“You’re really lucky.”
Richard looked inside the book. The pictures they’d drawn for the beginning of each chapter looked great. And, at the end of the story, Katie had included a picture of Jack holding Mr. Snuggles. “We’ll have to ask Katie if we can buy more copies. Grandma would love one.”
“So would I,” Paris said. “I’ll tell everyone I know a wonderful author.”
Jack beamed with pleasure. “I’ll find Katie. She said she can print as many copies as we need. Next week, we’re uploading all the stories onto Amazon.”
After he’d left, Paris leaned against Richard’s arm. “Jack is an amazing boy. He makes me happier just being around him.”
“He’s an amazing and excited boy. We might need to go for a long walk after dinner to burn off some of his energy.”
“That sounds like the perfect end to a perfect day,” Paris said softly.
Richard agreed. Especially when they’d be spending their evening together.
Paris bowed from her waist, accepting Jack’s applause like a seasoned professional.
“Are you sure you don’t have a secret weapon hidden up the sleeves of your T-shirt?” Richard asked.
“Remember to be a good sport. I beat you fair and square.”
“Paris could make a stone skip twelve times if she wanted,” Jack said happily.
“I’m not sure about twelve,” she told him. “I’m happy with seven, especially when your dad only managed four.”
Richard closed the lid on the picnic basket. “It might have only been four skips, but they were a solid four. Where are we going next?”
“To the animal shelter.” Jack rolled up the blanket and held it close. “It’s open late tonight.”
Paris smiled. She didn’t like Richard’s chances of leaving the shelter without a pet.
“I’ve been looking on the animal shelter’s website,” Jack said as they walked toward Richard’s truck. “They have a lot of animals at the moment.”
Richard lifted the picnic basket into the back of the truck. “We don’t have to choose a pet today. We can go back next week to have another look.”
“It’s okay. I’m a good looker.”
And that, Paris thought, was that. Tonight, whether Richard was ready or not, he would become the proud father of his first fur baby in Sapphire Bay.
Jack’s nose twitched as he opened the door to the cat room. “It’s smelly in here.”
“It’s the kitty litter.” Richard looked around the room. Four cats were sitting inside a climbing frame, and another two were asleep on the back of an old sofa. They all looked well-fed, content, and not very mischievous—the perfect pet to take to their new home.
Jack looked at one of the posters on the wall, and then patted a ginger cat. “This is Marmalade. She’s five years old.”
Paris patted another cat. She smiled when both cats started purring. “They’re happy to see us.”
“Not as happy as the kittens,” Jack said. “They jumped all over me.”
The thought of having a hyperactive kitten in the house made Richard nervous. If it escaped, he’d never catch it if he wasn’t wearing his prosthetic. “They were really cute, but they won’t be kittens forever. Before you know it, they’ll be as big as Marmalade.”
“But it won’t be for ages,” Jack said quickly.
Paris tickled a black cat under his chin. “They love being cuddled.”
“I know, but they aren’t the same as a kitten.”
Jack sounded so disappointed that Richard felt terrible for wanting to adopt an older cat.
