by Ross, Mia
“I refinished a table for Matt and Caty a while back, and I still have sample cans of some different stains at my place,” she said before she could talk herself out of it. “My shift is over, so we can go now if you want.”
“Great. Allons-y.”
They both laughed at their French inside joke, and he waited while she cashed in her tips and got her coat from the storeroom. Then there they were, standing together under the mistletoe again.
Several heads turned, and she rolled her eyes. “Nosy.”
A mischievous gleam lit Seth’s eyes, and it struck her that it was the first time she’d seen that from him. Intensity and vulnerability she’d noticed many times, but never anything even remotely playful. She had to admit she liked it.
“We could give ’em something to talk about,” he suggested in a conspiratorial murmur.
She giggled because it was all so ridiculous. “Sure. Why not?”
“Hey, Lisa,” he said loudly, grinning at her. “We’re under the mistletoe.”
Feigning surprise, she looked up, then cocked her head at him. “Well, are you gonna kiss me or not?”
She was anticipating a quick peck like the one he’d given her before. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up off her feet into a luxurious kiss that lasted long enough to leave her out of breath. Warm and gentle, the softness of it amazed her. The effect was more stunning than if he’d backed her up against the wall and given her the kind of hard, demanding kiss she was accustomed to from other guys.
Lisa found herself sinking into it, relishing the feel of being circled in those strong arms. Her mind flashed back to the day he’d put himself between her and the storm, ignoring his own safety to protect her. This was a man meant for keeping, a voice in her head warned. Not the kind of guy she wanted in her life right now.
Or was he?
Flustered, she pulled away and stared up at him. Most males on the planet would have been smug, but Seth was wearing an expression that must have mirrored hers. His bewildered look told her he’d felt the same rush of emotions she had when they kissed.
And it scared him, too.
In an effort to lighten the mood, she forced a laugh and patted his chest. “Nice one.”
Always the gentleman, he went around her to open the door, then stood back to hold it open. Feeling a little steadier now, she managed a shaky smile. “Thank you.”
“For the door or the kiss?”
His tone was light, as hers had been, but there was an uncertainty in his eyes that made her heart twist a little tighter around this baffling contradiction of a man. Instinct told her this wasn’t a time for teasing him, and she smiled back. “Both.”
“That’s good,” he said as they headed down the sidewalk. “I wasn’t sure how it was. I’m a little out of practice.”
“You could’ve fooled me,” she blurted without thinking. When he didn’t respond, she tried to smooth over her impulsive comment. “It must’ve been the mistletoe.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Rotten weed.”
Was he serious, or was he covering up some unintentional hurt feelings? She chanced a look over at him, but he was checking out the store windows as they passed by, so she couldn’t see his face. It didn’t really matter, she consoled herself. She’d settled on being friends with him, and no matter how mind-boggling their first real kiss had been, she knew the smartest approach was to stick with her plan.
Too bad she hadn’t realized how tough that would be, she thought as they climbed the stairs to her apartment. From his solid work ethic to his soft heart, Seth was proving himself to be the kind of guy who could change her mind about that total-independence thing.
It didn’t matter, she told herself for the thousandth time. The trouble was, somewhere along the line, the mantra she’d been using to keep him at bay had lost some of its power. While it was still true that he’d be going home soon and she’d be in Europe, a budding idea was beginning to push its way from the back of her mind to the front.
There could be a way to blend their plans into something that suited them both. She enjoyed his company, and he seemed to enjoy hers. Sought it out, actually, as he had with this color-matching project. Was it because she was the first friend he’d made in Harland and he was leaning on her, or was there something more to it?
Still mulling that over, she unlocked her door. When she stepped inside, she was surprised that Cleo wasn’t there to greet her. It was past lunchtime, and her furry roommate should have been sitting by the door, looking perturbed at having to wait for her meal.
“Cleo?”
Nothing. She called out again with the same result, and a quick scan of the single room showed her the cat wasn’t in any of her usual napping spots.
“You think she found another way out?” Seth asked, genuine concern edging his normally mellow drawl.
“Maybe. She’s pretty smart, and she’s had all day to find a hole. You look up high, I’ll try down low. She’s got to be in the building somewhere.”
Lisa was hunting through the bottom cupboards when Seth called out, “I found her.”
“Oh, thank you!”
“I don’t know about that,” he said as she joined him by the couch. “She doesn’t look too good.”
That was an understatement.
Cleo, who loved to lounge on her window seat and admire the town below, had burrowed under a quilt and was curled up in a corner of the couch. Only the tip of her bushy brown tail was showing, which was why they’d missed her when they walked in.
Moving slowly, Lisa peeled back the quilt for a better look. Maine coons were one of the largest cats in existence, but Cleo had coiled herself up until she was the size of a large kitten. Without lifting her head, she blinked up at Lisa and opened her mouth in a silent plea for help.
When Lisa scooped her up, she went completely limp, and her head hung over Lisa’s arm as if she didn’t have the strength to hold it up. “Oh, baby, what’s wrong?”
That got her another silent meow, and her heart seized with dread. Cleo was only two years old and had gotten a clean bill of health from the vet just before Thanksgiving. What could be so wrong?
Seth brushed a fingertip over Cleo’s forehead, and she closed her eyes with a halfhearted whimper. “Has she been sick?”
“She’s been kind of lazy the last few days, but she always gets like that in the winter. She didn’t have much for lunch yesterday or the day before, but I figured it was because they were regular cat-food days.” When he gave her a quizzical look, she explained, “She loves people food, but it’s not good for her to have it all the time. So two days out of three she gets dry cat food, which she eats but isn’t all that crazy about.”
“How ’bout water?”
“I give her fresh every morning, but I don’t measure it or anything. I don’t know if she’s been drinking it or not.”
“Litter box?”
“What are you?” she demanded. “A vet?”
Considering the fact that she’d just taken his head off for asking a perfectly reasonable question, he took it in stride. “Just going down the list.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Rocking the cat in her arms, Lisa rubbed cheeks with her. “All right, my little Egyptian queen. I’m taking you to the vet.”
“I can go with you. If you want,” he added quickly, as if he was afraid he’d insulted her.
Lisa usually resented any implication that she couldn’t handle something on her own, but this was different. If there was something seriously wrong with her beloved Cleo, she knew she’d lose it if she was alone.
“Thanks. That would be nice.”
“My truck’s still in the shop. How far away is the vet’s office?”
“Just outside town, so we’ll take my car. I’ll give you directions
.”
After handing him her keys, she wrapped Cleo in the quilt to keep her warm. With the cat’s long, thick fur, it was hardly necessary, but it made Lisa feel like she’d done something positive to help make her baby feel better.
Bless his heart, Seth didn’t hesitate, just opened the door and locked it behind them. He didn’t complain or even sigh while he wedged himself into her tiny car to make the short drive to the vet. No doubt about it, she mused with heartfelt gratitude. He was great to have around during an emergency.
Fortunately, Dr. Farnum was able to examine Cleo right away. She didn’t react while he poked and prodded, not even when he drew blood and shoved a thermometer into a very uncomfortable place to take her temperature.
Checking the results, he frowned. “Well, she’s running a fever, so we can assume she’s got some kind of infection. The lab I use in Kenwood can tell us what kind, but not until tomorrow morning. With infections, twenty-four hours can make a big difference, so I think starting her on antibiotics is a good idea.”
“Is it serious?” Lisa asked, stroking Cleo’s fur as much to calm herself as the cat.
“I’m not sure at this point. We’ll run a few more tests to find out for sure.”
Despite his calm tone, Lisa’s heart seized with fear. Because Cleo was so young, they’d never dealt with anything beyond shots and the occasional flea treatment. Glancing over at her listless cat, Lisa barely held back tears. Cleo was counting on Lisa to take care of her, but what would she do if the tests turned up something that couldn’t be treated?
Dr. Farnum was watching her expectantly, and she knew he was waiting for her to approve the tests. She had to say something.
Hoping to sound more or less rational, she swallowed before answering. “Okay.”
The door opened, and they were joined by a young woman dressed in puppy-and-kitten scrubs. Her name tag read “Brenda,” and she honed in on Seth, flashing him an appreciative smile. Lisa must have been more upset than she thought, because she was seriously tempted to strangle the perky assistant for flirting with him instead of focusing on her very sick cat.
“Cleo shouldn’t be left alone,” the vet continued. “We don’t want her getting dehydrated, so we need to monitor how much she’s drinking. If you want, you can leave her overnight and we’ll keep an eye on her for you.”
“No.” Lisa shook her head firmly. “She’ll be more comfortable at home on the couch. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll make sure it gets done.”
The vet gave her an understanding smile. “I’ll write out some instructions for you, then. Right now, we’ll start those tests so you can get out of here.”
Very gently, he lifted Cleo and handed her to Brenda.
“Hi, Cleo,” she murmured, cuddling her much the way Lisa did. “Don’t you worry about a thing, precious. We’ll have you feeling like your old self in no time.”
Brenda left the examining room, babbling a streak of soothing nonsense. Just before the door swung shut, Cleo looked back at Lisa and closed her big, golden eyes.
Tears stung Lisa’s eyes, and she lowered her head in a heartfelt prayer. Please, God. Don’t take her away from me.
“It’ll be a little while,” Dr. Farnum said in a patient tone that spoke of plenty of practice. “You can wait out in the lobby, or even go get something to eat if you want.”
“No.” More certain than she’d ever been in her life, Lisa met his gaze with a determined one of her own. It had been torturous to hand Cleo over to someone else as it was. She wasn’t about to compound that by trotting off to get a snack as if nothing was wrong. “I’m not leaving here without Cleo.”
When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked over at Seth. When she’d first met him, she’d read his features as cold and hard. The sympathy she saw in them now proved just how wrong she’d been about him.
“We’ll wait out front, then. Thanks, Doc.”
We.
As Lisa numbly followed him through the door, the word echoed in her head. While her family offered her a very large, loving safety net, she didn’t often take advantage of it. What would it be like, she wondered, to have someone in your life who was always there beside you, willing to take on whatever life threw your way?
She and Seth settled on the bench nearest the exam rooms, and he gave her a smile of encouragement. Without saying a word, he took her hand for a gentle squeeze, holding it loosely while he looked around at posters of various animals from ferrets to thoroughbreds.
This was what Matt and Marianne had, Lisa realized with sudden clarity. Why they’d given up their independence to marry Caty and Ridge. They shared more than their houses, the family farm and the bills. They celebrated blessings that came along, like the new
babies, and supported each other through the tough times. Blending together their individual hopes and dreams the way Lisa mixed paints on her palette until she found just the right color. They’d taken vastly different lives and melded them into something new, something that would go on forever.
She wanted that, too.
The strength of that emotion nearly knocked her off the bench, and Lisa clamped her mouth shut to keep the insane notion to herself. She was worried about Cleo, she reasoned, and Seth had been so sweet. It was only natural for her to reach out to someone who’d treated her so kindly. This man didn’t mean anything more to her than any of the others she’d dated, her mind insisted stubbornly. When he was gone, her life would go on just as it had before she met him.
If only she could convince her heart of that, Lisa thought with a sigh, everything would be fine.
* * *
On the drive back to Lisa’s place, Seth racked his brain for some encouraging words. The results of Cleo’s most serious tests wouldn’t be available until morning, and he’d seen enough fear to know Lisa was terrified of the possible outcome.
To his credit, the vet hadn’t listed which diseases they were testing for but let his infection diagnosis stand for now. There was really no point in saying anything else. If it was something serious, chances were there was nothing anyone could do but put the suffering cat out of her misery.
What about Lisa’s misery? Seth wondered as he parked the car and got out to open the passenger door. She loved her cat the way other people loved their children, and he hated to think how devastated she’d be if she had to make such a heart-wrenching decision.
Falling back on years of no-nonsense training, he concentrated on things he could control and tabled the rest. He went up the stairs and unlocked the front door, stepping aside to let Lisa go ahead of him with Cleo. When he snapped on the switch, the lit garlands twinkled down at him.
“Have those lights always blinked?” he asked.
Lisa stared at him as if he’d gone completely off his rocker. “They’re not blinking.”
Sure enough, when he looked again he saw she was right. Bizarre as it seemed, he had a sudden sensation of reassurance, as if someone had noticed Lisa was hurting and was trying to tell her everything would turn out okay.
Working too hard, Seth decided, flopping onto the couch and rubbing his hands over his face. He was imagining things.
“Could you watch Cleo while I get her some water?” Lisa asked.
That she trusted him with the ailing cat touched him deeply. She was relying on him, and for the first time it didn’t make him want to turn tail and run.
“Sure. Come here, your highness.” Taking her from Lisa, he carefully set her on the sofa. “Let’s see what’s going on in the world.”
He clicked the TV on, flipping through channels until he found a show about crazy Christmas lights. It was fluff, but he thought the out-of-control Christmas decorations might cheer Lisa up a little. To his surprise, he felt the cushion shift as Cleo struggled to get up. She inched her way over, then struggled to climb into his lap.
Feeling honored and more than a little choked up, he spread the quilt on his lap and made a nest for her to settle into. With a contented feline sigh, she curled up, wrapped her tail around her nose and watched the TV through half-open eyes.
Coming in with a measuring cup of water and a yogurt container, Lisa pulled up short. “Did she do that?” she asked.
“Mostly. When I saw what she wanted, I helped her up.” Suddenly, he wasn’t sure he should have done it. “Is that okay?”
“Of course it is. I just can’t believe it, is all.” Shaking her head, she sat down beside him. “She really likes you.”
Seth stroked her normally luxurious fur, which felt dry and stiff. “Once you get used to me, I’m not so bad.”
“Very true,” Lisa agreed with a shadow of her usual smile. “Come on, baby. You need to get something in your stomach.”
Cleo merely sniffed at the water and wouldn’t touch the yogurt. After a couple of failed attempts, Lisa frowned. “She loves this flavor. Most days, she’d have inhaled it by now.”
“I’m no cat expert, but let’s try something.”
Shrugging, Lisa handed over the snack Cleo was snubbing. Dipping his little finger into the yogurt, he touched it to the cat’s nose. She completely ignored the spoon, but the blob on her nose must have bothered her because she licked it off. When he did it again, she gave him a semi-interested sideways glance.
One dollop at a time, he managed to feed her a tiny amount of yogurt. When he dipped some water into the spoon, she lifted her head just enough for a couple sips. Clearly exhausted by the effort, she dropped her head onto Seth’s thigh and closed her eyes.
“That’s amazing,” Lisa said. “She hasn’t eaten that much in three days.”
“The antibiotic’s probably kicking in, so she’s feeling a little better.”