“If you were in the office. Which you’re not.”
“How do you know?”
“At seven in the morning? Even you’re not that dedicated.”
“Never mind that.” He blew out a sigh. “Look, you haven’t got anyone to bring, I haven’t got anyone to bring, let’s just bring each other, okay? Save a lot of hassles.”
“Ellen will go nuts with the seating arrangements.”
“Ellen can kiss my skinny arse.”
“Can I put that in writing and you sign it before we post it to her?”
“Sure, why not?”
Cindy laughed. “Fine, let’s go together.”
“Dumb idea to have ‘Marty and Partner’ on the invite anyway.”
“Trust me, Ellen put that on there because she knows you change women as often as your underwear. You’ve already gone through three girlfriends since the invites were sent out.”
“Yeah, well, right now I’m too busy to be canvassing the joint for a female. It’s settled, then.” She could hear the grin in his voice. “I’ll tell Ellen.”
“Be my guest.” Cindy could just imagine the screech of frustration her cousin would give. “And this is one less thing I owe you, so you can take that off my tab.”
“You wish.” He rang off.
Pushing herself into a sitting position, Cindy placed the phone onto the hook and smiled. At least she’d be sitting with someone fun. Marty was irreverent to the point of embarrassing sometimes, but he could be counted on to keep her entertained. Knowing Ellen - or more precisely, her knowing Marty so well - she’d stick both he and Cindy at the back of the hall behind a potted plant. That suited Cindy, she could bring a book.
Thinking it wasn’t such a bad idea, she reached for the phone when it rang again. “Hello?”
“Cindy?”
“Tim?” All hilarity fled her and she bit her lip anxiously. “The kitten?”
“He’s fine. Kept me up most of the night, so out of the two of us, he’s the better looking one right now.” Humour seeped through the phone.
Her shoulders slumped in relief. “I’m so glad.”
“Do you still want him?”
“Of course! Can I get him now?”
“We’re not officially open until eight, but I’ll be here. I’m here now, actually, if you want to come straight away.”
“Great! I’ll just replace this towel with some clothes and be right there.”
There was silence for a split second, then, “A towel?”
“I took a walk and showered.”
The silence was broken only by what sounded like a heavy breath being taken.
“Tim?” Concerned, she tightened her hold on the receiver. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” There was a definite trace of irony in the reply. “By the time you get here, anyway.”
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Just a little clothing adjustment needing to be made.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. See you when you get here.” He hung up.
Rubbing her forehead under her fringe, Cindy eyed the phone. The man was stranger than the shirts he wore, and that was a fact.
Excitement bubbled through her at the thought of finally picking up the kitten. Racing into the walk-in robe, she grabbed a pair of figure-hugging, tiny-flowered pants that stopped just below the knee in a little frill. Wriggling into it, she snapped the button closed and nodded in satisfaction. Yep, fitted like a glove. Eat your hearts out, you voluptuous-babe-loving men! A low-necked, plain white blouse with frilly cap sleeves topped it, and she finished with a pair of white wedges. In deference to the heat, she pulled her hair up into a loose knot on top of her head and fastened it with a dainty clip. Little tendrils bounced around her ears.
White button earrings, a tiny-beaded white necklace that hugged her throat, a swipe of lipstick, a smear of eye shadow, a buff of the cheeks, a dollop of mascara, and she was good to go.
Grabbing a little, tiny-flower printed purse, she tossed her mobile phone inside, grabbed her car keys and ran down the stairs, almost colliding with Sam at the bottom.
He frowned at her. “It’s only seven thirty in the morning. What are you doing up?”
“Things to do!” She yelled gaily as she ran through the kitchen.
Sam followed a little more slowly on her heels. “What mischief are you up to?”
“You’ll find out.” She slammed the car door shut, flicked on the air conditioner and pressed the remote for the garage door.
When she pulled out, Ruth was approaching for breakfast. She nodded to Cindy in her usual stoic way and continued on into the house.
By ten to eight she was pulling to a stop in front of the vet clinic. One of the vet nurses must have been watching for her, because she was holding the door open by the time Cindy was out of her car.
“You must be Cindy.” The vet nurse smiled.
“I am.” Cindy stepped through the door into the waiting room.
The vet nurse led her to a different consult room to the one she’d been in the previous night. “Just wait here and Tim will be in to see you with your kitten.”
Your kitten. Cindy couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips. It felt so good. My kitten. Yes, the little scrap was all hers, and it was up to her to see that he lived.
The door in the back of the consult room opened and Tim came in carrying the cat carrier basket in one hand and a small bag in the other. “’Morning, Cindy.” His gaze went from the top of her head and swept downwards, a small smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.
Cindy smiled back at him. “You look a little tired.”
“Tough Stuff here kept waking me up.” Tim placed the basket on the examination table. “He drinks like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Thirsty?” Eagerly she watched as he opened the lid and reached in under the blanket, withdrawing his hand with a squalling kitten gently, but firmly, held in his grasp.
Handing it to her, Tim smiled as she snuggled it against her cheek and the kitten turned and bunted its little nose along her skin. “He’s a hungry boy. But you need to be careful not to over feed him or he could end up with diarrhoea.”
Nuzzling the top of the kitten’s head, she looked at Tim. “How often do I feed him, and how much?”
Reaching into the bag, Tim drew out a small glass bottle and a teat. “I’ve marked on the side of the bottle for you. If there’s any left, you can pop it into the ‘fridge and warm it up for his next feed. For now, I’ve been feeding him every hour, but I reckon by tomorrow you can stretch that to two hourly.”
“Last night you mentioned making him pee?”
“Yep. You’ll need a warm, damp, soft cloth.” He showed her what to do and the kitten rewarded him by squalling, stretching out his little legs and producing a warm trickle.
Cindy couldn’t help but laugh.
“Trust me,” Tim said dryly, “At three in the morning, this stops being a laughing matter.”
“I’m sure.” Cindy took the bottle that Tim handed to her once he’d finished toileting the kitten.
“Hold this to his mouth,” Tim instructed.
Within seconds the kitten was blissfully sucking on the bottle, little paws stretched straight out in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, Cindy inhaled the scent of milk, kitten, and Tim’s cologne. It was such a nice mix.
“Now,” he continued. “The warming pad is electric, so just plug it into the power at home. It can’t burn him, it’s not set high enough, but it will keep him warm. Don’t put him in direct line of air conditioning, and just check him now and again to ensure he’s warm.”
“How will I tell if something is wrong?”
“He’ll go very quiet, he’ll stop drinking or moving. If he’s unable to urinate, bring him in and one of us will see him straight away.”
Looking after this little boy was going to be a bit more involved than she’d first thought.
“Cindy?” Tim st
udied her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely,” she replied, and meant it. “He’s going to take a bit of work, but it’s going to be…I can’t think how to describe it.”
“Basically, you’re going to be his mother.”
“Thank God the poor little scrap doesn’t take after me!”
“Oh, I don’t know. You’re pretty easy on the eyes.”
Surprised, Cindy glanced up to find Tim gazing directly at her, but as soon as she met his gaze he dropped it to the kitten as he reached out once more and gave it a little rub on the head. “Well, that’s about it for now.” He was all business suddenly, straightening and taking the kitten from her to settle him in the carrier. “The formula is in the bag, as is the instructions on how to make it up. Any queries, don’t hesitate to phone.”
“Okay.” She picked up the carrier.
“Oh. I forgot. Who are you doing?”
Cindy went blank. “What?”
“I mean, who is doing you?”
“Doing me?” What the heck was he asking?
Thrusting a hand through his hair, Tim took a deep breath. “Sorry. Got a bit tongue-tied there. I mean, who was doing - looking after - your cat before? Your old cat?”
“Oh.” Cripes, the man was actually a little red-cheeked. Surely Tim Clarke, the playboy vet, wasn’t embarrassed? “I was going to Bellacross Vet.”
“Right. Did you want to take him there?”
“The kitten?”
“Yes.”
Cindy thought for a few seconds, her gaze sweeping over Tim, remembering his gentleness with the kitten, how he’d actually said he was pleased she’d phoned him. In fact, phoning her own vet hadn’t even crossed her mind when she and Marty had found the kittens. The first thing she’d done was phone the clinic where Tim worked, and when there was only an answering service, she’d rung Tim. He’d come through for her, so that pretty much answered the question as far as she was concerned. That and the fact that he seemed genuinely fond of the kitten and had helped it live through the night.
“Actually,” she replied quietly, “I’ll bring him here, if that’s okay.”
Was it her imagination, or did his eyes soften just a little?
“Good.” Tim nodded. “Glad to have you on board.”
“Glad to be here, Cap’n.” She saluted him briskly.
Grinning in amusement, Tim came around the table, picked up the cat carrier and placed his hand in the small of her back. “Time to pull up anchor, mate. I have pirates filling the deck.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Remembering the time, Cindy picked up the bag containing the bottle, teat, formula and instructions. “I’ve taken up too much of your time and-”
“Cindy, taking care of orphans and injured or sick animals is never taking up valuable time.” Tim looked down at her. “I’m here if you need me.”
His brown eyes were warm and his hand in the small of her back flexed slightly. His cologne, faint and clean, tantalized her nostrils, and his nearness made her acutely conscious of just how close they were standing.
Feeling her knees go just a little weak, she had to sternly remind herself that this was the playboy vet, the charmer, the man who chased and boinked women as though it was his personal hobby.
Hell, maybe it was his personal hobby, what did she know?
However, she wasn’t on his hobby list, this was her new kitten’s vet, and she had no business imagining things or going weak at the knees at a little show of caring on his part.
Reaching for the door, Cindy swung it open and smiled up at him. “Thank you, Tim, I’ll remember that.” She walked ahead of him into the waiting room.
“I hope so,” he muttered.
“Pardon?” She turned to look up at him.
“Hmm? Oh, just thinking aloud.” He handed her the carrier. “Let me know how everything goes, and remember, I’m here for you.” He tacked on hurriedly, “We’re here for you.”
Just what was going through his mind? Not sure what to think, she went up to the reception desk and looked at the vet nurse. “How much do I owe?”
“Nothing.” The vet nurse smiled. “We don’t charge the first consult to people who take on orphaned animals.”
“Really?” Cindy was surprised. “But what about the call-out last night?”
The vet nurse shook her head. “Nope. Call-outs for abandoned animals, hurt or too young to fend for themselves, aren’t charged.”
“But the milk and stuff?”
“We’re not a charity, but we respect people who try to do the right thing.” The vet nurse smiled at the cat carrier in Cindy’s hand. “Just enjoy your baby. Will we see you again?”
“Not unless something goes wrong.” Cindy bit her lip at the thought.
“Well, that too, but I meant for vaccinations and things?”
“Oh, of course. This is our vet now.”
“Great. Welcome aboard.” The nurse plucked out a toy mouse from the container at the counter, a business card from the plastic holder, and popped both into the bag Cindy held. “I’m Lara, one of the nurses here. If you go to our website, you can check out the rest of the staff, our hours, and the services we provide.”
“You have a website?”
“Sign of the times, Ms Lawson. Everything is technology.”
“Please, call me Cindy.”
“Cindy it is.”
Seeing more people coming through the door, Cindy bid Lara farewell and took the kitten out to the car. After making sure the cat carrier was secure on the passenger seat, she clipped on her seatbelt and started the car.
For several seconds she sat there, studying the vet clinic in her rear-view mirror, a small smile crossing her lips. The clinic felt homely, the staff seemed caring, and Tim had looked after her furry baby. Somehow, she just knew she’d made the right decision in choosing Tim.
She blinked at the thought and amended quickly, “I mean choosing the clinic.” She nodded decisively. “Yes, definitely, I chose the right clinic.”
Glancing around quickly to make sure no one had noticed her talking to herself, she checked for traffic and pulled out of the parking bay, taking her kitten home.
~*~
One brisk knock at the door and Tim rocked back and forwards on his heels, hands thrust into his pockets. When there was no answer straight away, he knocked once more.
Where was Rick? His car was here, Cherry’s car was here, why didn’t they- uh oh. A sudden thought struck him and he stopped rocking on his heels. Maybe Rick was having a little early evening delight. A roll with his honey.
Oops. Taking a step back, Tim eyed the door. That had to be the only explanation for it. He’d better return later. He should have phoned first.
He’d just taken another step back when the door opened and his friend stood there with flour on his nose.
“Sorry,” Rick said. “I was in the middle of making a cake.”
“Making a cake?” Tim stared at him.
“Well, Cherry promised me chocolate cake, but she’s tired from a hard day at the hospital, so I volunteered to do it.” Rick grinned. “I had to finish beating the mix.” Turning around, he added, “Come in.”
Tim followed him down the hallway and into the kitchen. The bowl of cake batter stood on the bench and he stuck his finger in to taste the mix. Sucking the rich concoction off his finger, he nodded admiringly. “Martha, you have done a good job.”
Rick rapped him smartly on the knuckles with a wooden spoon. “Get your germy paws out of my cake mix.”
“Is that a nasty reference to my vocation?”
“No nastier than the t-shirts you insist on parading around.”
Tim smoothed his hand over his shirt. “It happens to be a very suave quote.”
“‘Not Neutered - The Two That Got Away’. Oh yes, very suave. Has the ladies panting after you, does it?”
“Let’s them know I’m in good working order, ready to pleasure myself.”
In the act
of pouring the batter into a cake tin, Rick stopped and stared at him.
Tim quickly amended, “I mean to use them for my pleasure.”
“Okaaaaay.”
“I’ve been getting my words mixed up lately.” Reaching for the now empty bowl and a spoon, Tim proceeded to scrape the batter off the sides and eat it.
“Yeah, you’d want to be careful what you say to people.”
“Especially when you ask a lady who she’s doing.”
“You did that?” Rick slid the cake tin into the pre-heated oven.
“Then when I tried to correct myself, I asked her who was doing her.”
“I bet that went down well.”
Tim licked the spoon and smacked his lips. “I only meant to ask what vet did she go to.”
“Did you get an answer or a slap in the lug?”
“I got a stunned expression.”
“Answer enough.”
Tim watched Rick wash the beaters, measuring cup and weighing bowl. “She finally told me, though.”
“Who was doing her? Or who she was doing?” Rick gave a snort of laughter.
“Har-de-har. Who her vet was, smart-arse.”
“Maybe she saw your shirt and got scared.”
“For your information, she decided to continue coming to me.”
“You?” Rick took the bowl and spoon from Tim.
“I mean, our clinic.”
“Boy, you’ve got it bad.”
“I haven’t got anything bad.” Tim looked closely at Rick. “What have I got bad?”
“Being tongue-tied around a lady. That’s not like you.”
Tim frowned.
Rick swung back from the sink to stare at him in glee. “That’s why you’ve come here!”
“What?”
“To talk!” Rick grinned widely. “To have a chat - and cake in the oven, no less. Stay put, I’ll make us a nice cuppa and we can chat!”
“You are such an arse.” Tim glared at him. “I didn’t come to chat about Cindy.”
“Cindy?” Rick’s mouth fell open. “Maddy’s best friend, Cindy?”
“Uh…” Tim silently cursed himself. Cripes, he hadn’t meant to blurt out her name.
“You got tongue-tied around Cindy?” Throwing the dish towel on the sink, Rick pulled a Coke from the ‘fridge and popped the tab. “Tell me all about it.”
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