Logan stared at Noah, and I could see the mental calculations going on in his head.
“Okay, here’s how we’re going to handle it,” he began.
I crossed my fingers.
“We know nothing about this cat. We’re not even sure if she likes us.”
I sorted out a laugh when Noah gave his father an incredulous look and pointed at the kitten asleep and purring under his chin.
Logan kept going. “We obviously can’t do anything now given we’re in the middle of the ocean, so she can stay until we get to the next port. Then we need to make a decision.”
Noah gasped and moved his hand to shield the kitten protectively.
“Now hold on, I didn’t finish,” he said with more patience than I thought he contained. “We’ll see how things go over the next few days, and if we’re all happy and getting along, then we can talk about thepossibilityof keeping her. Okay? It’s not definite, because we need to make sure she’s happy too. If we’re not the family for her, then the best thing to do would be to take her to a shelter where they can find the perfect fit. Does that make sense?”
Noah nodded, eyes wide.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t think he was enough of an ogre to toss the kitten overboard, but I wasn’t banking on him beingwon over by sweetness or Noah’s pleading, either. I saw his “solution” as a stopgap to keep his troubled son from breaking down completely in the moment.
At least we all had a few days’ respite before Logan made the final call that I was convinced he’d make. For now, they could focus on being good cat parents.
Although…did either of them have a clue what to do? My “fix things” instinct flared up, and before I could stop myself, I butted right into the middle of the mess.
“Okay, so that means you’ll need food, water, and a litter pan. And before you do anything, that sweet little baby needs a bath, because she’s filthy!” I reached out to run my hand down the kitten’s back.
“Uh,” Logan shuffled his feet. “And how does one…do that? Bathe a cat?”
“Can you help us, Miss Nina?” Noah piped up.
Logan frowned, but I ignored him. Noah was my focus. Noah was the one who could gain so much from having a pet, and I wanted to make this a good experience for him in any way I could. Even if that meant ignoring my distaste for his father and stepping up to show them how transformative a pet could be.
“I have some free time…” I answered vaguely, focusing on Noah and not Logan.
“I’d appreciate it if you could give us some direction,” Logan replied.
Wow. I was convinced he’d find a way to dismiss me, so I jumped at the chance to start building their bond.
“Okay then! Let’s get this cutie into a bubble bath. Do you have gentle shampoo, like for kids?”
“We do,” Logan said. “Let’s go.”
Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he got up and followed us down the hall to their suite.
I stifled a shocked gasp when Logan opened the door and stepped aside to let me enter because I was walking into a different world. My room was basically a closet with a porthole, so it was both a treat and a slap in the face to see how the other half lived.
A wall of windows facing the ocean led out to a long balcony. The vibe was calming browns and tans punctuated by pops of blue that perfectly matched the water. A sitting area.Rooms, like, with doors and everything! Were we even on the same ship?
“This way, Miss Nina,” Noah said, clutching the kitten with one hand and taking my hand with the other.
I melted a little. This kid was special.
I assumed Logan would peel off to do whatever trillionaire CEOs did, but he followed behind us into the ridiculously large bathroom.
My bathroom was so tiny I had to curl up to keep my feet out of the shower while I peed. This one could host a ten-person sit-down dinner.
Noah ran to the tub with the kitten bouncing along in his arms. “There’s my shampoo, and there’s my towel.” He pointed to them then grinned at me.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
