Calico Cupid

by Kay P. Dawson

  She clenched her jaw as she thought about her ex-boyfriend. He’d been a part of her life for so long, but now that she was away from him, she was finally starting to realize just how much he’d taken from her. They’d dated since high school and she’d always assumed he was the one she would marry.

  But for some reason, something inside of her had always held back when he’d asked her to set a date. And he pushed her about it, knowing her feelings about living together before marriage.

  Of course, she’d often joked with him about the fact that she couldn’t marry him until he’d won Bentley over.

  Her cat had always hated Lawrence and made sure to show him every chance he could. He hissed whenever Lawrence came near him, scratched him if he tried to make friends, and had always made sure he was on Caroline’s lap when Lawrence was in the room. In truth, Bentley didn’t like men in general and she suspected it was because of his hatred toward her boyfriend. Maybe he was just jealous and wanted to be the only male in her life.

  As though he knew she was thinking about him, Bentley jumped up onto her lap and spun around a couple of times before lying down with an exaggerated plop. She laughed to herself at how quickly the tomcat could fall asleep while her fingers gently stroked the soft fur. Bentley was the only thing she’d brought with her when she moved, and she couldn’t imagine how she would have gotten through everything over the past few months without him.

  She’d had a few hours of worry earlier this evening when he’d escaped from the open doorway as she’d carried some groceries up the side steps. But thankfully he’d found his way home before she’d spent too much time driving around looking for him.

  Her phone rang loudly, interrupting her thoughts. A smile covered her face when she saw the familiar name pop up.

  “Hi, Marley!” Other than her dad and brother, her longtime best friend Marley was one of the people she missed the most from home. “I was going to call you earlier to let you know how things were going but then Bentley went missing for a bit and I had to go find him. By the time I got back inside and settled, I forgot.”

  “You forgot about me? Already?” Her friend’s laughter reached through the phone and gripped Caroline’s heart. They’d been friends for so long and the thought of not being able to see Marley whenever she wanted was difficult for her to face.

  “You know I’d never forget you. Besides, you’re moving here to be closer to me, remember?” They both laughed at the joke they’d been making ever since Caroline had decided to move. Caroline had repeatedly told Marley she would end up moving there too because they could never be apart for too long. Marley wasn’t entirely convinced on the idea, though.

  “Right, how could I have forgotten that?”

  The women chatted for what seemed like hours as Caroline filled her friend in on the details of her drive from Florida, her new job, and the new town she was calling home.

  “So, have you met any cute guys yet?”

  Caroline rolled her eyes as she laughed into the phone. “That’s not what I came out here for, Marley.” As she spoke, her gaze fell on a figure walking toward a building up the street. In the orange glow from the streetlight above him, she watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key to unlock the door. She’d already noticed the name on the building, Joint Ventures, and she knew it was the office that belonged to Travis Quinn. Her heart jumped when he briefly looked up toward her window and she held her breath, afraid to move in case he saw her and thought she’d been watching him.

  Well, she had been watching him, but she didn’t want him to think she was doing it on purpose.

  She let her breath out when he finally went inside his office. She wondered what he was doing there at this time of night but figured he’d probably just forgotten something.

  “Hello? Did you fall asleep on me or something, Caroline?”

  Her friend’s voice brought her back to reality. “Oh, I’m sorry! I was watching someone outside.”

  “Must have been someone very interesting. You didn’t even laugh at the wonderful joke I just made.”

  “Sorry, it was just the son of my new bosses. He has a physiotherapist office just up the street. I was surprised to see him going in this late in the evening, that’s all.”

  Her friend was quiet for a moment. “Hmm. So he’s a physiotherapist? And is he cute?”

  “Marley!”

  “I was just asking! Besides, maybe you should go to him and see if he can give you some exercises to help you with your hip. Maybe you could even try riding again.”

  This time it was Caroline who stayed quiet for a while as she thought about what her friend was saying. “I don’t think I can ride just yet. There’s a boarding stable just outside of town that I stopped in at when I arrived. They said they’re always looking for volunteers to help out, so I might go there now and then to at least be around the horses. But actually getting in the saddle is going to take me a bit longer, I think.”

  “You know, I’ve told you this a hundred times, but you won’t listen. You’re letting Lawrence take another thing away from you that you always loved when you were growing up. It was a freak accident, but it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been so controlling over every aspect of your life. Just because he hated horses and anything else that brought you happiness, shouldn’t have meant that you had to give it up to please him. And the day you finally had enough and told him so, you were too angry to be riding. The horse sensed it—but it was an accident. An accident that probably would never have happened if you hadn’t been kept from riding in the first place.”

  Caroline thought back to the day she’d fought with Lawrence. He’d always hated horses and never liked that she wanted to ride. Over time, she’d just gotten tired of fighting with him about it, so she’d stopped going out to the stables where she’d always found so much joy. She’d never owned a horse of her own, but ever since she was a little girl, her father had taken her out riding at the ranch he worked at.

  But when she started dating Lawrence, he was a city boy who didn’t have any use for “stinky farm animals that could kill you if they wanted to.”

  The day they’d fought, he’d told her she wasn’t spending enough time with him after she’d gone out over the weekend for a girl’s night with Marley and some of her friends. She’d been fed up with the constant battles with him over everything, and the first instinct she’d had was to head to the stables he hated.

  She knew she’d been too angry to think straight, and not having ridden in months had left her stiff in the saddle. She shouldn’t have gone out, and as she’d raced across the field behind the stable, she’d realized too late that she was out of control. The horse had reared up before she could stop it, and she’d ended up on the ground with her leg twisted at a strange angle. It hadn’t been broken, but ever since then her hip caused her a lot of pain, and she knew she’d have to live with the constant reminder of what had happened.

  Of course, Lawrence had been quick to point out how right he was about horses. And, like she’d always done before, she’d forgiven him for their fight and believed she’d been in the wrong. It was just easier to give in. If she hadn’t run off in anger and done something he’d always hated, she wouldn’t have been hurt.

  Thankfully, she eventually woke up to the truth of their relationship months later, but not until she’d almost completely lost herself in the process.

  “Just promise me that if this cute physiotherapist can help you, you will take the chance.”

  “Marley, I never said he was cute.”

  “You didn’t have to. I’ve known you all my life, and I can hear it in your voice. I’ll make you a deal. When you end up marrying the cute physiotherapist, I’ll come and stand up beside you.”

  Caroline laughed again at her friend’s honesty. Maybe she had thought Travis was a little bit cute, but she’d never admit it to Marley. However, the thought of her friend coming to visit, and saying she’d stand up beside her was enough to alm
ost consider it.

  “I’m tempted to ask him to marry me right now just so that you will do exactly that.” They both sat in silence for a moment, knowing the strength it would take her friend to have to do that.

  “Well maybe your new boyfriend could be the one to help me do it.”

  Her best friend had been in a wheelchair ever since a diving accident a few years ago. Having her stand up beside Caroline would be the one thing that would make her the happiest. She loved her friend more than anything, whether she was in a wheelchair or not, but she knew the thought of standing up on her own again would be a dream come true.

  Not wanting to make their conversation any more emotional, Caroline quickly laughed. “He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t plan on doing anything like that again for a very long time.”

  She was better off just keeping Bentley as her male company. It was so much easier.

  She needed to remember…cute physiotherapists weren’t the reason for her coming all this way from home.

  Chapter Four

  “Seriously, this cat has ended up at my house for the past four days, and now it’s even finding me here at the office. I know it has to have a home because he’s obviously well looked after, but every time he shows up, he curls up and sleeps for a bit, then leaves again. I don’t know what to do about it.”

  Travis’s cousin Dusty stared down at the purring ball of fur at their feet. Bentley had just shown up outside the door to the office he shared with his chiropractor cousin and had raced in when a client had walked out, almost causing the older gentleman to trip.

  “Well, what are we supposed to do with him?”

  Travis just shrugged. “I have no idea. He seems to leave on his own time. Maybe if we ignore him and don’t give him any attention, he’ll take the hint and go home.”

  “So we’re just going to leave a cat lying here in the middle of the waiting room?”

  Their receptionist, Amy, came around the desk and picked the cat up, snuggling him in close to her neck. “Oh my goodness, he’s adorable.”

  Travis was almost certain the cat smirked at him as if to say he should appreciate his newfound friend as much as this lady did. It wasn’t that Travis didn’t like animals or anything like that. His brother Joel had a dog that didn’t understand what personal space meant, and his oldest sister Brooke had three cats who always climbed all over him when he was at her place.

  But he just didn’t really see a need for pets. However, this cat seemed to believe he was needed here, so who was Travis to argue.

  They were just lucky that their office manager, Patrick, wasn’t working today. Travis wasn’t sure how much he would appreciate the animal sitting in the waiting room.

  “Well, you can keep an eye on him then. I have a client to work with and he better be gone by the time I’m finished.” He called the next patient into his room and closed the door behind him. If that cat was still out there when he came back out, he was going to have to call the pound.

  “He’s not bothering anyone! He’s been curled up in that chair just outside your door since you went into your office. No one has objected, and in fact I’d say he’s become quite the little conversation starter around here. Every single person has needed to give him some attention.”

  “That’s not the point. He doesn’t belong here. Whoever owns him should take better care of him and not just let him wander around into strange people’s houses and places of business. We’re right on Main Street here. He could have easily been run over or caused a serious accident.”

  Amy raised her eyebrows as she listened to him. “That’s a bit overdramatic, don’t you think?”

  Just then, the door swung open and the new girl who was working at his parents’ office came rushing in. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked like she was about to cry. “Has anyone seen a cat? He’s a calico and quite fluffy…” Her eyes moved past Travis to where Bentley was sitting up and stretching now that his sleep had been disturbed.

  “Bentley! What on earth are you doing in here?” She brushed past Travis to grab the cat from the chair. “I’m so sorry. He keeps getting out and he’s a lot quicker at running down the stairs than I am. He got out this morning, but I didn’t have time to find him before I went into work. I’d hoped he’d find his way back by now, so I’ve spent my lunch break searching for him. I never thought he’d actually sneak into someone’s office.”

  Travis just smiled at the beautiful woman as she gently scolded the cat in her arms. “It’s been no trouble at all. He’s a nice cat, so we’ve all taken quite a liking to him.” Amy started to cough unceremoniously behind her desk as he spoke, but he pretended not to notice.

  Dusty came down the hall as they talked, and Travis had to ignore the pang of jealousy that hit him when his cousin put on his famous Quinn smile that always had women eating out of his hands.

  “I see you’ve found the cat’s owner. If I’d known she was going to be this pretty I might have been coaxing him over here a lot sooner.” He put his hand out to Caroline. “I’m Doctor Dustin McIver.”

  Caroline’s cheeks were still red from when she’d arrived, but Travis was certain he saw them deepen in color even more. Of course she’d be attracted to Dusty right away. All women were.

  “Oh…I almost thought you were brothers. The dimple is the same.” She was looking back and forth between them.

  “Cousins. He’s one of the many, many cousins you’re going to meet around this town. And all Quinn men have a dimple.” He gave his cousin a warning look to let him know this wasn’t the time to pour on his famous charm when it was someone who worked for the family. “This is Caroline MacGregor. The woman my parents hired to work with them.”

  But Dusty didn’t seem to take the hint. Flirting was second nature to him. Normally, Travis didn’t even bat an eye because he was so used to it when a pretty woman was around. Today, though, he was irritated by it.

  “So, you’re new in town? If you ever need someone to show you around, just let me know. There’s not a lot of excitement going on in Quinn Valley most of the time, but I know where the best spots are to go.” As Dusty smiled at Caroline, Bentley suddenly turned and hissed at him, making Dusty take a step back. “Hey, seriously, fella. I just let you hang out in my office to have a nap and that’s how you thank me?”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry…again. Bentley has been a bit out of sorts since the move, and honestly, he really just doesn’t like men in general. Don’t take it personally.”

  Travis had to think fast to get his arms out for the cat who had suddenly decided to leap across to him. But after hearing that the large tomcat didn’t like men, he was scared to make any sudden movements as Bentley curled up and rubbed his nose against his chin.

  His eyes were wide as he stared at Caroline. “Is he trying to lure me into some false sense of security before he attacks me?”

  She laughed and came over to take the cat back from his arms. Bentley was purring loudly and gave him one more nose rub before letting her grab him. “I’ve never seen him like this with anyone but me, and definitely not with a man. Even my father wasn’t able to pet him usually.”

  Travis couldn’t resist sending Dusty a semi-smug smile. It wasn’t the same as being the one that women normally preferred, but if he could claim to be the one this grumpy cat liked over other men, then Travis would enjoy the victory.

  “I promise, I’ll try harder to keep him inside. He’s never done this before, so I don’t know if it’s just because of the move or if something else is going on with him. But, I’m just glad you found him and that he’s all right.”

  “Well, if you’re worried and need to see a vet, my brother Joel could take a look at him. I could drive you out to his clinic if you’d like sometime.”

  He held back the groan he was sure would slip out when he realized how pathetic he sounded. There was no reason she couldn’t drive herself out to the vet clinic if she needed to.

  “Sure, if you wouldn’t mind. If you give m
e his number, I can call and see when I can get an appointment. I’ll try to get one for later in the day, if that works for you?”

  Travis stood with his mouth slightly open, unsure what to say. He’d been expecting her to accept Dusty’s invitation to show her around town before agreeing to go anywhere with him. Although it wasn’t like she’d said she would go on a date with him. It was just a visit to his brother who might be able to help her cat.

  That could hardly be considered a date.

  But, if it meant spending a bit more time with the stunningly beautiful woman standing in front of him, he’d take it.

  Chapter Five

  Bentley growled low in his throat as Joel tried to listen to his breathing with a stethoscope. Caroline gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. He doesn’t have a fondness for other men.”

  Travis’s brother nodded and shrugged. “Trust me, it’s not the first time an ornery cat has been on my table. As long as he keeps his claws to himself, we’ll be fine.”

  Joel pulled the cat’s lips back to check the teeth and gums, and Caroline had to struggle to hold him. “You know, Bentley here is quite unusual. Most calico cats are actually female. It’s usually only about one in three thousand that will be male, so he’s a rare one.”

  Caroline nodded and smiled. “My vet back home told me that. It’s just one more reason Bentley is even more special.”

  As soon as he was done checking the cat over, Bentley made a giant leap into Travis’s arms and glared back across at Joel. She laughed at the confused expression on his face as he tried to hold the cat away from him. He knew Bentley didn’t like men, so he was always afraid he’d be attacked. But for some reason she couldn’t figure out, Bentley had taken a liking to Travis, and she was as shocked about it as he was.

  “Okay, I don’t know whether I should somehow be happy that I’m the only man this cat seems to like, or if I should be offended that he obviously doesn’t see me as any kind of masculine threat at all. I mean, I’m not really even a cat person, so I have no idea why he insists on coming to me all the time.”