by Sierra Brave
His gaze fell on another cat lounging on top of a rug underneath a casual coffee table. He scrunched up his nose and followed the voice calling out, “In the breakfast nook.”
After walking past a free-standing island, he turned left before discovering the small dinette. A real estate agent would’ve called the room cozy, but to him, the table and four chairs made it tight. He stood in the large opening between the eat-in area and the kitchen. “Hi.”
A laptop snapped shut and a good-looking brunette looked up from where she was sitting. Her emerald green eyes became huge as if he had startled her.
Shit, she told me to come in. “I’m here to pick up some wild cats.”
Her frightened expression softened. “I was expecting Davis. You’re not him, but now that I look at you, there’s a bit of a resemblance.”
“He’s my cousin.”
Maddie eyed the sexy guy standing just outside of the room as he shyly looked away from her. There was no mistaking; He was definitely a Banks. He had the same seafoam-green eyes as his cousin, but Abram was taller and even more muscular.
As her gaze fluttered across his broad shoulders, she admired the way his tee shirt stretched over his hard pectoral muscles, showing their definition. Her pulse raced and saliva filled her mouth. When she’d first met Davis, she’d had a similar reaction, but only at about ten percent potency. Any slivers of attraction never stuck. They were meant to be buddies and nothing else, but she definitely wasn’t getting the only-friends vibe from this man.
He glanced at her face again, and as their lines of vision synced, the cutest rosy hue lit up his cheeks while his pupils dilated. Hot and sweet. Her heart turned a somersault.
Absently, he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Wow. She’s super cute. She had porcelain skin and a short, button nose that accented her high cheekbones and heart-shaped face. Stop staring. You’re here on official business not to flirt with hot babes. His silent, self-scolding did nothing to deter his pounding heart; he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She lifted a meowing meat-bag from her lap, bringing his count to three, before placing the orange tabby on the floor. How can someone so good-looking have so many disreputable pets? As she stood, he eyed her full figure with interest. The tiny bounce in her step as she walked over made her large breasts jiggle beneath the snug tee shirt she was wearing. She stopped in front of him and presented her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Maddie.”
He inhaled, breathing in her succulent scent. As their palms touched, his body temperature soared, delivering a light flush of heat to his cheeks. When he released her hand, she touched her temple, bringing his attention to the raven-colored ponytail pulled up high on her head and trailing down past her shoulders. After he searched his mind for a reason to keep staring at her long eyelashes, he thought of a question to ask. “How do you know Davis?”
“We went to high school together.” She flashed a smile that gave her an almost mysterious expression. “We were pretty close.”
The corners of his mouth turned down slightly and his heart plummeted into his stomach. “Did you guys date or something?”
Her cheekbones pushed upward as she laughed and wagged her head. “No, but we had a special bond.”
Special? He looked off to the side, irrational jealousy settling in his chest. Davis’s soft-spoken and bashful manner wasn’t exactly suave. Abram still hadn’t figured out how he had snagged a hot fiancé like Scarlett. Maybe some women like the whole aw-shucks, country gentleman stuff. This girl’s way sexier than my cousin’s lady. How the hell had Davis even approached a woman like her?
She stood close enough for him to count the tiny freckles dusting her cheeks. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek to ease the dryness in his mouth and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. When he brought his gaze to her face again, she looked at him as if she were waiting for him to say or ask something. He scratched his head. What was I even doing? “Oh, yeah, the cats.”
She pursed her lips as her gaze swept from his face to his feet and then to his eyes again. For a second, he thought he saw a hint of confusion on her face, but it soon faded. She shrugged. “Follow me.”
Her hips moved agilely as she sauntered out the back door to the patio. As Abram admired the curve of her plump ass and thick thighs in her tight black and gray yoga pants, he licked his bottom lip. Nothing like a woman with plenty to hold onto.
She opened the sliding glass door and then strolled outside. He followed behind her until she led him to what looked more like a rabbit hutch than a cat cage. After removing a pair of thick, utility gloves off the roof of the pen, she put them on and threw him a coy smile. “Safety first.”
Her expression sent his pulse racing, and he nearly tripped over his own feet while rushing to help her. He lifted the animal crate and opened the door. “Put those crazy, clawing minions in here.”
While holding one screeching, twisting cat in her hands, she took the time to give him a nasty look. Even as she placed the feral cat in the carrier, she glared at him. “You don’t like cats?” Her tone was accusatory.
“Not especially.” He frowned at the cats still in the hutch before returning his gaze to her face.
Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared as if she had been personally insulted. He palmed his face, resisting the urge to smack himself. Don’t be an idiot, man. You don’t tell a cat rescuer that you don’t like cats.
He fidgeted with the neckline of his shirt and then ran his hand through his short, brown hair. “I mean…they kinda hate me.”
Her expression softened, but the way she raised an eyebrow indicated she wasn’t totally buying it. She coaxed the second cat out before relocating it. “And I suppose horses are so much better?”
His shoulders stiffened. What the fuck is that? She couldn’t possibly know. Would Davis be stupid enough to her? Nah—she must be referring to my employment at the ranch. “Horses are smart, loyal animals.”
“Cats are smarter and can be every bit as devoted. The simple fact is they happen to have decent taste. They don’t let just anyone pet or ride them.” She had her back to him so he couldn’t see her expression, but she sounded furious.
His mind flashed to the memory of his first rabies shot, administered right in the gut, and a jolt of anger loosened his tongue. “They rub against you for treats or whatever else you got but the minute they get what they’re after, they’re gone. They’re noisy and have bad dispositions. What other animal bites and scratches the hand that feeds it?
When she spun around to face him, her eyebrows were so low and pushed together they created a wrinkle over her nose. “A mistreated or abused animal is more likely to attack. I own three cats and none of them bite or scratch me. I respected their space and took my time to earn their trust. Now they come to me.” She stood up straight and pushed her shoulders back.
She was at least a foot shorter than him, not that it mattered. Her admonishing glare sent him right back to parochial school; he could practically feel the nun’s ruler smacking over his knuckles.
He shifted his weight and swallowed the lump in this throat. Damn, she has her eyes narrowed and she’s still gorgeous. Another whiff of her amazing scent dazzled his perception, and his cock twitched in his pants. Focus, Man. After noticing she held a cat in each hand, he tilted the crate to help her put them away. She placed the animals in the cage and then removed one more from the hutch. She put the wriggling cat inside and then closed the door. “Please tell Davis I said thank you for accepting all five.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry. I had a childhood trauma with a cat.”
“Is that a fact?” She laughed.
As his lips turned downward, his chin crinkled. "That's funny?”
Her expression became more alert. “You were serious?”
He nodded. “It’s definitely in my top five worst childhood memories.”
Her eyes calmed while she offered a gentle smile. “Sorry. You should tell me a
bout it sometime, but for now, I’ve got a conference call in three minutes.”
He lowered his head, his chin close to his chest as he raised an eyebrow. “Feral cat savers get conference calls?”
“Catnip Calamity isn’t my day job, sir. I happen to work from home as a cybersecurity professional.”
His chest tightened and his feet felt as if they’d been dipped in cement. His brain was aware it was time to go, but something deep inside of him anchored him there. His horse fought against him, forcing him toward the beauty in front of him. This is crazy! I’ve got to get out of here before my body goes haywire. By sheer strength of will, he found his voice. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thanks for picking up the cats.” Her green eyes seemed to sparkle as her smile reached them.
“You’re welcome.” He mentally demanded his feet to move toward the exit. When he got to Maddie’s front door, he paused. “I’m just going to latch this and close it behind me unless you’re expecting someone else.”
She didn’t respond and was probably out of earshot for her phone call so he set the carrier on the floor. He latched the top portion of her front door to the bottom before he secured the entrance’s lock and left. As soon as he was outside and physically cut off from her, his body calmed. He sighed with relief. Being a shifter had never been easy, but up until then, his horse hadn’t gone nuts and made him fear he might not be able to control his transformation.
He hauled the box of unruly, squealing cats to the vehicle. For a split second, he considered putting them on the flat bed. As his thoughts lingered on how rough the trip up the mountain could be, he decided to let them ride in the cab next to him. After he set the kennel on the passenger’s side and closed the door, he walked around the truck. He opened the door and then stepped up to slide behind the wheel. As he fastened his seatbelt, he glanced over at the box full of glowering felines. “I don’t like you guys, but that doesn’t mean I want you to go flying off a pick-up at full tilt.”
Maddie peered through a window watching her handsome visitor’s truck pull away as she logged into her business call. That was one sexy cowboy, but no matter how hard he had her purring, she had decided to completely write him off and wipe any trace of him from her thoughts if he’d shoved the cats in the bed of the truck without tying down the cage. He surprised me. I’d never have expected him to let them ride up front. She used her hand to fan her face. How had it gotten so hot so quickly? Nervous energy swirled in her stomach. She tapped her index finger against her bottom lip. Oh, Davis, why did you send that man my way?
Chapter Two
Abram poured cat food into a couple of medium sized, plastic bowls and filled a larger bowl with water. He scooted the crate closer to the food before opening it. At first, the silly bastards cowered inside the kennel, but he hung back long enough that one of them couldn’t resist approaching the food. She padded out and began to eat and soon enough the others followed suit. “Alright, good riddance to you all. Me or somebody else will be leaving food for you once a day. Go kill some mice.”
After hosing off the kennel, Abram went to the office and asked Becky where Davis usually kept it. She looked over the top of her round-lensed glasses as she pushed the eraser end of a pencil into her gray-tinged red curls. “You can leave it in the barn for now. The feed store delivered some palates the boss wants you to unload and put away.”
“Sure thing.” He saluted her playfully and left.
After he put everything in its proper place, Abram worked on his current project, refurbishing and modifying a small carriage for Nugget, one of the farm’s two miniature horses.
Abram loved working with his hands, particularly when he could make something old and unused beautiful and workable again. The seat cushion had mildewed and worn away, and the wood underneath had rotted. He needed to make a new bench. As he worked, the saw roared, buzzing through thick pine and leaving the smell of fresh sawdust permeating the air.
Davis appeared in the doorway and waved while holding up a small paper sack in his other hand. Abram turned off the saw. “How ‘bout you lose the apron and safety gear and let’s sit down for lunch.”
“Alright.” He tidied up a bit and washed his hands before meeting up with his cousin at one of the picnic tables by the lake. He sat at the other side where a bottle of water and two sandwiches wrapped in foil had been set out for him. “What’d we get?”
“Gram sent us some avocado and bell pepper sandwiches. They’re tasty.”
“Thanks for bringing me food. It’s nice of Gram to feed us but are you sure it’s not too much for her?”
“Actually, not too long ago, she refused to leave her cabin except for special occasions, but since you came back home, she seems to have caught her second wind.”
Abram pursed his lips in reflection. “I’m not sure I’m worth all the trouble, but the lunches she sends for us every day make it easier to conform to the vegetarian lifestyle you guys live.”
Davis curled his lips in disgust. “I can’t believe you ate meat.”
“I didn’t grow up on Horse Mountain with two equine-shifter parents, and after dad got sick, well, mom was human. She loved a good steak. So do I.”
His cousin crinkled his nose while chewing with his mouth closed. “Just the smell of it cooking makes my stomach turn. I guess I better get used to it though. I don’t see Scarlett giving up fried chicken or bacon anytime soon.”
“I understand how she feels. I miss cheeseburgers.” He sighed, picturing a big, juicy, ground-beef patty dripping in cheese served up in a sesame seed bun with pickles, mustard, and ketchup. “I can’t be the only shifter in the world who eats meat.”
“Naw but you might be the only equine variety who isn’t a vegetarian. Abram watched as his cousin’s expression turned grave. “I walked into Scarlett’s cabin the other day and the stench of something she’d cooked was still in the air. I had to get out of there quick.”
Abram noticed the creases on Davis’s forehead and the way he looked off into the distance. I guess he’s worried. As much as his cousin loved Scarlett, surely, a little thing like dietary differences wouldn’t come between them. “You two are the perfect couple. “Y'all will work it out. If you like, I can help you with desensitizing yourself to meat and the gut-tempting smells of it cooking.”
Davis’s lower eyelids contracted as his face lit up with a smile. “Thanks, man.”
“We’re family, right?”
He nodded. “Gram was more than a little pissed off about your mom not bringing you back here to be raised.” He took another bite.
Abram shrugged. “My mom wanted to be the one to take care of me without a lot of interference.”
Davis swallowed before throwing him a poignant look. “How’d that work out for you?”
Abram’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“It’s an honest question.”
He didn’t meet Davis’s gaze as he answered. “It was okay. I turned out alright.”
“Was it brutal? I mean puberty is hard enough as it is, but I’d have thought I was losing my mind if I’d been the only one I knew going through the awakening. How did you handle it?”
“I’d had my first shift before dad died. I seem to remember thinking it was fun, but without my father, it didn’t feel right. I just stopped until the awakening made it impossible to avoid.”
“Did you freak out?”
“Nah. Mom prepared me for it. Told me what to expect.”
Davis set down his sandwich and shook his head. “How could she possibly know?”
Abram shrugged. “Dad told her all about it.” He didn’t want to acknowledge how right Davis was. Having his body betray him had been excruciating. Sometimes the urge to transform was so palpable he could hardly stand it. More than once he’d woken his mom up in the middle of the night to drive him out to the country or take him to a secluded wooded area where he could shift.
“Very few varieties of shifters are solitary
creatures. Equine-varieties, in particular, are a social community. It had to be a tough life.”
Abram exhaled and looked up at the sky. “What do you want me to say? Mom did the best she could to raise me on her own.”
“Gram took your dad’s passing hard too. He was her baby boy. She wanted to help your ma look after you is all.”
“Mom didn’t need to be judged by standards she couldn’t possibly live up to. She was a terrific parent, and she loved me. That’s what really matters.”
Davis nodded. “Sorry. I know you miss her.”
“Cancer’s a bitch. Mom beat it once and the shit came back five years later.” He took another bite.
“I worry about Scarlett. Shifters rarely get cancer, but she’s human.”
“None of us know how much time we’ll be given. No one expected a car crash to take my dad so soon. All we can do is keep moving forward and cherish whatever time we’re given.”
Davis nodded. “Good advice. So how did you like Mittens?”
Abram squinted while rubbing the back of his neck. After he finished chewing, he shrugged. “Mittens?” He grimaced. “Did you name one of those uncivilized cats?”
Davis laughed. “This particular wildcat already had a name.”
“I don’t like cats, man.”
As he looked up, Davis’s lips curved into a slight yet enigmatic smile. He raised one eyebrow while tucking his chin a little. “Not even sweet smelling felines with long black hair and big, green eyes.”
Abram scrunched up his nose and curled his lower lip in disgust. “That’s nasty. I had no idea your sense of humor was so sick.”
Davis burst out laughing and continued until he had to hold his stomach. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out.”
Abram placed his fingertips on his cheek and blinked rapidly. “Figure out what?”
“You’re so dense.” Davis laughed some more and even snorted. Abram took another bite of his sandwich and tapped his foot, waiting for the elusive point in this insulting tirade. “I reckoned you and Miss Maddie Mittens would hit it off.”
