by Hayes, Somer
He leaned his long frame against the counter behind him and crossed his legs at the ankle. “She’ll require round-the-clock care. I don’t have the manpower to keep her here, but I could help you try to find a foster home for her.”
I nibbled on my lip. I didn’t like the thought of leaving her with a stranger. “What kind of round-the-clock care?”
“Mostly to ensure her nutrition and hydration. She’ll need to be fed through a syringe until she’s big enough to eat on her own, and we’ll want to watch her body temperature closely. Basically, she’ll just need a set of eyes on her most of the time.”
I looked at the little bit of gray fur poking out of the towel and could barely make out the movement of her breaths, they were so shallow. I thought about my work here and how busy I hoped the next several weeks would be. I thought about my empty cabin. I thought about how I didn’t know anything about animals, let alone caring for one so frail. I had plenty of reasons to walk away now and let Beau find her someone who knew what they were doing and could give her proper care.
Yet still, I heard myself ask, “Can you teach me to do it?”
He grinned at me and nodded. “I can.”
“Am I being stupid? Should I let you give her to someone else?”
“Not at all. All this kitten needs is someone who cares enough to do right by her. I can show you the rest.”
I offered a hesitant smile. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Atta girl,” he replied, and my heart twisted.
“My grandma always says that to me.”
“I’d imagine with your track record, you’ve earned every one of them.”
He held my gaze a beat longer than was customary, and I wondered if he was thinking about kissing me again. As soon as the thought entered my mind, I blushed and looked away. “Teach me, oh wise one, and then I’ll let you get back to bed.” Then I was picturing him in bed, and my blush deepened.
Focus, Grace.
“Let me grab a few supplies, and I’ll be right back.” He left the room, and it felt like all the oxygen went with him. I pulled in a shaky breath and glanced at the kitten. She hadn’t moved, but I could see she was still breathing.
Beau re-entered the room, arms filled with supplies. “This is the smallest kennel I had on hand,” he said and sat a box/cage combination on the table. “Potty pads, warming sheets, a tiny blanket that the rotary club likes to make and donate to us.” He held up a small swath of flannel that held a pattern of music notes. “Picked this one out especially for you.” He winked, and my heart fluttered. “And here’s the most important part. Formula, syringe.” He held each of them up so I could see.
“We’ll start out small to see how well she tolerates it, then go from there.” He showed me how to draw the liquid into the syringe, then went to the kitten and picked her up. She balked at the movement. “I know, baby, but you need to try to eat.”
The way his big hands held her so gently, the way his deep voice softened when he spoke to her, how patient he was with giving me lessons—I tried not to notice those things, but it was impossible. There was something terribly sexy about such a big man being so caring and gentle.
He rested the syringe against her bottom lip and placed a small dab of the formula in her mouth. She squeaked and resisted, and I hated watching her struggle. “It’s okay, little one. Just try it.” He kept at it patiently until, when he got some in, she smacked her mouth and swallowed.
My heart soared. “She’s eating it,” I exclaimed.
Beau chuckled. “She’s doing great. Here, now you try.” He handed me the kitten first, then the syringe. “Just like I showed you.”
Carefully, I put the syringe to her mouth.
“Give it a little pressure, so the formula comes out.”
I pushed too hard and squirted it all over her face. “Oh no,” I said.
“It’s okay,” Beau said and tore off a paper towel to clean the excess formula off the kitten. “Try again.”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” I said, doubt creeping in.
“Stop. You’re doing fine. Now try it again.”
I did as he said, applying pressure to the syringe as lightly as I could. This time it went much better, and she smacked and swallowed. “I’m doing it!”
“See? You’re a natural. I’ll write down her doses and the frequency. You try to get some more in her.”
I nodded so he’d know I heard him, but I didn’t take my eyes off the job at hand. Her gray fur had dried completely, and it was sticking up in fuzzy tufts all over. When she opened her eyes, I thought they were a dark blue. Her ears stood straight up out of the top of her head, and her limbs were awkward, spindly things.
She was adorable.
“How’s it going?” Beau asked, joining me.
“Good. She’s almost done.”
“Great. Let’s let her finish up, and then I think you should put her in the kennel. She’s had a traumatic day, and she’ll need to rest.”
“Okay,” I agreed. My heart thrilled when she lapped up the last of the formula. I cleaned her mouth, then held her against my chest while I put the music note blanket in the kennel, making sure it was nice and fluffy, then I tucked her in and closed the door. “What if she gets lonely in there?” I asked him.
“She’ll be just fine. Besides, with the frequency of feedings, she’ll have plenty of contact with you.” He handed me a piece of paper with notes scribbled on it.
“Every two hours?” I asked. That couldn’t be right, could it?
“Every two hours, day and night.”
I groaned. I was exhausted just thinking about it.
“It’s a lot of work, but you can do it.” He looked down at me. “And it will be so worth it once you have a happy, healthy kitten bouncing around.”
I grinned. I liked the thought of that. Maybe I could even keep her. I’d never had a pet before, though I’d always secretly wanted one.
“But Grace?” Beau intoned.
“Hmm?” I asked.
“I’m going to need you to tie your sweater unless you want me to put my hands on you.”
I looked down and gasped. In my haste, I’d left the house in my nighty and leggings, just wrapping a sweater around me for warmth. At some point, the tie around my waist had loosened, exposing my silky, lace trimmed nighty underneath. I grasped my sweater and pulled it tightly around myself.
“I’m so embarrassed,” I told him.
“Believe me, you have no reason to be.” The muscle in his jaw ticked once, twice, and I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
No matter how much I tried to deny or ignore it, Beau was one of the most attractive men I’d ever met, and the fact that he seemed to be attracted to me as well was driving me crazy. I looked at him for what felt like the first time tonight and saw he was in another set of athletic pants and a t-shirt that hugged his frame. I tried not to look, but I couldn’t help it. His shoulders were broad. Biceps bulged through his sleeves. His pants hung low on his trim waist which sat atop powerful thighs. My eyes moved back to his, and the glint they held told me he knew I was looking at him, and he was enjoying it.
He pulled in a deep breath. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Is that rhetorical?”
“It can be, but if you have any specific requests, I’d be happy to oblige.”
His heated gaze landed on my mouth, and I swear I could feel his desire. I took an unconscious step toward him, his clean, male scent filling my senses, making me feel dizzy.
“I don’t know what to do with you either,” I admitted.
His head dipped an inch closer to mine. “So, you feel it, too?”
I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I’d never felt it before. I couldn’t find my voice, so instead, I held his eyes and nodded.
His eyelids slid closed for a moment, and I wasn’t sure what his reaction was going to be. But when he opened them, there was a fire I’d never seen before. He wanted me.
“God, Grace,” he murmured and reached a hand out to grasp the back of my neck. He drew me to him but stopped a breath away from kissing me. His eyes searched mine, and whatever he found in them made him groan, and his mouth crashed down on mine. I whimpered in response and took his jaw in my hands, arching my body into his.
He didn’t hold back. His arms wound around me, his hands roved my back, my butt, and they tangled in my hair. I drug my fingertips down his face, his neck, his tight abdomen. His tongue invaded my mouth again and again taking, exploring, owning.
Only when we were both panting for air did he let up. He kept my face cradled in his hands, and he rested his forehead against mine.
“What am I going to do with you?” he asked again.
I grinned. “That. Anytime you want.”
He smiled against my mouth. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep because I want that, all the time.”
I ran my hands up the backs of his arms, content for the moment to hold him and breathe him in.
At length, he pulled away and looked at me. “Can I take you out sometime?”
“You really want to?” Part of me felt this was more of a physical connection than anything else. Part of me hoped that was all it was because it would make working together and eventually moving back home so much easier.
He gave me one of the lopsided grins I was growing to recognize and love. “I really want to.”
“Okay,” I whispered, suddenly shy.
He smiled and kissed me again. “Get your kitten home. I’ll call you soon.” He handed me the kennel with my precious cargo, grabbed the rest of the supplies, then walked me out to my rental car.
We put the kitten and everything she’d need in the front seat, then he walked me to the driver’s side and opened the door for me. Once I’d buckled up, he bent down and planted a chaste kiss on my lips.
“Drive home safely and call me if anything changes with the kitten. I’ll be up.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” Then he shut the door and stepped back so I could back out and drive away.
I watched his retreating form in my mirrors until I could no longer see him. I gripped the steering wheel and let out a shaky breath. The events of the past couple of hours had rocked me to my core. I was so grateful for his help with the kitten, and I was equal parts excited and nervous to go out with him.
One minute, I felt like he despised me. The next, he was kissing the life out of me. I chuckled to myself. The same could be said for me. I simultaneously wanted to kiss him and wring his neck.
I thought our date would either go perfectly or very, very badly.
20
Beau
Holy shit.
I watched Grace’s taillights fade into the distance. So much for staying away from her, but my god… I was defenseless against her.
I had witnessed a side of Grace I didn’t know existed, and it had been my undoing. To see her concern and fear for that kitten had wrecked me. If we’d lost her, I don’t know what I would have done. I couldn’t stand to think of Grace’s heartbreak.
And then her sweater had come undone, and I’d glimpsed the nighty hidden underneath. Her curves had barely been concealed under the thin silk, and it was by sheer will alone that I didn’t bend her over the exam table and have my way with her right then.
Her particular brand of sexy, sweet, sassy, and spicy was everything I never knew I wanted. When I’d come up for air from kissing her, a thought had occurred. What would we be like together outside of work? If we hadn’t been placed on opposite sides of the table, if we’d been on the same team, if we’d just been two people who had happened to meet… would we get along? Would we like each other? Would the spark feel as strong?
I wanted to know, so I’d asked her out, and she’d said yes.
Holy shit. She said yes.
What the hell was I supposed to do now? What if it didn’t go well, and I decided I didn’t like her as much as I thought? Or worse, what if I liked her more than I thought?
I checked my watch and exactly five minutes had passed. She’d be home by now. I pulled out my phone to send her a text.
Beau: Leave the kitten in the kennel to sleep. You don’t want to accidentally roll over during the night and squish her.
I saw the three little dots that meant she was replying and smiled.
Grace: Get out of my head.
Beau: I mean it, baby. It isn’t safe.
Grace: FINE. But I’m keeping her kennel right next to me.
Beau: I’d expect nothing less.
Grace: She’s so cute. It’s hard not to hold her all the time.
Beau: You can hold her. Just don’t sleep with her.
Grace: You’re a mean veterinarian.
Beau: You spelled ‘awesome’ wrong.
She sent an emoji rolling its eyes. Dammit. I liked this girl. I pocketed my phone and went to clean up the exam room then lock up the clinic. It was late, and I should be tired, but I was amped up. As I was wiping down the exam table, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I grinned when I saw Grace’s name on the screen. I swiped to open the phone and felt my knees go weak.
She had sent me a picture of herself holding the tiny kitten in the crook of her neck, and she was smiling. Her eyes were shining, and it was a real smile on her face. The text that accompanied it simply said ‘thank you.’ She might be a bigger softie than I’d guessed or than I thought she’d want to admit.
In response, I did something I’d never done before. I took a selfie. At least I tried to take a selfie. It took a few tries because I kept hitting the stupid screen flip button instead of the camera button. When I finally ended up with a picture of myself, it was me standing with an awkward thumbs up.
Meh, good enough. I typed out ‘you’re welcome’ and hit send.
Once I had the place cleaned up, I locked the door behind me and headed home. When I got upstairs to my room, I found Chip exactly where I’d left him sprawled in the middle of the bed.
“Wanna go outside?”
He glanced in my direction but didn’t bother moving.
“Okay then.”
I shucked my clothes and got back into bed. It had only been a couple of hours since I’d gotten Grace’s request for help, but it felt like days had passed. My body ached with fatigue, but my mind was racing. I turned on the TV in an attempt to distract myself, but my thoughts wandered. I shut it off and closed my eyes. Tossed. Turned. Cursed.
I reached to the nightstand and grabbed my phone. I pulled up the picture Grace had sent me. She really was a beautiful girl. It was clear she’d been in bed when she’d found the kitten as she’d been in her nightgown with no makeup and her hair tied in a messy knot on the top of her head. My eyes traced the planes of her face, and I thought she’d never looked more beautiful, not even that first night when she’d stormed into my life in a sharp black suit with her hair and makeup perfectly done.
I could imagine waking up to the Grace in the photo. The real Grace. The one who had fallen in love with a sick kitten in the span of a moment and couldn’t stand the thought of letting anyone else nurse her to health.
Her heart was as big as she was and just as beautiful as her exterior.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard. I wanted to text her but had no real reason to. Maybe I could check on the kitten? I glanced at the clock and decided it was too late. Hopefully, they were both resting well by now.
I moved to return the phone to the nightstand when it buzzed in my hand. My heart leaped hoping it was Grace. I turned the screen to face me and wanted to curse when I saw the notification was for a spammy email.
Pull it together, Maverick.
It had just been a couple of kisses. I couldn’t let this girl get to me to the point of affecting my mood. I had to get a grip. Determined, I put the phone in sleep mode and willed my body to follow suit.
21
Grace
I yawned and reached for the pot o
f coffee and refilled my mug for the third time that morning. Per the doctor’s orders, I had set my phone to go off every two hours through the night to feed the kitten. She had taken some feedings better than others, but I thought the fact that she was eating at all was a good sign. I wanted to ask Beau if she’d eaten enough, but it was still early. I told myself to let him rest after keeping him up so late with the kitten.
I had three meetings today with potential donors and the first committee meeting for the Fall Festival the board wanted to host at the theater. I yawned again and took a sip of my coffee. I needed to be sharp today. I padded back up the stairs, checked on the kitten who was sleeping soundly, then went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. After brushing my teeth, I stepped under the spray of water. I kept it cooler than I preferred in hopes that it would help me wake up.
I needed to figure out how to care for the kitten during the day while I worked. I thought that might prove even more difficult than not sleeping at night. I thought I had a plan, but it would need some modifications.
I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. As I was scrubbing the moisture from my hair, I noticed a notification had come in on my phone. I slid it open and was surprised to see Beau’s name.
Beau: How did my girls do last night?
His girls. How precious.
Grace: The little one is resting comfortably. The big one is exhausted.
Beau: I bet. She’s still eating well?
Grace: She didn’t finish all her syringes, but did eat the majority of them. Is that good enough?
Beau: Yes. I over-prescribed just in case. I’m happy to hear she did that well.
Grace: Yay!
Beau: Have you decided on a name yet?
Grace: Do I get to name her? Even if I’m just fostering her?
Beau: Of course, you do. And who knows… maybe she’ll grow on you like I did, and you’ll decide to keep her.
Ugh. Could this guy be any cuter?
Grace: I don’t know. That’s a lot of pressure. Maybe Gertrude?
Beau: She’s a kitten, not your great aunt.
