Page 16 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
She tilts her head, puzzled, but quickly catches on, looping her arms around my neck. I slide my arms around her waist, plant my feet, and push upward.
She lets out a tiny squeak as her feet lift off the ground, clinging tighter. With a low chuckle, I shift her weight easily, and in one fluid motion, we’re standing. Her body presses against mine, not an inch of space between us.
For a second, neither of us moves. Fuck, she’s beautiful. Her eyelashes flutter nervously, her breath feathering over my throat, and …
“Now me!” Kieran shouts, ruining the moment, and extends his arms, lifting his face to the sky, presumably waiting for me to lift him out too. Reluctantly, I let go of Nic and take a step back from her.
“You get a hand.” I shake my head at him when he purses his lips in a pout. At first, he tries to pull me down there with him, but I fully expected that and counter it. After a short scuffle, he gets out of there almost by himself.
“You picked a great spot, though,” he says to Nic as he pats dirt off his jacket. His face contorts into a grimace once he realizes the mud is clinging to him and soaking through the fabric of his jeans. “It’s a beautiful view from here.”
And he’s right.
Everyone in town knows that the lake is the most beautiful spot around. It’s where we used to go with our dates if we needed some uninterrupted time away fromcurious eyes in our teens.
The spot Nic picked for the cat is perfect. It's slightly elevated and not far from the lakeshore. From here, you can see the water, the mountains, and the forest on the opposite side of the lake.
“I’m sure she would have loved it,” Lauren adds solemnly.
Nic nods and takes a shaky breath. “I bet she would have. But we’ll never know.”
We gather around the freshly dug hole. Caleb takes the box out of Lauren’s hands and, together with Kieran, gently lowers it inside it. Jensen whines and attempts to throw himself into the mud, but I grab him by the collar and gently scold him to stay.
“Goodbye, Chaos,” Nic mumbles and crosses her arms in front of her chest once the box is settled. Lauren steps closer to link her arm with Nic’s and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re gone too soon, but I hope you’re having the best time in cat heaven.”
“May you be surrounded by tuna and treats.” Lauren nods.
“See you in the next life.”
Chapter 4
Henry
“On a scale of one to ten, how fun was your trip to Jacob’s yesterday?”
“However ‘fun’ you’d scale shoving your whole arm into a cow’s behind,” I tell Caleb. I take a hearty sip of my coffee he set on the counter. Meanwhile Kieran, who’s in the seat next to me, grimaces and proceeds to make retching sounds. “Very mature.”
He turns to me with an apologetic grin. “Sorry, had that picture pop up in my head, and it straight-up stimulated my gag reflex.”
I subtly lean my chin onto my hand and raise my middle finger at him.
“Don’t be crass,” he scolds me, and I shake my head at him.
Grabbing my coffee and the sandwich that Caleb slides over the counter to me, I carry them to my usual table. Jensen Ackles follows me diligently, with his eyes firmly on my food.
No matter how crowded Caleb’s café gets, nobody ever sits here for some reason. Maybe this table has a haunted vibe that I’m oblivious to. But it’s the perfect table. It has a clear view of the town center through the big front window. From here, I can see the whole café, with its brick walls, black metal accents, warm wood, and moody lighting, which definitely fits Caleb’s equally moody demeanor. I can also stay mostly hidden behinda giant plant with leaves big enough to double as umbrellas. I can pop in headphones and be left alone or eavesdrop.
Anything going on in this city? There’s no hiding it from this table.
Caleb might have unofficially called this one the “stalker table” for exactly this reason, but it actually became my usual table because it’s always empty. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
“Dang, it’s full here.” I hear a familiar light and melodic voice from the entrance, and I can’t help myself. I stretch my neck to peek past the plant and catch a glimpse of Nic, watching her without being noticed. Her wavy blonde hair is loosely swept up into a claw clip, with soft strands spilling out in effortless waves. They surround her face like the prettiest golden frame of a picture I can’t take my eyes off.
Caleb shoots me a look that saysget a grip, and I shrug with a sheepish grin.
There’s something about her that has me in a chokehold.
She came into my practice with a fire, every pore of her ready to fight to keep that cat alive. Ever since she shoved that little cat into my arms and pleaded with me to save her, she’s been on my mind.
