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Authors: Kathryn Kelly
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wonder...” She paused with a devilish expression on her face. “I don’t suppose I could get you to write a script for shopping?”
Justin laughed out loud and suddenly he felt better than he had felt since he realized Alley had left earlier that morning and several patients later. And... suddenly he knew what he had to do.
He pulled out an information sheet for Mrs. Jameson on how to cope with cats with behavior problems, went over it with her, patiently answering all her questions, and priding himself on not looking at the clock more than a couple of times.
When Alley woke, the sun was streaming across her face and Charlie was kneading her back with his front paws. She squinted at the digital clock on the nightstand. 3:44. She buried her fingers in his fur and he purred as he nuzzled her arm.
She thought back to the events of that morning. It hurt that her friends had left abruptly, but there had to be a good reason. She would call them in a day or so and see what was going on.
For now, she had to think about Justin. He had gone above and beyond taking care of Charlie. He had taken care of her. He had given her a blanket and a pillow. He had opened his home to her and shared his family.
But most of all, he had held her close. He had kissed her forehead.
He had told her he would date her.
Was that one of those hypothetical statements? She and Zena had often sat in a restaurant and bar and decided on the spot about men they knew and even those they didn’t know regarding whether or not they would date them. Date being the polite word to mean what they really meant. Was that what Justin was doing? Of course, what else could he say? He wasn’t rude enough to tell her he would not date her. No, he was too kind.
She mentally shook herself and dragged herself out of bed. She went into the bathroom and washed her face. Her stomach grumbled and she realized she had slept through lunch. She considered taking a shower, but decided against it. It wasn’t as if she had any place to go.
She went into the kitchen, and glanced guiltily at her office area. She was a little behind in her work. She learned somewhere at a writers conference that if she would just write a mere one hundred words every day, she would not procrastinate. She wondered if drawing something counted in her case and decided it did. Well, she’d been a little busy lately. She’d eat something, then get to work.
She opened the pantry door and found herself looking toward the back door. Sighing, she focused on the pantry, and chose a can of vegetarian soup.
At the sound of the can opener, Charlie ran into the kitchen and looked at her with pleading eyes.
“It’s not cat food, Charlie,” she said, and bent down to pick him up. He purred as she snuggled him against her, but after a few seconds, he wiggled out of her arms.
She glanced toward the back door.
She stirred her soup and looked out the kitchen window. There was no activity at the Bark and Purr.
Pouring her soup into a bowl, she glanced at the back door.
Deliberately, she took her bowl of soup and went into the living room, turned on the local news, and sat down to eat. That took all of ten minutes. She forced herself to stay put through the weather report. Hot and dry. Go figure.
On her way to the sink to rinse her bowl and put it in the dishwasher, she glanced at the back door. She closed the dishwasher door, took a deep steadying breath, walked to the back door and twisted the
Justin laughed out loud and suddenly he felt better than he had felt since he realized Alley had left earlier that morning and several patients later. And... suddenly he knew what he had to do.
He pulled out an information sheet for Mrs. Jameson on how to cope with cats with behavior problems, went over it with her, patiently answering all her questions, and priding himself on not looking at the clock more than a couple of times.
When Alley woke, the sun was streaming across her face and Charlie was kneading her back with his front paws. She squinted at the digital clock on the nightstand. 3:44. She buried her fingers in his fur and he purred as he nuzzled her arm.
She thought back to the events of that morning. It hurt that her friends had left abruptly, but there had to be a good reason. She would call them in a day or so and see what was going on.
For now, she had to think about Justin. He had gone above and beyond taking care of Charlie. He had taken care of her. He had given her a blanket and a pillow. He had opened his home to her and shared his family.
But most of all, he had held her close. He had kissed her forehead.
He had told her he would date her.
Was that one of those hypothetical statements? She and Zena had often sat in a restaurant and bar and decided on the spot about men they knew and even those they didn’t know regarding whether or not they would date them. Date being the polite word to mean what they really meant. Was that what Justin was doing? Of course, what else could he say? He wasn’t rude enough to tell her he would not date her. No, he was too kind.
She mentally shook herself and dragged herself out of bed. She went into the bathroom and washed her face. Her stomach grumbled and she realized she had slept through lunch. She considered taking a shower, but decided against it. It wasn’t as if she had any place to go.
She went into the kitchen, and glanced guiltily at her office area. She was a little behind in her work. She learned somewhere at a writers conference that if she would just write a mere one hundred words every day, she would not procrastinate. She wondered if drawing something counted in her case and decided it did. Well, she’d been a little busy lately. She’d eat something, then get to work.
She opened the pantry door and found herself looking toward the back door. Sighing, she focused on the pantry, and chose a can of vegetarian soup.
At the sound of the can opener, Charlie ran into the kitchen and looked at her with pleading eyes.
“It’s not cat food, Charlie,” she said, and bent down to pick him up. He purred as she snuggled him against her, but after a few seconds, he wiggled out of her arms.
She glanced toward the back door.
She stirred her soup and looked out the kitchen window. There was no activity at the Bark and Purr.
Pouring her soup into a bowl, she glanced at the back door.
Deliberately, she took her bowl of soup and went into the living room, turned on the local news, and sat down to eat. That took all of ten minutes. She forced herself to stay put through the weather report. Hot and dry. Go figure.
On her way to the sink to rinse her bowl and put it in the dishwasher, she glanced at the back door. She closed the dishwasher door, took a deep steadying breath, walked to the back door and twisted the
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