Megan kept her arms around her daughter. “My car was blocked in. Whit offered to bring me home.”
“Right.” Abigail winked. “Have fun, sweetie, and call if you need me to babysit. Anytime.” She patted Whit on the cheek. “Treat her well.”
The door closed behind the retired legal secretary. He took heart in the fact that Megan hadn’t even bothered denying Abigail’s assumptions.
Megan eyed him nervously, then blurted, “Would you mind keeping an eye on Evie while I change and cook supper?”
He could tell what that cost her. “Thanks, of course I can.” He looked over at Evie’s toys. “We’ll play—”
“Tea party,” the little girl squealed, and ran to the coffee table.
Megan’s laugh tickled his ears as she left the room.
Whit sat on the sofa. “How’s Tallulah?”
Evie arranged a tiny pink plate in front of him and one on her side, then placed two more on the table and whistled for Piper and Cosmo, both of whom were apparently familiar with the game and sat beside her. “My mommy’s taking very good care of your kitty cat.”
He didn’t bother mentioning it wasn’t his cat. From the mischievous glint in Evie’s eyes, he suspected she was exerting some subtle pressure of her own. “Your mother is a very good person.”
The little girl nodded her head and placed a plastic slice of cake on each plate. “My mom helps doggies and kitties.”
“That’s her job as a grown-up.”
“I wanna job.” She placed a saucer under each teacup then poured from the toy pitcher that made a glub, glub, glub sound.
“Your job is to learn your letters, to eat your vegetables and play.”
“We are playing. Is the tea good?”
“Oh....” He pretended to sip from the cup that was smaller than a shot glass. “Very good.”
She fished around in her pocket and pulled out two dollar bills and a quarter. “Mommy gave me this to buy treats when I go back to school. But I’m buying shoes for the kids that lost their shoes in the tora-na-do.”
Whit set the tiny cup down carefully, his heart squeezing inside his chest at the weight this little girl was carrying on those small shoulders. Megan’s words about having to be cautious for her daughter’s sake rumbled around inside him.
“Kiddo, I think that’s a very good idea.”
She hung her head and poured more pretend refills. He couldn’t stop thinking about that tiara and those costumes she always wore. He felt so damn helpless.
He’d been doing some nosing around on the internet about kids and trauma and had stumbled on an article about therapy dogs being used at schools. He wondered if he should run that idea by Megan now rather than later. Or would she think he was intruding?
As he looked into Evie’s green eyes that carried far too many burdens and fears for one so young, he could understand Megan’s need to protect her daughter.
Evie’s nose scrunched, making her look so much like a mini-Megan. “I can’t drive. And if I tell my mommy what I wanna do it will ruin the surprise.”
“Are you asking for my help to surprise your mother?”
“Would you?” Her eyes went wide and hopeful. “Please?”
“Can do. In fact, I have an idea.” He held out his hand. “If you pass me your iPad we can order shoes online now. Together we can buy lots of shoes.”
“You’re gonna buy some too? I like that.” She sprinted to the sofa and jumped up beside him.
Was she going to hug him? He braced himself.
She rocked back on her heels, her forehead furrowed and worried. “I had two more coins but I bought a sucker. My mommy wouldn’t have bought herself a sucker. I should have gotten somethin’ for her instead.”
He tugged one of her crooked pigtails. “Maybe we could get something for your mommy while we buy those shoes.”
“Like flowers or candy. Mommy likes chocolate—and recycling.” She grabbed her iPad off the end table.
He reached for the tablet. “Chocolate and a new recycling bin for your mom.”
“Yay!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tight. “You’re a good boy, Mr. Whit.”
God, the little minx was well on her way to wrapping him around her little finger.
On her way?
Too late.
The sense of being watched drew his gaze across the room. Megan stood in the archway between the living room and dining area, holding Tallulah in her arms. Her green eyes glinted with tears. She’d told him she was wary and she had every reason to be given her past. He needed to prove to her he could change, that he was a man worthy of a chance. He didn’t know where they were going yet, but he damn well knew he couldn’t walk away without digging deeper. Trying harder.
He patted Evie’s back and looked at her mom. “Megan, I have an important question to ask.”
She blinked in surprise while Evie spun around in her angel dress, humming a tune from the show that had just been on TV.
Megan sniffed and nodded. “Okay. What is it?”
“Can I take my cat home today or do I need to fill out an adoption application at the shelter when you open on Monday?”
Nine
Megan was so stunned by Whit’s request to adopt Tallulah, she almost dropped the cat. She adjusted her hold on the calico and stepped closer to the man who continued to turn her world upside down. “Excuse me? You want to do what?”
“You said Tallulah’s better now.” He stepped closer to stroke the cat, his knuckles grazing Megan’s breasts. “So I thought I could take her home, like you asked me.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Are you doing this just to impress me? Because if so, that’s the wrong reason to adopt an animal. A pet is a lifelong commitment. If we...break up,” the words lodged in her throat for an instant, “you still need to be committed to keeping and loving Tallulah.”
He nodded solemnly. “I understand that. We may disagree on a lot of things, but I would never walk out on a commitment. That’s why I didn’t keep her the first day. I wasn’t sure I could care for her the way she deserves. I’m certain now that I can.”
Was he talking in some kind of code? Adding layers to his words? Talk of the future made her jittery when she was barely hanging on in the present. “Okay then. When would you like to take Tallulah?”
“I’ll need to get supplies for her.” He scratched his head. “I’ll stop by the pet store on my way home. They’ll let me bring her inside, right? I know I’m not supposed to leave an animal in the car.”
She stifled a smile. He really was trying. “How about this, Whit? Let me gather some supplies to get you through the night and then you can shop at your leisure tomorrow for the things she’ll need. I’ve got a flyer on file I can email you. We give it to all adopters.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear, the warm rumble of his voice so close that it incited a nice kind of shiver. “Will Evie be upset to see Tallulah go?”
Megan rested a hand on her daughter’s hair, no easy feat as she maneuvered around the halo and tiara. “She understands Tallulah isn’t ours. Don’t you, sweetie?”
Evie nodded. “Me and Mommy are rescuers. We find good homes for kitties and puppies. Tallulah is Mr. Whit’s cat. I’ll go get her bed and stuff.” She looked up at Whit. “You won’t forget about the shoes?”
He knelt down to look Evie in the eyes. “I won’t forget. I promise.” He tugged a pigtail. “And I always keep my promises.”
“Good deal. Thanks.” Evie kissed him on the cheek then sprinted to the laundry room where the kitty supplies were kept.
Megan drew in a shaky breath. Seeing flashes of how good life could be with Whit around was tougher than she thought.
He looked at the tiny pink cup
in his hand and shrugged sheepishly before setting it down on the coffee table. “About Tallulah—you’re not going to call me out on all the BS reasons I gave you about why I couldn’t keep a cat in the first place?”
She had questions, but not so much about the cat and certainly not right now with Evie a room away. “I don’t believe in saying ‘I told you so.’”
“Good to know. I hope there’s a lot of information on that list. I’ve never taken care of an animal on my own before.” His eyebrows pinched together and he stuffed his hands in his pockets as if having second thoughts. “I wouldn’t want to screw this up.”
“I’ll be happy to give you our adoption briefing.” She held back a smile since she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She truly was touched by his concern. If only more people were this careful. “The most important thing for her now is to get lots of TLC while she bonds with you. So, are you cool with letting her sleep in your lap while you watch ball games?”
“I think I can handle that.” He rocked back on his boot heels.
“Sounds good.” She rubbed her cheek against Tallulah’s dark furry head before passing over the cat. “Let me go dig up an extra scratching post for her to use at your house.”
“Would you like to come to dinner at my house tomorrow night?” Whit secured the cat in one arm so he could scratch her under the neck with his other hand. “You can give me that briefing and check on Tallulah.”
He was asking her to take a big step. Another meal together. Spending time in his home and in his life. But no matter how nervous those ideas made her—and they still did—she couldn’t deny the warm hopefulness that sparked to life insider her either.
Despite the risk, she wanted to try.
* * *
The next evening, Whit stepped into his house with Megan and it felt so damn right to have her here it shook the ground under him. She was becoming more and more a part of his life with each day that passed.
Last night’s hot dogs with mac and cheese had tasted a helluva lot better than any of his catered dinners. But then he knew that was due to the people at the table with him. Then he’d taken his cat home. And holy hell, it still surprised him that he’d decided to get a pet. Except it felt right. Still did. His house didn’t feel so damn empty with the cat checking out his furniture and deciding which places were worthy of her. Tallulah had sniffed out every corner and seemed to approve of his leather ottoman in the living room. His bed had gotten cat props too; Tallulah had curled up on the pillow next to his head as if she’d been sleeping at his place every night.
He’d actually had a good time using his lunch break to pick up cat gear and drop it off at his house. The calico had leaped off the ottoman in full attack mode when he tossed her a feather squeak toy and before he knew it, he’d spent an extra twenty minutes watching her chase a catnip ball and wrestle a fur mouse.
But by the time dinner rolled around he’d been damn near starving. He and Megan had decided to have supper at her house again, then her neighbor would watch Evie after the child went to sleep.
He’d asked Megan to come to his house for dessert. He hadn’t wanted to leave his cat alone any longer. Megan’s smile told him he’d said the right thing.
She kicked off her shoes and lined them up by the door. “I can’t believe you really ordered all those shoes with Evie.”
“She’s got her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit. You’ve done a good job with her.” He slipped an arm around her waist.
“Motherhood is the most important job I’ve ever had.”
“Your commitment shows.” His parents had vowed they loved him but they hadn’t been big on teaching moral responsibility.
“How’s Tallulah?”
“Come say hello to her and see for yourself.” He guided her to his study where he’d closed Tallulah in for the evening. The space had a sunroom too, where he’d set up her litter box and food. “I put her in here for the day while she gets acclimated. I thought she would enjoy the sunshine through all the windows. I did some reading on the internet last night on cat care.”
He pushed open the double mahogany doors and Megan gasped. She pointed at the six-foot scratching post he’d bought, complete with different levels and cubbies for climbing and snoozing.
“Oh, my God, Whit.” She walked to the carpeted and tiered post he’d parked between two leather wingback chairs and reached into a cubby to pet Tallulah. “You obviously went shopping too.”
He hefted his cat out and leaned back on the dark wood desk, scratching Tallulah’s ears the way she liked. “I just stopped by the pet store on my lunch break and picked up a few essentials.”
“A scratching post the size of an oak tree is an essential?”
“It looked cool? What can I say?” He was planning to talk to his contractor buddy Aaron about ordering mini solarium windows for Tallulah to hang out in.
“I wish all our animals could land this well.” She dusted cat hair off his suit jacket.
“She needs something to keep her occupied while I’m at work.” Tallulah purred like a freight train in his ear. “And I read online that if I want to save my furniture from her claws, she has to have an appropriate outlet for scratching at home.”
Megan had perched on the arm of a wingback. The warmth in her eyes told him he was saying all the right things.
“I also read—” He stopped when the realization hit him. “You already know all of this.”
“But it’s nice hearing you’re excited about having her. Not just in your house but in your life.”
And he had to admit, it surprised him too. “I always thought I would be a dog person.”
“It doesn’t make you any less macho.”
“Thanks. I’m not concerned with proving my masculinity.”
“Hmm, I have to admit, your confidence about being tender with the cat is very appealing.” She trailed a lone finger down his arm in a touch as enticing as any full-on stroke. “If you want a dog though, I’m more than happy to help you find the perfect one for your lifestyle.”
One step at a time. “Tallulah needs time to adjust to her new home first.”
“Spoken like a natural pet owner. That’s really nice to hear.” She flicked a cat toy dangling from one of the levels of the scratching post. “Although if you bought Tallulah this, I wonder what you would buy for a dog.”
His mind churned with possibilities, like one of those agility courses the Cattleman’s Club was working on for the shelter. “I bought one of those climbing trees for Safe Haven too.”
“Truly?” she squealed, giving him an enthusiastic kiss with the cat squirming between them. “You do know me better than I gave you credit for.”
He tucked Tallulah back into one of the cubbies attached to the climbing post. “You’ll even find bottles and paper in the recycling. Will that get me another kiss?”
She laughed and looped her arms around his neck, kissing him again, nothing standing between them now but too many clothes. Her mouth on his felt familiar and new all at once. He knew so much about her, yet there was still so much more of her to explore. And he had a plan in mind for the next few hours to discover more about what pleased her.
Ending the kiss, he angled away while unfastening the clasp holding back her hair. “I’m learning fast that the way to your heart is less traditional than a bouquet of flowers.”
She shook her hair free in a silky, wavy cloud around her shoulders and his hands. “Oh, I should share some of the catnip you gave me with Tallulah.”
“I have some of my own.” He slid an arm around her waist. All day, he’d been fantasizing about showing her his favorite part of the house. “Come with me. There’s a part of my home you haven’t seen yet.”
She eyed him curiously. “I’m intrigued. Lead on.”
He steered her into the hall
again, toward the back of the house. “This way.”
She tucked herself against his side. “Thank you again for helping Evie with the shoe donation drive.”
“We shopped for some new video games too.”
She stiffened and her footsteps slowed. “I have to approve all of her new games.”
“Uh, sure,” he said, wishing he’d thought of that himself. But he didn’t have nieces or nephews. “Kids are new territory to me too, like the pets. Except I can’t exactly shut a kid in a room with a climbing tree and a bowl of food.”
“Not unless you want to end up in jail,” she said with a laugh in her voice that let him know she wasn’t angry with him. “I know you meant well. I just need for you to consult me on anything having to do with Evie.”
“Sure, of course.” He pushed open the back door into his landscaped yard. “For what it’s worth, they were all labeled for her age group and I know the video game developer.”
Walking beside him along the flagstone path, she glanced up at him, a hint of frustration in her eyes. “Not all video games are educational.”
“You’re right, and I do hear you.” He guided her toward the left, under an ivy-covered arch. That led to a cluster of trees in the very back of his property. “I’ll be more careful about consulting you when it comes to anything with Evie.”
“I’m sorry for being prickly.” She slid her arm under his suit coat and around his waist. “This is new territory for me too.”
“You haven’t dated anyone since you had Evie?” Where the hell had that question come from and why was her answer so important?
“In case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t much spare time in my life between my job and my daughter.”
“No one at all?” He stopped at the concrete steps leading into his greenhouse, tucked away in the privacy of a circle of trees.
She took his lapels in her hands. “You’re my first venture back into dating since Evie was born.”
“I don’t want to be your rebound guy.” And he meant that. He’d already accepted that he wanted more than a short-term affair with her.
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