Page 26 of Approved

“You’re not going to kill it. How can this freak you out so much?”

”I don’t know, but you need to help me. Please. I’ll give you anything.”

He laughed. “You are losing so many coolness points. I’ll help you. Let me talk to Jamie, and I’ll be over and help you with the whittle bitty kitty that has you all freaked out.”

“You can make fun of me all you want. It’s so little. I am not equipped to care for something like this.”

“Call one of those vets and make an appointment as soon as possible. That will be step one. Let’s find out if they are healthy; if they aren’t, we will do what needs to be done.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.” I felt immediately relieved; now, at least, I had a partner to help with this situation. We had an appointment at 4:00 p.m., which meant it would be a few hoursbefore we had to go. Tyler should be here by then, and he could take over.

I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while I paced the kitchen. “How did you end up out there in the woods?” A sense of relief washed over me when the doorbell rang about thirty minutes after I got off the phone. Tyler was here, and I knew he would make this something manageable.

When I saw him standing there, all I could do was smile. He wore one of his Flower Power polo shirts, slim-fit faded jeans, and some well-loved Chucks. Without thinking, I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him against my chest. I kissed the side of his head. “Thank you for coming.”

He hugged me back, his arms going around my waist, his head tucked against my shoulder. It felt good, natural. Knowing he was here grounded me. “This isn’t the end of the world, I promise.” He said against my chest.

“Come see them. So tiny, and I think they are hurt.” I released him from the hug, but took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

He looked into the box. “Oh Shit.”

Chapter ten

TYLER

When I looked in the box, everything I had said to West vanished, because his worries were appropriate for the situation—I swallowed down my panic. This kitten was one step up from birth. Its eyes were barely open, and there was no way it could walk. If I were to guess, I would say this kitten was maybe ten days old. I dropped to my knees and reached into the box. When I arrived, I unhooked Earl’s leash, so he jumped down next to the box and looked inside.

“Fuck West. It wouldn’t have lived overnight.” I petted the tiny body, which fit easily in the palm of my hand. “You’re a hero.”

West sat on the floor beside me, our backs against the cabinets. I held the tiny kitten, my head leaning against West as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His heat along my side made me feel good, and I smiled. Even though we were focused on the small animal, a shudder ran through my body at his proximity. I’d warmed up to West, and it felt like my brain had started to catch up with my desires. Finally, I was in a placewhere I wanted to know a whole lot more about him, including the things we might do naked.

We sat there and looked at the baby in my hands. “How do you think it got out there?” He said quietly.

“I don’t know, but it’s lucky you found it.”

“I didn’t have much choice. It was crying for help. I would have never been out there if it weren’t for wanting to check my phone for messages.” I watched as he blushed as soon as he said the words. It was already getting close to three-thirty. “I have a 4:00 p.m. appointment for this little one. I should leave. Will you stay?”

A wave of warmth flowed through my body. “Yes. How about I drive, and I will run a couple of errands while you are talking to the vet.”

“Errands?”

“Yes. You’ll see.”

We both got up, and he put the tiny cat inside the box and made sure it was cuddled inside a towel.

I picked up Earl and put him on his back, petting his tummy scales. “I am going to leave you here, buddy. I will bring you some beef and chicken, but you must behave yourself.” He pushed himself upright and rubbed against my face. I knew Earl would be fine, but he didn’t love being left behind, and the promised treats would go a long way to make up for it.

While West went to his appointment, I headed to a big box store. My cart was embarrassingly full as I walked out, but I had everything needed for dinner, and all the items a new cat dad would want.

WEST

We are ready.

TYLER

I’ll be there in five minutes

In front of the office, West had a smaller box than the one he had before, but he was peering inside and fussing with the contents, so I knew he still had the kitten. I waited while he put the box on the back seat, securing it with the seatbelt.

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