. “Bringing home a pet is a big deal. We’ve never even talked about it.”
“Yeah, but haven’t you ever heard of the cat distribution system?” I asked.
They both turned to stare at me, like they’d forgotten I was there.
“The what?” Logan asked, his displeasure clear.
He could be as displeased as he wanted—I was on Team Noah. The kitten could be a way to help him come out of his shell.
“The CDS is this understanding that if the universe gifts you with a cat—like, one shows up unexpectedly in your life—it means that you’re destined to be together.
And to me, this feels like the perfect example of the cat distribution system, because how in the world did that little baby make it on board with no one spotting her? ”
“Yeah!” Noah said.
Logan stared at Noah, and I could see the mental calculations going on in his head.
“Okay, here’s how we’re going to handle it,” he began.
I crossed my fingers.
“We know nothing about this cat. We’re not even sure if she likes us.”
I sorted out a laugh when Noah gave his father an incredulous look and pointed at the kitten asleep and purring under his chin.
Logan kept going. “We obviously can’t do anything now given we’re in the middle of the ocean, so she can stay until we get to the next port. Then we need to make a decision.”
Noah gasped and moved his hand to shield the kitten protectively.
“Now hold on, I didn’t finish,” he said with more patience than I thought he contained.
“We’ll see how things go over the next few days, and if we’re all happy and getting along, then we can talk about the possibility of keeping her.
Okay? It’s not definite, because we need to make sure she’s happy too.
If we’re not the family for her, then the best thing to do would be to take her to a shelter where they can find the perfect fit. Does that make sense?”
Noah nodded, eyes wide.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t think he was enough of an ogre to toss the kitten overboard, but I wasn’t banking on him being won over by sweetness or Noah’s pleading, either. I saw his “solution” as a stopgap to keep his troubled son from breaking down completely in the moment.
At least we all had a few days’ respite before Logan made the final call that I was convinced he’d make. For now, they could focus on being good cat parents.
Although…did either of them have a clue what to do? My “fix things” instinct flared up, and before I could stop myself, I butted right into the middle of the mess.
“Okay, so that means you’ll need food, water, and a litter pan. And before you do anything, that sweet little baby needs a bath, because she’s filthy!” I reached out to run my hand down the kitten’s back.
“Uh,” Logan shuffled his feet. “And how does one…do that? Bathe a cat?”
“Can you help us, Miss Nina?” Noah piped up.
Logan frowned, but I ignored him. Noah was my focus.
Noah was the one who could gain so much from having a pet, and I wanted to make this a good experience for him in any way I could.
Even if that meant ignoring my distaste for his father and stepping up to show them how transformative a pet could be.
“I have some free time…” I answered vaguely, focusing on Noah and not Logan.
“I’d appreciate it if you could give us some direction,” Logan replied.
Wow. I was convinced he’d find a way to dismiss me, so I jumped at the chance to start building their bond.
“Okay then! Let’s get this cutie into a bubble bath. Do you have gentle shampoo, like for kids?”
“We do,” Logan said. “Let’s go.”
Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he got up and followed us down the hall to their suite.
I stifled a shocked gasp when Logan opened the door and stepped aside to let me enter because I was walking into a different world. My room was basically a closet with a porthole, so it was both a treat and a slap in the face to see how the other half lived.
A wall of windows facing the ocean led out to a long balcony. The vibe was calming browns and tans punctuated by pops of blue that perfectly matched the water. A sitting area. Rooms, like, with doors and everything! Were we even on the same ship?
“This way, Miss Nina,” Noah said, clutching the kitten with one hand and taking my hand with the other.
I melted a little. This kid was special.
I assumed Logan would peel off to do whatever trillionaire CEOs did, but he followed behind us into the ridiculously large bathroom.
My bathroom was so tiny I had to curl up to keep my feet out of the shower while I peed. This one could host a ten-person sit-down dinner.
Noah ran to the tub with the kitten bouncing along in his arms. “There’s my shampoo, and there’s my towel.” He pointed to them then grinned at me.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
I talked him through the mechanics of finding the best water temperature and letting the kitten get used to the sensation of it on her feet before filling the tub and getting her fully wet. Noah listened intently, so I focused on him and not the grump perched on the edge of the vanity behind us.
Cats and water aren’t a great combination, but we lucked out because the kitten seemed to actually enjoy splashing around in the inch of test water.
“She likes it!” Noah cheered. “See Dad? She’s an old salt, just like me! Born to be on the water.”
Logan and I exchanged a glance and chuckle. I assumed it was a family joke.
I kept up my explanations as I started the bathing process. Noah tucked in beside me, hip to hip as we gently massaged shampoo into the kitten’s fur.
“How do you know so much about cats?” Logan asked.
“Miss Nina knows about everything,” Noah answered before I could.
I knew a little about a lot of things, mostly because I’d needed all the skills I could get when I was growing up…but I didn’t want to get into questions about my background over the years. It would give Logan another reason to judge me.
I bumped Noah with my shoulder. “Not quite.” I looked back at Logan. “I’ve lived with cats over the years, here and there. I wasn’t lucky enough to have my own cat, but I was a devoted auntie to the ones I lived with. I even helped deliver kittens once!”
“Wow,” Noah breathed. “Like a doctor!”
“Oh, I wish,” I laughed. “I was terrified, but it all worked out. Three healthy babies. Now let’s get her lathered up.”
Little by little, our soapy massage revealed that the gray stowaway was actually a gorgeous white kitten.
I felt Logan lean in closer. “Look at that, she’s a stunner.”
“She’s perfect!” Noah said as I did a tight burrito wrap on the kitten. “I love her so much.”
I handed the bundle to him, and Noah immediately kissed her head and hugged her. I shot a look at his father as if to say, “I dare you to deny your son this magic.”
“You know, she needs a name,” I said. I leaned back on my heels and looked up at Noah. “It should probably be something related to the ocean, or boats—”
“Ariel,” Noah said. “Because she’s a mermaid. She swam out to the boat and climbed aboard to find me.”
I smiled. “Ariel it is!”
“Let’s get her some food and water,” Logan suggested. “The kitchen is closed, but I bet we can scrounge something up. No kitties allowed, so why don’t you stay here with her while we run down, Noah? I’ll have Winnie from security come hang out with you while we’re gone. She’s nice, right?”
He nodded solemnly and hugged Ariel a little tighter.
Logan left the bathroom to radio for Winnie, then turned back to me. “Are you coming?”
I froze. “Oh, me? You want me to go?”
“Well, I have no clue what we have that kittens would eat,” he grumbled, probably because he hated admitting he didn’t know everything. “And the litterbox thing? No clue. So yes, come.” He paused. “Please.”
Well damn, now he was trying to sweet-talk me with the bare minimum of politeness. I nodded, then stood to follow him.
Winnie arrived to hang out with Noah and Ariel, and Logan and I set off for the kitchen in a daze.
We passed several corridors in silence. “That was a shock,” I said when I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Yeah,” Logan agreed. “And I’m not sure about how this is going to play out. What if the thing is sick? Or diseased? Can kittens get rabies?”
“Oh Logan,” I laughed. “Way to jump to the worst-case scenario. It’s a kitten, not a baby werewolf.
She’s fine. And if you ask me, I think encouraging Noah to take care of that little one might help open him up.
Shift his focus from himself to another being.
I can tell he’s going through some stuff. ”
I held my breath and let it dangle. If Logan wasn’t going to clue me in about the storm clouds around his son, I wasn’t about to push for more information.
It wasn’t my business.
Even though I wanted to wrap that sad child in a never-ending hug.
“You’re right, he is,” Logan sighed as we reached the kitchen.
I played off my shock. I would’ve assumed he’d jump to defend his perfectly normal and happy child as if he was trying to convince both of us.
Logan switched on the lights, and I outlined what we needed to find. Within a few minutes, we’d assembled bowls, warmed up a portion of shredded chicken, and found an old box to use for the sand we were substituting for kitty litter.
“You’re good at this,” Logan said as he packed the supplies in the box. “And you manage Noah really well. He obviously likes you.”
I waited for him to make a point. I mean, it was lovely to be recognized for my abilities, but why was he cataloging them for me? I already knew I was good with cats and kids. It wasn’t a brag, it was a fact.
“I like him too,” I replied. “And Ariel is a no-brainer. That kitten is ca-yute.”
He didn’t chuckle at my silly inflection.
“Work for me.”
What in the non sequitur was he talking about?