“Is that all I am to you?”
“At the moment.” Brad grunted as he lifted one end of the long counter. “Now lift, pretty boy.”
Lani tried to help but they waved her away, so she got back into the window and fussed with that.
“What are they doing to Mrs. C’s shop?” Newman poked his head in the door.
“I’m not sure, but think it’s called merchandising.”
“He’s good, there’s no getting around it. Especially for a Texan.”
“I heard that!”
“Looks aesthetically pleasing!” Newman yelled back. “Supposedly decorators like those kinds of compliments. Macy said to bring you this because you may need it.” Newman handed her a coffee, then joined Brad and Noah.
She stood in the window, ignoring the scrape of furniture and mutter of voices as she tried to achieve a classy yet homey look. When she was done, Lani went outside again and studied her changes. She thought they worked.
High-pitched, excited barking to her right had Lani moving that way. Was Buddy hurt? Following the noise, she found him behind the shops.
“Buddy!” Calling him didn’t stop the yapping. He was staring into a space between parked cars at the rear of the shop. The yowl of a cat told her why.
“Okay, that makes sense.” Placing a hand on his head, she gave it a scratch. “Leave the cat alone.”
It was a big feline with a torn ear that looked to be bleeding. “You hurt, kitty?” Lani moved closer to take a look.
“What the hell are you doing? That cat could be feral.”
“It’s hurt.” Lani ignored Noah and dropped to her haunches.
“Get back, Lani, it’ll scratch you!”
She held out a hand. The cat took a swipe and connected.
“Crazy woman, get out of there!”
“It’s okay, kitty, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“No, it wants to hurt you!”
Lani moved closer, and the cat hissed.
“For the love of God, woman!”
She touched its head, and the animal allowed it, so she stroked the matted fur. “It’s been in a fight or something.”
“So it’s angry and hurt. Excellent.”
Lani moved closer still, and the cat allowed her to stroke its back. “It doesn’t look feral.”
“There’s a look?”
Ignoring his sarcasm, she gently picked the cat up and walked to where he stood.
“I don’t recognize it, but then I’m not acquainted with every cat in town,” Noah said.
“Sarcasm is not helping.”
“You’re bleeding.”
