As I tried to roll both safely and elegantly away, I spotted something in the corner of the room under the cat tree. It was a full-grown cat, a tabby. I picked myself up and edged nearer. It was obvious the cat had been through an ordeal. Its fur was ragged, missing in places, and the tip of one ear was gone. It was curled up under the cat tree, quietly watching the kittens with large, wistful green eyes that flicked back and forth as the kittens played.
“Mom,” I called. “Who’s this?”
She looked up from where she’d been pointing at something in the cameraman’s notebook. “Oh—that’s Patches. She’s our oldest cat. Been with us for close to a year, I think. We took her from a shelter that was going to put her down.”
I walked slowly to Patches so I didn’t scare her and crouched down, sticking out my hand. She sniffed it experimentally.
“I don’t understand why no one wants her,” Mom said. “She’s a little rough-looking, sure—we think she got attacked by another animal. But she’s the sweetest girl. I hate that she’s spending so much of her life in the shelter.”
Now that I was close up, I could see that the spots where Patches’ fur was missing looked scarred, like she’d been bitten and the fur refused to grow back. To my surprise, she leaned into my touch and rubbed her face against my fingers. I scratched her head and ears and heard the sound of the world’s tiniest, quietest motor. She was purring.
“We let her hang out with the kittens because she gets lonely,” Mom said. “She’s perfectly happy to sit and watch.”
I stroked Patches’ face. She’d been overlooked. That wasn’t fair. Patches had love to give. She deserved better.
“I’ll take her,” I said.
The sounds of the camera crew moving behind me stopped. “What was that, Lex?”
I turned around. Everyone was watching me. I took a deep breath and said, in a louder voice, “I want Patches. I’ll take her home.”
My mom almost dropped her clapboard. “Really? Oh, Alexis, that’s fabulous! Two of my favorite girls, coming together!” She turned to the cameraman. “Please tell me you got that.”
The intensity of her enthusiasm made my face heat. As did the look on Logan’s face as he walked over and scooped Patches up.
“Hey, Patches,” he crooned, letting her settle into the crook of his arm. “You coming back with us to Austin? Going to help me campaign?” He gave me a knowing look. “I can tell she’s a Democrat.”
Patches was looking at him and purring, so it was safe to say she was at least a Logan Arthur fan. And I was starting to see why Logan had been reluctant to go on camera. It turned outl’enfant terribleof Texas politics, the man who sent paparazzi running, the politician with the most f-bombs on record, got really,reallysoft around small, four-legged creatures. I scratched behind Patches’ ears, brushing Logan’s forearm with my own. “I’ll allow you to recruit her if you agree Cary still does the coffee runs. He hates it too much to take it away from him.”
“Deal,” Logan said. Then, just as lightly, “Big decision you just made. Feeling good about it? None of those worries creeping in?”
It was a big decision. Taking Patches home meant my whole life would change. I took a deep breath. “No, I’m terrified. But look at her. Even if I’m not the best, fanciest cat mom, I can at least make sure she’s not alone. Always coming in last while the other cats get all the attention. I know what you’re thinking,” I added quickly, watching Logan’s mouth quirk. “And before you say it, I amnotprojecting.”
“Smile for the camera,” Mom called, and we turned to find one of her Happy Homes staffers snapping pictures of us on her phone. “This one’s for the adoption wall.” My mother’s eyes shone as she looked between me and Logan. “Look at the three of you. What an adorable family.”
To my surprise, Logan wrapped his arm around me and tugged me closer.
“So sweet,” Mom sighed. “Logan, hats off. I’ve been trying to get Alexis to adopt for years and the first time you’re here, she’s sold.” She tapped her chin. “This bodes well for our commercial. Speaking of!” She whipped around to the camera crew. “Next scene is in the dog wing, and after that the reptiles.” She spun on her heels. “Location change!” As she strode out of the room, everyone scrambled to break down equipment and follow.
Logan’s face had turned pale at the mention of reptiles. I elbowed him. “I think my mom might like you as much as Ben now.”
That raised his spirits. He kissed Patches’ head and thrust her at me, then started jogging backward, careful to avoid the kittens. “Watch this. I’m about to climb into the lead. Oi, Elise!” he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Where were we on Scorsese? I think we got up to hour two of that Master Class. I’m dying to hear about hour three.” He winked at me, holding up a finger for number one, then hurried out of the room.
“He’s very competitive,” I whispered to Patches. She made a half exasperated, half amused sound, which were my thoughts exactly.
24
The Favor
When I got home from work on Monday, I found my apartment doorunlocked. Immediately, my heart jumped into my throat. I took out my phone and dialed nine, then twisted the door and crept inside, calling, “Hello? Anyone in here?” Bracing myself, I turned the corner to the living room and shrieked.
“Hello, Alexis,” said Lee, from her perch on my couch. She sat there with Patches in her lap. “Welcome home.”
“Jesus, Lee!” I pressed a hand to my chest. “How did you get in?”
She shrugged. “I used my key.”
“That key is for emergencies. You scared the daylights out of me.”
