Page 25 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
“See, that isn’t so bad now, is it?”
She shoots me a glare over her shoulder, and I grin, taking a step back. “There’s a towel to your left. Dry her once you’re finished, and I’ll get a heating pad going.”
“A heating pad?”
“Yes. Kittens that age need warmth,” I mutter and turn to leave. I need a minute in another room to take a fucking breath that’s not tinted with her scent.
Because it’s driving me crazy.
My inability to think when she’s close, the way her presence does its damnedest to override every sliver of logic in my brain—how can she hold me this captivated? I’ve known her for less than a week.
I mean, she could be a serial killer for all I know. A black widow who poisons her ex and tangles a web of stories about how he cheated on her with her sister.
I’m inclined to believe her, though. That level of desperation can’t be faked.
Finding the heating pad on autopilot, I can’t help but wonder. She appeared out of thin air, bringing a whirlwind with her … and apparently a ghost cat. Oh God.
I pinch the bridge of my nose right between my eyes and grin with a sigh.
Fuck, what the hell is she doing to me?
When I return to the exam room, I find her cradling the kitten in her hand. Nic's eyebrows are knitted together in awe, and she is softly cooing at the kitten, one of her fingers gently petting its head.
I stop and reach for my phone. Something compels me to snap a quick picture of this serene scene. Hopefully one day, when she’s less panicked, she will remember today fondly and be happy about me snapping it.
Then I immediately walk backward until I disappear into the hallway again, leaning my head back against the cool wall and taking a deep breath.
I’ve never claimed to know what it’s like to have baby fever, but I might have gotten kitten fever from watching those two. Nic-fever. Whatever it is, I could stare at the two of them for hours.
“Henry?”
I shake my head and take a deep breath when I hear her call for me in a whisper-shout.
Get it together, Henry.I haven’t crushed this hard on a girl since Cindy Lawson in high school.
Rolling my shoulders, I round the corner once more to her worried gaze.
“Is everything okay?” she asks in a whisper, but hurriedly lifts her finger to her lips as I open my mouth to answer. “Wait. She’s asleep. Let’s enjoy this blissful silence and talk later.”
“Hold her for another second,” I answer, voice just as soft, as I plug in the pad and grab a box from under my table anda blanket. A second later, I’ve created a nest for the cat and motion for Nic to put her into it.
“Oh no,” she curses, voice back to normal, when the kitten starts meowing again. “I woke her up.”
“And I’m sure she’ll return the favor plenty of times,” I say with a chuckle. As I walk over to what I call my “food cupboard,” my dog follows right along in hopes of treats.
“A baby bottle?”
“Yup.” I grin, sitting down next to her. “Told you I’d show you how to feed her. And like a baby bottle, you’ll want to warm up the milk to 37 to 38 degrees. Just put it in a warm water bath and test it before feeding her,” I explain as I do exactly that, sensing her eyes on my every move.
“What if I mess it up?” Her wide eyes jump between the bottle and the kitten rapidly, her breaths picking up again, and I quickly reach out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“You won’t,” I assure her. “I’m sure Chaos led you to the cat for a reason. She wouldn’t have done that if she thought you’d kill her.”
“Unless she’s lonely and wants company in the ghost-realm. We don’t know her! She could be a vengeful ghost, trying to build a paranormal army of killer cats. This could be the start of a horror movie, Henry! Just cast me as the nervous blonde girl with bad instincts and bam, new franchise.”
“Or”—I can already see her wanting to protest, but I continue without letting her butt in—“hear me out. Maybe she picked you because she knew you wouldn’t give up. The same way you didn’t give up on her.” Our eyes meet, and for a moment, it’s as if the world stands still, a silent conversation happening with our eyes. Her, doubting herself as memories of her finding Chaos replay in her head, and me, trying to reassure her.
When she’s still unsure, I set down the bottle and put the cat into her palm, bending her fingers into the best position to hold her.
