Chapter 20
“It's gonna need milk,” he said.
“Yes… I know,” I told him.
“We’re not really equipped to take care of it,” he said.
“I’m keeping it. I’m not arguing with you anymore. Either help me figure out how, or I’ll walk into town, and someone will help me,” I said.
He scratched his head and growled.
“Not really leaving me a choice, are you?”
“Almost like the lack of choices you have given me,” I said.
“Get in the truck, before I change my mind,” he muttered.
I quickly got in the truck before he really did change his mind. He got in, slamming the door behind him. We drove down the road and then down several more roads. We pulled down a driveway. I looked at Quinn and furrowed my brows.
“Where are we going?”
“To my uncle’s,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Not to the store?” I asked.
“The stores around here don’t carry kitten milk,” he said.
“And your uncle does?”
“He does… unfortunately for me, fortunately for you,” he said.
“Ya, ya, we know you’re not on board,” I said.
He reached forward and turned the radio up.
Nice touch, Quinnlyn. It was only a few minutes before we pulled up to a house.
A guy walked out the door, tilting his head at us, and studying the truck.
Quinn opened the door and stepped out. He talked to the guy for a few minutes before he turned slightly toward me and motioned me to come over.
I got out of the truck, with the kitten pressed against me. It made little kitten noises and cries, but not many. I walked over to them. His uncle held his hands out for me to give him the kitten. I tilted my head at him.
“I’m not gonna harm it,” his uncle said.
I handed him the little kitten. It was about eight inches long.
He took the kitten in his hands and used his fingers to gently touch all around the body.
He flipped it over and checked the rear side.
He poked around back there. My eyes popped open wider.
He went to its mouth, prying it open, and sticking his finger in its mouth. The baby moved its mouth a little.
“Well, it’s a girl, and she’s very dehydrated. She’s about a week and a half old. Her eyes will be opening soon, if she makes it. She will need to be fed by bottle every few hours,” he said.
“Do you have milk and a bottle?” I asked him.
“Luckily for you, I do. Otherwise, you would be heading to Baton Rouge,” he said.
“How or… why do you have milk?” I asked.
“Let’s just say I’m like the bayou vet,” he said, flashing me a smile, the same one Quinn had.
He stepped forward, handed me the kitten, and then turned around and headed for a barn. I stood there in front of the truck, my thumb rubbing her little head. Quinn followed behind him, both of them saying things that I couldn’t hear.
Within a few minutes, both of them appeared back out of the barn, walking my way. Quinn had a paper bag in his hand, and his uncle had another bag in his.
“Let’s get her fed now, and then you will follow the instructions I wrote on the bag. Mix the bottle and feed every three hours, even during the night. Think you can handle that?” he said.
“Yep, I got it,” I said.
I took the bottle from him and pushed it to her mouth.
She didn’t move much at first, but as it started dripping into her mouth, she started to move her mouth and tongue.
It wasn’t vigorous, but she started to suck on the bottle slowly.
It took her several minutes before she finally got the hang of it.
It took several more minutes before she stopped sucking and spat it out.
“Now, you will also need to take a wet washcloth and wipe her butt to stimulate her to pee and poop until she does it on her own,” he said.
“Okay, anything else?” I asked.
“In a few weeks, you can get a little box and start training her to go in there,” he said.
“Perfect. Appreciate you,” I said, flashing him a smile.
“Thank you, uncle,” Quinn said.
We both got in the truck and headed back home. He kept the music turned up, avoiding conversation with me. I welcomed the silence. I gently petted her as we moved down the road.
Once we got back to the house, I went inside, but Quinn stayed outside.
I grabbed a little blanket and went to my chair and held her close to me.
I picked up the book that I’d been reading.
I was at the good part, right where the couple decides they actually do like each other. With that always came the fun chapters.
Several hours later, the kitty started to root on my chest. As I stood up, Quinn walked back inside with the bags from his uncle and placed them on the counter.
I went to the counter, grabbed the bottle, and walked to the sink.
I made her a bottle and fed her. She fed much better this time than she did earlier.
“Where were you gonna go earlier?” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“When you decided to take off running and then found this little… pussy,” he said.
“She is a kitten… She is Lucy,” I said.
“You… named it?” he said.
“Of course, she needed a name.”
“Oh Lord…” he groaned.
“What did you mean earlier?”
“When exactly?”
“Well, there are a lot of things I have questions about… about the plaything?”
“Damn it, Zay, why do you want to do that?” he said.
“Yes, I want to do this. You keep being vague, saying half things. You said I’m not captive, but you wouldn’t let me leave earlier,” I said.
“I didn’t hold you down,” he said.
“You chased me through the woods,” I said.
“What can I say? I love the chase, and you, my little doe, are fun to chase,” he said.
“You know… that little name doesn’t even bother me anymore,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
Lucy had finished her bottle. I walked to the sink, putting the bottle in there. I grabbed a washcloth, got it wet, and wiped her bum area. Just like he said, she did her business in the washcloth. I turned to walk back to the chair when Quinn grabbed my arm.
“What?” I shot out.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I looked up from the ground, our eyes locked.
“For what?” I said.
“For everything,” he said.
“Then stop being so damned secretive,” I shot out.
“A plaything means someone is using someone, usually for sex, without feelings. Discarding them when they're done playing with them. That’s not what you are… to me,” he said.
“Then what am I to you?”
“A friend,” he said.
“Why does your cousin think you're in love with me?” I shot out. As soon as it escaped my lips, I wanted to take it back.
“We rarely see each other. He doesn’t know anything about me,” he said.
“Hmm… yet, you don’t deny it.”
Ring.
Ring.
He walked to the phone, our conversation ending. He was saved by the bell again.
“Hello?”
“It’s been a while, Callie.”
“No. No. Slow down. Calm down, Callie.”
“It’s okay. Take a breath and start from the beginning.”
“No, you should leave. Head to Titis. Do you remember how to get here?”
“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Do you know that storage locker that is off of 331?”
“Okay, go there. Number thirty-seven. Combination number three-seven-thirteen. There is a Civic in there, money in the glovebox. Drive as far as you can before you stop for gas.”
“Yes, that’s where I hid it. Just get in the danged thing and drive here.”
“No. I had it painted and tinted. No one will know whose it is.”
“Damn it, Callie. As soon as you get far from there, call me and let me know you made it out.”
“No. No. Don’t bring Benji.”
“Because that’s his son, and he won’t stop looking for him. That will be inviting him to our doorstep.”
“Just get here safe, damn it.”
He slammed the phone down. I stared at him, eyes wide. I couldn’t hear her side, but his part was telling enough.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“She thinks Ravik knows that you’re alive. When Paxton was high, he said something about you being kidnapped, but you were fine.”
“Oh no.”
“They tried to play it off like he was high and just talking crazy, but Ravik has been calling people and asking questions,” he said.
“What is she going to do?”
“She’s gonna head here. I need to leave, I’ll be back,” he said.
He didn’t wait for an answer before he was out the door. I sat down in the chair, unsure what to do. I continued petting Lucy. She didn’t know it, but she was comforting me more than I was her.
Quinn had let me know a week ago that Paxton was in a dark place.
He’d been using heroin. I wanted to leave that day, but Quinn talked me out of it.
It wouldn’t do anybody any good if we showed up without a plan.
He assured me that Benji promised to check in over there and try to talk my mother into putting him in rehab.
I told Quinn that if something didn’t happen, we had to go back for Aspen.
If my mother were drunk, and he was high, she wasn’t safe there.
A couple of days ago, another friend of Quinn’s called and let him know that they were able to convince my mother to admit him into rehab. Paxton must have said something before he got to rehab—at least that's what I hoped.
When he walked in a few hours later, he was anxious.
He walked with heavy steps. He paced in front of the phone for a while before he started grabbing food out of the fridge.
Lucy started to root on my chest again, indicating she was hungry.
I made her a bottle and stood in the kitchen feeding her.
Each feeding got better and better. The phone rang, and before the second ring, he grabbed it.
“Callie?”
“Okay. Okay. Good. Titi Lina is expecting you. It will be late when you arrive, but she said to go inside and sleep on the couch.”
“Well, you could come here, but there isn’t really a road name or address.”
“I’ll be there in the morning, and we’ll all talk.”
“I love ya. Be safe.”
He hung up and sighed loudly.
“Sounds like she’s safe?” I asked.
“Thus far,” he said.
“So… what’s the story on the Civic?” I asked.