For a moment, all he can do is stare at me in wonder, his beard brushing his chest as he works his jaw. He shakes his head, and his man bun flops around, releasing a lock of hair from its tight confines. “You never say what I think you are going to say.”
“Good.”
He grunts in answer, going back to his wood piles and screens.
“Are you going to tell me what you are doing yet, or should I just watch you while you work?” I’m game for either scenario. In fact, I wonder if I can call Saffron for room service.
“Catio,” he answers as he begins to build.
“A catio?” I hide my smile behind a sticky hand.
“Yeah. I looked it up, and apparently, cats love it. You build this little ledge for cats so they can sit outside in the niceweather.” He waves his hands around while talking, trailing his eyes over the wood as blueprints dance in his head.
“Hey, Arlo?” I’m going to ruin this. Should I tell him? Let it go?
“What?” He pauses, his hands on his hips as he stares at me with those baby blue eyes.
“It’s almost winter,” I tell him softly, trying to ease the blow.
“Yeah, and?” He waves a hand at the open window, where a chilly breeze blows in. “It’s a beautiful fall day.”
I lick my lips, trying really hard to hold in my laughter. “It’s going to be cold for Cooper.”
“Wait.” He looks at my little beast, who stares right back at him. “Does he hibernate?” His cheeks wrinkle in horror.
“Not necessarily, but he will become more idle.” I pet my little guy. “He’s an indoor skunk.”
“My mother took him on a walk just this morning.”
“Yes, well, he likes to walk.”
“So he won’t like the catio?”
“He’s a skunk.”
“That isn’t an answer,” he grumbles at me. “I’m still going to make him a catio. We’ll let Cooper decide.”
“Know what?” I concede. “You are right. You can build it, but on one condition.”
“What? How is there a condition in this? I’m doing this for Cooper to make up for screeching at him.”
“Fix the window so I can open and close it easily without a crowbar.”
“Oh.” Sheepish, he looks from the window to me and back again. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“I’ll leave you to it.” Finally, I crawl out of the warm cocoon I built for myself, already missing its comfort, and pace over to the bedroom door.
That’s where I pause, rapping my knuckles on the hardwood.
“Hey, Birdie?”
“Yeah?” I glance over my shoulder at Arlo, who’s kneeling on the floor building a catio for my pet skunk, even though he hates the little guy.
“Thanks.”
“Why are you thanking me?” I spin around now that he has my full attention.
“My sisters, they drive me insane. They have made mistakes, but they are my sisters, they are my family. Thank you for last night. It’s been a long time since Autumn smiled like that, and the girls?” He chuckles, his shoulders shaking with the depth of it. “Paris never gets that. Kenzie works too hard. And Bloom?” He heaves a sigh.
