"Yeah. And Lucy."
"Lucy?"
"The mom cat."
Something about the way she said it made me want to smile. "And the dad cat?"
"Tango?" Lexie rolled her eyes. "He belongs to a previous pet-sitter. Don't get my aunt started onthat."
Now Ireallywanted to smile. "So…the pregnancy wasn't planned?"
Lexie paused to study my face. "Are you teasing me?"
"Maybe," I admitted. "But go on. You were saying?"
"Just that my aunt had this emergency with a friend, and she needed a sitter – not for the friend. For the cats. Obviously."
"Obviously."
Lexie's mouth twitched at the corners. "Okay, now you'redefinitelyteasing me."
I almost laughed. "By agreeing with you?"
"Yes, actually."
Judging from her face, she didn't know whether to laugh or chew me out. She was cute when she was flustered. Her eyes got all squinty, and her mouth was a study in contradictions, shifting between laughter and outrage.
God, I'd missed her.In a softer voice, I said, "Go on, tell me the rest."
"Wait. So you're not angry?"
"About what?" I asked.
"All of it."
"I haven'theardall of it," I reminded her.
Her lips quirked upward. "Yeah, because you keep interrupting."
"Sorry. My lips are sealed, promise."
Her gaze dipped to my lips and lingered long enough to get my blood flowing to my extremities –allmy extremities. The night was cold, but her eyes were warm and inviting as I kept my promise to be quiet.
The moment held until she yanked her gaze upward as if embarrassed to be caught staring.Iwasn't embarrassed. But I did want to hear the rest of her story. I kept my lips sealed and waited for her to continue.
"Anyway…" she said with a long, unsteady breath, "Harper and I – we offered to swing by the house a few times a day, but my aunt hated the thought of leaving the cats alone at night, especially with most of them being kittens…"
As Lexie talked, I devoured the sight of her. Under the hood of her oversized wool coat, her hair was loose and disheveled, as if she'd been rolling around in the sheets.
I liked it.
And it got me thinking. During the past week, I'd found little to like, especially after what I'd discovered last Sunday – orthoughtI'd discovered.
I hadn't been happy.
How I felt now, I couldn't say. But Ididknow that I had never been so pleased to be wrong.
On my front porch, Lexie was still talking. "But the three of us all have jobs, so my aunt figured she'd ask all of us to stay so the kittens would have more company. Andwe'dhave company, too, meaning with each other, not just the cats. We're all really close, so it's kind of nice, you know?" With a wistful smile, Lexie added, "Especially at the holidays."
