Page 18 of Witch Please

After tucking his phone into his pocket, he took the cat, ignoring Goliath’s protests and her shock. “What? You’re allergic. I’m not letting this jerk mess with you.” Goliath hissed and tried to scratch him, so Titus repositioned him and kept him angled away from Danica. “How did you become the feline Pied Piper anyway?”

Her gaze flickered away, and her smile had a strange cast. “I have no idea. This isn’t the first time, though. Goliath is the latest in a long line of obsessed cats.”

“That’s so weird.”

“Tell me about it. I have a theory that cats chase people who are allergic to them.”

Since Titus was a dog person and had no alternate ideas, it seemed like a reasonable supposition. “I wonder how Doris would feel about you.”

“Who’s Doris?”

“My dog.” Eagerly, he dug out his phone and brought up a picture, sent it to her on chat. Easier than showing his screen with the cat actively fighting him.

I’ll be covered in scratches at this rate.

“She’s so cute! Huge too. Is she friendly?”

He considered that. “A little standoffish with strangers, but once she decides that you’re trustworthy, she’s an absolute snuggle hound. You wouldn’t believe how much she hogs the bed.”

“This is movingsofast,” she said in a mock-somber tone. “First you want me to meet your dog, and now you’re talking about beds.”

Titus grinned. “Sorry, I won’t spring Doris on you until at least our third date.”

“You seem really sure that we’ll get there,” she said.

“There’s no doubt on my end.”

Whatever she would’ve said, he didn’t get to hear it, as a round robin of a woman with hair like a mature dandelion came power walking toward them in a puce tracksuit, arms swinging like she was fighting invisible gnomes. “That must be Hazel,” he whispered.

Danica only nodded, rising with an expression that went defensive the closer the old lady got. Titus didn’t like seeing her that way atall, and he stepped in front, preemptively thrusting the ginger cat at the older woman. “Here you go, safe and sound. Have you considered a better monitoring system at home? It seems like you let him out a lot.”

Hazel blinked, evidently unprepared for someone to attack her preventive measures. “He’s an escape artist! I have no idea how he’s getting out of the house.”

“Try getting a collar with a camera in it,” Danica suggested. “Maybe there’s an exit that only Goliath knows about it, and when you check the footage, you’ll be able to lock that route down.”

Hazel cradled the cat like a baby. She clearly wanted to yell at Danica like this washerfault somehow, but Titus could see that his presence was acting as a deterrent.

“How am I supposed to know how to do all that?”

Right, Danica had said that Hazel couldn’t even text. “Maybe a relative could help you?” he suggested.

Hazel beamed at Titus like he was a genius. “Oh! My grandson knows all about the internet. Do you think he’d be able to work a cat camera collar?”

“I’m sure. If the local pet store doesn’t carry them, your grandson can probably help order one online, and then he can set everything up for you.”

Clearly taken with this idea, Hazel nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll take Goliath home and call David right now. Thank you!”

She hurried off without another word, and Danica stared after her, apparently speechless. Titus couldn’t stop laughing.

“Really? David and Goliath?”

Smiling, Danica said, “The legends suggest her grandson is the one who can defeat that cat once and for all. Thanks for running interference.”

“Hey, I was terrible at the throwing and catching parts of football but damn good at blocking. I’ll be your defensive line anytime.”Ugh, no. Why did I say that?

“Careful, I might take you up on that. Friday at what time, by the way?”

“Seven,” he said at once. “And for the record, this was our first date. Friday will be the second. That’s why I’m so sure we’ll get to the third.”

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