Page 22 of Home Town

He cleared his throat and squatted down next to her, concentrating on peering into the dark cabinet beneath the sink.

“That’s a pretty tiny hole,” he commented when he saw the space around the pipe.

“They’re pretty tiny kittens,” she snarked back.

“You sure that’s where they are?” he asked, still doubtful.

“Yes. I watched one go through and into the wall.”

He frowned. “Why didn’t you stop it?”

The glare she sent him would have wounded him, if she didn’t look so damn cute delivering it.

“Give me that. I’ll do it myself.” She reached to grab the hammer out of his hand.

He was faster. He pulled the tools away. “Now wait a minute. No need to rush.”

“Yes, there is! They could be anywhere by now.”

“Then it makes no sense to make a hole here, does it? We don’t even know where they are in the walls.”

Lips pressed tightly she snorted out a huff but didn’t argue. Point for him.

“These old houses have balloon construction…” he began.

With a loud expulsion of air, she said, “I don’t know what that is.”

“It means you can pretty much see from the attic straight down the walls to the basement. And if your house is anything like mine, the basement is unfinished. Bare wood studs. No sheetrock on the ceiling?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Good. So let’s take that box of cat food, go downstairs, and shake it?—”

“I already shook the food,” she said, sounding frustrated.

“Well, we’ll just have to see if they’ve had enough fun in the walls by now and are ready to come out and eat.”

“And if they don’t?”

“We’ll try the attic.” Corey saw Josie open her mouth to protest yet again and cut her off. “And if they don’t come out, we’ll keep trying until they do. They’ll eventually get bored or hungry.”

“Or stuck or trapped,” she added.

“If they’re tiny enough to fit in that hole,” he said, pointing beneath the sink. “They’re too small to get stuck between the beams. So we wait for them to come out.”

Judging by the way she had her mouth screwed up, she wasn’t happy with this plan.

Josie was obviously a woman of action. Not the type to bide her time or sit around and wait.

She’d hate his job. Most of his duties on the ship consisted of doing exactly that—sitting around and waiting. In his case he’d be waiting for an enemy drone attack, not a couple of bored kittens, but still…

“Fine,” she spouted, climbing to her feet.

She stormed toward the basement stairs as he tried to control his smile over her little tantrum. He might not know everything about Josie but he was pretty sure she wouldn’t take kindly to being laughed at.

Although seeing her angry and all riled up was turning out to be the highlight of his day.

Chapter Eleven

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