AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The kitten toddled over to her. It stood up on her leg. Its fine needle-like nails pricked her skin. She really needed to take care of the little guy.
She turned to Kent. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I didn’t have anything else planned for the evening. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll get it.”
She rattled off a list from kitten food to litter with a number of items in between. And then she gave him some cash. He resisted taking her money, but she insisted.
While he was gone, she got the kitten some water. At first the kitten didn’t know what to make of the bowl of water. Sara repeatedly stuck her finger in the water and then dabbed the kitten’s nose. The kitten would lick its nose. And then they’d do it again. Eventually, the kitten moved closer to the bowl to check it out.
When the kitten took its first drink, it went at the water too quickly, and its nose went under the water. It jumped back and shook his head, sending water drops flying. It sneezed a couple of times.
But being a very determined kitten, it went back for another drink. It licked at the water. Once again, it got water in its nose. A few sneezes later, and he was back drinking more water.
She sat down on the floor next to the kitten. While she watched it figure out how to drink from a bowl, she reached for her phone. She recalled what Kent had said about her sister keeping a secret. With him at the store, it was time to find out what her sister was keeping from her.
Sara checked the time. It was after nine o’clock. Where her sister was in Malaysia, there was a twelve-hour time difference. She dialed her sister’s number. The phone rang and rang. Then it switched to voicemail.
“Hi. This is Cari. I can’t talk right now, but if you leave me a message, I’ll call you back.” Her sister’s voice sounded upbeat and cheery.
Sara thought about hanging up, but this was too important. “Hey, it’s me. I need to talk to you. Can you give me a call back?”
She disconnected the call. This wasn’t the first time they’d missed each other. In fact, it happened frequently. When one of them was up and starting their day, the other was calling it a night.
She glanced down to find the kitten had climbed up onto her lap and made itself comfortable. As Sara ran a finger down over the kitten’s back, it let out a loud purr that vibrated its entire body.
“You poor baby. How in the world did you get out there on the beach all by yourself?”
As she watched the kitten, it started to drift off to sleep. Then it would start to fall over. This would startle the kitten and it would wake up.
“It’s okay, little guy. You’re safe now. I know you’re hungry. We’ll get you fed and then cleaned up. Just a little longer.”
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Kent returned with all of the supplies Sara had requested. She thanked him and then washed up the kitten’s bowl before putting some food in it for the kitten. This time the kitten didn’t need any help trying to figure out how to eat. It moved to the bowl and started licking the wet food. It took him no time to eat it all. The kitten’s belly was slightly rounded when he finished.
Kent stayed and assisted her as she used some baby shampoo to bathe the kitten. She used a damp paper towel to clean a little goop from its eyes. When the kitten looked at her, she found his eyes were blue. A beautiful blue like the ocean. She wondered if they’d stay that color or change as the kitten grew older.
With the kitten all spiffed up, she cuddled the fluff ball in a towel and held it to her chest. The kitten was either too tired to fight or it felt safe with her because it just settled against her.
“She likes you,” Kent said.
“It’s not a she.”
“What? Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m positive.”
Kent smiled. “So it’s a little boy.” He peered closer at the kitten. “A handsome little boy.”
“You seem to like him a lot. Would you like to take him home with you?”
Kent immediately shook his head. “I can’t have pets at my place.”
“Oh.”
“What about you? Are you allowed pets here?”
“Yes, but it has to be a cat or a small dog.”
“Then it looks like you’re all set. I set up the litter box in the bathroom like you wanted.”
