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“Didn’t you see the flyers? We put them everywhere.”
“Flyers?”
“I posted on Nextdoor. We put flyers in the pet store, at the animal shelter,” Alanna sputtered. How, of all the places in the entire world, had Petunia ended up in Sully’s house? How had he missed all the flyers?
He was speaking, trying to explain something about an ID chip and visiting a ramshackle home, but Alanna couldn’t focus on his words. She felt untethered, like her mind was lurching in a dark room, groping for a light switch but slamming into walls instead. Only one thing within the darkness seemed clear.
“I want her back,” Alanna blurted.
Sully’s face fell. “We’ve really bonded,” he said. “I’ve worked with her so much.”
“You don’t want to give her back?” Alanna scooched away from him, opening up space between their bodies. She suddenly felt achingly vulnerable and pulled a sheet up to cover herself.
“I didn’t say that.” A tinge of irritation entered his voice. “I just want to figure this thing out.” He huffed out a breath. “Are you sure it’s your cat?”
“Of course, it’s my cat!” Her voice was shrill, but only because everything had been so great. So soul-melting perfect. And now… now, everything was wrong. She needed to take control of the situation. Focus on the main issue and figure out the rest later.
“I want my cat back,” she repeated. This time her voice was demanding.
“And I want to talk about this,” he replied. “Do you have any pictures of your cat on your phone?”
“I don’t need to prove she’s my cat. I’m telling you.”
“I just want to make sure it’s the same cat.”
The object of their fight watched them both curiously from the foot of the bed. Her long, luxurious tail swished.
“So, you won’t give her back,” Alanna stood from the bed and stooped, grabbing up her wet clothes.
Sully watched her with growing dismay. “Stop, please. Let’s just talk about this.”
“You don’t believe me.” She grabbed a sock and her strapless bra. “You think, what? I’m trying to steal your cat?”
“No. This whole thing, it’s just, so unlikely.”
Itwasunlikely. Doubts spread through her mind like poisonous weeds.He missed all the flyers. The posts on Nextdoor. And of all the places in the world for the cat to reappear…The weeds grew and grew. When had Petunia gone missing? Alanna remembered it, clear as crystal. It was the day of the gas leak. She’d always assumed Petunia had run out when she’d thrown open the sliding glass door in the kitchen to let in fresh air. But hadn’t Alanna also raged at Sully like the PMS queen of the world that day? She could still see his face, that stony expression. He’d been so angry.
“What if you kidnapped Petunia!” she accused. The idea was utterly ridiculous, of course. Impossible. Sully would never do a thing like that. But a tiny, wounded part of her soul whispered,You knew he was too good to be true.
“Alanna, please,” Sully begged. Both of his hands tore through his rumpled hair, reminding her of how tender he’d been, how his mouth had sent licks of lightning through her body.
Uncertainty and pain bloomed in her chest. “If you didn’t steal my cat, then give her back,” she said.
Sully’s voice rose. “I did NOT steal your cat. That’s crazy!”
Petunia shot off the bed and raced out the door.
“I’m crazy?” The betrayal Alanna felt started to heat into simmering anger. “That’s rich coming from a cat kidnapper... a… a literal cat burglar!”
“Do you even hear yourself right now?” Sully’s eyes were growing hard, the warm brown cooling to a darker shade. “I never saw a single missing cat flyer.”
“You probably tore them all down,” Alanna huffed. She couldn’t think straight. The anger was blinding her. She struggled to pull on her wet dress. She still hadn’t found her thong. She’d have to leave the poor scarlet soldier behind. Yet another tragic POW of this evil man.
“I’m leaving,” she told him, “and I’m taking Petunia with me.”
“No.” The word was hard as stone. Sully stood from the other side of the bed, went to his dresser, and pulled out a fresh pair of boxer briefs. Alanna shivered in her wet dress as she shoved her feet into her wet sneakers.
“I’ll… I’ll call the police,” she threatened.
