Page 21 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
“I can’t believe it. I’m taking orders from a ghost cat,” I whisper and shake my head at myself, but get up to take checkanyways. “The universe won’t even let me be a crazy cat lady, I swear to—” I pull the door open, only to see … nothing.
“Hello?” I ask loudly and scan the area. All I see, though, are bushes, trees, and grass I should probably mow sometime.
Way to go, Nic.Maybe this one wasn’t a ghost kitty scratch after all, but, I don’t know, crispy leaves being blown against my front door.
“Hello?” I shout again and step out onto my porch. If it were my little paranormal friend, there must have been a reason she wanted me to go outside. “Why—” and then I suddenly hear it. A softmeowfrom under my porch.
Without hesitation, I hurry down the steps. “Come on,” I plead. “Meow again.” A beat later, I hear it—a tiny sound coming from right beneath the porch steps.
“Is everything okay?” I hear Lauren’s footsteps approaching. She leans over the railing and gives me a quizzical look. Meanwhile, I lower myself to my knees and search the area under the stairs. “Here, take my phone flashlight.”
“Thanks,” I tell her, realizing I left mine inside. Fuck, it’s dirty under here. There are leaves and some beer cans that the construction workers must have left, and …
“Oh no,” I whisper and narrow my eyes when I see movement not too far under the stairs.
“What is it?”
“It’s a cat,” I whisper, and stretch my arm to reach the pile of leaves that just moved. “Only a little more …” Finally, I feel something non-leafy under my fingers. Soft. Warm. Gently, I grab the cat and retract my arm.
“She’s tiny,” I coo as I pull her close to me while I get up. My heart melts now that I see her. She must be super young. She’s so small and has the most adorable orange stripes, covered in what I hope is mud and not blood.
“What’s going on here?” Lauren asks amusedly. “Are you becoming a cat whisperer?”
“Seems like it.” She’s small. Looks like I need to make another emergency trip to Henry. My cheeks flush with heat at the thought.
I might have lost most trust in men. But hell if Henry's gentle demeanor and kind smile make me wish I hadn't.
“Oh my God.” Lauren bursts into laughter, and I glance up at her. “You’re a cat lady now.”
Chapter 6
Nic
“Please be there,” I whisper under my breath as I drive to town, under the scrutinizing eyes of the orange kitten.
Lauren and I found a shoebox and got her situated in there with a towel and a small pillow. The whole time, I was just praying for the kitty to be okay. I think she might be? And by that, I mean I see no blood, and it has all its limbs. That’s about as much as I can judge.
However, she keepsscreaming. Not cute, little meows or whiny complaints. No, she’s full-on screaming, and I don’t know why. She sounds miserable, and all the worst-case scenarios keep flashing through my mind. What if she’s bleeding internally? Or has a painful tumor?
My heart is racing, my hands clammy as they white-knuckle the steering wheel, memories of little Chaos and her miserable whines flashing through my mind.
I can’t go through that again. This little one has to be okay.
What if she doesn’t make it? And what if she does? What do kittens even eat?
I may have a full fridge, but what if I accidentally give it something toxic?
I run through a million questions, each making me panic more. Finally, I reach the town center and throw my car into park in front of Henry’s vet office, glancing at the windows and…
Oh no.
There’s no light on. Fuck. Of course there isn’t. It’s after seven in the evening. Of course he’s not working anymore.
“No, no, no,” I mutter under my breath as I jump out of my car.
Having a good work-life balance is important and all that, but I really need him and his brain right now. I hurry to the entrance, pressing my face against the glass, but it doesn’t make him magically appear, which is disappointing.
My eyes dart between my car and the dark window, anxiety making my stomach drop as I hear her even through the closed car door. What if the next vet is a three-hour drive away? What if the kitty won’t make it that long?
