Page 8 of The Sin Bin

Something in her innocent curiosity made his usual walls drop. "I found a kitten that was hurt. I'm checking to see if he's okay."

Her face brightened. "You saved a kitty? Like a superhero?"

Before Jax could correct this wildly inaccurate characterization, the clinic door opened, and Dr. Lauren Mackenzie walked in alongside a woman with vibrant pink hair and an impressive array of tattoos.

Dr. Mackenzie stopped short when she saw him, and for a moment, Jax thought he glimpsed something like panic flash across her face. It was quickly replaced by her professional mask, but not before he caught it.

She was, if possible, even more attractive in daylight. Without the exhaustion of the late-night emergency, he could better appreciate the intelligent gleam in her green eyes, the sprinkle of freckles across her nose, the way her blond hair curled stubbornly at her temples despite being pulled back in a practical ponytail.

"Mr. Thompson," she said, her tone carefully neutral. "You're here about the kitten."

"Jax," he corrected automatically, rising from his chair with a suppressed wince. "And yes, I wanted to check on him."

Her companion with the pink hair was staring at him with undisguised fascination, her eyes traveling from his face to his hands and back again. She elbowed Dr. Mackenzie subtly, earning a warning glare that made Jax bite back a smile.

"The kitten's stable," Dr. Mackenzie said, all business. "He's responding well to fluids, and the radiographs show a hairline fracture to his leg, but it should heal well with rest. No surgery needed."

Jax felt a wave of relief wash over him. "That's good news."

The little girl tugged at his jacket. "You did save a kitty. Can I see it?"

Dr. Mackenzie's expression softened instantly, the professional veneer melting into something warmer that made Jax's chest tighten inexplicably.

"Hi there," she said, crouching to the girl's level. "Is this Mr. Whiskers? I've heard he's not feeling well."

The girl nodded solemnly. "My daddy says the scary hockey man hurts people, but he saved a kitty, so I think he's actually nice."

Jax watched as Dr. Mackenzie's eyes flicked to his, something unreadable passing across her face.

"Sometimes people surprise us," she said carefully. "Kim will help you check in Mr. Whiskers, and I'll be with you shortly, okay?"

The receptionist led the mother and daughter to the counter, leaving Jax facing Dr. Mackenzie and her pink-haired friend, who was making no effort to hide her interest in the situation.

"This is Dr. Barb Danvers," Dr. Mackenzie said with obvious reluctance. "She's a vet here too."

"And I'm her best friend." Barb added, extending her hand with a grin. "I'm a huge Chill fan, by the way. That fight last night? Epic."

Dr. Mackenzie's expression tightened. The reminder of his on-ice violence clearly didn't sit well with her. And why would it? She spent her life healing injuries, while he made a living inflicting them.

"The kitten," he said, steering the conversation back to safer ground. "What happens to him now?"

Dr. Mackenzie crossed her arms, her white coat shifting to reveal a simple blue blouse underneath. "He'll need about two weeks of restricted movement for the fracture to heal, then some rehabilitation. After that, as I mentioned last night, the shelter will—"

"I'll take him," Jax interrupted, the words tumbling out before he'd fully processed the thought.

Both women stared at him with varying degrees of surprise.

"You want to adopt the kitten?" Dr. Mackenzie asked, as if confirming she'd heard correctly.

Jax shrugged, ignoring the twinge in his ribs. "Why not? I found him. Seems right."

Barb's face split into a delighted grin. "That's adorable. The Mountain wants a tiny kitten."

"I have experience with rescue animals," he added, feeling oddly defensive under Dr. Mackenzie's skeptical gaze. "And I live alone. Plenty of space."

"Your travel schedule—" Dr. Mackenzie began.

"I live in an apartment building filled with people who'd help," he countered. "Mr. Collins loves cats. And the road trips aren't that long during regular season."

---