“It’s adorable but the meowing will mess with the sound control. It is definitely cute.” Alice glanced into the box where three other kittens were snuggled in a blue blanket, all resembling the sibling Chloe held.
Chloe was undaunted by the upset animal, lifting it until they were nose to nose. The kitten quieted in her hand and began to purr. “See, Alice. I’m the cat whisperer.”
“You are indeed.” While Alice liked animals well enough, she’d never considered getting a pet of her own. Too much personal responsibility and she’d spent a good chunk of her life running away from it. Things were different now. She was different.
Or was she?
Ronan pulled out a white rabbit with a black spot from the box he held. The bunny settled into his beefy palm as if it had been perched there most of its short life. He held it with great care, his thumb caressing the creature’s head between its floppy ears. “How about this one?”
Chloe inspected the rabbit in his outstretched hand and studied Ronan for a long moment. “You’re good with bunnies. He likes you a lot.”
“Thanks, I like him too.” Color dotted Ronan’s cheeks. He had two boys of his own, and before his divorce, he talked about them nonstop. Now he rarely mentioned them at all. It was a shame. Ronan was a good man and a devoted father. He didn’t deserve the drama from his ex-wife.
Hiding a frown, Alice skimmed a finger across the animal’s back, feeling the silky soft fur and rapid beat of its heart. Niko leaned in close and the heat of his body cut through the thin fabric of her blouse. Alice curled her fingers into her palm and willed her pulse to stop its mad rush. She had to get hold of herself and forget what happened.
As if that would ever be possible.
“Then you should keep the bunny and I should keep the kitten,” Chloe said, nodding in agreement to her own plan.
“As much as I’d love that, they both belong to someone else.”
Up to a few days ago, Alice’s future had been tied to someone else. While she hadn’t loved Richard, as his fiancée, she’d had a sense of belonging to a life bigger than her solitary one. She’d felt lost in a sea of isolation and he’d been a safe harbor.
But he’d never been her anchor.
Niko turned his head in her direction and her knees weakened. There it was again, the dimple, the smile, the sleepy eyes, and he’d found her a solution to the puppy situation. Yet another reason for her heart to melt. Would he still look at her the same if he found out the truth?
“It’s time to commit and make a decision. Which one will it be?”
While he was referring to the animals, his question resonated deeper than the topic at hand. It was time to choose between her heart and her head. “As far as cuteness factors go, it’s a toss-up. Since bunnies are associated with Easter, I’d have to say the kittens.”
“Kittens it is. I’ll arrange it with the family who owns them. Chloe, it’s time to put her back,” Niko said.
“Not so fast.” Hallie seized the kitten from her daughter and tucked it beneath her chin. From the way she cradled the animal, she was smitten. “Let me see this adorable little thing. It’s so soft. I want to keep her.”
“I knew this was going to happen. It’s Fluffy all over again.” Niko shook his head and offered an exaggerated eye roll.
Hallie wrinkled her nose in response and brushed her cheek against the kitten’s head. The unspoken affection between brother and sister was heartwarming and Alice couldn’t have asked for a better situation for her daughter. No, not her daughter. At this point, she could only hypothesize. She lacked any real proof, just a series of coincidences and hope. Perhaps instinct, or more likely, wishful thinking?
“Do you think your boss will go for the kittens?” Niko asked, his sultry voice seeping into her very bones.
Careful to keep her line of vision anywhere but on him, she continued to stare into the box. He’d come through for her once again, in more ways than he could ever realize. And she was the worst person imaginable for not telling him the truth. “Mitchell doesn’t have a choice. Where did you get these?”
“I have connections. I’m getting off early tonight. Perhaps we should discuss a few things.” The tone of his suggestion spoke volumes and she swallowed, aching to say yes. Everything that occurred in his apartment sat foremost in her mind but panic chased back the longing. Time to channel her inner actor once more and speak the words that needed to be said, no matter how much her body screamed otherwise.
“I don’t think there’s much to say. I enjoyed our earlier, um, conversation, but I can’t…Richard…” she trailed off, her intention clear if not her words. She desired him but she couldn’t take the pressure their intimacy promised. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
His smile dimmed, understanding tightening his jaw.
She’d hurt him, the last thing she wanted to do but it was inevitable. “Ronan, let’s do one more walk-through.” Alice played the coward by running away. She marched toward the kitchen, and brought out her phone, concentrating on the screen. She retained nothing of what she read.
Keep it together, Alice.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Ronan, how are we doing on camera C?” Alice adjusted her earpiece and scanned her list. The appliances in all four workstations, lighting, and sound had been tested. All cameras, except for one, were in working order. Beyond the kitchen area was the skirted judges’ table and behind that was the makeshift bleachers. For the first two rounds, only friends and family would make up the audience. Normally, it was a closed set but this was special in more ways than one. Chloe wanted the whole experience, and Alice intended to make her wish come true.
“Give me ten more minutes. I have to swap out a cable but we should be ready on time,” Ronan responded over the earpiece.
