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“Mom did not have a meltdown.”
“Yeah, okay, Dad. Whatever you say.”
“I’m sorry to say I’m not up for entertaining.” My voice sounded extremely polite considering I should’ve been slurring my words by that point.
“Hey, you look fried. Crispy fried. Magnus!” Kitty called, and I realized she was calling him to help deal with me.
“I’m fine.” I made myself stand up straighter. “Really. I’m good. Hey, do you have a gem preference?” I was just asking for the far-off future. Not now.
Someone gasped. It wasn’t me, that was the only thing I could be certain of.
Then I was being hustled down the hall to my bedroom and I didn’t argue because, hey, if it got me out of explaining my delirious rambles to Kitty, and also why I’d brought home a cat, then hey, cool beans. I was still trying to navigate that whole thing of not being quite on my own anymore, so decisions were always joint. But c’mon, Charise was so adorably sweet and Kitty had already taken to her. She was a natural mothering soul.
Proving it, somehow I was now in bed in just my shorts and she was murmuring soothing things to me as she tucked my covers around me and then placed the now-purring kitten on my chest.
“We’ll talk about all of this,” she waved wildly and bit her lip, “later. And then we’ll have monkey sex because after listening to Mag and your sister, sorry to say I think we have to bump it up a notch. At least on weekends.”
I groaned and threw an arm over my eyes. “We’ve only been doing it a few weeks and you’re already telling me I’m lackluster? What ever happened to easing in? Also, you listened to them having sex? My God.”
“They didn’t actually have sex, I don’t think. On the way. I didn’t hear anything untoward. Well, not really.” Kitty sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Charise, who tilted her head precariously to get more petting. Her condition was just one more thing we’d have to discuss.
Later. Much later.
“Can you get in bed with me?” I asked huskily, lowering my arm to meet her eyes.
Such gorgeous, compassionate eyes.
She blinked. “You have many guests. I assumed you’d want me to try to…entertain them.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not good at that. I told your sister she had nice breasts.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“So I can’t curl up with you and our new—your new—I’m not ready for a new baby.” She took a shaky breath and brushed her knuckles over Charise’s downy cheek. “I hope she’s not hurt from the fall.”
The worry in her voice had me reaching up to cup Kitty’s jaw. “She’s not hurt but she does have a condition. Just trust me that she’ll be okay. She just needs us.”
Her dark brows beetled together. “A condition? But she’s just a baby. She was from that terrible hoarding case?”
I nodded silently. “Just trust me to explain it all later. I know you’re wary and still missing Muffin. I won’t push you if you’re not ready.”
Her lips curved although I didn’t miss how the light reflected off the sheen of tears in her eyes. “You’re so patient. I imagine you’re a great vet.”
I ducked my head. “I do okay. But Grant isn’t going to let you switch Princess so don’t try it.”
She laughed loudly enough to startle Charise. The kitten soon settled in again, shifting to knead my belly for a moment before placing her tiny head on her paws and falling right back to sleep.
I was very jealous.
“Grant’s a great vet. I’m way behind on Princess’s checkups…” Kitty trailed off and quickly wiped her eyes. “We can talk later. I’ll manage to entertain your father. Somehow. I hope.”
“Felicia’s out there. She can handle him while we take a little nap. You look just as exhausted as I am.” I patted the mattress beside me. “Please?”
“You’re a cheater. A very cute one.” But she snuggled into the curve of my arm as I eased onto my side to make more room for her. Charise took up the position on my hip as if she’d done it many times before.
We fit. All three of us. Plus our other two felines who were probably wreaking havoc I didn’t want to contemplate in our absence.
That was a for-later problem.
I tucked my chin against her head and wrapped her tight, hoping I wasn’t smothering her. Instead, we both sighed in unison, and I had to bury my face in her thick lavender-scented hair to keep from waking the kitten yet again.
