“Oh.” Marley’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
Pregnant?
“I went ahead and did an ultrasound when her exam turned up an enlarged abdomen but no injuries to report.” He walked over to the exam table and turned the carrier so they could look at the blackpregnantcat. “This is the part where you needed to sit down.”
“Okay…”
“She’s pregnant withsixkittens.” Luke folded his arms across his chest, bracing himself for their reaction.
“Six?” Marley squeaked.
“Yup. Six healthy kittens confirmed by ultrasound. Due in a couple of weeks.”
“A couple of weeks?” Marley echoed.
Gia could do nothing but watch as the scene unfolded. It seemed straight out of a novel.
“Yes. And as first-time customers and good Samaritans, I’ll waive the fee for today’s visit,” Luke said politely, though from the hopeful look he shot her, he was hoping it would earn him some points. “So, who will take her home?”
“Wait, take her home?” Marley screeched.
“Yes. In her state, it would be best for her to be in a safe environment when she gives birth.”
Marley and Gia looked at each other. They hadn’t thought this would be the outcome of today’s mission.
“My mom’s allergic, so I can’t take her back to my house…” Gia said regretfully, lips downturned.
“Oh, um, I’ll take her home,” Marley offered.
“Are you sure?” Gia asked softly.
“Yeah. I’m sure Jake will be fine with it.” Marley shrugged nonchalantly.
“Okay, if you’re sure…” Luke turned around and opened the cabinets behind him. He started pulling some items out and placing them on the table. “Here are some treats and vitamins you can give her until she delivers.”
He bent down and opened the cabinet below the sink, pulling out a reusable bag with their logo on the front. He continued placing items in the bag while talking about ways to get a feral cat to open up, though Gia was not interested in trying to socialize the feral beast.
Luke turned around, holding out the bag of goodies to Gia while Marley grabbed her precious andpregnantcargo.
They left without another word. The car ride back to Jake’s house was silent as they processed the news. Even the cat was silent, as if finding out it was pregnant had been a shock. All too soon, Gia pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. She turned to face Marley, who looked a little green around the gills.
“Ready?”
“Um, no, not really.”
“Hey.” Gia placed a warm hand on Marley’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Besides, Jake owes me one. Let me do the talking.” Gia’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“Okay,” Marley whispered.
“Let’s go talk to Jake.”
Twenty-Two
JAKE
