Page 69 of Cross Check Hearts

It feels kind of silly, but I indulge him anyway. I hear his soft footsteps approaching, then he sets something made of a scratchy fabric on my bare stomach.

“Open them.”

My eyes flutter open, and I gaze down at what looks like a large purple thimble. There are two small cut outs on either side. I pick it up and turn it around between my fingers to try to figure out what it is, and Declan chuckles.

“It’s a hat for Ralph. It’s getting cold outside, and we don’t want her catching a cold.”

My jaw drops. I sit up to look him in the eye, holding up the hat. “Wait, you made this?”

He shrugs. “Yeah. Like I told you, I like crocheting. And it seems like she and I were bonding the other day, so I thought a little gift might seal the deal.”

“It’s adorable,” I say, my voice soft.

It’s such a little gesture in the grand scheme of things, but the fact that he’d think to do something like this for my cat—whom I love to death—means a lot to me. And I don’t even think that’s why he did it. He seems genuinely interested in Ralph, which gets to me even more. She’s not exactly the easiest cat to love.

“This is so sweet,” I murmur. “But honestly… I don’t think I’m ever going to get it on her head. She’ll probably rip my hands off just for trying.”

Declan makes a face. “Ouch. Then maybe you’d better let me do it. I’ve got thicker skin.”

“Hey, if you want to risk losing a few fingers, I won’t stop you. But don’t say I didn’t warn you if you end up bloody.”

He flashes a confident grin. “Nah, she likes me in her own way. She won’t hurt me.”

I raise my eyebrows skeptically. “If you say so,” I tell him and pass him the hat.

As if she knew we were talking about her, Ralph suddenly leaps onto the bed, startling me. Declan takes the hat from my hands and tentatively holds it out to Ralph as she creeps toward us. Her little nose plucks at the air around the hat for a few seconds before she presses it into the fabric, and Declan reaches out with his free hand to pet her head.

She pulls back at first, moving to sniff his hand, but eventually she relents and starts rubbing her face on the hat while Declan scratches her head between her ears. This is probably the fastest I’ve ever seen her warm up to someone, and it’s especially surprising because she seems to distrust men the most.

Given how messy and off-limits this thing with Declan is, I don’t know if that’s a good sign—but it’s hard to see it any other way as I watch her blink her eyes shut at him and start rubbing her head on him.

“See? I told you, she likes me,” Declan says with a smile as he keeps petting her, scratching her favorite spots on the sides of her chin.

She isn’t purring yet, but if he keeps it up, I’m sure she will be. While she’s distracted, Declan gets the hat ready, making sure it’s turned right side out. I bite my lip as I watch him start to lower the hat toward her head because I really am worried that she’s going to shred his hand as soon as he tries to put it on her, but she barely even reacts as he slips it on her and pulls her ears through.

When he’s finished, Ralph doesn’t look all that happy. She’s got that adorable but pitiful mix of sadness and grumpiness on her face as she stares back at me like she knows how cute she looks but hates it anyway and is silently begging me to take the hat off.

I can’t help snorting at her, and although she kicks at the hat a few times with one of her back paws, I get the sense she was just trying to adjust one of her ears in it because she stops and turns to look at Declan.

He chuckles and climbs back onto the bed on Ralph’s other side so that she’s between us.

“I knew this was going to look great on you, Ralph, but I think you’re ready for Paris Fashion Week,” he says and reaches out to scratch her under her chin.

She starts to purr loudly and paces in circles beside him like she’s trying to find the perfect spot. Then she curls up beside him, her back resting against his chest, and Declan keeps petting her until her purring is so loud that it fills the room.

I stare at the two of them, unsure whether I should be offended or happy.

“You little traitor,” I say with a laugh and reach to pet her too.

This is totally unusual behavior for her, both the hat and the way that she’s cuddled up next to Declan.

Maybe she’s falling for him too. It isn’t that hard to believe—because she isn’t the only one.

I move closer to the two of them, sandwiching Ralph between us, and we continue petting her until she finally gets bored and jumps out frombetween us to trot off the bed.

“She has intimacy issues,” I joke, and Declan laughs.

“She probably has the right idea though. I’ve lost all track of how long we’ve been in here. You hungry?”

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