Page 109 of Daddy By Design

A giggle came from the hallway. I looked up and she was wearing a silky robe thing, and her hair was up in one of those messy knots women did so carelessly. “He really does like you.” She came back to sit on the coffee table in front of me. “Which is very handy since I’m going to ask a big favor.”

I crossed my arms under my head. “I’m going to hate this.”

“Probably. But I’m going to call in a few of those markers.”

I peeked out from my stacked arms. “What markers?”

“Saving your ass from the migraine in the rain.”

I growled. “Wouldn’t that be working against the gouged letters in my truck door?”

“It could be. But I’m going to make your house beautiful, so that should count for most of that.” She reached out to stroke the cat on my back which activated a low, rumbling purr. “I rescued Gizmo from a job site. He was in tough shape, malnourished, the whole bit. Problem is, this building doesn’t allow pets—even cats.”

Barely, I resisted the urge to say so what?

That wasn’t what she needed right at that moment, and I’d disappointed her enough lately.

“I can’t really give him up. And I’m certainly not moving any time soon.”

“Oh, hell, no.”

“He loves you. And he isn’t much trouble. I promise.”

“If he’s not much trouble, then why did you have all that construction in your apartment? I somehow think that was his fault.”

“Okay, so he’s a little trouble. But it’s just because he loves running water.”

“That’s great.”

“Handily, the mansion doesn’t have any running water right now.”

“Yeah, but people will be coming in and out all day.”

“True. But I think he’d be happy in...”

“No.” I sat up and Gizmo dug in his claws until he finally jumped off me and onto the coffee table, then he sailed into her arms.

She gave him a long stroke down to his tail. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”

I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on. “You’re going to say Harriette’s room.”

“No, but that is a good idea. She’d probably like the company.”

“Absolutely not.”

She sighed. “He’d be good in the tower room. There’s plenty of room for him, and tons of windows to look out. I’d take care of all the cat things like food and litter. You’d barely know he was there.”

“Hellcat. What if he got out? Then I’d have to listen to you for seven days and seven-hundred hours that he got away.”

“Probably fourteen thousand actually.”

I sighed. “Don’t you think there’s a better place for him?”

“No. I’ve tried everyone I know, and I just can’t bring him to the shelter. They’re overrun with strays already.” She drew the cat up to her neck and stroked under his chin. “I can’t do that to him.”

I clasped my hands together between my legs. I was going to regret this, but there was no way I could let a defenseless animal get hurt. Especially when he looked like the cat I’d tried to keep as a kid. Until my shithead father had found him in my room and let him out because he’d been too high to know what the hell he was doing.

The memory sideswiped me. I hadn’t thought of Freddy in a damn long time.

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