Page 64 of The Gingerbread Bakery
And she wanted to kiss him.
And more.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Now
Somehow, Mac had convinced Annie to come back to his place to settle in his new pets. He wasn’t really sure how he’d managed it. Frankly, Annie had been more agreeable today than she’d been in the past three years, but Mac wasn’t about to question it.
He glanced over at the passenger seat to where Annie was sitting with the kittens on her lap. She was talking to them in a voice he was sure she only used on fluffy animals and babies. He’d certainly never heard it before.
‘Now don’t you worry,’ she was saying. ‘This is just temporary. We’ll find you a good home soon.’
‘Who said it was temporary?’ Mac said and Annie looked up at him in surprise.
She rolled her eyes. ‘You can stop playing the hero now,’ she said. ‘We’re the only ones here.’
Mac scoffed. ‘Why do you always assume the worst of me? What did I ever do that makes you think I would abuse kittens?’
‘I never said you would abuse them! But you can stop pretending that you’re going to adopt these cats. Kira and Daisy aren’t around anymore, so I’m just saying you can drop the animal rescuer act.’
‘I'm keeping those cats,’ he said more forcefully than he was expecting to. Sure, he’d said he’d take them in some ill-conceived plan to get on Annie’s good side, but he’d be damned if she was going to know that. ‘They’re my cats now.’
He could feel Annie’s stare boring into the side of his face, but he kept his eyes on the road. He was tired of her always thinking the worst of him. He knew he’d hurt her, but he was done being the villain in Annie’s story.
‘Well, what are you going to name them, then?’ she said after a minute. ‘If these are your cats, they'll need names.’
‘Easy. I'll name them… Bert and Ernie.’
‘Bert and Ernie, no way.’
‘Why not?! That’s a classic duo name.’
‘No. Veto that.’
‘And why do you get veto power over my pets’ names?’
‘I'm looking out for the best interest of the cats; and Kira says one is a boy and one is a girl. She's practically a vet at this point, so I think we can trust her.’
‘I highly doubt the cats care if their names match their sex assigned at birth, but if you insist, how about Sonny and Cher?’
‘Nope, try again.’
‘Adam and Eve.’
Annie burst out laughing at that one. ‘You’re going to call this adorable little kitten Adam?’ she said between giggles.
Mac smiled at the sound.
‘Well, what do you suggest since you’re such a pet-naming expert, despite the fact that you currently have zero pets?’
‘I don’t think you need a duo name just because there’s two of them,’ she said, humming a little as she thought. ‘Christmas-y names would be cute.’
‘Like what? Rudolph and Frosty?’
‘No, something a little less on the nose. Oh, I got it!’ she said. ‘How about Holly and Claus? Get it?! Claws like cats have claws, and Santa Claus.’
Mac couldn't help his laugh. ‘That’s actually pretty good,’ he said.
