Page 6 of Obsession Falls

“He won’t eat her.” At least I hoped he wouldn’t. “That’s his play bark.”

Mom clutched her hands against her chest. “Duchess, stay there. Don’t come out, babykins. Mommy will save you.”

Not that she was actually doing anything to save her cat.

“I’ll get him.” I got close enough to grab the leash but Max let out a loud yelp of pain. I grabbed the leash and led him away. “What happened? Did the kitty get you?”

He had a small scratch on his nose, just enough to draw blood.

“Oh buddy, that must hurt.”

“Duchess,” Mom cooed, approaching the couch slowly. “Come out, kitty-kitty.”

I moved Max farther away and kept a death grip on his leash. “Maybe she just wants to hide under there for a while.”

“No, she needs her mama.” She clicked her tongue. “There, there, my precious little kitty-witty.”

Crouching down, I checked Max’s nose. He wagged his tail and tried to lick my face. It wasn’t a bad scratch. It had probably surprised him more than anything. Now he didn’t seem to notice.

Duchess finally came out from around the back side of the couch. She was a white Persian with a mass of long fur, especially around her scrunched up face, and amber eyes that, as far as I was concerned, made her look evil.

“There you go, sweet baby.” Mom scooped her up and cuddled her. “Don’t worry, the mean doggie won’t get you.”

Max barked.

Duchess hissed.

“I don’t think Max is the mean one in this scenario, but okay.”

Mom scowled at me. “My precious kitten isn’t mean. She was only protecting herself. And that dog is going to have to stay outside.”

“Outside where?”

“In the back.”

“It’s not fenced.”

“Can’t you tie him up?”

“Mom!”

“What? Is that wrong? I wouldn’t want to be cruel to him, I’m just trying to be practical.”

I sighed. “I’ll keep him leashed in the house and just take him for walks to get exercise. And there’s a doggie daycare up the street from the newspaper, so I’ll take him there while I’m at work.”

“The leash didn’t exactly work as advertised.”

“I set it in my lap. I thought the cat was upstairs in your room or something. I’ll be more careful to hold on to it.”

She snuggled the cat to her face. “Well, okay then. We’ll make it work. Let’s go, sweet baby cat, and get a treat. You deserve one after that scare. Yes, you do.”

I looked down at Max. His cute brown eyes met mine and he wagged his tail.

“Come on, good boy. Let’s take a walk and get some of that energy out.”

I could still hear my mom murmuring baby talk to her cat as I left. I shut the door behind me and took another deep breath. The air was fresh and warm—not quite the heat of summer, but there was a hint of it.

We walked past my car, full of the stuff I’d packed, and a sense of resignation stole over me. This was what my life had come to. Moving back home to take a desperation job.

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