He chuckled and downed the rest of his latte. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said finally.
“Your grandpa liked the old bar we had across the road. It burned down and now the Fieldses have it above the diner. I’m not sure if you remember the last time you were here?”
Makai shook his head. “All I remember is missing the old house and the lake.”
“You and your brother spent one afternoon in the shop when Benny went to the bar for a drink and forgot he had you. I called your mother after a few hours. Thought you were safer at home than with Benny when he was drinking.” The old man got up and scratched the back of his neck. “I guess things went different than I thought. She didn’t let you come by after that.”
“Likely my dad didn’t. He had some family issues. I’ve never met any of his family. They’re mostly back in Hawai’i, or so I think. All I know for a fact is that he had a big family and was all about leaving them behind and starting his own.”
Mr. Miller tsked. “Your mom still alive?”
“Yeah. She lives in a different neighborhood but the same town. Is a grandma to Nakoa’s kids when they come by. I gave her a bit of money and left town as soon as I could after getting out and going back there to see her.”
“Might be the best thing you could’ve done, kid. And don’t worry. I’ll try to keep the locals in check a bit.” They shuffled Mr. Miller’s speed back to the shop. “If you need anything, just holler.”
“Oh, one thing,” Makai remembered. “A cat came by the house. Seems to think she lives there now. Very pregnant gray thing. If anyone’s missing one, can you let them know I have her?”
“Sure, sure. Could be a stray, though. Some campers at the campsite ‘lose’ their pets when they leave.” The expression on Mr. Miller’s face told Makai all he needed to know what the old man thought of such practices. “You could go to the clinic. Doc Donovan is a good man. Might want to check her out anyway, and he’d know if she’s local.”
“Good thinking, thanks,” Makai said, and then a middle-aged man came in and seemed to want Mr. Miller’s attention, so Makai bowed out and went to get a basket for his groceries.
He ended up needing a cart because he found the pet section in the back of the store and realized all the things he needed to get for the cat. Food that cost a lot to buy but would probably last her for a while—he also got some extra meat, trying to tell himself her babies needed the extra nutrition right then—along with a litterbox, kitty litter, a bunch of toys, and yes, a cat carrier.
When he got to the front of the shop, Mr. Miller was manning the cash register and his eyes twinkled at Makai.
“You ain’t gonna give her back, are you?”
Makai grinned sheepishly. “Depends on whose she is. I mean, she could just be lost. She’ll still need this stuff, so….” He ducked his head and packed his groceries and all the cat things while Mr. Miller chuckled at him.
A former convict, biracial, bisexual, and now the fucking resident cat guy.
HE LUGGEDeverything into the truck and drove to the cottage he was trying to start calling home. The cat, somehow, made it homier. As if the fact that there was another breathing being there made all the difference in the world for the feel of the house.
It helped, in a way, to have her there. Being completely alone reminded Makai too much of what he’d gone through in prison those two times he’d been put into solitary. At first, it had been okay. He’d wanted to be alone. But when you were in solitary, that was exactly what you were and became. Having nothing and no one around started to feel suffocating sooner than one would think, at least it had for Makai. No matter what the situation had been to make them put him in there, he’d wanted out sooner than they’d wanted to let him.
He put away his groceries and talked—bribed—the cat into the carrier. He knew the clinic was open, he’d checked the sign on the place’s door, and started back toward town with the cat on the passenger’s seat. He really, really needed a smartphone and a laptop. Internet connection was a thing he needed as well. He would have to make a list of things like that soon. It was always the less tangible things he tended to forget.
The cat stayed quiet, not nervous at all, it seemed, and Makai wondered if it was because he’d put one of his T-shirts into the carrier for her. So far, based on one night they got along really well, she seemed to like him. He hoped this visit to the cat doc wouldn’t change that for the worse.
He parked in front of the clinic and picked the soft carrier up. He felt like the cat probably could’ve torn her way through the thing if she’d chosen to do so, but she peered out through the netting in a curious yet calm way.
Inside the clinic, there was a small waiting room with a front desk by some doors that obviously led to the back.
There was nobody in the front, but the bell above the door—a nice lower tone instead of a harsh clear ring, probably to spare the pets’ ears—rang, so Makai set the carrier on a chair and looked around the little room.
There were posters on the walls, each containing different kinds of information from spay and neuter to vaccinations to breeds to breeding.
The door to the back opened, and a handsome middle-aged man stepped out. “I’m so sorry if I kept you waiting. I had some paperwork that needed doing, and I didn’t want to leave in the middle of the last page,” he explained in a breathless tone and peered up at Makai. “Hi, I’m Doctor Donovan, but everyone here calls me Doc.” The man gave Makai a genuine enough smile, and Makai shook the offered hand.
“Makai Stone, new in town,” he said, smiling back. “And we just got in, so no worries.” He tilted his head toward the carrier. “Two nights ago was my first night in town, and I got immediately adopted by a cat.”
Doctor Donovan let out an amused huff. “All right, so a checkup, or…?”
“Well that, and I want to figure out if she belongs to anyone. She’s, well, you can look for yourself.” Makai got the carrier, and the doc ushered him through to the back.
“I don’t have an assistant every day, so if you don’t mind, you can help me out with her?”
“Oh, absolutely fine. Can’t be too busy here daily?”
