Page 60 of Shadow Blind

Kait snorted. Hands on both rails, she glanced over her shoulder. “I’m not surprised. Aiden hates cats. But to be fair, they hate him right back. Aunt Issa had a cat when we were growing up. When she moved in with us after Mom died, she brought it with her. It attacked Aiden constantly. Issa said it was because Aiden teased it. But no, Aiden avoided it. It didn’t like me much, either, but it never left me bloody.” She grimaced and shook her head. “Kind of left a lasting impression on him.”

“Well, don’t get too attached to Trident—the name, I mean. That was a spur-of-the-moment choice. I’ll probably be changing it.” Demi reached the last step and followed Kait into the basement, which was massive and fully furnished.

Kait had already mentioned the couch and recliner, but there was also a gigantic television stretched above a rock fireplace and a thick, rustic desk tucked in the corner. She saw Trident’s kennel, the door open, at the back of the room, along with a litter box and a couple of bowls.

A toilet flushed, and a door opened in the basement’s back corner. Cosky stepped out. Demi had spent enough time with the pair to recognize the gleam in his light gray eyes as he closed on them. That look hit his eyes just before he pulled Kait close for a lengthy kiss.

All righty then…

To give them some privacy, she headed toward the kennel, which was empty. She crouched, peering beneath the desk, and found an orange, fluffy ball curled against the wall. His glowing emerald eye watched her with suspicion, but he didn’t growl. At least that was progress. Still, the litter box hadn’t been used and the food bowl didn’t look touched.

By the time she straightened and turned around, Cosky was gone and Kait was sitting on the couch.

“Marcus is throwing steaks and potatoes on the barbeque, but we have some time before the grill is ready. How’s your cat?”

“He seems okay.” Demi sat down beside her. “He’s great with the litter box and has been using it since I brought him home.” She didn’t want Kait to think she was okay with the cat ruining her spotless carpet.

“That’s unusual with a feral cat, isn’t it? I thought they were hard to litter train.”

Demi had questioned that herself. “He’s either very smart, or he used to be someone’s pampered pet. Anyhow, I still haven’t decided on a name for him.”

“Why not Trident? You never said. Is it because you don’t want any reminders of SEAL stuff after you break things off with Aiden?” Kait’s voice was full of understanding and sympathy.

“Partly,” Demi admitted, her throat aching. “But I’ve also been told it’s a shitty name.”

Kait’s eyes widened. “Who told you that?”

“O’Neill.” Demi’s lips twitched. “He says it’s a pussy name. That a badass cat deserves a badass name, not a dirty, filthy squid name.”

“What?” Kait laughed. “I bet that went over well with the four clones on board. I mean, dissing SEAL culture like that. No wonder they don’t like him.”

“Oh, they didn’t hear him,” Demi assured her. “We were at the very back of the plane. The clones were sitting in the first few seats.

Kait gave her an odd look. “You sat with O’Neill instead of Aiden?”

There was no judgement on Kait’s face or in her voice. No reason for Demi to feel defensive. Yet she did.

“I didn’t sit with O’Neill,” she stressed. “I sat with Trident. O’Neill was sitting there too.”

“Hmm.” Kait made a soft humming sound. “It sounds like O’Neill was hitting on you.”

Demi thought back and shook her head. “No. He really wasn’t. He was concerned about the cat.”

There had been no appreciative glances from him. No flirting. He hadn’t even tried to goad Aiden by pretending to flirt with her.

“You’re sure?”

Demi nodded emphatically. “I’m positive. There were no…vibes…from him. He helped with Trident, that’s all. Even got some meds into him.”

Which reminded her...

“How far is the closest vet?” While beautiful, this place was out in the middle of nowhere.

“There’s one in Talkeetna, which isn’t far.” Kait’s demeanor quieted. “Getting back to O’Neill. You know I just want you to be happy, right? Sure, I’d love to have you as my sister-in-law, but we’re already sisters. That will never change, even when you move on from Aiden. If you’re interested in O’Neill, I’d support you.”

The lump was back in Demi’s throat. But this time, it tasted like affection and trust.

“Believe me,” Demi worked up a smile. “I’m not interested in O’Neill, and he’s not interested in me. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

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