Page 17 of The Grinch who Loved Me
She shook her head, “I don’t want to put you out. I will just wait for you to finish my car and then I can get out of your hair.”
He wanted her in his hair. In his garage. And while that thought shocked and scared him, he also wanted to run with it.
“You aren’t in my hair. I’m offering.”
She bit that lip again, making it even more plump than it had been before and he had to hold back a groan when she let it go and it was a little wet and shiny.
“Okay. I guess. Thank you. You aren’t going to like murder me or keep me in the basement are you?”
He barked out a shocked laugh and then coughed, because he hadn’t laughed in so long it was strange.
“I promise. No murder or keeping you in the basement.”
She smiled and then slowly stood, and he made his way to her side and she looked up at him and he gestured for her to follow him.
He walked slowly over the gravel walk-way that led to his house and she followed behind him.
He wanted to ask why she had to use the crutches, but he kept that thought inside.
She was only here to get her car fixed and then she was going to be gone.
He didn’t really like that though.
But he wasn’t the man for a woman like this one.
He wasn’t meant for any woman. He was too quiet and set in his ways and he knew it.
So whatever thoughts he harbored, he shut down hard.
He knew better. His dad taught him to be better than this.
He pushed open the door to his house and his cat, Cheeto rushed him, rubbing his legs and purring up at him.
He bent down and she climbed up his arm and settled herself on his shoulders, rubbing his face and neck before she got comfortable and lay down across his neck, like she did every time he came home.
She would settle there for a moment and then when he got her food, she would jump down and eat and then sit with him when he sat down.
She would sometimes come out to his shop and fall asleep on his neck while he worked.
She rarely moved when that happened and he got used to having the slight weight of her on his neck.
The girl sucked in a breath when she walked in and Ryland hoped he hadn’t left the house a mess.
Although he knew that wasn’t a possibility. He liked things neat and orderly.
“Your cat is adorable.”
He looked over at her and then pet Cheeto on her head. She was a gray tabby that had wandered into his shop a few years prior.
He had tried to find her owners, as she wasn’t a kitten or anything, but had no luck.
And she was so sweet that he couldn’t help but love her. And her name came after he had eaten a small bag of Cheetos and she had licked one of his fingers and then sneezed.
It had made him smile and her name was Cheeto. It suited her even though she wasn’t orange.
He nodded, “Thanks. This is Cheeto.”
The girl smiled, “Cheeto. Hi.”
