Don't Give Me Butterflies

by Tara Sheets

  Kat scratched Lucky behind the ears, and he let out a contented snuffle. Her mind was suddenly filled with images of Lucky’s former life. A car accident in the driveway of an old trailer home. An angry, screaming lady and a drunken, yelling man. The cold, white walls of a veterinarian clinic. An overgrown backyard as he learned to walk again.

  Lucky licked her hand, and Kat’s heart filled with happiness. This was the best part of her gift: being able to bring comfort to innocent animals who couldn’t speak for themselves.

  “We’re going to be just fine,” Kat murmured. “Things may not have been so great before, but you’re with me now, so that’s all about to change. Just wait and see.”

  By the time Kat left work that day, she felt happier than she had in days. She’d lined up all the cats and dogs for the Pet Adoption Day on Saturday. Their foster parents would be dropping them off ahead of time, and Kat would be overseeing all potential adoptions. With her ability to read animals’ emotions, she’d know right away what each one needed. Just the idea of finding permanent homes for unwanted pets made her heart feel light.

  Not only that, Lucky had already warmed up to her and Hank, and she couldn’t wait to get him settled in her apartment. If a tiny part of her was nervous about Jordan’s reaction to another pet, she refused to think about it. He didn’t have to know right away. She’d be keeping Lucky with her and Hank at work during the days, so maybe it wouldn’t come up.

  When they arrived at the farm, Kat was relieved to see that Jordan’s truck wasn’t there. She wasn’t quite ready to face him yet. Sure, the plan was to act normal and go on like before, but it would be easier said than done. She was just introducing Lucky to the barn animals when a vehicle with a small covered trailer pulled into the driveway.

  Sam Norton slowly opened the door, greeting Kat with a wave. Today he wore a red polo shirt that made him look more like Santa Claus than ever. When he opened the back door of the trailer, Kat half expected reindeer to come flying out. Instead a tiny black-and-white goat came prancing out on a rope leash.

  “Oh, she’s lovely!” Kat said with delight.

  “Yes, her name is Lulabelle. She’s a bit feisty, but I think she just needs attention.” Sam handed Kat the leash. Lulabelle peered at her with one bright yellow eye.

  “Aren’t you a beauty?” Kat crooned, laughing when the goat tried to nibble her jeans. “Come and meet your new friends.”

  Sam looked at the farmhouse, patting the hair on his mostly bald head. “Well now, is Opal in? I promised her I’d pay her a visit when I came by.”

  “Yes, she’s inside.”

  “You go on ahead, then.” He waved a hand. “I’ll just go have a chat with her.”

  Kat took Lulabelle to meet Waffles while the dogs stayed behind to nose around the yard. Once inside the pen, Kat slipped the rope over Lulabelle’s head.

  Waffles came trotting out, and the tiny goat began bouncing around the perimeter of the pen, joyfully kicking up her hind legs in excitement. An overturned barrel sat in the corner and Lulabelle jumped onto it, dancing around in a circle. Then she jumped off. Then on. Then off.

  Waffles wasn’t impressed.

  “Come on,” Kat said, coaxing Waffles closer to the tempest in a teacup. “This is your new friend, Lulabelle.”

  Waffles stood his ground while Lulabelle ran circles around him. Clearly, he wasn’t sure what to make of the tiny goat.

  Kat spoke quietly to them, doing her best to make them feel comfortable. Not all donkeys got along with goats. It depended on the animal’s character. But with Kat’s ability to put animals at ease, she felt certain they’d be friends in no time. For now, Lulabelle was romping around the pen with enough energy to power a small city, and Waffles wasn’t having any of it.

  “I understand,” Kat murmured as Waffles pressed close to her side. “She is quite a little firecracker, isn’t she?” Waffles turned around and trotted back into the barn.

  Great. This might take a little more time than she expected.

  When Jordan’s truck rolled into the driveway, Kat’s whole body flushed with excitement. Now that they’d gone from zero to sixty underneath the willow trees, the thrum of delicious anticipation seemed even more amplified.

  Jordan came strolling up, shoulders back, head high, like a man who knew what he wanted and was used to getting it. When he reached the gate, he leaned his forearms on the fence and eyed the dancing Lulabelle. “Looks like trouble.”

  “She’s no trouble at all.” Kat patted Lulabelle on the head.

  “I wasn’t talking about the goat.”

  She glanced sideways at him. “She just needs time to settle in. She’s actually pretty excited to be here. Back at her farm she was kept on her own, so she didn’t have a lot of interaction with other animals. She was lonely a lot.”

  “How do you know?” Jordan asked.

  “I just . . . know.” She straightened, filled with the sudden desire to tell him the truth. “Animals and I have an understanding.”

  Jordan hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. “What do you mean?”

  Kat gathered her courage. Would he believe her? Would he laugh and think she was ridiculous? Only one way to find out. “I know how she’s feeling, and I can communicate my feelings to her. It’s hard to explain.” She watched him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. “It’s just the way it’s always been.”

  He looked at her with equal parts humor and skepticism. “Are you telling me you can somehow magically talk to animals, and they can talk to you?”

  Kat took a deep breath and let it out fast, displacing a wisp of hair that had fallen in her eyes. How did she even begin to explain it? “I mean . . . yeah. That’s pretty much it. Call it magic, if you want. There sure as hell isn’t any other explanation for it. Nothing that I’ve been able to come up with.”

  “All right.” Jordan’s voice was tinged with amusement. He jerked his chin up in challenge. “Prove it.”

  Kat crossed her arms. “What do you want to see?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know . . . Order one of the animals to do something.”

  “I don’t just order them to do stuff,” she said in exasperation. “They’re individuals with their own feelings. But I can ask.”

  His mouth curved up at one corner. “Let’s see it, then.”

  Edgar suddenly swooped down from the sky above her. His timing could not have been more perfect.

  “Okay.” Kat held out her hand dramatically. “Edgar, will you please come here?”

  The large black crow fluttered down, settling onto her wrist.

  “How are you?” Kat asked him.

  Edgar crowed once.

  She turned to Jordan. “He’s looking for snacks.”

  If Jordan was surprised, he did a good job of hiding it. He ducked through the fence slats and walked over to them. “This is the pet crow you were telling me about?”

  “Not a pet. I told you.” Kat smoothed Edgar’s sleek black feathers. “He’s a wild bird. Now Edgar, Jordan here doesn’t believe we’re friends. How are we going to prove it?”

  Edgar tilted his head and fixed Jordan with a beady eye.

  “I know,” Kat said. “Why don’t you wait here with him, and I’ll go to my purse and get you a treat?”

  Edgar cawed loudly, rose into the air, and landed on Kat’s shoulder.

  “He’s not sure you’re trustworthy,” Kat said to Jordan.

  Frowning, Jordan watched Edgar inch closer to Kat’s face, his long claws curving over her shoulder. “Is that safe?”

  She ignored him and said, “Edgar, if you want a treat, you need to let Jordan hold you. He’ll be very gentle, I promise.”

  Edgar shook his head.

  Jordan looked mildly surprised.

  “Hold your hand out, like this.” Kat showed Jordan how to hold his hand sideways so his fingers were straight. “Now just ask him to come.”

  Jordan laughed. “Just ask?”

  Kat nodded
.

  Jordan sighed and held out his hand. “Here, bird.”

  Nothing happened.

  Kat rolled her eyes. “You call that asking?”

  Edgar tipped his head back and made a chuffing sound.

  “He’s laughing at you,” Kat told Jordan. “But I’ll accept that you’re a work in progress.” She turned to Edgar. “Now, if you want that treat I promised, you’ll have to wait with Jordan over there. He’s a friend, too, even though he hasn’t learned how to ask nicely. He won’t hurt you.”

  Edgar seemed to think it over for a few moments. Then, in a flurry of feathers, he rose off her shoulder and settled onto Jordan’s hand.

  Jordan let out a huff of surprise.

  Kat grinned and ran to fetch a snack from her purse. When she returned, Jordan and the bird were still sizing each other up.

  “Here.” Kat handed the cracker to Jordan. “You can feed him.”

  Jordan held it out, and Edgar took it quickly, then launched into the air. They watched him fly away until he was just a dark speck against the cerulean blue sky.

  Kat slapped crumbs off her hands, grinning triumphantly at Jordan. “How’s that for proof?”

  “You do have a way with animals,” he said with a smile. “I’ll give you that.”

  She pursed her lips to the side. He still didn’t seem convinced. She turned to Lulabelle, who was busy munching on a patch of tall grass near the fence. “Lulabelle, will you please come here?”

  The little goat raised her head reluctantly, still chewing on a weed.

  “Jordan still doesn’t think we can talk to each other. Can you go say hi to Jordan to help me prove it?” She pointed to where Jordan was standing.

  Lulabelle bounded over to Jordan, did a quick circle around him, and butted her head against his leg. Then she went back to the grass and resumed eating.

  Jordan stared at the tiny goat, then at Kat. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

  Kat held Jordan’s gaze and called, “Waffles!”

  The donkey poked his head out of the barn.

  “Waffles, Jordan doesn’t believe we can communicate. Can you go over and give him a nudge to help me prove it?”

  Waffles trotted over and nudged Jordan with his velvety nose. Then he did it again.

  Jordan stood there with his hands slightly raised, blinking down at the donkey.

  “Now do you believe me?” Kat asked, daring him to say something. Anything. Hoping he wouldn’t say she was a freak.

  There was an odd expression on his face. “That’s . . . crazy.”

  Kat felt her heart sink. He was going to turn on her. Treat her like a weirdo. That’s what usually happened when she tried to reveal her connection with animals. At first, people thought it was novel; a funny trick. They were fine with the idea of it until they saw it in action. Then it just made them uncomfortable or scared.

  “It’s pretty fantastic,” he continued, staring at her in amazement. “It really is.”

  Kat flushed with relief. Jordan was surprised, but there was no judgment or fear on his face. He admired her ability.

  “You’re pretty fantastic, Kat Davenport,” he said quietly.

  Her skin tingled with pleasure. She waved a hand self-consciously. “It’s just a thing. Some people are really good at math. Or engineering. I’m good with animals.”

  Before he had a chance to say anything else, a sleek white sedan pulled to a stop in the driveway, and Layla Gentry emerged. She was wearing shiny black stiletto pumps, a black shift dress, and the same bright red lipstick. This time, her brown hair was pulled into a low bun. She was the epitome of understated elegance.

  “I’ll talk to you later, okay? I have an appointment.” Jordan walked over to greet Layla and they strolled toward the house. As they neared the porch, she placed a hand on Jordan’s forearm and let out a throaty, melodious laugh.

  Kat scowled and kicked at a clump of dirt. Even the woman’s laugh was fancy-pants. She glanced down at herself. Her jeans and T-shirt were splattered with mud from the water spigot when she fed the animals, and she was pretty sure her hair was now a scrambled mess around her head. Whatever. It’s not like it mattered. Nobody there to care. She took another peek at Jordan. He was now deep in conversation with the lovely Layla.

  Lulabelle butted Kat’s leg.

  She glanced down and laughed. “What’s the matter? You’re not getting enough attention?”

  Without a second thought, she plopped down in the muddy grass and gave Lulabelle a hug.

  Waffles quickly trotted over, because if hugs and attention were happening, he needed in on that.

  Pretty soon, Hank showed up for his fair share.

  “Where’s Lucky?” Kat asked him.

  Hank gave a little whine. Apparently, Lucky wasn’t happy.

  Kat jumped up, slapping dust from her jeans. “Where is he?”

  Hank started off toward the farmhouse, and Kat followed. When Hank reached the porch, he nosed underneath it and whined again.

  Layla and Jordan were sitting on the porch chairs. Kat knew they were watching her, but she didn’t have time to feel self-conscious. Lucky needed her, and that was more important.

  She gave them a cheery wave. “Sorry, carry on. I’m just getting one of the animals.”

  She crouched low and saw Lucky shivering under the porch. “Hey there,” she said softly. “Want to come out and play with the others?”

  Lucky looked away.

  Kat scooted under the porch on her stomach until they were face-to-face. “You don’t need to hide here,” she whispered, reaching out to gently pet him. “This place is safe.”

  Lucky nudged her hand with his wet nose, but he wasn’t convinced. She could feel nervous energy pouring off him, so she did her best to calm him down. “I know all this is new, but everyone’s so happy that you’re here. You have friends now.” She inched closer until she could snuggle up beside him. For a few minutes, Kat continued to pet him until he stopped shivering. Even though he was calmer than before, he still seemed very jumpy.

  “How about this,” Kat said gently. “You come out from under the porch, and I’ll pick you up and carry you back to my apartment, where it’s safe. It will be just you, me, and Hank. How’s that?”

  “What’s going on down there?” Jordan called.

  Lucky startled and backed away.

  Kat heard footsteps on the porch above her. “Nothing!” she said quickly. “I’m just talking to—” Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to say she was talking to animals in front of Layla. “I’m just getting my dog.”

  “Hank is right out here,” Jordan said, coming up to stand behind her.

  Kat cringed. Now she was in for it. She glanced back and saw his work boots and a pair of spiky stilettos. Great. Both of them were there to witness her awkward sprawl under the porch. At least Jordan had seen her scroungy before, but Layla’s presence just made the moment a zillion times worse. Layla was like an origami swan, all lovely and sleek with perfectly pressed edges. And Kat felt more like an origami boulder—a lumpy, wadded-up piece of paper.

  “I wasn’t talking about Hank,” Kat said as calmly as possible. “I was talking about my other dog.”

  There was silence for a few seconds. She could just imagine Jordan processing this information, and how he’d react. She held her breath.

  “What other dog?” Jordan’s tone was deceptively mild.

  She exhaled fast. Now was as good a time as any. “My dog Lucky. The one I rescued.”

  Kat looked at Lucky and said very low, “I’ll be right back.”

  She shimmied out backward on her stomach, fully aware of how she must appear to Jordan and Layla. Her jeans were filthy from sitting in the animal pen, her T-shirt rode up to expose bare skin on her lower back, and her hair probably looked like a bright red tumbleweed. When she finally rolled out from underneath the porch, she was even muddier than she’d been before. Origami boulder, ladies and gentlemen. Here for your viewing pleasure.

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nbsp; Jordan looked deeply suspicious. “Who’s Lucky?”

  Layla’s head was tilted in polite observation.

  “You remember,” Kat bluffed. She latched onto Layla’s presence like a shield. “The three-legged dog that nobody wanted. Remember I told you I was rescuing him because they were going to put him to sleep?”

  Jordan began shaking his head “no.”

  Kat nodded. “And then you said it was a good idea. And I should save him from such a sad fate, because you couldn’t imagine anyone doing that to a poor, innocent animal.”

  Layla’s face softened, and she turned to Jordan. She pressed her hand on his arm again. Why did she always do that? Like she was afraid if she didn’t touch him, he’d run away. “Oh, that is the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day. You always were a champion for others. You have a good heart, Jordan Prescott.”

  “He does.” Kat eyed him carefully. “He really does.”

  Jordan seemed to be searching for a way to respond.

  Kat held his gaze, daring him to contradict her. It wouldn’t be wise. Not with the lovely Layla so enamored of his good heart.

  Jordan’s mouth twitched. “Right,” he finally said. “Do you need help with your poor, innocent dog?”

  “Nope,” Kat said brightly, beaming at both him and Layla. “I’ve got it all under control. We’ll only be a minute.”

  When Jordan and Layla wandered toward her car, Kat seized the moment. She ducked back under the porch and army-crawled to Lucky. Then she used all her good energy to coax him out. Once they were free of the porch, she gathered him up, called to Hank, and made her way to her apartment above the garage.

  When she reached the door, she glanced back at Jordan.

  Layla was still talking to him, but he was staring straight at Kat with a calculating look on his face. Clearly, he wasn’t finished with her.

  Yeah? Well maybe she wasn’t finished with him, either. She threw him a sassy grin, tossed her hair off her shoulder, and closed her apartment door.