Page 40 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“There’s something off about that cat.” Maverick glanced at Gengar, who sat on the windowsill supervising them in theoffice. He was kneeling beside Lucky’s chair, their heads bowed closer together than necessary, work going completely ignored.
“I know,” she agreed. “He doesn’t have fleas. Super odd for an outside cat.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Did I?” She laughed. “He’s obviously not friendly, but he seems to like us. I don’t think he’d be in here if he didn’t.”
“No, he likes youandis hiding from Rebel. She’s obsessed with him.”
“How could she not be? He’s so handsome.”
Gengar had two default settings, scowl and scowl harder, but seemed to flick the tip of his tail at the compliment.
“I thought about getting Rebel a kitten after she tried to lure a neighborhood raccoon into the house. She wants a pet.”
Lucky met his gaze, grinning as she imagined Rebel doing that. “That sounds rough. I’ll see your bandit cat caper and raise you the time one of my kids—I called her Muffin—decided it was time to learn how to fly and started jumping from the highest places she could find.”
“Damn.” He glanced at Gengar again. “I’m gonna let her adopt one. I’m waiting until she’s a little older. I don’t know if she’s ready for that kind of responsibility yet. I was thinking twelve?”
“Are you asking me?” She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Yeah. What do you think?”
“Well, Rebel seems pretty on the ball, especially if she wants something. It’s less responsibility than a dog but requires more attention than a fish.” She thought about it. “You two could sign up to volunteer at an animal shelter. It’ll give her a good idea ofwhat it’s like to care for cats, cleaning litter boxes, playtime, and all that.”
“That’s a great idea. I think she’d love that. Thanks.”
“Of course. Happy to be of service.”
She was really going to miss this.
No more morning interviews, just the two of them. No more production family breakfast. No more spending her days with Rebel. And if Hennessee House remained dormant, no more Maverick calling her every night and morning. He wouldn’t have a reason to.
He’d filled in his backstory blanks throughout the week—where he went to school, a little about his family, where he hoped to go in life, and everything she could’ve possibly wanted to know about Rebel. He was that dad who had pictures in his wallet, not just on his phone (baby’s first big-girl Halloween trick-or-treating as a bumblebee). Of all the things she liked about Maverick, that was still her favorite. He loved Rebel with his entire being.
The impending loss of them felt like it was eating her alive, creating a hole where they should be in her life. She’d been racking her brain trying to think of a way to keep them all around but had come up empty.
This was why she never let herself get attached to anyone. She always ended up wanting too much, too quickly, and always ended up disappointed. They’d be gone and she’d be alone in the house. Exactly what she’d wanted before she realized she didn’t want that at all.
“Any questions about any of this?” Maverick gestured to the setup he created for her.
“Nope. I got it.” She leaned toward him, elbow on the armrest and chin in her hand.
He mirrored her slouching posture, drawing closer. His position resulted in him looking up at her. “Are you hungry?”
“Only if you’re cooking. I do believe you’ve spoiled me, sir.”
He laughed lightly, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“It’s true. You’re too good.”
“I either had to learn how to cook or feed my kid McDonald’s every night.”
“Even chicken nuggets can lose their ineffable charm if you eat them too many times in a row.”
“Exactly. Fortunately, Rebel is easy in the food department. She’s not picky, no allergies, and she’ll try anything once.” He lightly tapped her arm. “And you’re not so bad yourself. I am not looking forward to trying to replicate your high tea time. Rebel loves it.”
“I’ll send you a copy of my recipes. The trick is pretesting and making the selections seem random when they’re not. All the flavors go well together no matter how they’re combined.”
