Marcy thought about that. It would be troublesome, and she wouldn’t have the tranquillity she’d dreamed about, but she really wanted to be a part of this small miracle, as Ana had called it. She walked over to the alcove, where the two kittens were suckling. The helpless creatures still had their eyes shut and they looked incredibly vulnerable and fragile. Tank looked up at her for a brief moment, and the glance that passed between them made her shiver. It was ridiculous but she could have sworn it was a look of understanding of some kind. More than anything, she wanted Tank to be comfortable and she certainly seemed at ease right now. “Okay, let them stay,” she said, making the decision there and then. She was pretty sure she’d regret it once her new sofa was wrecked and the house would smell like a zoo, but Tank had chosen her house of all places and it was simply the right thing to do.
“Thank you.” Ana looked grateful as she shot her a wide smile, and Rico seemed even happier, perhaps because it would give him a chance to be a part of the kittens’ development.
“So, what now?” Marcy had no idea what she was in for, and from the conversations she’d had, she didn’t think any of the team knew what to expect either. “Do I just go to bed?”
“I suggest we remove those beautiful rugs first,” Rico said. “In case Tank gets up at night. You don’t want them to get ruined, and you might want to put away any other valuables that are low to the ground.”
“Sure.” Marcy frowned. “Apart from that, can I just live my life as usual? I mean, I won’t be throwing any parties with the kittens here, of course…”
“I’m afraid not. You’ll have to make some significant changes.” Ana winced. “You’ll need to keep the noise down and your visitors outside for most of the time. If you could do without music, your coffee machine, and any other noisy appliances such as the dishwasher and the hoover for a while, that would be even better.”
“Right.” Marcy rubbed her temple and chuckled at the irony of the situation. She was about to live in silence and tiptoe around a litter of wild cats for the foreseeable months, accompanied by rangers and God knew who else would have to be here for the first few weeks. There would be no housewarming, and no cappuccino from her brand-new state-of-the-art machine. “My parents will want to come over, though,” she said. “I only just moved in, so they’ll want to see the place. And my girlfriend will likely be here with me a few nights a week. I hope that’s not a problem.”
“That will be fine.” Rico winked. “Just keep the noise down at night if you can.”
“Sure.” Marcy shot him a goofy grin in return and felt her cheeks flush. It was going to be an interesting time.
53
“Incredible,” Lisa said after Marcy had filled her in on the recent developments. “You have the rarest breed of kittens next to your bed because a lynx decided to give birth in your new home.”
“That about sums it up.” Marcy had left out the part about seeing Zoe and hadn’t told Lisa or anyone else they were dating. Since it was all very new, Zoe wanted them to keep it quiet for a while, and although Marcy was dying to tell Lisa, she had to respect that. “Therefore, the housewarming is postponed, of course, but please come over for a drink with Stella.”
“We will,” Lisa said. “You look great, by the way. Very…” She paused as she studied her. “I don’t know. Happy, I suppose.”
“I am happy.” Marcy thanked the waiter who brought their cappuccinos and hoped her big smirk wouldn’t give too much away.
“Is it just the kittens or is there someone special in human form?” Lisa arched a brow. “I haven’t heard you bragging about your conquests in weeks.”
“Hey, I never brag!” Marcy shot her an incredulous look.
“Okay, fair enough.” Lisa chuckled and held up a hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. You just seem a lot calmer, and more content.” She took a careful sip of her cappuccino. “Anyway, I’ll stop prying, but if it’s a woman you’re seeing, you’re welcome to bring her to our barbecue next week. You are coming, right?”
“Of course, I’m coming. You know me; I never say no to anything.” Marcy focused on her coffee, avoiding Lisa’s eyes. “And yes, I might bring a date with me.”
“So, it is a woman?” Lisa asked in a teasing tone. “I can’t wait to meet her. She must be pretty special if she’s managed to tame you.”
“She hasn’t tamed me,” Marcy said with a chuckle. “I’m the same person. The only difference is that I don’t want to be with anyone but her.” She paused. “And yes, she’s very special.”
“Oh my God, I’m so happy for you. Please, please tell me about her.”
“Not yet, it’s too soon.” Marcy paused. “But yes, I’ll ask her if she wants to be my plus one.”
“Excellent.” Lisa picked up the menu. “I know it’s only lunchtime, but I feel like we should have something stronger to celebrate. A glass of cava?”
“Hey, easy on the bubbles, I’m not getting married.” Marcy threw her head back and laughed. “And I know what you’re trying to do here. Getting me drunk so I’ll spill the beans is not going to work on me.”
“Too bad. But let’s have some anyway.” Lisa beckoned the waiter over and ordered a bottle. “Stella’s on her way so we can share with her.”
“Great, I haven’t seen her in a while,” Marcy said, happy to change the subject. “How is she?”
“She’s good.” As always, Lisa’s face lit up when she talked about Stella. “We’re both looking forward to her working four days a week when the busy season ends. They’re all excited about downtime at Paradise as it’s been a crazy summer. You’ll meet her colleagues at the barbecue; they’re all really nice.”
“So, it’s going to be a big gathering?” Marcy asked.
“About thirty people, which is just about doable on our roof terrace.” Lisa bit her lip and frowned. “And about that barbecue… there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“You sound serious.”
