“Something is wrong with Punter’s eye,” he says frantically.
“Huh?”
“Baby, I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had a cat.”
I groan again. “Okay,” I say. “Can you meet me here in thirty?”
“Coach, what takes thirty minutes? This is an emergency!” He shouts into the phone.
“If you yell at me again, I’m going to hang up. Is Punter’s eye hanging out of it’s socket?”
“No,” he says.
“Then it can wait thirty minutes.”
“How can you be so sure?”
I sigh. “I’m hanging up now.”
I snag a shower and throw on jeans and a Voodoo tee just in time to answer the door to Bryant and Punter. I frown at the cat, lying on its back, cradled in Bryant’s arms like a baby. “He looks fine.”
“I was staring into his eyes this morning when I woke and noticed they look different. One is really blue, and the other one is lighter. I think he might be blind in one eye.”
“Aww, poor guy.” I pet the little guy’s head and grab my keys to drive us to the local vet.
I’ve never seen a cat rest on its back for as long as Punter very happily lounges in Bryant’s big, beefy arms, but there it is. Bryant and I have never had animals before, so I’ve never seen him with one. His concern is adorable.
At the vet, Bryant very reluctantly allows the veterinarian to examine the tiny kitten. He’s very skeptical of the doctor, but I manage to assuage his fears with all the medical degrees on the wall.
“Punter has heterochromia iridium,” Dr. Grant says.
“That sounds terrible. You don’t suspect blindness?” Bryant asks.
“Not at all. It just means he has two different colored eyes, and both pupils respond to stimuli or light on both sides.”
My ex releases a sigh of relief. “Okay. Thank you.”
We pay the vet for their services and head home. Punter sleeps tucked against Bryant’s neck as we drive across town to my townhome. When we reach my place, Bryant asks me to come over and see Ben and Ansel who have asked after me. Bryant thinks Ansel has a small crush on me, and I think it’s cute as can be.
“I haven’t had coffee yet, and it’s still early yet for Ansel. Why don’t I come over for lunch?”
He smiles at me, happy with my answer. “Yeah, sounds good.” He kisses me on the top of the head before he and Punter take off for his car.
I head inside and instead of fixing a cup of coffee, I decide to take a short nap. I send Bryant a message to let him know I’ll be over a little later than expected, and then I doze off as soon as my head hits the pillow. Except, I sleep the day away and when I wake it’s three in the afternoon. Shit. I guess I needed the rest more than I realized.
After a cup of java, I head for the shower and take my time pampering myself a bit. And then I opt for comfortable jeans and a Voodoo tee. By five, I’m in the car headed to Bryant’s. I hope I’m not too late for dinner. It would be nice to have dinner with the three men.
I turn the corner on Dauphine and before I pull up to the gate I see Bryant leading someone up the front steps to his house. Odd. He usually uses the back door that opens into the kitchen. As I drive closer, I also notice it’s a leggy blond he’s leading into the house.
My heart drops into my stomach, and shooting pain rips through my chest. I hit the brake and grip the steering wheel so hard I swear I almost break it off the column. My first inclination is to run. It’s my defense mechanism when it comes to Bryant, and it seems easier than standing there and hurting in front of him again.
And then a voice in my head whispers,He wouldn’t do that to you, not again. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I’ll give him a chance to explain. I pull up to his gate and push the call box button for entrance, and I’m immediately granted access.
My heart beats wildly in my chest as I exit my vehicle and enter the house through the kitchen door.
Bryant walks into the kitchen a second after I do with a huge grin on his face. “Hey, baby.” He leans down to kiss me, and it’s hard to kiss him back when there’s another woman somewhere in the house—a woman I don’t know. “You’re just in time to see Leslie have a panic attack.”
“Huh?”
