Page 2 of Daddy's Little Matchmaker

“Hey there, big guy. At least I assume you’re a guy since you’re orange. I wish I had some beef jerky, but all I have is this crappy granola. I promise if you come see me, I’ll get you some meat.”

The cat sniffed the air, and cautiously moved closer. When he got close enough to sniff the granola, she tentatively put her hand next to the bit of food. “That’s it,” she cooed. “I’m a friend.”

The cat licked at the granola a couple of times before biting it.

“You must be pretty hungry if you’re willing to eat granola.” She put her fingers right next to its face.

To her relief, the cat gently nuzzled into her hand, instead of trying to run away. She reached up and ran her fingers down the top of its head. The cat moved closer to her and butted its head against her hand.

“Okay, buddy, remember this is for your own good, and don’t hate me.” She grabbed the fur at the back of its neck with one hand, slipped her other hand under its rump, and scooped the cat up into her arms. When it didn’t immediately flail, growl, or try to escape her grasp, she sent up a silent prayer of thanks.

“Good boy.” She stood up, and quickly carried the cat to her car. It was awkward to open the door while holding the cat, but she managed. It was even more awkward to sit in the driver’s seat with the cat between herself and the steering wheel, but she did it without hurting either of them. She closed the door behind them and only then let go of the cat’s scruff.

She expected the cat to claw at the windows and doors, or worse, claw at her. But it simply jumped onto the passenger seat, and then to the floor in front. She got a good look at his back end, confirming her suspicion that it was a male.

He hunched down, turned his ears back, and glared at her.

“Let’s hope that means you’ve been in a car before.” She started the engine again, and when the cat didn’t freak out, she moved forward a few feet. He didn’t appear to be panicked, just irritated. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, and pulled out of the parking lot.

Twenty minutes later, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Tessica parked in front of Fiona’s house. A sign on the porch that readFur-ever Friendswas the only indication of a business being runin the home. Tessica smiled down at the cat. “Thanks for being a good passenger.”

He turned his ears back.

“You stay here while I get reinforcements.”

She exited the car as quickly as possible to prevent any escape attempts and took the cement walkway from the sidewalk to Fiona’s porch, and knocked on thePlease Come Inplaque as she opened the door.

“Hello?” she called when she didn’t see anyone at the front counter.

“Be right out,” Fiona called back.

The entire bottom floor of the house had been converted into the shelter, while the upper level had been converted into Fiona’s living space. Right inside the front door, there was a small lobby with just enough room for two chairs. Behind the counter was a large open area for people to interact with the pets they wanted to adopt. Cages for larger animals were on the back wall, while cages for the smaller animals were along the right wall. The left wall had a doorway to a bathroom, and another doorway that led to a hallway. In the hallway was a door to the veterinary exam room, a storage area, and the staircase going up to Fiona’s living space.

Fiona came out of the hallway, wiping her hands on a paper towel. She gave Tessica an initial smile that quickly morphed into a concerned frown when she took in Tessica’s appearance. “What happened?”

“I have a cat in my car.” She glanced down at the spot on her skirt that Fiona was focused on. “He was taking shelter under a dumpster when I found him.”

Fiona pushed open the wooden swinging half-door that separated the lobby from the rest of the room, and gestured for Tessica to come in. “I’ll get a cat carrier while you clean up and get warm.”

“Thanks.” Tessica walked in and headed to the back. She went to the bathroom, took off her coat, washed her hands, and ran her fingers through her damp hair. Then she took a wad of paper towels and blotted her wet and dirty skirt.

Once she was a bit more presentable, she went back out to the main area and saw Fiona walk through the front door holding a pet carrier with the cat inside.

“Why didn’t you didn’t wait for me?” Tessica scolded.

Fiona rolled her eyes. “I think I can handle one cat.” But then she winced as she lifted the carrier and set it on the counter.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Fiona rubbed her left arm and circled her shoulder a couple of times. “I’m just old, and I slept on my arm wrong. The cat was no trouble at all.”

“You should have waited. I could have gotten him.”

Fiona waved her hand in the air. “Nonsense.”

Tessica huffed and picked up the carrier. “Where do you want him?”

“Cage three. I’ll get a bit of food for him, see if he keeps it down, and leave him to get settled while we have lunch. Then I’ll examine him, and check for a chip.”

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