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If I crossed the line now, when my emotions were already heightened, who knew how many others I’d cross?
I stood from Saoirse’s bed, adjusting the bulge behind my zipper.
“I’ll be waiting downstairs.”
Saoirse was miffed we took my car instead of the motorcycle, but when I pulled up in front of the animal shelter after taking her out for breakfast, she squealed with delight.
Her fingers dug into my bicep. “Are we getting a cat?”
I pried her hand off me and nipped at her fingertips. “If you find one you like, then yes, we’re getting a cat.”
We had the place to ourselves, thanks to a generous donation from Rossi Motors. Saoirse was soon buried in cats, and I questioned my choice of bringing her here.
Did I want to live with five cats if she couldn’t part from any of them?
Hell no.
Would I be able to say no?
Absolutely not.
Luckily, Saoirse had more sense than me. She homed in on the one cat who decided I made for a good climbing post and clawed its way up my leg until I had no choice but to hold it in my arms.
Orange. Scruffy. Missing half an ear. The thing was a mess.
Saoirse gasped. “Oh my god. He’s so cute.” She scratched beneath its chin, and the thing’s tail swished, hitting me in the face. “You’re a beautiful boy, aren’t you? You are. And you like Luca, don’t you? I do too. You have good taste, buddy.”
I had to clear the thickness from my throat. How did hearing her tell a fucking cat that she liked me make me feel like my collar was three sizes too small?
“How do you know it’s a boy?” I asked.
“Orange cats are almost always male,” she said.
“You know a lot about cats?”
She stroked the orange fur, a smile curling her lips. “I’ve wanted one forever. I used to check out books from the library about taking care of them when I was little. Back then, I still thought my mother’s mind could be changed. My dad tried to convince me the barn cats on the ranch were my pets, but they barely wanted anything to do with humans. They definitely wouldn’t have let me put them in a dress.”
I turned to the side, taking the cat out of her reach. “He’s not wearing a dress.”
The woman who ran the shelter came toward us. “I see you’ve met Clementine. Isn’t she sweet?”
“She? I thought orange cats were always boys,” Saoirse said.
“Eighty percent of the time, they are,” the woman replied. “Clem is an exception to the rule. She really does have a lovely temperament, but no one’s taken her home yet due to her slightly rough appearance.”
I cleared my throat again, this time in indignation. Whoever hadn’t chosen this cat was clearly an idiot. “There isn’t anything wrong with her.”
Saoirse cuddled in next to us, kissing the top of Clem’s head. “She’s a princess and obviously has great taste.”
The women agreed, shooting me a wink, and said she’d give us time to play with Clementine. The three of us ended up sitting on the floor of a private room, getting to know each other.
Clem was just as affectionate with Saoirse, which was important. This was her cat, after all.
In the back of my mind, I knew I was digging myself into a hole it would fucking suck to climb out of. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind I was going to fall in love with this creature and break my own heart when I had to say goodbye to her at the end of my and Saoirse’s arrangement. At the same time, I couldn’t say no to this.
Not when I pictured Saoirse as a little girl with stacks of cat books, promising to take care of the cat all by herself and being shot down time and time again.
She was getting her damn cat.
