She blinks once.
Then blinks again.
“Finders keepers. They’re mine now, and they’re gonna get a fucking awesome life.”
“I’m not hearing any of this.”
“It’s not illegal.”
“But it’s—it’s—”
“Just fine,” I finish for her. “Play with the kittens and enjoy it for what it is. Tell Emma I’m keeping cats in my room, and I really will send your parents the selfie I snapped of us sleeping together last night.”
She scowls.
I grin.
Can’t help it.
It issoeasy to push her buttons.
Plus, scowling Laney relieves a lot of the pressure building in my balls.
Reminds me she’s a killjoy.
Mostly.
I think I trust her to keep the secret about the cats. And if I can’t, I’ll still win.
Don’t always care if I win or lose—it’s more about the journey and the fun—but I will doanythingto win in this case.
Once I slip into the shower to clean out the litter boxes, I can’t see her anymore. She’s behind the shower wall. But I can hear her.
“That’s my shoelace, you silly goose! Oh my gosh, how are you allowed to be this cute? Where did you come from? Ohhhh, hi, you must be mama. You’re beautiful. Miss Doodles? That’s such a silly name. You look more like Cleopatra. Or we can just call you The Empress, can’t we?”
If her parents taught her that cats are the devil, the lesson didn’t stick. Either that, or she’s been secretly volunteering at cat shelters to get her fix.
Nope. Nope nope nope.
Not gonna picture her going behind her parents’ backs to help lonely cats find homes.
Donotneed that mental image.
I finish up and shove the new bags of cat litter into the complicated diaper pail I bought so that no one will smell them in here and so I don’t have to carry bags of litter across the resort twice a day. And then I step back out of the shower to a sight that threatens to break me.
Miss Doodles is in Delaney’s lap. Laney’s petting her and cooing softly while the cat purrs loudly enough to be heard across the room.
Three kittens are climbing all over her and the chair.
She hasn’t once yelped over their sharp little claws, though I’d bet she’s wanted to.
Kittiesdohave sharp claws and I haven’t wanted to terrify them by trimming their nails until they’re more used to me.
But Laney seems to be in utter heaven. Smiling. No, not just smiling.
Lighting up the entire damn island.
We’re in paradise. Takes a lot to improve on what nature already put here.
