AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kitten paid no attention, just continued to chug milk. While it was distracted, Nick filled the sink partway with warm water and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. When Kitten stopped for a breather, he snatched it up and dunked most of its tiny body in the water, gently cleaning the sand and grime off.
Surprisingly, Kitten didn’t fight him. Its tiny engine hummed louder.
“Are you purring again? I think you’re defective.”
He gently scrubbed the dirt away, discovering fur that was dark orange with white stripes and white socks on three feet. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you be saddled with a dumb name like Socks.”
By the time he finished drying the ferocious animal, it had fallen asleep in his hands. He wrapped it up with a t-shirt and almost tucked it into the blankets on the couch but didn’t. It probably needed body warmth, so he cradled it against his chest instead.
The landline sat on the windowsill next to his futon couch. Picking it up, he dialed Xavier Stone’s number. He’d adopted a dog recently, so maybe he’d know what to do.
“Thanks for the ride,” Nick said.
Wrapped up in another of his t-shirts, Kitten was tucked against Nick’s chest. The box he’d been given to carry her in sat empty at Nick’s feet. The vet tech had writtenKittenin Sharpie across the top of the cardboard carrier.
“Not a problem,” Xavier said, far too cheerfully for Nick’s liking. “Lebowski and I were at loose ends anyway. School hasn’t let out for the holiday, so Vincent’s at work. And, as you saw, Lebowski enjoys the vet’s office. The damn dog is a sucker for biscuits.”
Olympic Animal Clinic happened to have had a cancellation and had been more than willing to check out the kitten. When they’d pulled into the parking lot, Xavier’s dog, Lebowski, had pressed his nose against the passenger window, his tail whipping back and forth as he whined to get out. Nick and Kitten thought that sort of excitement was overkill.
“What do I owe you for gas?”
Flicking on the turn indicator, Xavier eyed him while waiting for a car coming the other way to pass.
“You don’t owe me anything, Nick. I feel somewhat privileged that you called me to ask for help. Is Mercury in retrograde? Or does it work the other way? I can never keep the planets aligned.”
Nick stared at him. The car passed by them, and Xavier turned into the resort parking lot.
“Did you just make a planet joke?” He was horrified.
“Was it good?”
“No, it was terrible.”
“Ah, well, I guess I’ll never make the career change to stand-up comedian.”
Xavier pulled as close to Cabin Five as he could. “Seriously, I was glad to give you a ride. You and I, we’re both new in town, but also not. We’ve got to stick together, bond and all that.”
“Or not, and we can agree to never discuss this again. Ever.”
Xavier’s laugh filled the car and Lebowski added a quiet woof. Against his better judgment, Nick found himself chuckling. Not a lot, not loudly, just like a snicker.
“Glad to know the kitten is healthy,” Xavier said. “Have you decided on a name yet?”
“I’m not keeping her.” She squirmed in his grip and let out a loud mew of complaint at being kept prisoner.
“Sure,” Xavier drawled. “That’s what the stop at the pet store and all the cans of kitten food, a litter box, and a few toys were all about.”
“Just until I find her a permanent home,” Nick insisted. The vet had generously not charged Nick for the initial visit but had extracted a promise that he’d be back for her next set of shots. The tech had made the appointment right then, and Xavier had assured him he could give them a ride.
“Right. Okay, so in denial. That’s cool. I totally understand denial.”
Rolling his eyes, Nick quickly popped Kitten into the box and shut it before opening the car door. Then he grabbed the bag of stuff he’d bought at the pet store. For Christ’s sake, he’d only bought a week’s worth of food and two toys. Hardly anything.
“Thanks again,” he said before shutting the door again and heading up the drive. Maybe he should think about a name—just while she was with him.
MARTIN
Fact: Rocks are just about the most solid substance on Earth. Amazingly, they are changing all the time—even mountains grow taller or shrink, we just don’t always notice.
