"Chocolate milk?" Sammy said.
"I can get that too," Rico said as he turned to Mitch. "I'll go shopping, buy a few things for lunch too. How does that sound?"
"If you don't mind," Mitch said and their eyes met for too long. At close range, his eyes were such a bottomless blue. Rico had a lot of trouble turning away from them and remembering what he just said he would do.
"It's no problem," Rico said as he got up and brushed himself off. "You're in charge of the kittens, missy."
"OK, Rico," Sammy said, happy with that chore.
When Rico got back from shopping, Mitch had gone back to work while Sammy was playing with the kittens and talking to them.
"You got a lot," Mitch said seeing all the grocery bags Rico was bringing from the car.
"There was a slight change of plans. Look what I got for you guys," Rico said and held up the bag of cat food.
"What about milk?" Sammy asked.
"I got some milk but not for the kittens. Jasmine at the register set me straight. Kittens shouldn't have cow's milk," Rico told her.
"Chocolate milk?" Sammy said still convinced that it was the best choice.
"No. That's why I got them the cat food," Rico said. "I told Jasmine how big they were and she said to get them this, but they really need kitten food. Monty's Grocery doesn't have it." He also got two dishes for their food and water, and he got those out and set them up right in the grass.
Rico let Sammy help fill the dishes with water and cat food then they watched the kittens while they munched on it.
"No milk for you," Sammy said to the kittens.
"You can have some milk with your lunch if you want," Mitch told Sammy, but she wasn't very interested in her own lunch.
"Their food is stinky, but they like it. Now they're licking water," Sammy said as she lay in the grass and watched them.
"Do you want to drink like that too?" Rico asked her.
"No. I drink from a glass," she told him.
"I'll keep that in mind. You want to help me make lunch?" Rico asked. Sammy didn't look eager to leave the kittens, so he let her off the hook. "OK. Then you stay here and think of some names for those kittens."
That she was glad to do. Sammy peered at the kittens while they ate and drank like she was expecting them to tell her their names.
As he went into the kitchen, Rico thought he would be making lunch alone, but Mitch came in after him.
"Those kittens might belong to someone, you know," Mitch said.
"I doubt it. There are quite a few stray cats around here and some outdoor cats too. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. You are keeping the kittens, right?" Rico said only now realizing that he should have checked with Mitch before assuming. In his mind, they already belonged to Sammy.
"Do I have a choice?" Mitch said while he helped Rico with the groceries. "How much do I owe you for all this?"
"It's on me. You didn't ask me to buy all this stuff," Rico told him.
"I can't let you pay," Mitch said. "And I should pay you for breakfast too."
"No way. That was my treat. As for all this, I'm planning to eat when I get hungry, grab myself a drink or ten. I should pay my share." Rico then turned to eye Mitch suspiciously. "Or are you afraid to owe me?"
"I'm not. But I don't think you got chocolate milk and Goldfish crackers for yourself," Mitch said.
Rico shook his head. "You don't know me, man. I love that stuff."
When they called Sammy in for lunch, she had news for them. "I know the kitties' names. Natalie and Veronica."
