Read Online Built to Last (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Janice Kay Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janice Kay Johnson
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melting sensation.
But when it was about ten feet away, they all saw that one of his eyes was… Oh, my, Jo thought. It was actually dangling out of the socket.
Even as they gaped in horror, they heard the happy whir of a kitten purr.
Ginny shrank back against Jo, and even Emma recoiled. On gathering anger, Jo asked, “Did you know?”
The boy turned a shocked face to her. “He wasn’t like that.” His voice shook. “Something happened. I bet the neighbor’s dog got him.”
“Will your parents take him to the vet?” The hard tone was unlike her.
His mouth worked, and finally he shook his head. “I think Dad’ll take him to Animal Control.”
Jo bent and gently scooped up the kitten, whose purr intensified. He weighed hardly anything. “We’ll take him to the vet,” she said. “Maybe his eye can be saved.”
She was hurrying out of the yard before she grasped what she’d done. The girls behind her were starting to babble.
“ Can it be fixed?”
“Will we keep him?”
“I don’t know,” Jo said to both questions. In the driveway she stopped and turned to the boy. “Can you remember our address?” She made him repeat it twice. “I’ll pay for themother cat to be spayed, if you’ll promise to work to pay me back.”
He nodded jerkily, his eyes full of tears.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning, then. At nine o’clock.”
“I promise.” He swiped the tears on his shirtsleeve.
The kitten was trembling in Jo’s arms. As she hurried toward home, she kept stealing glances at his eyeball and the caked blood around it. This hadn’t just happened, maybe not even today. He felt hot. Hotter than a cat should, she thought.
“Is he okay?” Emma asked for the third time, as they turned the corner onto their block.
“He needs to go to the vet,” Jo told her. “Now. Will you two come?”
They both nodded, eyes wide and scared.
“Emma, I need my car keys and license. My purse is on my bedside table. Will you run up and get it?”
The teenager nodded and raced into the house.
“Ginny, will you go get a towel out of the linen closet? An old one, preferably?”
The six-year-old obeyed without a word. Waiting, Jo wondered anxiously if she wasdoing the right thing. Both girls had such problems. Was she traumatizing them further by letting them think they might save this poor creature? But what else could she have done? If she’d hustled them away, they’d have all had nightmares. At least this way they could tell themselves they’d done their best.
She murmured softly to the kitten, who began again to purr. He hadn’t struggled once. He was such a soft, sweet thing, his one good eye trusting.
“We’ll fix you,” she whispered, scratching his back gently with one finger. “You shouldn’t have been out where that scary dog could find you.”
Behind her, Jo heard the deep rumble of a truck. Startled when it turned into the driveway, she turned.
“Ryan!”
In his work garb of heavy boots, faded denim jeans and torn flannel shirt, he climbed out of his pickup, his smile a caress. “Jo, I came by to see…”
Ginny tugged at Jo’s sleeve. Wordless, she held up a towel.
At almost the same moment, Emma tore down the stairs. “Here’s your purse!”
“What’s the emergency?” Ryan asked.
As Jo shifted the small, furry bundle in her arms so she could wrap it in the towel, his gaze shifted. “What the…?”
“Long story,” she told him. “We’re on our way to the vet. Um…do you know of a vet?”
“There’s a clinic just off Roosevelt. I pass it all the time.” He nodded to his truck. “Hop in.”
The moment he opened the door, they all saw the huge tool chest on the back seat. “But you said we could go!” Emma protested. “Uncle Ryan doesn’t have room.”
Taking a deep breath, Jo faced the girls. “Are you sure you want to come? You know, there’s a chance that, um…”
Emma lifted her chin. “He’ll die?”
Jo nodded.
“We still want to come.
But when it was about ten feet away, they all saw that one of his eyes was… Oh, my, Jo thought. It was actually dangling out of the socket.
Even as they gaped in horror, they heard the happy whir of a kitten purr.
Ginny shrank back against Jo, and even Emma recoiled. On gathering anger, Jo asked, “Did you know?”
The boy turned a shocked face to her. “He wasn’t like that.” His voice shook. “Something happened. I bet the neighbor’s dog got him.”
“Will your parents take him to the vet?” The hard tone was unlike her.
His mouth worked, and finally he shook his head. “I think Dad’ll take him to Animal Control.”
Jo bent and gently scooped up the kitten, whose purr intensified. He weighed hardly anything. “We’ll take him to the vet,” she said. “Maybe his eye can be saved.”
She was hurrying out of the yard before she grasped what she’d done. The girls behind her were starting to babble.
“ Can it be fixed?”
“Will we keep him?”
“I don’t know,” Jo said to both questions. In the driveway she stopped and turned to the boy. “Can you remember our address?” She made him repeat it twice. “I’ll pay for themother cat to be spayed, if you’ll promise to work to pay me back.”
He nodded jerkily, his eyes full of tears.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning, then. At nine o’clock.”
“I promise.” He swiped the tears on his shirtsleeve.
The kitten was trembling in Jo’s arms. As she hurried toward home, she kept stealing glances at his eyeball and the caked blood around it. This hadn’t just happened, maybe not even today. He felt hot. Hotter than a cat should, she thought.
“Is he okay?” Emma asked for the third time, as they turned the corner onto their block.
“He needs to go to the vet,” Jo told her. “Now. Will you two come?”
They both nodded, eyes wide and scared.
“Emma, I need my car keys and license. My purse is on my bedside table. Will you run up and get it?”
The teenager nodded and raced into the house.
“Ginny, will you go get a towel out of the linen closet? An old one, preferably?”
The six-year-old obeyed without a word. Waiting, Jo wondered anxiously if she wasdoing the right thing. Both girls had such problems. Was she traumatizing them further by letting them think they might save this poor creature? But what else could she have done? If she’d hustled them away, they’d have all had nightmares. At least this way they could tell themselves they’d done their best.
She murmured softly to the kitten, who began again to purr. He hadn’t struggled once. He was such a soft, sweet thing, his one good eye trusting.
“We’ll fix you,” she whispered, scratching his back gently with one finger. “You shouldn’t have been out where that scary dog could find you.”
Behind her, Jo heard the deep rumble of a truck. Startled when it turned into the driveway, she turned.
“Ryan!”
In his work garb of heavy boots, faded denim jeans and torn flannel shirt, he climbed out of his pickup, his smile a caress. “Jo, I came by to see…”
Ginny tugged at Jo’s sleeve. Wordless, she held up a towel.
At almost the same moment, Emma tore down the stairs. “Here’s your purse!”
“What’s the emergency?” Ryan asked.
As Jo shifted the small, furry bundle in her arms so she could wrap it in the towel, his gaze shifted. “What the…?”
“Long story,” she told him. “We’re on our way to the vet. Um…do you know of a vet?”
“There’s a clinic just off Roosevelt. I pass it all the time.” He nodded to his truck. “Hop in.”
The moment he opened the door, they all saw the huge tool chest on the back seat. “But you said we could go!” Emma protested. “Uncle Ryan doesn’t have room.”
Taking a deep breath, Jo faced the girls. “Are you sure you want to come? You know, there’s a chance that, um…”
Emma lifted her chin. “He’ll die?”
Jo nodded.
“We still want to come.
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