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Milo grinned. “Only one Milo Perkins,” he declared.
“The legend continues,” Hayley agreed.
Milo laughed. “Alright, alright. Go fetch my lunch.” Hayley turned and headed to the pass to put in Milo’s usual. Milo picked up his glass and took a sip. “That one’s got a mouth,” he told the guys.
“Full of sass,” Tex agreed.
“Sass. That’s about right,” said Milo, nodding. “I like her.”
“She’s one of the good ones,” Chris confirmed, watching Hayley gather empties at the bar.
Chapter 18
A week later, Chris opened his front door to the delicious smell of whatever Hayley was making in kitchen.
“You’re late,” she chastised, calling to him over her shoulder as she arranged plates and bowls in the island.
He smirked and strode around the breakfast bar. “Yeah, sorry. I was out getting pussy.”
Hayley faltered in her task, but pressed her lips together and continued to look at the plates in front of her. “Well, wash up for dinner. Before it gets cold,” she told him in a softer tone.
“Sure.” He took hold of her upper arm and turned her around. “Here. Hold this for me.” He pressed a large white cotton ball against her chest and moved toward the sink.
A pair of bewildered eyes, one green and one blue, blinked up at her. Hayley dropped the serving spoon onto the island. “Well, hello there,” she said, closing her arms tighter around the tiny kitten. It climbed up her chest and rubbed its face against hers, a low rumbling started.
“She’s deaf,” Chris declared, drying his hands on the towel. “Owners didn’t want her. She can’t ever go outside, too vulnerable, and they don’t want to clean a litter box.” He took a beer out of the fridge and popped the cap. “I better not see claw marks on the furniture,” he said sternly. “First time will be the last time.”
“Awww, look how adorable you are!” Hayley crooned as the nuzzled the tiny thing. “You’re so pretty! Look how pretty you are.”
“Slick, I just said she’s deaf,” Chris chastised.
She glared at him then looked back at the purring creature. “Well, we don’t care, do we?” she asked the kitten. “Oh, no, we don’t. We’re not gonna let a little thing like that get in the way of anything, are we?” She gasped. “Look! Look what I have!” She dipped her finger into a bowl of sour cream and held it out. The kitten grabbed her hand and attacked the treat. The rumbling intensified. “We’re going to need a collar, and some bowls, and a little bed, some toys, and-”
“There’s a litter box, a bag of litter, and a half empty bag of cat food in the truck,” Chris informed her. “The rest of that stuff is on you.”
Chris and Hayley ate fajitas at the table while the kitten attacked his boots in the corner. Then she attacked the cord to the table lamp, and climbed up his couch to perch on the back. He grimaced as he watched. Hayley grabbed the tiny hellbeast and set her on her lap to finish dinner.
“I am not kidding, Hayley,” he announced from his chair as she picked up the kitten in one hand and her empty plate in the other. “No destroyed furniture. I’m not-” He was cut off by Hayley leaning down and pressing her mouth to his. It was a closed mouth, chaste kiss, but it went on for several seconds.
“Thank you,” she told him quietly when she pulled away. “Don’t be fooled by the big, scary man,” she whispered to the kitten. “He’s really very nice. But don’t scratch the furniture anyway.”
********************
The boys had settled in for dinner on Poker Night. Hawk had a drumstick in his hand when he dropped it suddenly. “God damn, what the hell?!” he shouted, leaning back and looking down.
“Peppermint!” Hayley shrieked and dived under the table.
“Um,” Tex said, catching Hayley’s precariously tilting empty chair.
“Ow!” Hawk yelled, trying to twist out of his chair.
“Pepper, no!” Hayley scolded from underneath the table. “No, no!”
Hawk gripped the edge of the table and ground his teeth together. “Obviously, I am now paying for some earlier thoughts I had along these lines.” Chris reached out and clipped Hawk on the side of the head. “Earlier!” Hawk pointed out. “Way earlier!”
Hayley climbed out of from under the table, holding the wayward kitten to her chest. “Pepper,” she said firmly. “We don’t attack the boys. No, no, no. We like the boys.” Hayley picked up a sealed package of tuna off the counter. “Come on, let’s get your dinner.” She headed off into the laundry room.
“What the hell is that?” Doc asked, eyeing the fluffball’s retreat in Hayley’s arms.
Everyone looked at Chris who merely shrugged and picked up another roll to butter it. “Cat.”
“You don’t like cats,” said Doc.
“I don’t hate cats. I just never been around one really,” Chris clarified. “That one’s fine.”
