Page 112 of Play Pretend

Wanna grab dinner at the diner?Or are you feeling something else?

Sorry I’m such a creature of habit. I promise I’ll be more adventurous.

I laughed at his dramatics and pointed my camera at the kitten to snap a photo. Sending it to him, I watched as the three dots appeared, then disappeared a few times. Finally, his reply came, and I chuckled again.

RONAN:

So…we have a cat now?

The door opened, and I shoved my phone back into my purse. A tall blonde woman strolled in. She smiled at me, then looked at the kitten.

“Who do we have here?” she asked softly, crouching onto the balls of her feet. The kitten scurried backward, his eyes widening as he pressed his body into the corner. She let out a sad laugh as she scooped him up and placed him on the exam table. “I’m Dr. Harper. But that seems incredibly formal, so please just call me Maggie.” I got to my feet and stood on the other side of the metal table.

“Willow,” I said, taking her outstretched hand and gently shaking it. “I just found him at the beach. I’m not sure if there’sanything wrong, but he was limping and shaking. And there was something here—” I pointed at his back leg. “But I couldn’t tell if it was dirt or blood.”

She gently probed at the spot, watching his face carefully. He wrinkled his nose again and pulled his lower half away from her touch, and she smiled. “Did you find any other cats there?” she asked as she continued her examination.

“Just him,” I said softly.

She hummed as she listened to his breathing. “I think he’ll need a few tests,” she said mindlessly. “Are you adopting him, or…”

I just stared at her. I hadn’t thought that far. “Um.”

A breathy laugh left her as she smoothed her hand over the kitten’s back. “No worries,” she said. “Think about it. We’ll need to keep him for a couple days anyway, so you have time.”

She wrapped her hand around the kitten and picked him up, and I immediately had my answer. I didn’t want her to take him away. I didn’t want to leave him behind.

Maggie gave me a knowing look. “I think you’ll be back,” she muttered, and I nodded. “Alright. Flora will get everything set up for you out front. We’ll call you if there’s anything seriously wrong, but I don’t think there is. You can expect to take him home in a few days.”

“Thank you,” I blurted, and she smiled again.

“Thank you for bringing him in.” She scratched her fingers under his chin. “A lot of people would’ve just left him out there alone. You did the right thing.” She pulled the door open but paused. “Think of a name for him, too.”

As the door closed behind them, the room felt unbearably empty. I already missed him, and I’d only known him for thirty minutes. How ridiculous was that?

After checking in with Flora and getting a list of everything I’d need for him, I headed to my car. I contemplated calling Ronan, but I’d see him in just a few minutes, anyway.

I fumbled with my keys, my gaze downcast. What name fit that little kitten? I wasn’t sure. I’d heard a million in my life, but I currently had nothing in my head. Nothing wasright.

A man ran into my shoulder, and my keys fell to the ground. I blinked as he continued past without so much as an apology or acknowledgement.

Spinning around, my blood turned to ice.

Braydon kept his head down as he hurried into the vet. It was probably for the best he ignored me—he was likely embarrassed after his altercation with Ronan. Or maybe he didn’t even realize it was me. Either way, I was glad he pretended like I didn’t exist.

I shook him off and slipped into my car. The drive through town was quick, and when I pulled up to the house, Ronan’s car was already in the driveway and the lights to his house were on. It was such an odd feeling knowing that I was going tohisside, not my dark, empty half.

Gathering my purse from the passenger seat, I locked my car and trudged across the yard. Names floated through my head as I walked up the steps.

Coral? No, that didn’t feel right. Cove? That was cute, but still, it didn’t feel like him.

I tapped my fingers against the door.

Scrunchie? That was a possibility.

The door swung open, and Ronan grinned at me. “What?” I said, chuckling nervously. “You look like you’re guilty of something.”

His brows creased in disappointment as he took me in. “Where’s the cat?”

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