Page 42 of Enemies in Paradise

“Bear won’t mind?” I ask them both.

As much as I’d enjoy watching, if this is one of his last games, I’m worried I might mess it up for him. The least I can do after the whole cat debacle is let him have his hockey game.

Georgia and Evie both direct their gaze at Bear, then return their attention to me, making it clear that we’re discussing him.

“Probably not. He’s in a good mood.” Georgia smiles. “I think he’s over your attempt to kill him.”

“I didn’t try to kill him! At least not on purpose.” My eyes dart to Bear, who stares back at us. “And I’m planning to apologize when the time is right.”

He pulls on a tight-fitting undershirt, then dips his chin to me, but not in a friendly way. More like how one adversary might acknowledge another before a fight.

I nod back, then look away, determined not to meet his eyes again.

I don’t want to second-guess my intended apology, and I will if he keeps scowling at me, even though I know it’s the right thing to do. His scowl, though, makes me less worried about messing up his hockey game.

“He looks pretty good for someone who cheated death a couple of days ago.” I say to Georgia and Evie, then open the door wider. “You want to come in for a second while I put on something warmer?”

They walk into the studio, but closing the door behind them doesn’t shut out the image of Bear from my mind. The vision of him shirtless is engraved into my brain, akin to an ancient cave drawing. It’s not going away anytime soon.

When I face Georgia, she’s sprawled out on my bed/couch with Evie next to her. “You’ve fixed this place up so cute. How do you like it?”

“Now that the mice are gone, it’s great.” I open the top drawer of the dresser that doubles as a TV stand and pull out my warmest sweater.

I’m tugging the red wool sweater over my head when a loud meowing comes from somewhere.

“What is that?” Evie asks while I follow the sound to the kitchen sink.

I open the curtain that covers the space under the sink, and Willy Wonkat runs out. “It’s him.”

I point in Willy’s general direction. He runs to the other side of the studio, U-turns, comes back to me, then jumps on the kitchen table.

“What is him?” Georgia asks, sitting up straight.

“Willy Wonkat,” I answer as I rush to the table before he can stick his head in my plastic cup again.

I’m too late. He’s stuck again.

“Willy Wonkat?” Georgia and Evie say together.

I shrug, pick him up, and yank the cup off his head. Willy Wonkat is the only way I can describe this cat. He defies explanation.

“It’s okay if I keep him, right?” I scratch the top of his head, and Willy lets out a loud purr reminiscent of the rumbling burp of a drunk frat boy.

Georgia and Evie both stare at me as if I’m insane, which is fair, before Georgia remarks, “The place is practically yours, so I suppose so.”

“Yeah, I got the email about the loan paperwork being with the bank.” I pull on my coat, trying to keep my excitement in check.

She stands and pulls Evie up. “It will get approved. Larry, Zach’s loan guy, is the best in the business.”

I set Willy down and follow them into the cold where Bear and his team are already on the ice. Their shouts ring through the air, accompanied by the sounds of skate blades cutting through ice and hockey sticks banging against each other.

And if I thought it was hard to keep my eyes off Bear while he was getting dressed for hockey, it’s impossible not to watch himplay hockey. All his gentle shyness is gone. He’s not a teddy bear everyone describes him as.

Bear is a grizzly.

Anyone who tries to block him from the goal gets a shoulder check that nearly knocks the other guy off his feet. Doesn’t matter who the other guy is. Bear hits his older brothers especially hard, which elicits winces and oofs from both Georgia and Evie, but a high five from Britta and their cousin Seb, who are on his team.

“He’s not holding back today,” Georgia mutters after Bear flattens Zach.

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