Page 93 of Holding On to a Hero
“Hey, Will? You need some tiger balm or horse liniment?” Spence had been injured enough in his stunt career that his own back and other joints bothered him regularly.
“Uh, sure? If you think it will help.”
“Definitely.” Spence dashed off to the master bedroom to get his first aid kit. I plated the sandwiches and poured drinks. When the three of them trooped into the breakfast room a few minutes later, a sharp medicinal smell permeated the air.
Will, though, looked more relaxed than I think I’d ever seen him. I blinked my eyes against the wave of affection and warmth that swamped my chest. I gave in to the impulse and kissed him just before he sat down. His smile was brilliant.
“Okay,” I said after clearing my throat. “Spence was kind enough to get us some nail clippers for Dave. Who’s brave enough to help me trim his nails and then give him a bath?” Spence held up his hands and shook his head.
Will offered, “I’ll trim his nails if Jason will help you bathe him. If he thrashes around a lot I don’t want to wrench my shoulder now that Jason loosened me up so good.” He looked smug as the rest of us groaned and laughed.
After lunch I dragged Dave out from under the living room sofa, where he’d taken up residence. Will showed me how to wrap Dave in a towel like a burrito and lay him on his back between Will’s knees. Dave glared at us but didn’t hiss or try to bite. Will pried one of Dave’s front paws out of the towel and quickly snipped the claws. Then he did the same to the other front paw.
“Wow, that’s impressive, Will. Where’d you learn to do that?”
He gathered up Dave and cradled him like a burrito baby. “Uh, I guess I just learned it on our cats growing up.”
“Huh. I missed out. Come on, we’re going to do the bath in the kitchen sink.” Will followed me into the kitchen where Jason was filling the sink with warm water.
“Uh, guys?” Will sounded apprehensive. “I think the bathtub would be better for this. There’s too much for him to grab onto here.” He gestured at the faucet, the potted ivy on the windowsill above the sink, and the cabinets directly above the window.
Jason scoffed, “Grab? He’s a cat, not a monkey. We’ll be fine here.”
I shrugged at Will. He smiled mysteriously at us and handed Burrito Dave to me. “Okay then. This calls for video. Where’s Spence? Spence! Come on, you’re not going to want to miss this! Bring your phone!”
Jason pursed his lips disapprovingly and poured some pet shampoo into the sink. Spence rushed in and took up position next to Will in the doorway to the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes as Will whispered to Spence, making him laugh. Then Spence held up his phone. “Ready! Action!” Will snickered next to him.
“Don’t mind them, Dave,” I told the cat. He glared at me. Jason slid his hands into the towel and held Dave as I unwrapped him. I grabbed the scruff of Dave’s neck – see, I knowsomethingabout cats – and swiftly plunked him into the warm water.
“Reeowwrrr!!” Dave screeched and faster than I could blink I lost my hold on his scruff and he was climbing my arm. I shrieked – I can’t deny the video evidence – and lifted my other arm to protect my face. Jason tried to grab Dave, but the soapy water in his fur allowed Dave to slide right through Jason’s hands as he leaped for the cabinets above the sink.
I stared in amazement as Dave sunk his freshly trimmed claws into the lip of the cabinets over the window above the sink, hanging there and making cat screaming noises. Noises which were undercut by Will and Spence howling with laughter.
Jason wrapped his arms around Dave, tucking his face into Dave’s back to protect himself from getting scratched. He pulled back but Dave hung on.
“Cole! Lift his paws from the cabinet!” Will shouted. “He’s probably stuck!”
I gingerly took one of Dave’s paws in each hand and lifted them off the cabinet edging. The instant he was free Dave twisted and climbed Jason’s arm to his shoulder. Jason couldn’t hold on as Dave launched himself to the floor with a defiant yowl, speeding between the two assholes who were laughing so hard they had to hold each other up.
Well, shit.
Slightly in awhat the fuck just happeneddaze, I slowly circled to take in the scene. Soapy water covered the kitchen floor. The water in the sink was sloshing from side to side as the potted ivy slowly sank under the surface. Jason was pulling his shirt collar down and frowning at what were probably some pretty significant scratches on his chest and shoulder. I could feel matching ones on my arm. We were both soaked to the skin from our thighs to our heads. Spence appeared to still be recording, but his continued chuckling was making it difficult for him to hold the phone steady. Will had one hand on Spence’s shoulder and was sporting a delighted grin, eyes sparkling at me and Jason. He was so beautiful in that moment it took my breath away.
But he had to go down.
I raised my hands to shoulder height and nudged Jason. “We have to get them. Are you with me?”
He put his hands up as well and whispered, “Always.”
We spun toward the evil duo in the doorway and shouted as we ran toward them with our soapy, wet arms stretched out to grab. They both yelled and tried to run, but we were too quick. I tackled Spence to the ground and Jason lifted Will off his feet and embraced him from head to toe. Spence and Will wailed as their clothes quickly became just as wet as ours. Revenge was glorious.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning the kitchen and dragging poor Dave out from under the couch again, this time to give him a sponge bath. That went quite a bit more smoothly than our first attempt. He was looking almost respectable when we finally let him go back to his cave.
* * *
Over the next few days we kept busy helping Spence sort his mother’s belongings into what he would donate, take to the dump, leave in the house to stage it, or bring with him to Austin. Jason channeled his frustration at the wait by going into full Captain Bossypants mode. Will was endlessly patient, and I managed not to strangle him. On the plus side, we did get the house cleaned out and ready to sell in record time. By Thursday when Brian and Ranger Ramirez called we were all ready to get on the road.
After Jason and Brian got their code word status checks out of the way, Ranger Ramirez gave us the update.
