Page 122 of The Overtime Kiss

Max plunks down on the bench and tugs on his skates. “Dude, the cat economy is crazy. There’s so much stuff for them. They need laser pointers, toys, feathers, little plastic balls…”

My brother strides across the room to my locker and grabs my phone from my stall. “Better get all this down. OG Cat Daddy doesn’t dole out advice very often.”

I open the Notes app. I’m going to need all of these things. “What else, guys?”

Wesley chimes in from his locker. “What about a cat tower?”

Rowan points at him approvingly, then back at me. “Dude, Bryant’s right. You definitely need a cat tower.”

I scrub a hand over my tight jaw. “Shit. We don’t have one.”

Rowan claps me on the shoulder. “There’s a cute pet store in Cozy Valley—Whiskers and Kisses.”

“Whiskers and Kisses?” Ford chimes in with a chuckle as he tosses his tie into his stall. “That’s fucking cute.”

“No kidding,” Rowan says, turning his focus back to me. “We’re going there tonight and stocking up on all the cat things you need. I got your back, Falcon.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man. We’re going to have to do that for sure.”

Max tugs on his jersey, adding, “I’ll send you a list. Better yet, I’m going to write it on the DickNose board.” With full gear on, he heads over to the board, where my brother has already started writing Cat Shit. Max joins in, jotting down the list of all the things I need. I snap a photo, then get ready for the game.

And I try not to worry about the two-pound tuxie while battling for the puck in the corners during the second period.

I put her out of my mind as I shove an opponent out ofthe way, snagging the puck and whipping it across the neutral zone to Bryant, who takes it right into the net.

Yes!

He sends it screaming past the goalie’s leg pads. A goal for him, an assist for me. And my stats keep getting better.

We smack gloves, and when I hop over the boards for the line change, I feel like I can balance it all—the game, the kids, the woman, even all this cat shopping. And a night out in Cozy Valley with the guys. Well, Sabrina said it’s a good idea for my happiness.

When the game ends, I hustle the hell out of the arena with Rowan. We hop into his car, then head out of the city to the small town not too far from here. Along the way, I toss my suit jacket and tug on a hoodie instead.

Before we head to the bar to meet up with Holden and Corbin, we swing past Whiskers and Kisses off Main Street—a shop that has literally everything.

I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner. But a short while later, I’m loading up Rowan’s car with a cat tower, all sorts of scratching posts, a red laser pointer, and even a rotating toy with feathers—like a baby mobile but for cats.

As I survey the gear, I breathe out a sigh of relief. “This is good. This is exactly what a foster kitten needs.”

Rowan smirks. “And exactly what a man who’s completely smitten with his foster kitten needs.”

I don’t argue. Because he’s right. He shuts the door to the trunk, then we walk down Main Street, which is decked out for Christmas already with garlands strung around the lampposts. Rowan side-eyes them, grumbling about too many decorations.

“Do you hate Christmas?” I ask.

“And Christmas hates me,” he says as we pass a bookstore where a big, orange cat sleeps soundly on top of a stack of Christmas books in the window display.

“Then I won’t invite you over when we decorate our tree,” I say.

“Oh, you can invite Mia. She’s great with decorations since she’s got a good eye. I’ll keep myself busy walking the dog.”

“That’s the spirit,” I say as we turn the corner to The Gameyard to meet our friends. Holiday music plays overhead and Rowan grouses about that too for a bit. After we order some beer—with a club soda for the Grinch—and start a round of cornhole, my mind swings back to San Francisco. Not just to the cat.

I’m picturing Sabrina.

Is she home now? Coming in from her lessons? Unlocking the door to her apartment? Saying hello to a cute little critter who stretches up from the couch and greets her? Is she picking up Drama and holding her? Giving her a kiss? A pang of missing lodges in my heart.

“Earth to Falcon.”

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