The Lost Cats and Lonely Hearts Club

by Nic Tatano

  Nick takes my hand. “Speaking of stories, you mentioned that two cops once saved your life but you never told me how. Care to share that one?”

  I’m never wild about this subject, but everyone is making me feel so comfortable. Rory gives me a nod, telling me to go ahead. “Well, sure. As you all probably know by now, I was raised in foster homes. But the only reason I’m sitting here today is because of two cops. Right after I was born I was left in a bathroom with a note from my mother saying she couldn’t take care of me. Apparently I was a loud baby because two officers heard my screams, followed the noise and found me. They took me to social services and my name comes from the two cops, whose last names were Madison and Shaw. So that’s one reason I have such great respect for what you guys do.”

  Nick leans forward. “That’s incredible. So, did you ever try to find your birth mother?”

  “I never knew the story until I was eighteen, and then I tracked down the two officers. But they said there were really very few clues as to how I ended up in that bathroom. The only witness was a man who had talked to a teenage girl with an Irish accent who was holding a baby, and then he saw the girl later without the baby. So I have no idea who my real birth parents are. That’s a cold case I’d love to solve.”

  “So you’d like to meet your birth mother?” asks Steve’s wife.

  “Yeah. Well, I say that but if the opportunity ever presented itself, I might think differently. I mean, even though I’ve rehearsed the meeting a thousand times in my head, what would I actually say to a woman who abandoned me in a bathroom? Anyway, I do keep in touch with the two cops, who are like very special uncles to me. But thank goodness they weren’t named Lipschitz and Shaw.”

  Everyone laughs at the line. Nick finishes his cheesecake and looks at his watch. “Okay, you guys have to excuse me. Time to thank everyone.” He gets up and moves to the microphone, then begins to thank all those who had a part in putting on the fundraiser. He then pulls a check from his pocket and presents it to the widow, who tears up as she gives him a big hug.

  I turn back to my table mates. “Nice of you guys to do this.”

  “Hey, we take care of our own,” says Steve. “Nick has really taken the lead on this. And after he ended up with the worst duty any officer ever has.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Delivering the bad news,” says Steve’s wife, who takes her husband’s hand. “Showing up at her house, telling her that her husband was dead.” She bites her lower lip as her eyes well up.

  “No police spouse ever wants to see the partner show up alone on the doorstep,” says Steve. “Because that only means one thing.”

  Nick is a fabulous dancer. We’ve been tearing up the floor for an hour and it’s like we’ve been partners for years. I catch my breath after a fast song. “Marino, you should be on Dancing with the Stars.”

  “Yeah right.”

  “No, seriously, you’re terrific.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself. Tired yet, Madison?”

  “Hell no. But I’m ready for a slow one. Besides, the deejay is only here for another half hour.”

  And then it starts to drizzle.

  “Aw hell,” he says. “We almost made it.”

  He starts to lead me from the floor but I pull him back. “What, you afraid of a little sprinkle?”

  He laughs as the rest of the crowd heads under cover. “I’m game.” He turns to the deejay. “Keep playing.”

  The disc jockey laughs. “Sure, I got something appropriate.”

  And then my favorite song in the whole world starts. Belinda Carlisle’s Summer Rain.

  “I love this song!” We say in unison. “Seriously, Nick?”

  He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close and starts leading me around the dance floor. “It’s a beautiful song. Most people like Heaven is a Place on Earth but I’ve always thought this was her best.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder as the rain falls and I take in the lyrics about a couple dancing in the rain before the soldier goes off to war.

  The rain starts to fall harder and he leans back. “You’re getting awfully wet.”

  I look up at him as my hair starts getting matted to my head. “I’ve got a dryer at home. So shut up and dance with me, officer. That’s an order.”

  He continues leading me around the floor as the crowd applauds. And then he gives me a look that makes the rest of the world disappear.

  I pull Nick’s hot, dry shirt from the dryer and carry it to the living room where he is playing with the kittens. “Your shirt’s done.”

  He stands up and reaches for it, but I pull it back. “What, you’re not gonna give it back?”

  I take in his amazing body. The man is seriously ripped. “I have not decided yet. I kinda like you with your shirt off.” I toss the shirt on the couch, move toward him, wrap my arms around him and give him a long kiss, taking the opportunity to run my hands across his toned back muscles. Damn. “Now you know why I wanted to dance in the rain. Aren’t I clever?”

  “Too bad you weren’t wearing a tee-shirt.” We both laugh as I hand him his shirt and he puts it on. Nick takes a spot on the couch and I sit on his lap. He wraps one arm around me. “I’m so glad you came tonight, Madison.”

  “Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time. I mean, considering the circumstances.”

  “Well, life goes on. Might as well make the best of it and help people along the way.” He laughs as one of the kittens leaps out at the other one in a sneak attack. “This is better than TV. I can see why cat videos rule the internet.”

  “Yeah, I almost feel bad about breaking them up soon, they have so much fun together.” The tortoiseshell is having a ball, running around the living room. “But mine will have to settle for me as a playmate.”

  “Lucky bastard.”

  I playfully slap his arm. “Watch it, Mister.”

  “You give him a name yet?”

  “Not yet. Waiting for inspiration to hit me. But like it says in that poem you told me to read, a cat knows its name. I just have to figure it out.” The kitten runs into one of the many bubble-wrapped pieces of furniture and then his siblings with no ill effects. “With him it’s like watching bumper cars.”

  “Hey, that’d be a cute name for him.”

  “What?”

  “Bumper.”

  The kitten stops playing, turns to Nick and meows.

  “I love that!” I lean toward the kitten. “Is that your name? Bumper?”

  He meows again and paws at the air.

  Nick laughs. “I think that’s a yes.”

  “Okay. Bumper it is.” I turn back to Nick. “Apparently cops are meant to name everything for me.”

  “Hey, another part of my job.”

  “You mean besides rescuing damsels in distress?”

  “Yeah, though it does depend on the damsel.”

  “Ah. By the way, I cannot believe you love the same song I do.”

  “It’s a beautiful song. Even though it’s sad. Y’know, the woman never seeing her husband again after he goes off to war.”

  “Yeah, but that’s what makes it special. I think every woman wants to feel that way about her husband. Of course, without the dying part. So, you like Belinda Carlisle.”

  “I do. I’ve always had this thing for redheads.”

  “You know, A.J. says that’s true of Italian men. That you guys cannot resist the red hair and the freckles.”

  He nods as he runs his fingers through my hair. “Now that I think of it, a few of my cousins are married to redheads. There must be something to that.”

  The look, again.

  “Are your cousins happily married?”

  “Very. So the theory is sound. Y’know, Madison, I’m going to say something I shouldn’t.”

  “I need better mouthwash?”

  He laughed. “It never stops with you, does it?”

  “Nah. Part of my charm. So what’s on your mind?”

  “Well,
saying this will give you an advantage in our relationship, but, what the hell. I have to be honest.”

  “What?”

  “I really missed you.”

  My eyes get misty and I take his head in my hands. “Tell you what, Marino. Let’s call it even. I really missed you too.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I can’t take this anymore. I have to decide.”

  My friends study my face as we sit down to our usual Sunday brunch. Tish pats my hand. “Nothing resolved itself, huh kiddo?”

  “Unfortunately, no. I like both of them a lot. I even did the thing where I drew a line down the middle of a pad to compare them. They came out even. They’re so different but I could see myself with either one. But it’s not fair to them to keep dating both. Because I’m getting attached to both, and that’s not a good thing. For me or them.”

  “I agree,” says Rory. “I saw how you look at them. You’re in danger of falling for both.”

  “Honey, that ship has sailed.” I lean back with my mimosa as A.J. dishes out the food. “Okay, I need to de-brief you guys on Nick. Waddaya think?”

  Rory shrugs. “No red flags from me. I like him a lot. He’s smart as hell and an old fashioned gentleman. Plus, being a cop he’s a real-life superhero. He’d take a bullet for you and always protect you. So he’s a great guy and seems like a good match.”

  “Better than Jamison?”

  “Sorry, Freckles. Dead even. Both have their good points and I could see you with either one. Neither has any bad features as far as I can tell. Had you been dating just one of them I would have told you to keep going.”

  I turn to A.J. “So, can you look at the Italian guy objectively?”

  “Of course. But they’re even with me as well. Jamison is cute and rich. Nick is hot and brave. Both are smart with good personalities that work well with yours. I also agree you’d be fine ending up with either one, though after three dates it’s hard to know how things might work out long term. But Nick is hotter.”

  “You already said that,” says Tish.

  “Just emphasizing the point in case it’s a tie on all counts except for appearance. Hot trumps rich in my mind. And she looks better with him.”

  The image of Nick with his shirt off whips through my mind. Now I need Tish’s opinion. “Okay, counselor, your closing argument, please.”

  “Alas, it is every lawyer’s worst nightmare. A hung jury.”

  “Poor choice of words when sex is involved,” says A.J., wearing a wicked grin.

  Tish rolls her eyes. “For once, get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “Hey, at least if she slept with both she’d know a little more. You don’t want her to end up with a guy who’s bad in bed, do ya?”

  Tish shakes her head. “Anyway, since sex is not part of the equation, I have to agree with everyone. Both have a lot to offer though they’re very different. And may I add both are much better than he-who-must-not-be-named. The fact that all three of us approve of both guys is a good sign that one of them might be your soul mate. So the final decision rests with the judge in this case. You.”

  “Damn. Y’know, Nick gave me the look last night.”

  “What look?” asks Rory.

  “The one my kitten gives me.”

  Tish’s face tightens. “You’re going to make your choice because one guy looks at you like a cat?”

  “Hey, you know what they say. Eyes are the windows of the soul. And Bumper went right to Nick, while he was a tad apprehensive about Jamison.”

  Rory laughs. “Well, this is a first. Kitten sorts out love triangle, film at eleven. Freckles, you realize this makes no sense, don’t you?”

  “Hey, Bumper has been spot-on about men all along. Regardless, I have to make my choice this week.”

  “Why this week?”

  “Because they both asked me out for this weekend and I’m not going out with both. But the clock is ticking and I’m running out of time.”

  I arrive home Monday night to find Rory working on her laptop while three of the kittens are playing in the living room. Bumper is waiting for me in the window, so I pick him up. “Hi, honey, I’m home.”

  She looks up at me and studies my face. “So, you didn’t do it.”

  “What?”

  “Decide which guy you want and break up with the one who came in second.”

  “I had, uh, a very busy day.”

  “Oh, bull. You’re procrastinating.”

  “Fine. I change my mind every five minutes. Dammit, Rory, what the hell do I do? I’m now seeing the down side to playing the field.”

  “Wish I had a crystal ball, Freckles. You sure you don’t want to go on one more date with each?”

  “I really don’t think so. I’m getting too attached. And it’s not fair to the guys.”

  “Then go with your gut, sweetie.”

  A knock on the door distracts me. “Must be that stuff I ordered for the cats.” I open the door but do not find a delivery man.

  Instead I’m looking into the pale, drawn face of Nick’s partner Steve.

  And then it hits me. What was said about Nick at the dance.

  He ended up with the worst duty any officer ever has.

  No police spouse ever wants to see the partner show up alone on the doorstep.

  Because that only means one thing.

  My hands fly up to my mouth as the blood drains from my face. “No. Dear God, no …”

  “He’s in surgery. Let’s go.”

  Steve speeds through town toward the hospital with his siren blaring. I’m staring straight ahead, about to lose it. “What happened, Steve?”

  “He walked in on a robbery in progress. Just went into a convenience store to get us a couple of sodas. There was a lot of gunfire. I dropped the robber but Nick took a few bullets when he jumped in front of a woman and her child. He saved them, but …”

  “What are his chances?”

  “I don’t know. There was a lot of blood, Madison. He was unconscious when we loaded him into the ambulance. And then I came to get you.”

  “Thank you for thinking of me.”

  “I couldn’t help it. You were all he talked about today.”

  I bite my lower lip as my eyes well up and the tears begin to flow. Steve notices and reaches over to take my hand. “Hey, don’t worry, Nick’s a tough guy. And I’ve never lost a partner in twenty years.”

  That doesn’t make me feel any better.

  Steve comes to a screeching halt in the hospital parking lot. We both jump out of the car and run to the emergency room entrance. The waiting room is already filled with a sea of blue uniforms. I see Steve’s wife get up and move toward him. “Anything?” he asks.

  She shakes her head. “They’re still working on him.” She turns to me and gives me a strong hug. “Thanks for coming, Madison.”

  “Sure.”

  She takes my hand and leads me to a couple of empty chairs. I notice a set of worn rosary beads around her other hand as we sit down. “Now you see what it’s like to be married to a cop.”

  I remember Tish’s words. “That’s why you live every day to the fullest.”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “A good friend told me that.”

  “Please don’t let it scare you away, Madison. Nick’s a very good man.”

  “I know. Is his family on the way?”

  “He doesn’t have anyone. Nick’s an only child and his parents are dead.”

  So, again, I’m it.

  The doors to the emergency room slide open and I see the police commissioner enter. He starts shaking hands with all the officers, then spots me and heads in my direction. We know each other as I’ve interviewed him a few times. I stand up to greet him. “Commissioner …”

  “Miss Shaw, I’d like the media to wait outside, if you don’t mind.”

  And then, in a flash, I see it in my mind’s eye.

  The look from Nick.

  Right into my soul.

 
The look from the kittens after I brought them home.

  You’re all we’ve got. Please don’t leave us.

  Things resolve themselves.

  Decide, Madison.

  Right. Now.

  Go with your gut.

  The words come out.

  “I’m not here as a reporter, Commissioner. I’m Nick’s girlfriend.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rory, A.J. and Tish arrive half an hour later and we share a group hug. We break the embrace and sit in the ridiculously uncomfortable orange plastic chairs as Rory takes my hand. “So what’s the story?”

  “No news so far. His partner said he got shot a few times. Lot of blood.” I look down at the floor. “He saved a few people.”

  Tish locks eyes with me. “He’ll pull through. I know it.”

  “I stopped by my church and lit a candle,” says A.J.

  “Thanks for coming down, guys.” I see another member of the police force come into the waiting room. Steve talks to him awhile, then points to me. I note the captain’s stripes on his uniform as he moves in my direction and I stand to meet him.

  “Miss Shaw, I’m Bill Warren, Nick’s captain. Appreciate the support tonight.”

  “Sure, Captain.”

  He takes my shoulders and locks eyes with me. “Your boyfriend’s a tough guy. He’ll make it.” The commissioner comes over and pats him on the shoulder. “Excuse me.” He turns to the commissioner and they walk to a corner of the room as I sit back down.

  “Why did he say Nick was your boyfriend?” asks Rory.

  “Because that’s what I told the commissioner. I made my decision.”

  “Sweetie, you’re emotional right now—”

  “No, that’s not it at all. Somehow it just came out. But it feels right.”

  “And you’re sure about this?”

  “Yeah. Very sure.” I smile for the first time since I arrived here. “It’s the way he looks at me, Rory. And I’m guessing I look at him in the same way.”

  “Long as you’re sure.”

  “Besides, how could I leave him now?”

  “I hope you’re not letting the situation guilt you into this.”

  “No, Rory. It’s a gut feeling, and you told me to go with my gut. I know he’s the right choice.”