The kitten hurries away with the contraband in its mouth, growling the entire time.
Blair won’t stop laughing. She places her elbows on the island and doubles over, and when she looks at me again, tears are in her eyes.
Suddenly, I’m not so jealous of Ryland and Travis.
I doubt she’s ever laughed like that around them.
“Okay,” she says, wiping at her eyes. “Two things. You need to get the three of the kittens collars with bells, so you can hear where they are. Free roaming right now isn’t the best option for them without collars. Your house is huge, and they can end up anywhere.”
“Usually, I put them in the spare bedroom at night,” I admit. “But you know…last night happened.”
She nods. “I know,” she says fondly. “Another thing—you haven’t named them yet?”
I shrug. “We all have different ideas; none of them have stuck. They’re my girls anyway and I want the final say.”
Her expression stays fond. “I still can’t believe my friends talked you into fostering,” she murmurs, amused.
“I wasn’ttalkedinto it,” I tell her, scoffing. “I’ll have you know those kittens and I have a connection.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. We just looked at each other and knew we weren’t meant to be apart.”
I’m definitely not talking about the kittens anymore, and her eyes soften.
“That sounds like it can be difficult,” she says evenly.
“Maybe. But it’s worth it, in the end. Especially once they know I have no intention of going anywhere, ever.”
What a strange love confession.
A flicker ofsomethingflashes on her face, and she picks up her bagel. “Sometimes cats don’t adapt for a long time, though. They can be difficult. Might not even let you pet them.” She takes a bite and looks away, chewing slowly.
“It’s still worth it,” I say.
She swallows. “Hmm.”
We’re talking in strange cat riddles, but if that’s the only way I can get my point across, I’ll use it. “I’ve been waiting a long time for the right box of kittens to come along. A long, long time.”
“They scratch, bite, and hiss.” Her eyes burn into mine, amused.
I grin. “Scratching and biting sounds fun.”
Her face flushes, and her scent spikes with sweetness.
Delicious.
“You two are really weird,” Ryland observes as he enters the kitchen, his mouth pulled into a half grin. “Strangest thing I’ve ever woken up to,” he adds, his voice rough with sleep.
I make a face at him. “She was trying to sneak off without saying goodbye. Had to stop her.”
“Turns out, bribing me with a good breakfast helps,” Blair says, biting into her toasted bagel with acrunch.
Ryland looks at her, frowning. “You barely got any sleep,” he says. “You can stay longer, if you want.”
Good luck with that, I think.
Blair is still looking for any excuse to run from us.
