Page 30 of Hot Under the Collar

Mama’s tongue rasped against her skin, rough and unexpectedly gentle, and something inside Lynne unclenched.

If even this prickly, overprotective cat could get used to her, maybe there was hope. Not with the internet—she could take or leave their opinions—but with the breathing, laughing man sitting inches away, looking at her like she was more than a good punchline and a decent pour.

The chat blurred into a stream of hearts and exclamation points, but all she could feel was the weight of Leo’s words, the warmth in his voice wrapping around her.

Minka made an exaggerated gasp. “Oh, the chat is loving this. We’ve got ‘Go, Mama!’ and ‘Kitten queen’ and … wow, okay, rude again. I’ll have to show you guys how to block people before the next livestream.” She paused, grin stretching slow. “We have a great question here from @DontQuoteMeOnThat46: ‘Are you two a couple?’”

Lynne’s jaw dropped. “Minka!”

“I didn’t ask. They did!”

“But you already know the answer,” Lynne hissed. Question marks filled the screen this time.

“Do I?” Minka winked at them from behind the phone.

Lynne covered her face with both hands, wishing she could disappear between the cushions.

“I can’t afford her tab, folks,” Leo deadpanned into the camera.

Laughing emojis cascaded up the screen like confetti.

Of course he turned it into a joke. It was safer that way—for both of them. She knew that. But it nicked, too, a tiny sting under her rib cage.

Lynne forced out another laugh. “Yeah, he’s already committed. To the kittens,” she said, aiming for breezy. “You can thank Fred for that.”

“Blink twice if you want to kiss him, though,” Minka cackled as she read one more comment.

The word ‘kiss’ hit her like a dropped tray, loud and messy and impossible to ignore. For a second, all the tiny icons and comments on the screen smeared together into one long, taunting blur. She felt the heat creep up her neck. She wasn’t a teenager, blushing because someone guessed a crush. She blushed because it held up a mirror she couldn’t look away from. One night with Leo had been a mistake she’d sworn she wouldn’t repeat—for his sake and for hers. Yet her heart still lurched, stupid and hopeful, at the idea it could be different this time. But could she be different?

It wasn’t that she didn’t want him. Wanting him was the problem. Wanting him meant letting the future creep in, and she’d only just gotten good at surviving the present.

Mama licked her hand again, as if sensing Lynne’s tension. It reminded her of Mazzy’s comforting presence. She’d suddenly remembered and missed that feeling, too.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Minka said. “That one was from Chief Bob. Bob, you better watch it. Leo knows where you sleep.”

The alarm on Lynne’s watch vibrated softly. She turned to Leo. “It’s time to feed the kittens. Let’s wrap it up.”

Minka nodded. “Don’t forget to like and follow us for more Autumn Ridge kitten chaos soon. Bye for now!”

And that should’ve done it. But even as Minka dashed around the living room, gathering her things to head back to the café, neither of them moved. She felt Leo’s thigh still pressed against hers, both of their pulses racing.

He glanced at her, like he could hear every panicked, hopeful thought rattling around in her head. She wondered if he had those same thoughts, too.

Lynne swallowed. And, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t pull away from him.

13

Leo (Now)

In the morning, Leo woke to start bottle feeding, only to find Mama curled up in the playpen with the litter, contentedly letting them feed.

“Lynne! Come see this,” Leo called.

Lynne came rushing into the guest bedroom. When she saw what he’d seen, her eyes welled up. “Oh, Mama, really?” she whispered. She turned to Leo. “This is the best thing I’ve seen all year.”

“Looks like all she needed to do was warm up to you, huh? Get used to the place.”

“Maybe.” Her eyes brightened. “I know you’ve got to head to work soon, but want to do a video quickie for the socials? This is worth sharing.”