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And, evidently, failed.
•••
“Did it seem hurt?”
I pushed a cup of coffee towards my brother with a shake of my head. “It was flying around like it was going for an Olympic sprint for birds. It flew right out as you arrived.”
“Of course it did.” Kevin took the mug from me and gave me a withering look. “It’s almost as if he wasn’t here at all.”
“Oh, shut up. You saw the feathers he left everywhere.” I squished the teabag against the side of my mug and scooped it out with a teaspoon. “Besides, if you didn’t want to come to all the animal rescues in my house, you shouldn’t have started an animal rescue.”
He sniffed. “It was Aaron’s idea.”
“I seem to remember him proposing it to you as his dream and you being happy to go along with it.”
“I wouldn’t say I was happy.”
“How many kittens do you have in rescue right now?”
“Sixteen,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Sixteen.” Kev sighed. “With three mums. They’ll be getting spayed as soon as we’re able to. Aaron just got us signed up to a program that subsidises the cost.”
My lips twitched up. My brother could say what he liked about the rescue all being Aaron’s idea, but he’d do anything for his boyfriend. Like raise sixteen kittens and their three feral mothers.
He was a much better person than I was.
“How many animals do you have right now?”
Kev pursed his lips. “Twenty-eight cats, two hedgehogs, three owls, a blackbird, a ferret, two goats, a miniature donkey, twelve ducks, nineteen chickens, and an emu.”
I raised my eyebrows. “An emu?”
“It was going to be killed. How could I leave it there?”
Yeah, the rescue wasallhis boyfriend’s idea. Sheesh. “Just accept you’re halfway to a petting zoo and will be getting alpacas at the earliest opportunity.”
“We, uh. We’ve discussed it.”
“Of course you have.” I hid my smirk behind my mug. “So you’ll do it.”
“Why don’t you shut up and tell me how your latest book is going?”
I looked away. “Don’t ask.”
“That well, huh?”
“Shut up.”
“Now you know how it feels.” He sipped his coffee and peered over at me in a way that only a big brother could. “What’s the problem? Writer’s block?”
I nodded and explained. “Meg suggested I take Winston and get a change of scenery. She thinks it might do me good and inspire me.”
“I don’t think she’s wrong. Not to mention that you’re probably burnt out, El. You’ve been writing for years without a break.” His gaze softened. “Maybe that’s what you need.”
“Perhaps, but I have a contract that says otherwise.”
