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“What can I do for you today?”
I look at Cash and back to the lady. “We’re here to adopt two cats. Preferably a bonded pair you’ve been struggling to find homes for. The underdog. The ones who arealways passed up.”
The lady smiles. “I have just the pair. Follow me.”
I start to go with her when Cash drops his hand around my shoulders, tugging me close enough to growl in my ear. “Two?”
“I told you your account was in arrears.”
Full to the brim, with our applications filled out, they let us take the old guy’s home. A tabby with half his ear missing who the shelter named Nemo, and a midnight black boy without a speck of white and brilliant yellow eyes called Saint. As Cash had been planning for today, he had all the goods a kitty would need. The only issue is he thought I’d choose a kitten, so he had kitten food. Therefore, he needed to go out and grab senior kitty chow because both these guys are touching ten years old, the last three spent in the shelter. So, they’re uncertain of their new home in Cash’s sprawling apartment. So uncertain, at Dad’s recommendation, I’ve put them in the spare bedroom to acclimate slowly to the larger space.
I’d called Dad when Cash had left for food for the babies. Dad had chuckled, muttered something along the lines of ‘man really is serious’ before he gave me all the knowledge he has of cats.
By the time Cash got home, I’d been sitting in the room with Saint curled up on my lap, purring happilyas Nemo glared cautiously, spitting random hisses in my direction.
“How are they settling?”
“Good. Saint’s a Saint. Nemo is—I think I’ve renamed him, actually.”
Cash raises a brow, looks in Nemo’s direction and is offered the same warm welcoming he offers me. With his little bum pressed into the corner of the wall, I’m not offended by his hissing. He’s terrified, that’s plain to see. He’ll warm up when he realizes he’s safe.
“What’s the new name?”
“Nemosis?”
“You mean Nemesis?”
“No.” I shake my head, stroking Saint who purrs louder. “I mean Nemosis.”
The cleverness in my name clicks and Cash chuckles. “Cute.”
My grin is proud. “Thank you.”
Cash points to Saint in my lap. “That one seems to like you.”
“They both like me. Nemosis is just scared. He’ll warm up.”
“Sure.” He doesn’t believe me.
I pat the bed. “Come say hi.”
He gives me a look, but he comes closer. Sitting beside me, he lifts a hand to stoke Saint. Saint purrs louder. I get it, totally. I like it when Cash strokes me, too.
“Got another letter on my windshield.” My eyes snap to him, and I find him already watching me. “Wasn’t sure I was going to tell you.”
“Do you know who they’re coming from?”
“Thought I did, but I hired a PI to look into someone and—who I thought it was is gone. She moved to another state after attempting to commit suicide.” He rubs his brow on a heavy sigh. “I have no fucking idea who’s leaving this shit now.”
“Who did you think it was?”
His eyes find mine, flickering to my lips and back again. “I’ve never really dated, but I guess the closest to it would have been with a woman named Alyssa. She was older than me, established in her career, but it was never serious. She was fun for a while, and then she wasn’t.”
My heart quickens. I don’t know why. “What made her not fun anymore?”
“She was obsessed. Crazy at times. Jealous and angry and—I ended it, but she’s been hanging on.”
“Hanging on how?”
