Page 52 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
“We’ve been feeding her lunch meat.”
“She’s real skinny.”
“Well, lunch meat is a good start, but cat food is a better bet. It has all the stuff they need to make their bodies work.” He looked at the kittens when the girls moved, then sighed with relief. They looked healthy. Mama cat needed to fatten up, but she was okay. They could be barn cats. They had the tack room to be warm in, and to get away from the dogs and coyotes…
“I’ll order us up some food for them. But I’ll bring out a can of dog food for mama until then, okay? Now, Nell, you need to go home when your daddy gets here.”
“Okay, Mr. Coop.” Nell looked longingly at the kittens.
“When they’re old enough, we’ll ask your daddies if you can have one, okay?” His phone buzzed, and Kase simply said
on my way
He grinned. Coop would bet, like him and Brooks, Kase and Ryder had no idea Nell had even gone somewhere and was now frantic.
“Come on, ladies. Let’s go wait somewhere warmer for us.We don’t have furry coats.” He would bring some blankets out for the cats, too. They had plenty of old fleece throws. The kids wore them out fast.
“Okay!” They skipped along, each of them holding one of his hands.
He’d ask Brooks to come out with him and have a look at the cats too, in case they needed to move them. He didn’t relish the beagles coming out and finding cats, but it was Suki he worried would hurt them.
Suki was his hunter as well as his herder.
The beagles were lazy buttheads.
Kase pulled up in minutes, and he bundled Nell off to home, then took Mina inside.
“Make sure you feed Mama Kitty, Uncle Coop,” she said.
“Will do.” He went to the kitchen to see Brooks packing up food for the next day. “Hey. Can you come out to the barn for a minute?”
“I can.”
“Sneak a can of dog food. If I get it, the beagles will lose their shit.”
Brooks frowned a little but then nodded. “Okay, sure.”
Coop went to gather blankets, checking on all the kids, who were now cartooning. Brooks met him at the back door, and he had to dodge Thor and Loki anyway, because those two always knew what was what. “Stay, guys. I’ll be back, and we’ll have a cookie.”
They both sat at the word cookie, so he got them one, fed it to them, and then said, “Stay.”
He and Brooks headed to the barn. “Is it bad? The cats?” Brooks asked.
“Nope. I think mama could use more food, but the kittens are fat and sassy, and she looked healthy enough. I just want your second opinion.”
“Got it.” Brooks grinned at him, and damn, happy was a good look on him.
“Tickled to be back home for Thanksgiving?”
“God yes. It’s one of the things I missed the most. Though I almost bawled when Benji asked if I could make Nora’s stuffing. Thank goodness she used my mom’s recipe.”
“Aw. I’m glad he asked. It took some courage. Every time he asks for something from y’all’s past it does.”
“I know. And I would never abuse that knowledge.”
He glanced at Brooks, admiring the slant of his eyebrows, the serious shape of his mouth. “I think I know that now, buddy.”
They peered at the cats, and Brooks nodded, affirming his thoughts. “They’ll be fine out here. Better than in the house. Here the dogs and kids will have to give them peace.”
