Page 30 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

Mel chuckled. “Go, he’ll be fine.” She pushed him to the door.

“You’re sure?” He looked over his shoulder. “Maybe I should just take him now.”

“Trust me it will be easier for both of you. Stop worrying.”

Melinda’s laughter followed him down the path as he hurried toward his truck.

On the drive he thought about how he and Mel made a good team taking care of Skye. He wondered why she didn’t want to keep him, she was good with him and somehow that didn’t jive with not being a pet person. Skye would have been good company for her too.

Adam made the trip in record time, getting everything he could think the kitten might need in addition to a few toys and treats too. He parked the truck in Melinda’s driveway and hurried up the walk. He pushed open the front door. “Mel?”

“In the living room.”

He discovered Melinda cuddling the sleeping kitten in her lap. She looked up through her lashes and said, “Someone was exhausted after all that exploring and conked out.”

Adam smiled. From the looks of things, Mel was a cat person after all. He sat on the cushioned footrest and stroked Skye’s little paws. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

“Did you get everything you needed?”

He nodded. “And then some.”

“Just what I expected.” She picked Skye up and passed him to Adam’s waiting hands. “Here you go.”

Adam held the kitten close. Skye started to purr as they walked toward the door. Melinda opened it for him and handed him a jar. “Here’s the leftover kitten formula. Store it in the fridge and shake before giving it to him.”

He looked at her and said, “Thanks for your help tonight.” Something was different about Mel, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. “All right, see you tomorrow.”

Adam was halfway to his truck when Melinda called after him, “Adam, aren’t you forgetting something?”

He stopped and thought for a moment. “Oh, right. Beth’s information.” He held up Skye. “I got sidetracked.”

“Hold on, I’ll get it for you.”

Adam waited in the driveway while she ran back into the house and skipped down the steps. She handed him a slip of paper. “Here you go. Email and phone number.”

He tucked the paper in his pants pocket. “I’ll call you tomorrow after I get back from the vet’s.”

“You’d better,” she teased. “He’s my first official rescue.”

Keeping his eyes on her face, he said, “We made one helluva team tonight.”

Her smile warmed his heart. “We sure did.”

He got into the truck and made sure Skye was safely tucked into his jacket on the passenger seat. He looked out the windshield and gave Mel a wave.

It was too bad it wasn’t her name on the paper in his pocket. She sure was a great lady. Adam dropped the truck in reverse and slowly drove home.

Chapter 13

Adam woke to the sound of purring and the sting of tiny pinpricks on his chest. He opened his eyes to see Skye perched on him, kneading his T-shirt. The little kitten’s eyes were mere slits and he wore the look of pure kitty contentment.

“Hey, buddy. How did you climb up here?” Adam absentmindedly stroked Skye’s head. “Last I saw you were a tight ball in your bed.”

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and went through the process of attaching his prosthetic leg. “Are you ready for some breakfast?” Upon standing, he set Skye on the wood floor and watched as the kitten skittered out of the bedroom and into the living room. With a chuckle, he said, “Good to see you’ve got energy to burn.”

He picked up his phone to check messages and saw a text from Melinda and smiled. How was Skye’s night?

He typed in All’s well here, and hit send.

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