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Chapter 17
“SayCatnip.” Aria clicked a photo of a smiling Edith and Buster and lowered her phone. She uploaded the photo to the front page of the café website and added a congratulatory message:Hooray! Buster found his forever home with Edith!
“I’ll take exceptional care of him.” Edith hugged the cat before putting him into the crate.
“He’ll take good care of you, too.” Aria picked up the gift basket filled with toys, cat food, and treats that she gave to all the cats’ new adoptive parents. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to come and visit after he’s settled in.”
“Of course, my dear.” Edith picked up the crate and started out to her car. “He’ll be thrilled to see you. We both will. I’d love the company, too.”
Aria followed her outside and set the gift basket in the backseat. She helped Edith arrange the crate in the front. She bent to peek into the crate at Buster. Her heart constricted a little.
“Be good, okay?” She stuck her finger through the grate and touched his paw. “I’ll miss you.”
He twitched his whiskers. She backed away and closed the car door, turning to hug Edith.
“I’ll give you a call next week.” Edith embraced her and started around to the driver’s seat. “And I’ll email you tonight to let you know how he’s doing.”
Aria nodded, waving as Edith and Buster pulled away and headed home. She returned to the Cat Lounge, where the other cats were roaming more than usual—as they always did when one of their own moved out. She sat down to both soothe the cats and to take comfort of her own in petting their silky fur.
Truth be told, it was more than just Buster being gone that had her restless and anxious. As if she hadn’t been preoccupied enough with Hunter over the past couple of weeks, after their impromptu slumber party, then the town “date” and hot encounter two nights ago, she really couldn’t stop thinking of him.
The uplifting movie trailer in her head had changed toThe Hunter Show, Starring HunterArmstrong. All Hunter, all the time.
Hunter when she was eating breakfast, Hunter in the shower—most definitelyHunter in the shower—Hunter when she was picking up her bakery order, making coffee, feeding the cats. Hunter when she was cleaning the litter boxes, for lord’s sake.
She’d been so wrong about thinking he was cut from the same cloth as Steve had been. Hunter was rational and able to compartmentalize his life, but he didn’t shut down his emotions. Even when he’d visibly tried to distance himself from her, she’d sensed his feelings and restraint simmering just underneath the surface.
She scratched Porkchop’s ears and looked out the window at Mariposa Street. Afternoon sunlight glowed off the cobblestone street, and a couple sat at a table outside Nico’s. Two young women walked toward The Bloom Room.
Hunter had texted her several times, apologizing for not being able to stop by since the other night, which had been both more fun and hotter than she’d anticipated. Just thinking about his intimate touch elicited a warm, swirling sensation in her belly…and the secret longing to learn the full extent of his expertise.
It had been a long time since she’d fully enjoyed sex. Any kind of intimacy with Steve had been trying on an emotional level because she’d been forced to keep her wants and needs to herself. She’d been voiceless in all areas of their relationship.
She certainly hadn’t been that way with Hunter—from ordering him out of her café to refusing to sign the contract, to challenging him to a debate. She’d added another brick to her wall of self-confidence with every resolution. And even though they were on opposite sides, Hunter liked her fire. His appreciation shone in every quick smile and spark of admiration.
Setting the cat aside, she walked to the window and peered down the street at the Rags to Riches Thrift Shop. Hunter stood on the sidewalk, his tablet in his hand as he spoke to the owner, Annie.
Though he was no doubt trying to talk Annie into his plans, Aria would have normally experienced an intense burst of pleasure at the sight of him.
Except…another woman stood at his side. Elegantly dressed in a red suit and heels, she had sleek hair and a posture that commanded attention. Sunglasses covered her eyes, and she carried a slim leather briefcase. She appeared to have everything that Aria didn’t—big city sophistication, wealth, elegance, and an innate poise.
Given the way she slipped her arm through Hunter’s as they continued walking, she also had him. Or thought she did.
Jealousy snaked through Aria’s gut. She didn’t have a right to be jealous—it wasn’t as if she and Hunter were even dating, after all—but she suddenly wished she had the right to touch him with the same casual ease.
She wished she was sophisticated and knew how to dress elegantly with everything coordinated—including her shoes. Instead she wore ragtag dresses, jeans with holes in them, and old sandals that displayed her toe-ring. The other woman’s hair was styled to perfection with not a strand out of place.
Aria pushed a lock of her messy hair behind her ear and wondered when she’d last gotten it cut, much less styled.
Her heart crashed against her ribs. Hunter and the woman were walking toward the café. He shook his head, pointing toward the movie theater. Releasing his arm, the woman shrugged and started up the front porch steps.
Shit.
Aria hastily untied her stained apron and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles on her cotton tunic. She pulled a hairband off her wrist and managed to fasten a quick ponytail the instant before the woman strode inside.
Aria hurried to the front room, closing the Cat Lounge door behind her. She forced a smile as Hunter entered, his mouth tight.
“Welcome to Meow and Then.” Her voice sounded high and thin. “Can I get you something?”
