Page 84 of Knot So Sweet
"Very legitimate reasons." His grin widens.
A high-pitched yowl cuts through the conversation. All three of us turn toward the back of the clinic. A small orange tabby sits on top of the tall metal cabinet, back arched, fur standing on end like it's been electrocuted. Bright green eyes glare directly at Garrick.
"What the hell?" Garrick takes a step back.
The cat hisses, tail puffing to twice its normal size. It looks like an angry orange bottle brush perched seven feet in the air.
I can't help grinning. "Made a new friend?"
Liam walks over to stand beneath the cabinet, looking up at the furious feline. "That's Marmalade. She's staying here while her owner's out of town."
The cat yowls again, the sound rattling off the walls.
Garrick frowns, still keeping his distance. "Why's she looking at me like I killed her family?"
"She doesn't like alphas much." Liam reaches up but doesn't try to grab her. "Especially ones with trust issues."
I move closer, thoroughly enjoying this. "She's got you figured out already."
"Shut it." Garrick shoots me a look, but his mouth twitches.
He approaches the cabinet slowly, hands loose at his sides. Attempts a smile that comes out more like a grimace. "Hey there, kitty."
The cat's response is immediate. It shrieks like a banshee, claws scrabbling against the metal cabinet top as it tries to get farther away.
"Jesus." Garrick backs up fast, hands raised. "I didn't even touch her."
I'm outright grinning now. "You're trying too hard. Cats smell bullshit from a mile away."
"I wasn't bullshitting anything." He glares at me.
Liam steps between us, his expression gentle. "Try being yourself instead of what you think will make her like you."
Garrick looks at him for a long moment. Then his shoulders drop. The defensive wall crumbles. He takes a breath and approaches again, but slower this time. His whole posture changes, becoming more open.
"Hi there." His voice comes out softer. More genuine. "Sorry I scared you."
The cat's ears twitch forward. The yowling stops. It meows once, softly, and the puffed tail starts to lower.
Liam claps him on the shoulder. "There it is. Authenticity."
I walk over to stand with them. "Same principle applies to Violet. She doesn't want us pretending. She wants the real thing."
"The grumpy baker who stress-bakes at four in the morning." Liam squeezes Garrick's shoulder before letting go.
"The chef who swears at his stove when a sauce breaks." I lean against the cabinet.
"The vet who talks to animals like they're people." Garrick looks between us.
The cat jumps down from the cabinet. Lands gracefully on the examination table. Studies Garrick for several long seconds, then rubs against his hand where it rests on the table's edge. Purring fills the quiet clinic.
"I'll be damned." Garrick stares down at the cat.
Liam grins wide. "Animals are excellent judges of character."
I push off the cabinet, moving toward the door. "So we're doing this. Going after her."
"Without forcing." Liam follows me.
