Page 36 of Just Add Mistletoe

“Hold it out to her, and then I’ll grab her.”

“What are we doing, Lori?”

“Catching a cat.”

He chuckled and held out the piece of chicken.

The cat meowed and moved forward, its poor little body trembling. Lori couldn’t make out the color since its fur was muddy. When it made a snatch for the chicken, she grabbed the kitten. Its tiny claws held on to the food, and the kitten chowed it down as Lori carried it into the trailer.

Malcom came in behind her and shut the door.

“Do you have a towel I can use to wipe her off?” she asked.

Malcom produced a towel, then brought over another piece of chicken. The kitten ate that one too, and as Lori toweled it off, it began to purr.

“Oh, it’s adorable,” she said. “But homeless.” She looked up at Malcom. “You should adopt it. I think someone abandoned it here.”

“You mean someone dropped it off here on purpose?” he asked. “Maybe it ran away? Maybe a family is looking for it?”

“I doubt it.” Lori picked up the kitten and held its rumbling body against her. “She’s pretty rough around the edges. Very skinny. She’ll need a bath. Maybe tomorrow when she’s not starving.”

“I thought cats bathed themselves,” he said, his expression dubious.

“They do, but this one needs extra help.” Lori peeled the cat from where it clung to her clothing. “Maybe we can use a washcloth to get some of the mud off.”

Malcom disappeared again, then returned with a washcloth. Lori turned on the kitchen sink and let the water run until it was warm. Then she began to clean the kitten. It kept squirming, so she spoke to it in a soothing tone. “You’re okay. You’re home now.”

“Lori, I know nothing about cats,” Malcom said. “Didn’t you used to have a cat? I think this is your next one.”

She looked up into his earnest face. “Didn’t you have pets as a kid?”

“Bronson had a dog,” Malcom said. “I’m not opposed to a cat, but this would be the worst place—a trailer on a construction site. Plus, most of my days are twelve hours at least. Don’t you think she’d be better off with you?”

Lori looked down at the kitten. Now she could see that with some of the mud cleaned off, it was an orange tabby. “Him,” she said. “This is a boy.”

Malcom’s brows rose. “I think he’d look cute in a Halloween costume, don’t you?”

She smiled. “Maybe next year. This year, he’s going to be resting.”

Malcom reached out a finger and scratched the top of the kitten’s head. “He’s a tenacious little thing. Like a miniature tiger.”

“Maybe we can call him Tiger?” Lori suggested.

“I think it’s fitting.” He took the washcloth and rinsed it out, then handed it back to her.

As she continued to work on cleaning the kitten, he finished preparing dinner. Tiger got a few more pieces of chicken and a bowl of water. Lori couldn’t keep her eyes off of the adorable creature. The kitten explored the trailer, then climbed up her pant leg with its tiny claws. In minutes, it was sleeping on her lap.

“All right, it’s settled,” she said, her heart feeling like it might burst. “I’m taking him home with me. But first, I might be stuck on this chair all night. It’s against the laws of nature to move if a cat is asleep on your lap.”

Malcom’s chuckle was low. “Should I get you a pillow and a blanket? I can turn the lights off too.”

Lori grinned. “Would you?”

He rose as if to do just that, when the kitten’s head lifted, and he meowed.

“Light sleeper,” she said with a laugh.

Malcom began to clear the dishes from the kitchen table. “Is there a crate or something the kitten can sleep in, so it doesn’t keep you up all night?”

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