Stray Hearts

by Jane Graves

  “This is it,” Matt said one evening, as they watched Psycho for the umpteenth time each. “She’s heading for the shower.”

  Kay pulled a pillow against her chest and settled into the sofa, which was approximately the size of the Titanic. With Matt sitting on one end of it and her on the other, they were barely in the same zip code.

  Matt nodded toward the television. Janet Leigh was turning on the shower. “She’s done this, what—about a million times? Surely this time she’ll see him coming.”

  Kay smiled automatically, but her mind was elsewhere. She closed her eyes, not because she didn’t want to see Janet Leigh slashed to death one more time, but because the scene in her mind was so much more entertaining. She saw Matt wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, whispering intimate words to her, looking at her with a desire that melted her heart. Then he was kissing her—deep, drugging kisses that left her breathless—and telling her how incredibly blind he’d been to have denied his feelings, to have ever thought the two of them didn’t belong together.

  “Kay? Are you all right?”

  She blinked her eyes open. Janet Leigh was history, and Matt was staring at Kay as if she’d grown an extra nose.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. It’s just that...well, it’s the blood. I never did like the sight of blood.”

  “It’s a black-and-white movie.”

  “I have an overactive imagination.”

  And it was a good thing she did, because it looked as if in her imagination was the only place she and Matt would ever share anything more than an old Hitchcock movie and a beat-up sofa, and she desperately wanted more.

  She had to stop this. He didn’t see her like that. He saw her as a friend, or a roommate or—

  Or maybe it was the animal thing.

  Kay sighed. The way she felt about animals wasn’t something she could hide that easily. She had to admit that she no longer regarded cats and dogs with the same distaste as alligators and tarantulas, but if she tried to tell Matt she loved them as much as he did, he’d know she was lying.

  A few days later, Matt closed up the clinic at five-thirty and headed over to the shelter as he usually did, only this time he found himself surveying the huge backyard that sprawled behind the big prairie-style house. He stopped and stared at it a long time, imagining how he might be able to use that space to build some outdoor dog runs, or maybe even add onto the shelter itself. He could accommodate a lot more animals with just a little bit of expansion. A lot of the work he could do himself and save money, but still it would take money, and—

  And it all came around to Robert Hollinger.

  Disgusted, Matt yanked his thoughts out of the clouds and back down to planet Earth. He had no business spending that money before he even had it, or for that matter even counting on getting it in the first place.

  As he came through the back door of the shelter, the first sound he heard was the soft mechanical screeching of the air-conditioning unit. Forget expansion. He couldn’t even maintain what he already had.

  As he came into the reception area, he started to say a quick hello to Hazel, but before he could speak she put her finger to her lips, then nodded toward the Cat Room.

  Intrigued, he tiptoed toward the Cat Room and peered around the doorway. Clyde’s cage door was open. Kay stood beside it, a box of Kitty Yum-Yums in her hand. She placed one of the cat treats at the very edge of the cage. Clyde’s ears flicked forward with interest

  “Look here, Clyde,” Kay said, a musical singsong to her voice. “A Yum-Yum. Liver and egg flavor. You like Yum-Yums, don’t you? They’re yummy, yummy, yummy...”

  As Kay sang that ridiculous commercial jingle, she scooted the Yum-Yum further into the cage with the tip of her finger. Matt watched in awe as Clyde took one step forward, then another, finally stretching his neck out and snagging the Yum-Yum between his teeth. He backed away as he chewed it, one watchful green eye on Kay at all times.

  “Good stuff, huh?” Kay said. “Do you want another one?” She pulled another treat from the box and placed it at the edge of the cage. As Clyde stretched toward it, she reached out her forefinger to stroke his head. Startled, Clyde yanked his head back and raised a forepaw into the air.

  “Kay! Be careful!”

  Clyde spun around at the sound of Matt’s voice, then flattened his ears against his head and hissed. Matt took three quick steps into the room, clanged the cage door shut and latched it. Clyde slapped his paw against the cage and spit wildly.

  Kay spun furiously on Matt. “What did you do that for?”

  “Do you want to lose a finger?”

  “He wouldn’t have bitten me!”

  “Don’t bet on that.”

  “We were getting along just fine! I give him Yum-Yums every day and he hasn’t bitten me yet!”

  “Then you’re even crazier than I thought. There’s nothing meaner on this planet than an angry tomcat!”

  “He’s not a tomcat anymore. You fixed that, remember? And he wasn’t angry—at least not until you showed up!”

  “Hey! Don’t you think I know what a cat who’s getting ready to lose it looks like?” Matt pointed to his right cheek, to the faded scar that had once been bright red claw marks. “See that? Where do you think I got that? From your friend, Clyde. That’s where!”

  “So he doesn’t like you. He’s just a dumb cat, so whose fault is that?”

  Kay stared up at him hotly, her fists planted against her hips, standing resolutely between him and that godforsaken creature who would turn into a lap cat about the day hell froze over. And all at once it struck Matt what a fool he was. Kay was defending Clyde, defending him, and he was arguing with her.

  He looked over at Clyde, who sat glaring at him as if he were the most vile human who’d ever drawn breath. Then he turned to Kay, whose expression bore a striking resemblance to Clyde’s. Matt gave her a tiny shrug. “I just thought you were going to get hurt. That’s all.”

  The rough edges of Kay’s anger melted away. “Well, I wasn’t. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Yes. I can see that.”

  “He may be here a while,” Kay said. “He’s just a stupid cat, but do you see any reason he has to be miserable?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Are you going to tell me not to give him any more Yum-Yums?”

  “No. I don’t think I am.”

  “Good. Now, why don’t you go home and start dinner? Clyde and I haven’t finished our conversation.”

  “Be happy to.”

  “If you make Beanie Weenies again, I’m burning the kitchen down.”

  “Gotcha.”

  He slipped out the door, then stopped and leaned against the wall as Kay resumed her talk with Clyde. He told himself that taming this particular tiger was nothing more than a challenge to her, like scrounging donations for the shelter. But as he listened to her murmur honey- laced words of endearment to that decrepit old cat, he wondered if maybe she was losing her heart to an animal after all.

  “Good news,” Matt told Kay when she got home from the shelter. “No Beanie Weenies. Tonight we’re getting a decent meal.”

  “What?”

  “Becky just called. You remember her, right? She was the one who took care of Chester. Her husband, Jerry, got a new barbecue grill and she invited us for dinner. I told her we’d come.”

  “We? As in both of us?”

  “Yeah. Is that okay?”

  Kay stopped and stared at him. “I don’t know Becky very well. Are you sure she wants me to come, too?” “Positive. They’re grilling steaks.”

  “Steaks?” Just the word made Kay’s mouth water. “What time?”

  “Seven o’clock.”

  “Good. I have just enough time to take a quick shower.”

  “Fine. But I’m right behind you, so don’t you dare use up all the hot water again.”

  Kay flashed him a quick smile and trotted up the stairs. Then it occurred to her that if only he’d join her in the shower,
they could use up the hot water together and forget about going to Becky’s house at all.

  When they pulled up to Becky’s house, Kay decided it looked just as she’d expected it to. The lawn was a little overgrown and scattered with kid toys, and a wreath on the door said “Welcome Friends.”

  Becky greeted them at the door with hugs, and Matt handed her the bottle of wine he’d brought. Then he caught sight of a droopy-diapered toddler hiding behind Becky’s leg. He reached down and scooped him up with a flourish. “Hey, Bobby-baby! How’s it going?”

  The baby grinned and grabbed Matt’s ear, practically yanking it off the side of his head. Matt countered with a tickle to his tummy, which made the baby squeal with delight. All at once Kay had a flash of Matt as a father. He’d be one of those guys who got down on the floor and played with his kids, who did the peekaboo thing and carried them around on his shoulders, who gave them heaping doses of love and encouragement and just the right amount of discipline. Kay had always been leery of motherhood, wondering if she’d be as cold and demanding to her children as her mother had been to her. But with a man like Matt who clearly loved kids, she could actually see herself—

  Good Lord. Where had that ridiculous flash-forward come from? In the span of thirty seconds, she’d pushed them out of the good friends category right into married with children.

  They followed Becky into the kitchen. Becky set the wine down on the counter, then opened the back door. To Kay’s dismay, three big, hairy canines of questionable parentage squirmed into the house. Becky swept the baby from Matt’s arms, and he greeted each of the dogs in turn. They sniffed and circled Kay, too, and she managed to pat each of them with at least a modicum of enthusiasm.

  “Good job, Kay,” Matt whispered as they followed Becky into the backyard. “I think they like you.”

  She rolled her eyes. He smiled broadly, then slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. A shiver of delight passed through Kay when he touched her, and despite the unexpected flurry of dog activity, she was suddenly very glad she’d come.

  “Hey, Jerry!” Matt said, shaking the man’s hand. “That’s a good-looking grill you’ve got there.”

  “Yep. All the bells and whistles. Becky didn’t think I needed a new one, but she’ll change her tune once she tastes the steaks.” He smiled at Kay. “So, Matt. You gonna introduce me?”

  “Kay, this is Jerry Green. Jerry, Kay Ramsey.”

  Jerry wiped his hand on his barbecue apron and shook her hand. “Hear you’re a volunteer over at the shelter.”

  “Yes. That’s right.”

  “So is that how you two met?”

  Kay glanced at Matt. “Uh—yes. I guess it is.”

  Jerry winked at Matt, and all at once something dawned on Kay. Becky and Jerry thought they were a couple, and that’s why she’d been invited tonight. Suddenly Kay felt as if she was here under false pretenses. Matt, though, didn’t appear to be giving their obvious misconception a second thought.

  As it turned out, Jerry was right about his grill. The meal was perfect. The wine Matt had brought turned out to be pretty good, too, Kay decided, as she started on her second glass. When it got dark and the mosquitoes started to swarm, they went inside. Kay sat down on the love seat, and when Matt sat down beside her it struck her how small a piece of furniture it really was—very small and very cushy, with a definite little dip between the cushions.

  Becky put the baby to bed and Jerry went in search of his new CD. Matt draped his arm across the sofa behind Kay’s head and settled back with a sigh of contentment.

  “That was a great dinner,” Matt said. “It’s nice to have a real meal for a change.”

  “So you didn’t like my macaroni and cheese last night? I think I’m insulted.”

  “Nonsense,” Matt said. “It was delicious. My doctor says I should get more sodium and preservatives in my diet.”

  “Okay. So I’m not a gourmet cook. I suppose I should have asked you to give me your recipe for that masterpiece you created with Spam last week.”

  “No!” Matt held up his palm and shook his head, a look of horror on his face. “No. Let’s stick with your macaroni and cheese. It’s wonderful. And what a thrifty shopper you are. All the ingredients were right there in that little blue box for what—twenty-nine cents?”

  “Twenty-three cents. I had a coupon.”

  Kay caught herself meeting Matt’s eyes just a little longer than she really should. She tore her gaze away, only to notice that the love seat had forced them so close together that her leg rested against his. She shifted awkwardly in the other direction.

  “Uncomfortable?” Matt asked.

  “I thought you might be.”

  “Just relax, okay?”

  Kay knew he was just being nice, as Matt always was, but the low, whispery tone of his voice made it sound like so much more. She took a deep breath and another sip of wine, feeling an incredible urge to shift back toward him again. Even with a few inches of space between them, she could feel the heat from his body mingling with hers.

  Jerry and Becky sat down again, and the four of them chatted away most of the next hour. Matt told Becky and Jerry about the most recent donations Kay had arranged for the shelter, which made her blush with delight, and Becky added that the Cat Room had never looked better or the cats happier.

  Unfortunately, as they talked, at least one of Becky’s three dogs sat at Kay’s feet the entire time, mugging for attention. One would scamper off, only to be replaced a minute later by another one, like some kind of canine tag team. She’s the one, they were saying in silent dog language. She doesn’t like us. Let’s see what we can do about that. I’ll take the first shift.

  Surprisingly, though, as the evening progressed, Kay found her guard slipping, and once she even patted one of them on the head without thinking. And she knew it was because her attention was focused almost exclusively on Matt, her internal antenna tuned to every breath he took, every move he made, every brush of his leg or his arm against hers, no matter how insignificant The wine was making her feel warm and a little woozy, or was that just because Matt was sitting so close he could have turned and kissed her? If she let her mind wander just a little, she could almost make herself believe that she and Matt were the couple Jerry and Becky assumed they were.

  “Oooh! Dessert!” Becky hopped to her feet. “I almost forgot Kay, would you help me?”

  No. I want to stay right here, exactly in this spot, for the rest of my life.

  “Sure.” She got up obligingly and followed Becky to the kitchen. Becky cut a few gigantic pieces of cherry pie and put them onto plates. She handed Kay the ice cream and a scoop.

  “You know,” Becky said, “Matt looks great tonight.”

  Kay smiled, deciding it never hurt to speak the truth. “He looks great every night.”

  Becky laughed. “No. I mean he looks happy, relaxed. I haven’t seen him like this in a long time.”

  “I think he just likes being around people.”

  “He likes being around you.”

  Kay froze. “Uh, Becky...”

  “I watched him go through that divorce, you know. It was pretty wicked. I don’t like to speak badly of anyone, but in his ex-wife’s case, I’ll make an exception. Matt’s a great guy. She didn’t deserve a man like him.” She smiled at Kay. “I’m glad he’s finally found someone who makes him happy.”

  “Becky, I think you’ve got the wrong idea here. Matt and I are just friends.”

  Becky looked at her with disbelief. “But you’re living together, aren’t you?”

  “Matt’s just doing me a favor. I was a little short on cash and I had to move out of my apartment, so I’m borrowing his spare bedroom for a few months.”

  “Oh.” Becky looked disappointed. “I’m sorry, Kay. I just assumed...” Her voice trailed off. She returned the knife to the cherry pie and cut another piece. “So,” she said offhandedly, “have you ever thought about Matt... you know...like that?” />
  “No. Of course not.”

  “Not even a little?”

  Good Lord. She couldn’t remember a moment in time she hadn’t thought of him “like that.” Suddenly all the frustration she’d felt for the past several weeks bubbled up inside her until she thought if she didn’t tell someone she would explode. She squeezed her eyes closed painfully, then let out a sigh of resignation.

  “Okay. Maybe a little.”

  “A lot?” Becky said.

  Kay laid the ice cream scoop on the countertop. She glanced out to the living room and saw Matt still engaged in conversation with Jerry. She faced Becky. “Yes. All right. A lot.”

  “Well, thank God. I didn’t think you were blind.”

  Kay sighed with frustration. “I think about him all the time, Becky. Matt’s wonderful. He’s sweet and he’s kind and he’s just about the most attractive man I’ve ever met.”

  “And don’t forget sexy.”

  Kay looked at Becky with surprise.

  “Hey, just because I’m married doesn’t mean I can’t look.” She smiled. “So what’s the problem?”

  “He’s not interested.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  Kay’s heart leaped with faint hope. “Why not?”

  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

  “When?”

  “At the shelter. And tonight. Pretty much all the time. Haven’t you noticed?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes I think maybe...and then...” Kay twisted her mouth with frustration. “If he really is interested, why doesn’t he do something about it? It’s not like he hasn’t had the opportunity.”

  “Hmm.” Becky shook her head, as if something just wasn’t right “Kay, I watched that man tonight. He’s barely taken his eyes off you. He praised you to the heavens for the work you’ve done around the shelter. And you should have seen him follow your every little move when you got up to help me get dessert.” Becky shook her head again. “Nope. He wants you. I’d stake my life on it.”

  “Then why doesn’t he let me in on it?”

  “Maybe you just need to give him a little more time. He went through the killer of all divorces, and he’s under a lot of pressure right now with the shelter and all. Just give him some time.”