Family by Design

by Callie Endicott

  Hannah smiled. “Excellent. Do you have a veterinarian?”

  “I grew up in the area and just moved back a few months ago. The vet in my hometown is still practicing, but I’d prefer someone closer. Is the veterinarian on Chilkat Drive any good?”

  “He does all the medical care for our cats. I trust him implicitly.”

  “Are you getting a kitty, too, Rachel?” Livvie asked. The first kitten she’d looked at was tucked into her elbow.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Goody. Me and Daddy are both getting a kitty. See? Rocky kept jumping onto Daddy’s shoulder from the cat tree. Angie said he’d decided to go home with us and Daddy said he could.”

  Rachel put her hand over her mouth to hide a grin. Simon was holding a tiger-striped feline who lay back with a smug expression, head on Simon’s upper arm, lazily licking a paw.

  “Looks like we’ll have to make a quick stop at the pet store to get supplies,” he said, his expression both harried...and flattered.

  “Angie, would you help Mr. Kessler with the adoption application?” Hannah asked.

  “I’d love to.” Angie seemed pleased and Rachel hoped Simon wouldn’t be a grump.

  Just to be sure, she gave him a warning glance and he rolled his eyes.

  Once he was sitting across the room with Angie, Rachel leaned forward. “Tell me, did you train Rocky to jump onto people’s shoulders?”

  Hannah chuckled. “Nope, but he prefers strangers who don’t make a fuss. The more someone ignores him, the more he works to get their attention. Your neighbor must have been the epitome of indifference for Rocky to be so determined. Still, I believe Rocky picked his forever home the way Binx picked you. Felines are very wise animals.”

  “I hope Binx will be happy with me. You don’t need to worry. I’ll never give up on him.”

  A smile curved Hannah’s lips. “I’m not worried. You obviously love and understand cats, which is what he needs.”

  They chatted for a while longer, then Rachel signed the form and paid the adoption fee. Simon completed his paperwork as well, Rocky draped across his legs. He seemed relaxed and content.

  Maybe Rocky would be a good influence on him.

  Hannah loaned them three cat carriers and they drove to the pet store, where Simon went in alone and purchased supplies for both households so the “new cat mommies” could stay with their babies. He’d sounded vaguely paternal, but Rachel let it pass since Binx was crouched in the carrier, panting and looking wide-eyed.

  “I can’t believe I came home with two felines,” Simon muttered as he loaded everything into the Carthage elevator. “Three if I count yours.”

  Rachel didn’t respond. She was struggling not to let her claustrophobia overwhelm her. The elevator was even smaller than she remembered.

  At her floor, Simon insisted on carrying the supplies the short distance into her condo while she stayed with Livvie and held the elevator.

  “Thanks,” she said when he returned. She let go of the elevator door, but he stopped it from closing.

  “No problem.” Simon glanced at his daughter, who was crouched on the floor, communing with her new kitten. “You helped give Livvie a special afternoon.”

  A warmth was in his eyes that Rachel hadn’t seen before, and her heart gave a curious thud. He leaned out and gave her a swift, warm kiss.

  Through the rush of blood in her ears, she heard Binx spit. She was holding his carrier and he probably didn’t like Simon being so close. Whatever the reason, she stepped backward.

  “I’m glad Livvie had a good time. Have a nice weekend,” she said, proud that her voice was reasonably steady. “Good night, Livvie.”

  The seven-year-old looked up. “G’night, Rachel.”

  Rachel hurried through her door with Binx and locked it behind her. Being kissed by Simon Kessler was the last thing she’d expected. But it didn’t mean anything and he probably regretted it more than she did.

  With a silent groan she carried Binx to the living room and opened the door of the carrier. Then she focused on choosing places for the litter box and food and water bowls. Binx would come out in his own good time, and coaxing might make him feel threatened. It was one thing for him to respond at the shelter, where he was familiar with his surroundings, quite another to be put into a carrier, travel in a car and be introduced to yet another home.

  Finally she dropped onto the couch.

  The kiss with Simon aside, spending time with Livvie was hard, however much she adored the child. It was a painful reminder that she’d been longing to start her own family when the accident occurred, quickly followed by her marriage collapsing.

  Adopting or having a baby through in vitro was a possibility, but it was a huge decision.

  She glanced at the wall where she’d hung photos of her family. Despite their parents and grandparents being great role models when it came to marriage, she was the only one of her siblings who’d taken the plunge...and it had been a disaster. Sometimes she worried her divorce had turned her brothers and sister off the idea of getting married at all.

  There was a faint thumping sound, and Rachel saw Binx had come out of the carrier and jumped onto the far end of the couch.

  Maybe she should become an “official cat lady” like Hannah. She could fill her spare time with good friends and felines who needed special attention. It would be entertaining, if nothing else, and she had contacts for raising money to support the cause. Or she could use those contacts to help Hannah’s House of Cats. Unless Hannah was independently wealthy—which seemed doubtful—she could probably use the extra donations.

  * * *

  SIMON DIDN’T KNOW what had come over him to adopt a cat—two cats—and wished he could blame kissing Rachel on his uncharacteristic behavior.

  The shock in her eyes was his only consolation.

  Disgusted with himself, he took off his hoodie and tossed it in his clothes hamper, then glowered at Rocky, who’d already planted himself on the bed and was giving himself a bath. Getting a kitten or even a second cat for Livvie was one thing, but Rocky had clearly demonstrated his partiality for adults. His paperwork had confirmed that while he was okay with children, they weren’t his preference.

  “I showed you the litter box,” Simon said to the cat. “You know how to use it, right?”

  Rocky yawned.

  Simon scowled. Great, he was talking to an animal. But at least Livvie’s kitten had already demonstrated he was familiar with proper feline toilet procedures. Rocky was an unknown quantity as of yet.

  Livvie came into the bedroom, the kitten draped over her shoulder. It was purring so loudly he could hear it from across the room. “Daddy, why does Jelly Bean have to eat different food than Rocky?” She’d quickly picked the name for her new cat, though Simon didn’t have a clue how she’d come up with “Jelly Bean.”

  “Because Jelly Bean is still a baby. She needs a special diet.”

  “But Angie says she can’t have milk. Why? I drink milk and I’m not grown-up yet.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Can we call Rachel? She might know.”

  Simon groaned silently. Rachel probably would know, but getting in touch with her was the last thing he wanted right now. “Not tonight.”

  Jelly Bean jumped from her shoulder onto the bed and danced over to sniff noses with Rocky, then playfully batted at the elder cat’s ear. Simon tensed in case he needed to intervene, envisioning the small animal getting smacked for impudence, but Rocky rolled the kitten under his paw and began licking her face.

  “Ooh, Daddy, do you think Rocky is Jelly Bean’s papa?”

  Livvie had been peppering him with questions since they’d got home and his head was spinning. “I don’t think so. They must have become friends at the shelter.”

  She climbed up on the bed and petted Jelly Bean, giggling when R
ocky’s rough tongue tickled her hand. “Daddy, can I be a model like Rachel used to be?”

  “When did she tell you about that?”

  “Gemma told me. I want to be a model for the clothes Mommy drew in my books. Rachel says ‘Me and Mommy’ is a good name for them.”

  His head began to pound in earnest. “We’ll talk about it another time. What do you want for dinner?”

  Livvie gathered the kitten under her chin. “Cheese pizza.”

  “We had pizza last night. How about Chinese? I’ll order chop suey and the chicken and snow peas you like.”

  “Okay.”

  She left and Simon ground his teeth. Rachel shouldn’t have told his daughter about the “Me and Mommy” collection. It was still just a concept and might never happen. He wanted to confront her, but first he needed to calm down. The situation had got a whole lot more tricky now that he’d kissed her.

  Talking business while angry was a bad idea. He’d use the weekend to reflect and make an appointment with her next week.

  Otherwise he could make another mistake he’d regret.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  RACHEL SPENT THE next two days trying to get acquainted with Binx. She only went out for an hour on Saturday to return the cat carrier to Hannah and get additional cat supplies, including a scratching post, catnip and an assortment of toys.

  On Sunday she found the toys scattered around the condo, though Binx remained standoffish. You’d never know he’d butted foreheads with her at Hannah’s House of Cats, but he had a troubled history and this could be his way of testing her. The following morning she woke to find him asleep on the bed—the far corner of the bed, but it was progress.

  He looked at her reproachfully as she got ready for work, apparently recognizing it wouldn’t be a short trip, ending with bags of cat toys and treats.

  “I’ll be back,” she promised.

  He turned and jumped on a chair to look out the window as if he couldn’t care less. Cats often seemed self-sufficient, but Rachel knew Binx was anything but indifferent. He just didn’t want to take the risk of caring for someone, only to have it end.

  Sort of like Simon.

  She still didn’t know what to think about that kiss. It had come out of the blue and he was probably devising excuses to squirm out of their business agreement because of it. Well, fine. They had a contract, but she was more than willing to tear the thing up.

  As for the way the picture books were making Simon question his marriage? From her perspective, he and his wife had shared a unique, strong relationship. An artist and businessman might seem incompatible, but they’d both been dynamic, ambitious and willing to work out compromises for their personal lives.

  In fact, the glimpses into their marriage were making her wonder how she’d ever thought things could work with Hayden.

  Her ex had never compromised, and he’d loved the glitz and glamour associated with modeling. Image was far more important to him than comfort; even in private he’d dressed and groomed himself as if a camera was pointed in his direction. She’d grown up in a small Seattle bedroom community and had never been overly comfortable with high fashion. He’d hated it when she’d worn comfy jeans and an ancient sweatshirt and gone without makeup.

  She hadn’t changed her mind about sticking with friendship over romance, but accepted that she’d mostly just chosen badly when it came to falling in love and getting married.

  Rachel pushed her melancholy away and put out fresh water and food for Binx. “If I get a chance, I’ll come home and see you at lunchtime,” she told him. He stubbornly remained focused on the street and lake in the distance. At least it was a more entertaining view than the one from his kennel at the shelter.

  She was grinning when she drove out of the parking garage, thinking that if she wanted to be an official cat lady, she might not be that far from it. As a kid she’d always talked to her cat, confiding her woes and joys to JoJo’s funny, furry face. Now she was talking to Binx.

  At the agency she said hi to Chelsea. “Any messages?” she asked.

  “No, but you have a new appointment for this morning. Ten o’clock. Mr. Kessler just called and was insistent about seeing you as soon as possible.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” Rachel murmured.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing serious, but I suspect I’m about to lose a client.”

  “Mr. Kessler? Why? He’s the one who came to you.”

  Rachel shrugged. “It’s complicated, particularly with us living in the same building and me knowing his daughter. She’s an adorable child.”

  “I feel sorry for her. He’s handsome, but cold. I swear, he can freeze you with a look.”

  Not cold, Rachel wanted to protest, then thought better of it. Her feelings about Simon were mixed and she didn’t want to broadcast them. “You don’t need to worry about Livvie. Mr. Kessler is very loving with her and she means the world to him.”

  “That’s a relief to hear.”

  Giving Chelsea a smile, Rachel went back to her office and printed a list from the Liv’ing Creations file, then made several calls. It was still early enough that advertisers were looking for the right faces to represent their Christmas and New Year’s sales; she wanted her clients to be seriously considered. At precisely 10:00 a.m. there was a sharp rap on her door.

  “Come in,” she called.

  Simon marched inside with an angry expression on his face.

  “Good morning, Simon.”

  “Hello. I thought I’d calm down over the weekend, but I didn’t. Why did you tell Livvie about the ‘Me and Mommy’ project? Now she wants to be a model for the children’s line. Do you know how crushed she’ll be if nothing comes of it?”

  Wow. Rachel had anticipated various scenarios, but nothing like this.

  Quite deliberately, she leaned back in her chair, determined to look unperturbed. “In the first place, I didn’t tell her about the project, though when I was looking through the books initially, I said something to myself about it. She’s extremely bright and could have understood more than I realized. But I haven’t said anything to her since then, nor has she asked.”

  “I see.” Simon looked disconcerted.

  “However, I know what’s likely bothering you,” Rachel continued. “And it has nothing to do with me saying something I shouldn’t have to Livvie.”

  She’d been right to warn herself against Simon’s sharp edges. You never knew when you’d bash yourself against one of them.

  He made a dismissive gesture. “I’m simply concerned about my daughter. She’s lost enough and I don’t want her to be disappointed. There’s nothing else to it.”

  Rachel stood. “That may be, but you’re also forgetting that Liv’ing Creations belongs to Livvie. You even said I’d technically be consulting for your daughter, not you. Or don’t you remember that? You’re simply holding the company in trust for her.”

  * * *

  SIMON REMEMBERED, AND was chagrined.

  “Sorry.”

  Rachel walked around the desk and gave him a challenging look. “Let’s be frank. This has nothing to do with whether or not I told Livvie about the ‘Me and Mommy’ concept. You’re angry about what happened at the elevator on Friday. Which you instigated, not me, may I emphasize.”

  He resisted the urge to loosen his collar. She was right. They both lived in the Carthage, so even if they were interested in casual dating, it would be a bad idea. The more he’d thought about that kiss and how he had risked Livvie seeing it, the more angry and frustrated he’d become.

  “And I bet you spent the past two days looking for a reason to break our contract,” Rachel continued.

  “That isn’t true.”

  Well, not entirely.

  “Tell you what, I’ll make it easy.” She had a wickedly amused expression as sh
e stepped closer, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Electricity surged through Simon and he caught her close, savoring the embrace the way he hadn’t been able to in front of his daughter.

  For once in his life he didn’t want to think, just feel.

  Rachel was warm, kind, smart...desirable. A reminder that he was fully alive. Yet all too soon she pulled away.

  “There,” she breathed. “Now you can self-righteously tell yourself that you need to get out of the contract because I kissed you.”

  “I don’t want out. That isn’t what I said.” How could such an innocent kiss be turning his brain into a confused mass of misfired signals? He was the one who remained calm through dozens of high-pressure business deals when others in his organization were panicking.

  Rachel took another step backward and sat on the edge of her desk. “No? I find that hard to believe after your warnings not to get romantic ideas. Though to be perfectly honest, you aren’t a fairy-tale hero. So the better I’ve got to know you, the more absurd those warnings have sounded.”

  Her comment was an eerie echo of what he’d already concluded. “In that case, what am I?”

  “The ogre in the story.”

  “Then why did you kiss me? To see if I was under a spell and would turn into a handsome prince?”

  “As I said, to give you an easy out.” Rachel crossed her legs and swung them gently. She was so poised it was utterly annoying. “It’s all right, you know. It isn’t as if I don’t have enough clients. We can shred the contract whenever you please.”

  Simon frowned. “I told you that isn’t what I want.” It might have been his subconscious intention, but the thought had vanished the moment he’d walked into the office and looked at her. It was rash and probably silly, but Rachel kept reminding him of the enchanted creatures in the stories his mother had spun. He half expected her to disappear like a wisp of light in the fog.

  “You’re the one who made the appointment. What do you want?”

  “To be friends,” he improvised.

  Her face was skeptical. “Friends?”