by Theresa Weir
Instead of Jane, it was Stuart, the vet who’d taken her inside the Center this morning.
He looked at her and blinked. “Oh.” A big smile broke across his face. “Hi.”
“Hi. Were you looking for me?” She wished. He was just so…cute. Her sex life had been nonexistent for a long time and he was definitely worth a second look. Besides, he’d been super nice to her this morning and that went a long way to making him desirable, in her books.
He flushed, the color not quite as bright as his hair—but not far off. She watched the wave travel upward with great interest. Poor thing. That had to be hard for a guy to live with.
“From your silence, I gather you didn’t know I live here. So let’s start again,” she said lightly. “Hi, Stuart. What a surprise. What can I help you with?”
He grinned. “Hi, Ninna. No, I didn’t know that you lived here. I am glad to see you, though. I’m looking for a little black kitten that’s gone missing.”
“A black kitten?” Mystified, Ninna took a quick look around on her porch. “I just got home, but I haven’t seen any animals. Is it yours?”
“Sort of. He’d been dumped at the Center. He’s a runt, a little sickly and didn’t seem to do well there, so I thought maybe a different atmosphere would help him out.” He shrugged. “Apparently that helped him out a little too much. He’s taken off.”
Ninna finally realized this cute vet must be one of her neighbours. How sad that she hadn’t known that before. “If I do see him, which house is yours, so I can return him?” She looked at the two sides of the street. There was her house, old, small, parked in between several aged and other equally uninspiring houses. Not that those on her block were deserted or unloved, she knew. The owners on one side had lost their jobs and told her they were living on their tiny investments.
And then there was the other side, where a subdivision of large modern houses began. The contrast wasn’t so much a monetary difference but one of the old versus the new.
“I’m in that one, with the stone wall out front.” He pointed to one almost directly across the street from hers. One of the biggest. She shook her head. He must have a huge family if he needed a house that size. She wondered how long he’d lived there. She’d never noticed him in the neighborhood before. And she would have remembered good-looking Stuart. Not that she spent much time out front. Her backyard was much nicer.
“Okay—if I see him, I’ll bring him over to you.”
He smiled. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” He turned and headed toward his house.
Ninna stood on the porch and watched him walk across the road and down the sidewalk. Jane pulled up when he’d almost reached his driveway. Ninna couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. She heard him whistle and heard the barking. Next thing she knew several dogs rushed forward to greet him at the yard gate.
Dragging up the rear was the basset hound. He tossed her an open-mouthed grin before following the other dogs inside the house.
* * *
“So what put that sour lemon look on your face? And here I come bearing gifts. It’s pepperoni with ham and mushrooms, your favourite.” Tossing her hair, Jane brushed past her with her oversized box. “I got a family size. No comments, please. A girl has to do what a girl has to do.”
Ninna turned her attention to her best friend’s voluptuous curves. “I hope you’re planning on sharing that thing.”
“Nope. Go get your own.” The laughter in her voice reassured Ninna that she wouldn’t have to order for herself. With Jane, one never knew though. That girl could seriously eat.
As soon as she’d closed the front door, Jane spun on her. “Who was that divine looking man? I love his hair. I didn’t even know you were on speaking terms with an eligible male. Spill.”
“Hey, I’m not a recluse. I know some guys.” Ninna grabbed the pizza box from Jane’s arms and headed to the kitchen. By the time she had the box open, Jane had already pulled down two plates and was reaching for the biggest piece.
“Yeah, old fat farts you’ve known forever.” Jane smirked around the string of hot cheese dripping from her mouth.
It was a little hard to argue with what Jane said, since most of the men Ninna knew were her dad’s old friends.
Jane wouldn’t let it go. “So…who is he? Details, please.”
Rolling her eyes at her friend’s insistence, Ninna finished swallowing her bite before answering. “He’s one of the vets from the Center. I met him this morning.” With a sheepish grin, she explained their initial meeting and how he’d helped her get through the front door.
“And what does that have to do with him being at your front door tonight?”
“A lost kitten.” It sounded ridiculous to her, too. From the look on Jane’s face, it was obvious she thought Ninna was putting her on as well. “Honest.”
Jane shot her a sceptical look, then snatched a second piece of pizza. “It sounds like the scary dude with the van asking a girl to help him find his lost puppy. Are you sure this guy is okay?”
With an outraged gasp, Ninna said, “Oh, now that’s going too far. I think he brings animals home from the Center that need extra care or maybe a different kind of care. He said something about the kitten not doing so well in that clinical atmosphere.”
“Obviously it wasn’t enjoying itself at the vet’s house either, not if it ran away first chance it got,” Jane pointed out with a big smirk.
Ninna shook her head. “Anything could’ve happened. Kittens are curious and like to explore; they love to be outside too. Besides, rather than criticizing him, maybe we should go and look for the poor kitten.”
Jane’s gaze widened in disbelief. “So you are interested in him?”
“What? No! Of course not. I just met him today.” Ninna could feel the heat rising on her cheeks, though. Damn Jane anyway. How did she always manage to get to the heart of something Ninna wanted to hide?
It’s not that Ninna was interested…but… Okay, so maybe she was a little intrigued—or would be if she allowed herself to think about him that way. But she wasn’t going to go there, because she needed this job, and office relationships weren’t a good idea. She couldn’t afford to lose her only pay check in six months. Besides he’d given her no real indication he was interested in her that way…
“So? Since when is that a reason not to stalk him.”
“Stalk him? That’s a horrible thing to suggest. I don’t stalk people,” Ninna gasped, outraged until Jane’s laughter pealed through the room. “Oooh, you.” Ninna threw her napkin at her. “That’s it. We’re forgetting what’s important here… Let’s go find a kitten.” With that, Ninna stormed out the back door.
“No, wait. I’m not done eating. I was just kidding!” Jane hollered as she rose from the table.
Ninna ignored Jane’s wails of distress and headed out through her backyard to the small white picket gate that separated her badly-in-need-of-a-cut grass from the alleyway behind her house. She didn’t bother checking to see if her friend followed. Experience told her she would. Walking down the alleyway, she started meowing, hoping to have the kitten answer back. She couldn’t imagine what anyone hearing her must think. She didn’t really care.
“What are you doing?” Jane came up on her left.
“Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Come here, kitty.” Giving Jane a disgusted look, Ninna walked forward. “What do you think I’m doing?” A weak, plaintive cry sounded to her left. “What was that?” She turned to face Jane.
“What was what?” Jane stared blankly at her.
“Didn’t you hear it? It sounded like a kitten crying.” Ninna spun around. Other than a few rocks and the odd garbage can, there didn’t appear to be any place for a kitten to hide.
Meow.
“It is a cat. Where is it?”
The two women searched everywhere. No luck. Then Ninna glanced through a picket fence to the backyard several houses away from hers. One of the rougher-looking houses that shared her alley but opened onto the n
ext street. There, tucked up beside a stack of debris, was a tiny black kitten, its huge eyes glistening up at her.
“Oh, look at him. The poor thing,” Jane said, staring down at it.
“He’s scared.” Slipping through the gate, Ninna picked him up.
“Good. Let’s take him to your vet now. If it isn’t his missing kitten, we can bring it back.”
“I’m not bringing it back. Look where it is. This is no place for a baby of any kind.” The two girls looked at the dilapidated back porch, with its sagging roof and the exterior badly in need of a paint job. “If it isn’t the missing kitten, it’s about to become Stuart’s latest adoption.” Casting a cautious eye at the house, Ninna backed out of the yard and into the alleyway. She closed the gate and turned to her friend. “Let’s go. This place gives me the creeps.”
Jane snorted. “It looks like a crack house. I wonder if it’s deserted.”
“Hopefully. It’s not like deserted houses are unusual in today’s economy. If I hadn’t socked away as much money as I did, I’d have lost my place, too. Obviously, these people weren’t so lucky.” The kitten struggled in her arms, mewling in a horrible, high-pitched tone.
Jane ignored the tiny cries and carried on with the same conversation. “Yeah, you have a roof over your head, but your house is barely big enough for you. If you gain ten pounds, you’ll have to move.”
Trying to get a better grip on the kitten, Ninna snapped, “That’s the only reason I could afford to buy it in the first place. Remember all those other over-priced places I considered first? If I’d bought one of those, I’d have lost it by now. Don’t knock my home. It’s small but cozy. Even better, it’s mine.”
They rounded the corner to enter the side street, leading them back onto the front of the same block. Ninna nodded toward the vet’s huge house. “There’s his place.”
At the front door, Jane pressed on the doorbell. It pealed loudly and set off a cacophony of barking and yipping. Jane and Ninna looked at each other wide-eyed. “Holy crap. How many dogs does he have?” Jane’s shocked voice was barely audible over the noise.
They could hear sounds of someone yelling at the dogs to be quiet. “Stop it. Move out of the way. How am I supposed to answer the door if you’re all standing there?”
The door opened, and Stuart stood in front of them. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but the surprise quickly morphed into pleasure. “Ninna?”
She couldn’t help but feel an answering spark inside.
Then his gaze landed on the kitten, which was using Ninna’s throat and collarbone as a monkey bar.
“Oh, you found him. That’s wonderful.” He opened the door wide. “Come in, please. Where was he?”
Stuart reached out to take the kitten from her, however the kitten had other plans and immediately dug in his claws.
Ninna winced. Her throat was going to look like she’d been the victim of a slasher attack. Eventually, with a little coaxing, the kitten let go and Ninna was able to swallow again. She said, “He was in the back alley, caught behind a pile of rubble in the yard of that deserted house almost at the end of the block.” She glanced over at Jane then back to Stuart.
“This is my friend, Jane. She helped me find him.”
Stuart smiled at Jane. “Hi, I’m Stuart. Thanks for helping out.”
Jane beamed, obviously happy to discard the stalker scenario she’d suggested earlier.
“Please come in. Let me check him over quickly.” He shut the front door and headed toward the back of the house. “Come back here. I have a room set up for the animals.”
Ninna followed, amazed at the dogs bouncing around them. One had only three legs but it didn’t appear to notice. A big Doberman was missing an ear, had a stumpy tail and his muzzle was scarred.
Ninna also noticed, but ignored, the basset hound. She avoided touching any of them, period. “You take in animals no one else wants, don’t you?” she asked.
He glanced back, as if surprised by her question. Then noticed the dogs. “Occasionally. If they aren’t going to be adopted out elsewhere, well…sometimes they need a break from the Center and I bring them home for a while.”
“But once you do, it has to be hard to take them back?” she said, knowing it would be hard on her.
Jane piped up. “I’m surprised you’re allowed this many in a private home.”
“I’m not, really. My brother is building me a house on some acreage outside of town. But it’ll be another month or two before I can move in. There will be lots of space for the animals there.”
He entered a room that looked identical to a modified examining room at the Center. Walking around a large table, he carefully lowered the kitten onto it. It took only a few minutes to check the little furry body over. “Good. I’ll give him some food and take him to his bed. He’ll be just fine.”
Stuart looked directly at Ninna, his gaze warming as he studied her. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have wanted to lose him here, not when the new house is almost ready.”
“He’s going to love that.”
Stuart grinned, his gaze taking in both women. “I don’t know about him, but I sure will.” He carried the kitten into the kitchen. Ninna, not sure what to do, followed. After he’d fed the kitten, he straightened. “Would you ladies like coffee? I’m sorry, I tend to focus on my four-legged friends and forget about the two-legged ones.” He said it in such a boyish way Ninna couldn’t help but be charmed.
“Thanks, I’d love one,” Jane said.
Ninna glanced at Jane in surprise. She never drank coffee, but the look she flashed back at Ninna warned her not to say anything. Ninna’s glance went from Jane to Stuart and back again. Jane was giving him her best look-at-me-because-I’m-cute look. If it worked, fine. Any guy who fell for that kind of stupid stunt wasn’t someone Ninna wanted for herself anyway.
Stuart didn’t appear to notice Jane’s attention-getting attempts. Bonus point in his favor. He turned and puttered around the gourmet kitchen. He seemed quite at home there.
“This is a great kitchen.” Ninna studied the huge white oak cabinets. “Do you cook?”
“Sometimes. Being a bachelor, it is either learn to cook or live on take-out food.” He shrugged. “So I learned.” He flashed that shy grin Ninna’s way and damned if her heart didn’t go bump. “How about you?” he asked her.
Jane jumped in. “This kitchen is a dream. I love to cook, but I don’t have anything as nice as this to cook in.”
Ninna rolled her eyes. Talk about a misleading statement. Jane lived in a classy penthouse with the most beautiful gourmet kitchen Ninna had ever seen. Jane also couldn’t cook worth a damn.
Ninna, on the other hand, loved to bake. Not that she should be doing any of that with her diet plans. She was a fair cook, but simple stuff, nothing fancy.
Several of the dogs moved through the kitchen. Ninna stiffened as the floppy basset hound entered. He looked just like the one from the Center. She eyed him carefully, but he ignored her to sniff the little kitten. The other dogs didn’t appear to care. There was no fighting between the animals. All were well mannered.
“What about you, Ninna? Do you cook?”
She flushed, having been sidelined by the arrival of the basset hound. “I love to bake,” she offered shyly.
Cookies? I love cookies.
Ninna’s gaze widened at the same damn voice. She glanced at the talking dog, realized it was staring at her, and hurriedly looked away. “I love to bake breads, actually. I don’t bake many cakes or cookies.”
Pity.
“Not likely,” she muttered softly.
Hah, there you are. So glad you’ve decided to get over your snit and talk to me.
Against her better judgement, Ninna turned to look at the dog. His tongue lolled off to one side, as he panted deeply.
I love cookies.
“You look it,” she snapped, glaring at his rotund body. She turned her back on him. Both Stuart and Jane looked at her in astonishment. O
h, shit.
Embarrassed, she weakly tried to explain her outburst using old excuses she’d practiced years ago, “Sorry, I was replaying a conversation in my mind that hadn’t gone so well yesterday. I guess I wish I’d said more than I did.” Knowing her face was probably shining like a kid’s hot pink glow stick, she mumbled, “It’s time to head home. No time for coffee, sorry. Glad the kitten is going to be fine.” She turned and raced to the front door.
God, how could she have done that?
She was such a loser.
Chapter 3
Ninna stormed home from Stuart’s, cursing under her breath. Damn voices in her head. And she’d actually answered! Out loud, too, just to make it worse. What was wrong with her? Her hasty exit only amplified her idiocy. They’d really think she was ready for the looney bin. Maybe she was. Hadn’t she considered it a few years ago?
Even if stress was the problem, she still had to deal with the fallout—the symptoms. Time to make that call to her shrink. She’d managed to put it out of her mind first with Jane and then the kitten incident, but no longer. Racing into her house, she slammed the front door.
She didn’t bother to look to see if Jane followed. She had no illusions; Jane would continue to check out Stuart until he made his interest or disinterest known. Jane loved men, especially those who were the least interested in her. She could do with a shrink herself. They’d have a heyday with a woman who persisted in setting herself up for failure.
For herself, well, speaking aloud, to no one, about topics unrelated to the conversations going on around her…well, that definitely counted as nuts. She headed right to her bedroom where her address book sat in her night table drawer. Flicking to the end of the small leather-bound book, she located Dr. Theon’s contact information. At one time, she’d known this number by heart.
She punched numbers so fast that she misdialed twice, but finally calmed down enough to get the sequence right.
Of course, she got his answering service. After relaying a message for him to please call her tonight, if possible, and if not, first thing in the morning, she closed her phone.