Page 26 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
“What—”
“You need her head slightly elevated for feeding,” I explain, and put the bottle in her other hand. The longer I let her wrestle with her doubts, the more insecure she’ll get; now it’s time to show her she can do this. “Go on. See if she’ll take it.”
And as predicted, there was no need to worry, because the kitten immediately latches onto it and gulps down the liquid. “There you go.”
“Oh my God, she’s eating.” She looks at the tiny creature with awe. Worry is still evident in her knitted eyebrows, but her expression softens with each gulp of milk the kitten takes. I just know she’s going to keep her.
Jensen Ackles whines at my feet, wanting attention and I scratch his head absentmindedly as I watch her. “You’re doing great.”
“Am I? What if—”
“You won’t.” I can’t help but chuckle. “Check it out—she’s done. You did it. Now put her down and gently rub her belly.”
I bite my lip when she puts her into the little nest, and suddenly she’s so. Fucking. Close.
It takes everything in me to focus on showing her what to do, pinching my thigh to force myself to keep it together. She smells so damn good. Like a cozy afternoon buried in a book, the scents of cinnamon and vanilla radiate from her.
What the hell is going on? It’s not as if we’re actually in a goddamnTwilightmovie here.
“Okay, I think I got it,” she says, still sounding unsure.
“You do,” I tell her confidently and take a step back. “Now do this every three to four hours until next week, and then we’ll check in again.”
“Every three to four …” she trails off, then groans. “Cool. Who needs sleep when you can hallucinate from exhaustion? Tell Caleb he’s about to get a new favorite customer-slash-zombie. And for the love of all things caffeinated, heneeds to add pumpkin spice to his menu. It’s a hug in a mug, and his roast might kick my body into ‘awake mode’ but it’s more bitter than my ex.” Her eyes widen slightly, like she can’t believe she joked about the very reason for the breakdown she had in here the last time.
“Careful.” I chuckle, trying to lift her mood again. “Say that to his face, and he’ll cut you off quicker than Netflix cancels your new favorite series.” Her eyes refocus on me, and a mischievous grin tugs at her lips.
“Then I guess I’ll need you to sneak me some under-the-counter cappuccino. Think of it as our first coffee-related crime together.”
“First?” I lift my eyebrow at her amusedly. “You seem to have big plans for me. Do tell me more.”
“It’s a need-to-know basis,” she whispers, shooting me a wink that makes me blush.
“Anyway—” I clear my throat nervously. “It’s only until next week. If she’s on track, you can adjust the interval to three times a day.”
“Okay,” she says with a nod and squares her shoulders. “Next week. That sounds manageable.” Her eyes dart to me, and her smile finally looks relaxed instead of nervous or panicked. “Thank you, Henry.”
“You’re welcome,” I assure her, noting an adorable blush across her cheeks. “And if you need anything, you know where to find me. You have my number now, don’t hesitate to use it if you’re unsure about anything. Or, you know, send me kitten pictures of this little screaming lady because she’s adorable.”
“I will.” She smiles at me gratefully, hugging the box with the little, now dead asleep kitten to her chest.
“Thank you. Really.”
There’s a weight in her words I cannot place, but they wash over me like a warm shower.
“Always.”
I wait at the door with Jensen Ackles until she’s all situated in her car, and she waves at me when she drives off, right as my phone starts buzzing. My eyebrows wander up my forehead in confusion. How the hell did Kieran get my number?
Kieran: Hi, it’s Kieran.
Kieran: This is super random, but I don’t know who else to tell.
Kieran: I know where I recognize them from!!
Kieran: Are you there?
Kieran: They’re actresses!
