Page 22 of Dining for Love

Matty takes the kitten from me before we even get out of the car. “Might be a broken leg,” he murmurs, holding the ball of fur in a way that ensures it’s as comfortable as possible.

I follow along, opening the office with the keys Matty hands me, and flipping on the lights as we go into one of the exam rooms.

Matty puts the kitten on the cold metal table and asks me towatch it, then leaves. He returns a few minutes later with a bunch of supplies that make my head swim: a bag of fluid, a razor, some gauze and tape, and other stuff I don’t recognize. After palpating the kitten’s leg gingerly, and the kitten protesting loudly about the unwanted attention, Matty nods and purses his lips. “It’s not fully broken, but it’s not great. I’m going to give it some fluids, something for the pain, and wrap it up. You want to stay and watch?”

I bolt without thinking twice. I don’t want to see the poor thing in pain, and it’s yowling loud enough that I’m fully aware of its displeasure, anyway.

Nearly an hour later, Matty and the kitten emerge, the floof blinking sleepily and its little back leg in a cast. My heart melts.

“Oh, the poor baby.”

Matty cradles it against his chest. “She’s going to be just fine. What she needs is some love and affection and she’ll be right as rain.” Then he looks at me. “Ready to go?”

I hold the little floof while Matty drives me home, petting its soft fuzz as we go.

By the time we get to my house, the kitten is asleep. Matty looks at me. “Guess the little girl is yours.”

I jerk my head up, my eyes wide. “What? No way.”

But he’s already out of the car, deliberately ignoring my protests as he rounds the vehicle and opens my door. “Look how perfect she is with you.”

“It’s a girl?”

Matty nods. “Probably about ten weeks old. Which is good. She can eat regular food and everything.”

I climb out of the car. "Yeah, no way, Matty. I can’t take care of a kitten. Take it with you. Add it to your menagerie.” I follow him around Agatha’s house, still holding the floof like the precious cargo it is, and continue protesting. “You know what my hours are like. It’s not fair to leave a little kitten alone for that long.”

Matty gives me a look. “Willa. It’s akitten.”

“Exactly!”

He sighs and takes the ball of fur from me. “Kittens become cats. Cats don’t need much. It’s the perfect animal for you. She’s perfect.” His tone shifts a little, but I don’t bother trying to figure out why.

“You can’t make me. Besides, doesn’t it need, I don’t know, pain killers?” I sound like a petulant toddler, but I can’t find it within myself to care.

“Shedoes, but it’s not hard to give them to her. Why don’t you get Reid to help?”

I gape at him. “Why would I do that?”

“Help with what?”

I whirl around, and standing behind me is none other than Reid MacKinnon.

I squeak.SQUEAK. The kitten doesn’t react.

Can I please, for just once in my life, be normal around him? For God’s sake, he’s had his tongue in my mouth.

Speaking of mouths, his quirks up knowingly. “Hi, Willa Dean.”

“Just Willa,” I mumble.

His smile broadens. “Hi, Just Willa.”

Matty watches the entire exchange with far more interest than a man in his late twenties should. “I was suggesting that maybe you’d help Willa take care of her new kitten.”

“I didn’t say I was keeping her!” I stomp my foot in emphasis.

Reid nods at the fuzzy bundle of fur in Matty’s arms. “Is this our culprit?”

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