“Yeah, actually, here’s one about places to hike near Moonshadow Bay. I love hiking.” He closed it and brought it to the counter. “You find a substitute for Ari’s gift?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll have to think of something else. I did find something for myself, though.”
We carried our bags back to my car and locked them in the back. Then, we drove a few blocks over to the edge of town, down by the marina where the carnival had set up.
Each year, Moonshadow Bay held a seasonal festival, but the Winter Carnival was always my favorite. While we didn’t always have snow, the decorations alone gave an icy look to the town. Vendors came in from all the small towns and farms nearby. A temporary skating rink had been set up in the center of the marina, and there were various games.
There were also sleigh rides, thanks to Withers’s Sleigh Rides, though the sleighs could actually be outfitted with wheels like carriages for years when there wasn’t enough snow for the runners to work. The sleighs themselves were beautiful, with red velvet seats and gold trim. Ribbons bedecked the sides, and each sleigh was drawn by two beautiful onyx-black Friesians, their manes silky and flowing.
“Look,” I said, pointing. “Withers brought his sleighs out. I always loved these rides when I was young, and I loved the horses even more.”
Killian glanced at me, then strode over to the booth. He talked to them for a moment, then nodded, exchanging a couple bills for a ticket. He returned. “We’re set. At 12:30 we take a twenty-minute carriage ride around town.”
It suddenly occurred to me that he was trying to make certain I enjoyed myself. It had been so long since a man put my feelings first that it felt alien. But that didn’t stop me from grabbing him and giving him a hug.
“Thank you! I can hardly wait!”
“Well, while we wait for our turn, let’s check out the vendors.”
We circled the carnival, looking at all the booths. There was everything from handblown ornaments to homemade candy and cookies to hand-knit sweaters and hats, but I didn’t need much of anything. I did buy a very large peppermint stick and some fudge, but otherwise, it was just fun to walk hand-in-hand with Killian.
We were near the edge of the marina. I glanced out at the bay. The water looked icy and beautiful with the snow falling on it, and suddenly my life in Seattle seemed like a thousand miles and a thousand years away. We stopped by a steel drum band. They also had a xylophone player, and Killian and I started to dance with a few of the others who had gathered to listen.
Just then, a noise caught my attention. A tiny mew, coming from near the xylophone.
I stopped dancing and walked over toward the musician. It was then that I saw a small box near his feet. I peeked in and—huddled in a swath of blankets—were two kittens, a black one and a little tortoiseshell. They couldn’t have been more than eight weeks old, and they had that perpetual look all kittens did that combined wide-eyed wonder with winsome cuteness.
As I knelt by the box, the man laid down his mallets and leaned forward.
“You looking for a pet?” he asked.
I glanced over at him. “They should be inside. How old are they?”
He shrugged. “Six weeks at the oldest, I’d guess. I found them in my backyard. I let my daughter keep one but we can’t have more than one pet in the apartment, so I thought I’d bring them down here today. You interested?”
I lifted them up, one at a time, to get a good look at them. They both struggled until I brought them close to my chest and then they burrowed under my chin, especially the tortie. Instantly, I knew they were mine.
“What’s your name?”
“Clyde. Clyde Baker.” The man smiled, his teeth brilliant and white against the rich brown of his skin. “They like you.”
“I love them,” I said, burrowing my nose in their fur. “How much?”
“Like the snow and the wind and the rain, these babies are a gift from nature. Promise me you’ll be good to them?” he asked, then added, “I don’t think I even need to ask. I can see it in your face. You’ll be their mama.”
“I’ll be their mama, yes. And of course, I’ll take care of them. I’ll give you my number in case you ever want to come visit them.” I stood, turning to Killian.
He was smiling. “We’ll take a sleigh ride another time. Let’s get these kittens back to the car. We can stop on the way home for supplies, and I’ll check them out when we get there.” He turned to Clyde. “I’m a vet, setting up a new business. I’ll give you my card and if you ever need your kitten looked at, just give me a call. First exam is on the house.”
“Good man,” Clyde said, beaming. “I knew I’d find these little ones the right home today.”
We exchanged contact info, then—carefully carrying the kittens—Killian and I headed back to the car. Once we were safely inside, I tucked the kittens into the box again, which Clyde had given us, still containing the blanket, and they immediately curled up and fell asleep, draped over one another. I handed the box to Killian so he could hold it while I drove.
“Happy?” Killian asked.
I nodded. “Very. Let’s go.”
We stopped at a pet store where I sent Killian in to choose a litter box, food, toys, and a cat tree. As I sat there, staring at the dozing kittens, I was truly happy.
Chapter Nineteen
Killian helped me set up everything, then headed over to his house. “I’ll be back with my medical bag. I’ll have to ask one of the other vets to run the bloodwork to make certain they don’t have feline leukemia or anything else, since I don’t have my labs set up. They won’t get their first shots until we get the results back, but we’ll get them sorted out.”
While he was gone, I corralled the kittens into the downstairs powder room. Since I hadn’t expected to come home with cats, I hadn’t cat-proofed the house yet. I groaned as I thought of my Yule tree. What they could do to it…
“All right, let’s take a look at these two,” Killian said on his return. “Let me sex them first.” He tipped the tortie upside down. “Yep, she’s a girl—almost all calicos and torties are. The male torties often have serious health issues. Now, what about you?” He picked up the tuxedo kitten and turned it over, looking at its hindquarters.
“Rude,” I said, laughing.
“Hey, I’ve got a reason to play peeping tom. Okay, we have a little boy here. Which means you’ll need to get them fixed before she goes into heat.” He pulled out his stethoscope and listened to their hearts and lungs, then tapped on their tummies. After that, he looked at their butts again. “As I thought, worms. Almost all kittens have them.” He pulled out a tube of medicine and squirted some down their throats. “We’ll give them another dose tomorrow, but that should do it. Now, what about fleas?” He combed through their coats. “No fleas. Probably due to the time of year. That’s a good thing. Now, why don’t you go make us some coffee while I draw the blood. You may hear them protesting, but they’ll be fine.”
Already in love with them, I went to the kitchen where I decided to make soup. After I started the coffee, I chopped up some celery, carrots, red potatoes, some fresh herbs and an onion, scooping them into the pressure cooker—which was also an air fryer and slow cooker. I added two large turkey thighs and some chicken bouillon paste. I covered it with the lid and then set the pressure on high for one hour. I thought about making homemade rolls, but decided a loaf of hot French bread would do just fine.
A few moments later, Killian came out from the bathroom. “Well, as far as I can tell, except for the worms, they’re bouncy little fluffballs. They’re probably about six weeks old, which is really too young to have left their mother, but if they were strays, there’s not much Clyde could do about it. I’m going to run the blood samples over to Evans Vet Clinic and ask him to send it to the lab for me. Meanwhile, do you want anything while I’m out?”
I nodded. “Something to anchor the tree to the ceiling? I know what kittens can do to trees. I’m making turkey soup for
dinner.”
He laughed. “We’ll rig something up when I get back.”
As he swept out the door, carrying the vials of blood, I headed back into the bathroom. The kittens stared up at me as though I were a giant, so I knelt beside them. The little girl promptly raced into my arms, leaning against me and purring.
“Oh, you sweetheart,” I whispered. “I’ll take care of you.”
Please…keep us.
I froze and slowly eased the kitten off my shoulder where she was snuggling, holding her up. “Was that you, Esmara, playing a joke on me?”
That wasn’t me, Esmara’s voice came. You needed a familiar and now you have one. I also know how much you love cats. The little boy won’t be able to talk to you, but the girl can, at times. She has got magical genes. Her father wasn’t the same as her brother’s.
I didn’t know cats could have a litter of kittens with multiple fathers. And while I thought all cats were magical, I didn’t know they could be…magical. I sat on the floor, my back against the wall, holding the tortie in my arms as the tux climbed on my lap.
“Hey, you, little girl. Did you talk to me?” I stared at the tortie.
After a moment, I got a drowsy mmmhmm as she yawned. Her eyes fluttered and she conked out in my arms. The tux curled on my lap and he, too, was down for the count. My back cramped a little and I adjusted my position, but both kittens were totally out of it, in that way only kittens and puppies can manage.
Cautiously, I shifted the boy off onto the rug and laid his sister beside him. They shifted position to snuggle, but remained asleep. Easing myself off the floor, I slipped out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.
By the time Killian got home, I had slipped food and water into the bathroom for the kittens—who were still asleep—along with a couple toys. I made sure there were no open medication bottles or potential death traps waiting for them, and then I started on the house.
“What do I do to kitten-proof this place?” I asked Killian. “We had cats when I was younger, and my mother had an old tom who weighed eighteen pounds but still thought he was a kitten. I know the obvious things to look for—I’ve made sure all chocolate’s put away, anything that could be poisonous is bottled or jarred…”
“You have any blinds? They can get caught in the cords. I’ll anchor the tree to the ceiling, but I recommend taking any breakable ornaments off this first year. Also, cords—make sure your computer cords are detangled and don’t offer incentive to play with them. Spray some citrus water around them. Cats aren’t thrilled about citrus. Also, if you have any open shelving with glassware on it, move whatever can be knocked off. You have at least two plants in here that are poisonous.” He pointed them out and I immediately set them out on the porch, feeling guilty. But I’d feel a lot more guilty if the kittens ate them and got sick than I would over dead plants.
“If they survive the night, I’ll give them to Ari. She’s in between pets. She lost her dog last year and hasn’t gotten a new one yet.”
We spent the next hour going through the house, getting it set up for the cats. I made sure that any breakable ornaments were up higher, and moved the shatterproof ones to the lower branches. We were just finishing when a crash sounded from the bathroom. Running to open the door, I saw that the shower curtain, which had been on an expandable pressure rod, was in the tub. The tortie popped her head up, mewed, then raced for me, followed by her brother.
I groaned. “So this is the way it’s going to be, huh?” Laughing, I gathered them up and carried them out to the living room while Killian replaced the rod back where it belonged.
“What are you going to name them?” he asked.
I had been thinking about that since we found them. “I think I’m naming the girl Xi, after the xylophone. And the tux, I’ll name Klaus.”
Killian’s phone rang and he answered. “Oh? Good… Yes, thank you.” Pocketing his phone again, he turned to me. “Good news. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary on the bloodwork. In a couple weeks, I’ll vaccinate them for you. They’ll get their first rabies shots when they’re four months old.”
“Well, that should work. I’m not about to let them outside.” I paused as my phone sounded. Glancing at the screen, I saw Ari was texting me. “Ari! We were supposed to meet her and Meagan at the carnival! I’m going to ask them over.”
I quickly texted her back. interesting morning. can you come over. have a couple babies i want you to meet.
babies? what babies?
just get your butt over here, woman, and i’ll introduce you.
The kittens were meanwhile scaling the cat tower, perpetual motion machines in fur suits. I turned back to Killian, who was sitting on the sofa.
“Ari’s coming over with Meagan. It will take them a little while. Until then, I’d like to thank you for being so wonderful.” I was about to straddle his lap to kiss him when his phone rang again. While he answered, I headed in the kitchen to make some coffee. I had just finished making a peppermint mocha when he appeared at the kitchen door.
“Hey, love, I have to leave.” The look on his face was strained.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
He nodded. “I just got a call from my parents. My sister was hit by a truck when she was out running on the side of the road. She was in her alt-form. They live up near Mount Rainier. She’s in the hospital and they’re going to have to operate.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Oh no! How…what are the injuries?”
“Broken rib, broken leg, punctured lung, shattered pelvis. I need to get on the road. I’d fly but it would take longer than it would to drive, I think.” His voice was shaky.
“Can you drive? Do you need someone with you?”
He shook his head. “No, I can drive—hell, I drove through the fires to get out of my neighborhood down in SoCal. But I have to pack and get on the road.” He paused. “I’m sorry about the rest of the carnival—we were—”
“Stop. You need to go. Call me and let me know what’s happening.” I hadn’t even known he had a sister. Or that his family lived up here in Washington.
“I will. Thank you.” He gave me a quick kiss before rushing out the door.
I carried my mocha into the living room, waiting for Ari and Meagan to show up. Killian screeched out of his driveway about ten minutes after he left my house, which told me that he really was in a hurry.
The kittens were wreaking havoc on the cat tower—not the Yule tree, thankfully—when the doorbell rang, announcing Ari and Meagan.
Meagan, or Mean Meg as we called her in high school, was absolutely stunning. She was still the tall, leggy, blonde she had been in high school, even though we were in our forties. Though as a shifter, she lived longer and took longer to age. She had perfect bowed lips, her long lashes fluttered over her hazel eyes, and like Ari, she hadn’t put on a pound since high school. But instead of the perpetual pout I remembered, now she brandished a wide smile.
“Meagan, you remember January,” Ari said as she introduced us.
“I do,” Meagan said. “I hope you won’t hold my teenaged self against me,” she added, laughing. “I know I was a bitch to you back then, and I want to apologize.”
That took me aback. A lot of people would try to gloss over their shortcomings and pass it off as water under the bridge, but that she led with an apology boded well.
“Thank you. Yeah, you were pretty…acerbic. But we’re both older and hopefully wiser,” I said. “Would you like a mocha, some hot cocoa? Anything?”
“No,” Ari said. “We just finished hot cocoa and caramel corn, thanks to the winter carnival—oh! You said babies and you meant it!” She knelt as Xi raced out from beneath the Yule tree, knocking an ornament off in her rush. Klaus came bounding along behind her and they fell into a tussle, wrestling their way across the floor.
I was grinning like an idiot. “Yes! We found them this morning at the carnival. Killian checked them out for me, and they’re both in good h
ealth. He places them at about six weeks old. It’s handy having a boyfriend who’s a vet.”
“Speaking of Killian, where is he?” Ari asked, scooping up the tux kitten. “You are just the fuzziest, cutest little…boy? Girl?”
“Boy. I named him Klaus, and the tortie is Xi. She’s my familiar, Ari.”
Ari jerked her head up. “Really? It’s rare to find one that hasn’t been specifically bred. What about Klaus?”
“He’s just a gorgeous little boy in fancy duds.”
“Well, they’re both lovely. Where did you say Killian was?”
“I didn’t.” I sighed. “He got a call about half an hour ago. His sister, who lives near his parents near Mount Rainier, was hit by a car while in her wolf form. She’s in serious condition with multiple broken bones and a punctured lung. He’s on his way there.” I turned to Meagan. “I’m sorry, I’m not meaning to leave you out of the conversation. Please, sit down.”
Ari sat on the floor so she could play with the kittens, while Meagan took the sofa. I started to sit in the rocking chair when it suddenly occurred to me that the chair could be dangerous if one of the kittens got a paw or tail under a runner, so I jumped up and moved over to the recliner.
Meagan proved to be a delight, and watching her and Ari together, I could see something Ari didn’t want to admit. She was more attached than she thought she was. They made a good pair, and when Ari finally joined Meagan on the sofa and Meagan draped her arm around Ari’s shoulders, my heart warmed. Quasi-relationship? Nope. This was for real, even if neither of them knew it right now.
We spent the rest of the afternoon catching up, but I could tell they wanted to spend some time alone, so when Ari mentioned that they needed to be going, I didn’t try to keep them. Meagan casually brushed her lips across Ari’s and as the two women embraced, once again I felt the pull between them.
As they trod their way back to their car, my phone rang. It was Killian.
“Hey, are you there yet?”
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