“Oh, yeah,” I said, moving toward him. “I’m sorry, Allister.”
I closed the distance between us and reached for his bags. Rolling them to the door, he followed behind me.
The six-hundred-square-foot bungalow did double duty as a guest house and home gym. On the left side sat a one-bedroom apartment with an open floor plan, kitchen, and living room area. My home gym shared a wall on the right. Both spaces had views of the ocean and pool, and retractable glass doors that allowed for indoor-outdoor living. I just hoped it wasn’t a problem for the cat.
Entering the security code, I opened the door and stepped back to allow him to enter.
“I wrote the code down and stuck it on the fridge. I can get you a key if you prefer. It’s just easier, I think.”
I looked up to find my dog. “Stay out here, girl.”
After he entered the house, I rolled his bags inside and closed the door. He set the carrier on the floor and opened it for the cat.
“Here ya go, buddy,” Colin crooned to him. “You can investigate a bit.”
The black cat took a few steps before stretching backward, extending his front paws. We both watched as he looked up at me, then walked over to wind himself between my ankles.
Reaching down, I smiled as I stroked my hand over his back. “Welcome to America, Allister. I hope you enjoy your new life here.”
The cat purred, then moved on to explore the rest of the space.
The space felt smaller now that Colin filled it up.
“Nice place,” he said, looking around. “Did you design it?”
I glanced around at what he was seeing. “Actually, I did. I had it built on-site to give my parents a private space when they visited, and a dedicated workout room.”
He smiled as he walked back into the bedroom. Trying out the mattress, he nodded to himself. He disappeared from view, probably checking out the en-suite bathroom. When he walked back in, he propped his hand on his hips and smiled at me. “Nice place.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic. I was too busy with Allister. Apparently, it was important that I make sure the cat was happy.
When Colin caught me watching, he smirked at me.
“What?” I chuckled.
“He doesn’t take to people, but for some reason, he likes you. The last guy…” he paused, then ran his fingers over his lips. “He usually hides when people come around.”
I nodded, suddenly curious about the last guy. But that was none of my business.
“Maybe he feels safe here,” I said.
“Maybe.”
The moment felt weighted, so I moved on to safer topics and pointed over my shoulder toward the door.
“I’ll let you get settled in. The washer and dryer are in the nook over there.”
I don’t know why I was pointing out the obvious, but he just smiled and nodded.
“Thanks.”
I took a big breath. “I’ll go to the grocery store to get some things for him. Anything special he needs? Or you?”
Colin shook his head but kept his eyes on me. “Nope. He’s partial to fish, and any scoopable cat litter is great. I’m going to order him a self-cleaning one before we head out.”
Something crossed his face, and he frowned up at me. “Shit. I need to find someone to tend to him while we’re gone to training.”
“I have a housesitter for Bella. I’m sure they won’t mind looking after Allister.”
