Read Online Ride the Tiger by Lindsay McKenna - Free Book Online Page A

well.
    Vinh flushed, dodged around Gib and proudly marched over to Dany. “Look what I found!”
    With a cry of delight, Dany reached out toward Vinh. “A kitten?”
    â€œYes, I found it crying along our fence line where I was clearing some brush. Look at it! Look at the color. I’ve decided to call him Milky, because he is the color of milk.”
    Dany gently took the kitten into her hands and cradled it against her breast. She glanced over at Gib and saw genuine interest and compassion in his face. “This little one can’t be more than four or five weeks old, Vinh.”
    â€œMay I keep him, Missy Dany?” the boy begged, clasping his hands together. “Please? I promise, I will take great care of him.”
    Dany examined the white kitten, then said wryly, “Sweetheart, I think your kitten isn’t a him, but a her.”
    Vinh’s eyes widened. “Yes?”
    â€œIt’s a girl.”
    â€œWell, is that not good?”
    Petting the scruffy little kitten, who obviously was starving, Dany smiled into Vinh’s eyes. “It means that when she grows up, she can have babies.”
    Vinh shrugged dramatically, flashing her a winsome smile. “We need cats to chase and kill the rats!”
    Returning the kitten to Vinh, Dany laughed. “Yes, we do need some mousers.” She gave him a stern look. “You promise to take very good care of Milky?”
    Clutching the kitten to his chest, the boy bobbed his head several times. “Yes! A thousand yeses, Missy Dany! I will see that Milky is fed, and I will find a comb for her white fur. I will take her with me everywhere I go. She will fit nicely in my pocket here.” He patted his cutoffs. “In fact, she can help me clear brush along the fence! Then I will draw pictures of her!”
    Struggling to hide a smile, Dany maintained her serious expression. “You have many duties, Vinh. You go to school, you have your art instruction once a week and daily art assignments to fulfill. Are you sure you can discipline yourself enough to also take care of this little kitten?”
    Vinh’s face turned sincere as he gently petted the kitten now purring noisily in his slender hands. “I will take care of Milky as if she were my sister.”
    â€œThen you may keep her,” Dany said, finally allowing her smile to surface. “Ask Ma Ling if she will favor your kitten with some fresh cow’s milk and some soft food.”
    Vinh rushed over to Dany, threw his skinny arm around her neck and gave her a wet kiss on the cheek.
    â€œI love you so much, Missy Dany! Thank you!”
    Dany embraced him gently, not wanting to squish the kitten he held so carefully. “And I love you, too.”
    Vinh beamed and backed off. He gave Gib a long, curious look as if he wanted to say something to him, but shyness overcame him. Ma Ling appeared silently at the screen door and allowed him into the foyer, her face stern. Dany smiled up at her mamasan. Ma Ling’s eyes danced with amusement, but her face remained stonelike.
    After peace returned to the veranda, Dany looked over at Gib. The expression on his face touched her heart.
    â€œYou’re a soft touch,” he teased, his voice husky.
    With a shrug, Dany sipped the iced tea. “Vinh has favored status around here,” she told him conspiratorially. “He’s such a bright young boy, and a wonderful artist! You should see his tempera paintings. When he was seven, I caught him in his hut drawing, and I was amazed at his talent. He’s Ma Ling’s grandson, so I asked her if she thought he might do well to have art lessons. She agreed. I discovered a retired art professor who lives in Da Nang and I drive Vinh up to see him once a week.”
    Gib smiled. “He’s a nice kid. And he knows how to get his way with you.”
    Dany laughed for the first time. “These people are my extended family, Major. I could never turn them