Despite the hurt and longing in my chest for Blair, the cats and their unconditional trust offer a comfort that I’ve never had before.
Holding a kitten makes me feel like maybe everything will be okay.
I wonder if this is why Blair chose to run a rescue dedicated to helping them.
“Travis is going to be pissed,” Ryland says quietly, and I laugh.
“Pissed about what?”
My grumpier-than-usual pack leader enters the room, dressed in a black shirt with the Scentslogo and dark jeans.
Ryland and I were hanging out with the kittens longer than I thought if Travis is about to leave for work.
I pick up a kitten and hold it up, presenting it to Travis, who clenches his jaw.
“What. The. Hell. Did. You. Do.”
“I know you’re not mean mugging a kitten right now,” I say cooly. “That’s a dick move, Trav, even for you.”
The kitten lets out a soft mew, and Travis’s eyes narrow. “Why are there kittens here?”
“We’re fostering them,” Ryland says simply, and I’m thankful my brother has my back. “Just for a few weeks until the rescue can get them adopted out.”
“What? You went to the rescue?” Travis stomps over and stands above us, looking down and glaring. “Why the fuck would you go there?”
One of the kittens trots over to the leg of his jeans, digging her claws into the denim.
I watch amused as the creature climbs him like a goddamn cat tree, not caring about the grunts of pain he lets out as razor claws stab into his skin. Once the kitten reaches the top of histhigh, Travis plucks the creature off him and cradles her in his hands, his eyes softening.
“I went there,” I say slowly, “because some asshole dumped these girls in a box, and the rescue was the best place to go.”
He blinks. “Was she there?”
I shake my head. “Rest assured, onlyyouget to see her,” I snap.
Travis ignores my barb. “Then you decided to keep them,” he deadpans.
“Yeah, I decided tofosterthem. Which means they’ll stay with us until they’re big enough to be adopted out.”
“I know what fostering is,” Travis hisses, but it’s hard for him to look intimidating when there’s a kitten yawning in his arms. “We’re not equipped for this.”
I chuckle. “Sure. Like you haven’t been learning every fucking thing about cats for Blair. I’m sure you have an encyclopedia in your head about every cat fact known to mankind.”
Travis’s eye twitches. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Uh huh.”
“Come on, Travis,” Ryland says. “Live a little. We have more than enough space for them, and they’ll be good company for Ash.”
“Once we know they’re not carrying fleas or anything else.” Travis says. “Until then, they stay in the spare bathroom.”
I chuckle to myself. I knew it.
Travis has been learning as much as he can about cats since he met Blair.
Of course, he would know what to do.
And it’s impossible to reject a tiny kitten that looks up at you with trust in her blue eyes.
