Page 2 of Talk Birdie to Me

And there were plenty of kittens to be had. From what Taylor and Liz, one-half of the shelter’s management duo, had explained, kitten season was upon them. There was an underlying sense of dread whenever either mentioned it, and Geena had been reluctant to dig into where that dread came from.

All she knew for sure was their kitten supply wouldn’t be drying up anytime soon, and they needed to keep these furballs moving through the shelter and into adoptive homes as quickly as possible. So far, Taylor’s social media posts using Geena’s photos were doing the trick.

“You never told me how your date went last weekend.” Taylor held the kitten against her and rubbed his fluffy little body. “You brushed me off twice about it. Now fess up. How bad was it?”

Geena sighed. She really had been working late this week. But she also didn’t want to talk about that date. It had taken all of her courage to finally meet up with one guy she’d matched with on that app a coworker insisted she try. Her divorce was far from final, but since Ricky’s “new” girlfriend was already living in his apartment with her tiny purse dog, Geena was pretty sure she was safe to go on a date or two while she waited for him to get his stuff together and finalize their divorce.

“Go get that mama cat, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Tell us all about what?”

Liz entered the room wearing a tight, black Betty Boop T-shirt over curvy faded jeans and dark shoulder-length waves. Her signature red lips were in a pout, waiting to hear what she was sure she had almost been left out of.

Geena sighed again. It was one thing to recount her humiliation to her sister. It was another thing entirely to lay it all out for one of her sister’s employers.

Liz and Sierra had renovated the old house they were currently in to serve as a shelter for their new animal rescue non-profit. Liz had already been running a black cat rescue out of her house, and Sierra worked part-time as a naturalist at a local park. Together, they brought animal experience and passion to the organization and shelter. Taylor had been their first hire, and Geena’s sister had been their sole vet tech ever since.

“Nothing important,” Geena said.

Taylor aimed the kitten at Geena like a pointer. “She was just fixing to tell me all about her bad date.”

“Ooh, sounds fun.” Liz aimed her head at the doorway. “Hurry up and get that calico, then.”

Taylor left them with a big grin on her face like she knew what Geena was in for.

“It’s not that interesting, I promise. You don’t need to?—”

“Oh, yes, I do,” Liz said. “I need all the reminders you’ve got about why I don’t need a relationship right now. Between Sierra and Taylor being all happy in love and all that mess… I’m beginning to forget why I stay single.”

“I could have used a reminder myself before I went on that damn app.”

She hadn’t wanted to sign up, but her coworker, James, had insisted this was the best way to meet new people. He said she deserved a little fun and companionship to help distract her from the divorce, even if it was only temporary relationships.

But, as that just-for-fun date had gone, she wasn’t interested in anything temporary again. Only matches with real potential.

“Who knows?” Liz shrugged. “Maybe you’ll get lucky like they did.”

“I already played that game. Don’t know why I thought I might get any luckier than last time I played.”

Everyone was blaming Ricky for her bad luck, but Geena knew better. She should have chosen better.

So she wasn’t about to make that mistake again.

“Because it’s your turn to get lucky.” Liz pointed a finger at Geena. “Don’t let that ex of yours get you down. Keep playing. You’ll find a good one.”

“You taking your own advice on that?”

Liz laughed. “I already got lucky once. You don’t hit like that twice. I’m out of the game for good now.”

Right. Luna’s father.

Geena didn’t know much about the man or Liz’s past. She only knew Liz seemed like a genuinely good person with a big heart for animals and her little girl. And she had some great business sense to boot.

Taylor returned with a lanky calico spilling over her arms. “This mama is ready for her spotlight and some hot gossip.”

“There’s no gossip,” Geena insisted. “Hot or otherwise.”

She might be confused about her ex’s shady financials and what she planned to do with the rest of her post-marriage life, but she was certain her life had never been a source of gossip. Nor would it.

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