“Okay, I’ll get the kittens cleaned up and ready to go, too.” Hank dug around in a drawer and pulled out another sheet of paper. “Cats don’t need quite as much, but here’s a list of things that help, especially when they’re so young. Luckily, they have each other, so it shouldn’t be as bad.”
“We getting the kitties, too,” Jordan squealed, her heart hammering in her chest so loudly Chelsea could hear it.
“Yes, and you can help pick out some toys for them. How long will it take to get them ready for us?”
Hank checked his watch. “Give us about an hour.”
Theo pursed his lips and stared at her. “Are you sure about all this, pixie?”
The nickname sent a shiver through her. Standing tall and confident, she nodded. “Yes. I have plenty of room and plenty of love to give them.”
The smile on Theo’s face highlighted those amazing dimples at the corners of his mouth. She’d done the right thing.
The change in Chelsea once she’d decided to get both the dog and the kittens was astounding. At first, she’d seemed unsure, constantly looking to him as if asking for permission. His instinct had been to step in and take over and do everything for her, but that wasn’t going to help her get back on her feet and regain that optimistic personality he knew was inside her. The one he was getting a peek at now.
As they pulled into the pet store parking lot, he could feel her excitement rising. Hers and Jordan’s. “You’ve got the lists, right?” At her nod, he added, “Do you have enough money on you? I can take care of it, if you don’t.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes at him. “You’re asking if I have enough money. I could buy all new appliances with the cash I have on me.”
“Don’t say that too loud,” he warned.
As they went up and down the aisles, considering which dog bed or kitty climber to get, he marveled at how normal this all seemed. To the casual onlooker, you’d never know that his stomach was in knots and his mind was a jumble of emotions and confusion. They looked like a regular family out for a weekday shop.
“I think the kitties need this.” Jordan showed them yet another small toy.
“Why don’t we concentrate on the basics for now?” he said, pushing one of two carriages down the aisle, since the dog crate they got for Bandit filled an entire one by itself. He’d been stuffing things inside to conserve space.
Once the crates, beds, food, water dishes, litter boxes, leash, collars, and various other supplies were loaded up and paid for, they filled the back of the SUV and headed out.
“How about we stop and pick up some food? We could have a little picnic once we get the animals.”
“You want to have a picnic?” Chelsea’s expression showed confusion.
“I’m sure Bandit and the three little kittens might like to run around a bit before being stuck inside your house. You’ll want to adapt them to your yard slowly. I know a great place we can go.”
Chelsea nodded, so they grabbed some takeout and made it back right as the dog and kittens were being brought out to the front.
“Hey there, Bandit,” Chelsea greeted the animal, and the dog responded like he hadn’t seen her in years. He understood the feeling.
“You know he’s still young enough,” Hank said, “that you could probably get away with changing his name. There are some tips to doing that.”
Leaning down, she scratched the dog’s head. “No, the name fits him. He stole my heart.”
As Chelsea wrote a check out for the organization, one that was much more than any of the animals were worth, he picked up the box of black furballs. Like she’d said, she had the money. After she’d left him years ago, he’d done some web surfing and knew in the vicinity how much her father’s company was worth. Who knew how much money he had beside that?
“Can I hold one of the kitties, please?” Jordan begged as she climbed into her car seat. He tucked the cats into their carrier, strapped next to her seat.
“Not right now, peanut. We’ll be stopping in a few minutes. You can do it then.”
After making sure the kittens were safe, he opened the back and assisted Chelsea in getting the dog into the larger carrier. The animal balked a bit, but when Chelsea climbed into the back next to the carrier, he settled down.
“I’ll stay here, so he’s okay.”
“There’s barely enough room for the crate.”
“I’m small.” She shrugged, grimacing as she adjusted her legs. No way he’d argue with her. These animals were better than any therapy he could think of.
The drive to the Thompson Island picnic area took no time, and soon Bandit was back on his leash and Theo had placed the kitty carrier on the grass next to a picnic table.
