Read Online The Accidental Mother by Rowan Coleman - Free Book Online
Authors: Rowan Coleman
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hissed. “They’re okay now, but what if they start crying or something?”
“Then give them a hug,” Tess told her.
“A hug.” Sophie looked dubious.
“But in the meantime, just give them some tea,” Tess added, looking at her watch.
“Tea? Really?” Sophie said. “Okay. If you say so.”
Tess gave her a slightly quizzical look as Sophie walked her downstairs and opened the main entrance door. As Tess walked out, Sophie’s cat, Artemis, walked in, shouldering her way past Sophie’s legs without the faintest of greetings. Sophie wasn’t offended, that was just Artemis. It took her a long time to establish complete trust with a human. Sophie wasn’t sure exactly how long, but it was definitely longer than the three years since Sophie had rescued Artemis from the cat home where she had been the least popular and most solitary inmate. For some reason, though, Sophie had been drawn to her and had slavishly adored her from the moment she brought her home. An emotion that was definitely not reciprocated by the cat. Artemis merely tolerated her.
Normally when she came in this way, she’d shoot straight up the stairs and into the kitchen, looking for her dinner. But today she stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared up them.
“Ah yes,” Sophie said to the cat. “There’s something I’ve got to tell you.” She scooped Artemis up in her arms. The cat went rigid in her embrace and tightened her claws on Sophie’s sleeves just enough to make holding her uncomfortable. Sophie took this as a good sign. If Artemis had been really pissed off, she would have drawn blood and twisted her way to an escape by now, just as she used to when Sophie first brought her home from the shelter. “The thing is, Artemis, we’ve got guests. Children. Now, I know you hate noise and mess and people invading your space and touching all your things, but it’s only for a week, okay? So try to be nice. At least try not to be violent. I mean, you never know, you might really like them, couple of kids to play with.”
Artemis did not look convinced, and neither was Sophie. After all, the only other creatures that Artemis had ever happily played with to date were a disemboweled mouse and a not quite dead starling chick. Still, no need to tell the girls that.
Sophie carried a horrified Artemis into the living room and presented her to the children. “Bella, Izzy,” she said. “This is my cat, Artemis—”
“Catty!” Izzy shrieked with delight and bounded over the arm of the cream leather sofa in one fluid moment. Artemis shot out of Sophie’s arms with a yowl and disappeared into the bedroom.
“Um, that was my cat, Artemis,” Sophie said. “She’s a bit…” Sophie was going to say “antisocial” but thought better of it. “She’s a bit shy. I got her from a cat shelter. Her last owners weren’t very kind to her, so people aren’t her favorite thing. She’d been at the shelter for nearly a year when I got her. No one else wanted her because she was so…shy. We get along okay, though. I love her, and she ignores me. It works pretty well.”
Izzy had dropped to the floor and was peering under the sofa. “Catty? Catty where are you?” she inquired. “Come back, Catty. Izzy’s going to cuddle you up! ”
“The thing is, Izzy,” Sophie said to the child’s bottom, “It’s probably best that while you’re staying here you leave her alone. Okay?”
“Okay,” Izzy said cheerfully. “Catteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee? Whereareyooooooooo?” She peeped around the living room door and looked each way down the short hallway before advancing toward the bedroom. Evidently, Izzy’s definition of okay was different from Sophie’s. Well, looking for Artemis would keep her occupied for a few minutes, Sophie reasoned. There was no way Izzy would find Artemis on top of the wardrobe, her favorite hiding place anyway, so they would both probably be quite safe for the time being.
“So,” Sophie said to Bella, who remained
“Then give them a hug,” Tess told her.
“A hug.” Sophie looked dubious.
“But in the meantime, just give them some tea,” Tess added, looking at her watch.
“Tea? Really?” Sophie said. “Okay. If you say so.”
Tess gave her a slightly quizzical look as Sophie walked her downstairs and opened the main entrance door. As Tess walked out, Sophie’s cat, Artemis, walked in, shouldering her way past Sophie’s legs without the faintest of greetings. Sophie wasn’t offended, that was just Artemis. It took her a long time to establish complete trust with a human. Sophie wasn’t sure exactly how long, but it was definitely longer than the three years since Sophie had rescued Artemis from the cat home where she had been the least popular and most solitary inmate. For some reason, though, Sophie had been drawn to her and had slavishly adored her from the moment she brought her home. An emotion that was definitely not reciprocated by the cat. Artemis merely tolerated her.
Normally when she came in this way, she’d shoot straight up the stairs and into the kitchen, looking for her dinner. But today she stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared up them.
“Ah yes,” Sophie said to the cat. “There’s something I’ve got to tell you.” She scooped Artemis up in her arms. The cat went rigid in her embrace and tightened her claws on Sophie’s sleeves just enough to make holding her uncomfortable. Sophie took this as a good sign. If Artemis had been really pissed off, she would have drawn blood and twisted her way to an escape by now, just as she used to when Sophie first brought her home from the shelter. “The thing is, Artemis, we’ve got guests. Children. Now, I know you hate noise and mess and people invading your space and touching all your things, but it’s only for a week, okay? So try to be nice. At least try not to be violent. I mean, you never know, you might really like them, couple of kids to play with.”
Artemis did not look convinced, and neither was Sophie. After all, the only other creatures that Artemis had ever happily played with to date were a disemboweled mouse and a not quite dead starling chick. Still, no need to tell the girls that.
Sophie carried a horrified Artemis into the living room and presented her to the children. “Bella, Izzy,” she said. “This is my cat, Artemis—”
“Catty!” Izzy shrieked with delight and bounded over the arm of the cream leather sofa in one fluid moment. Artemis shot out of Sophie’s arms with a yowl and disappeared into the bedroom.
“Um, that was my cat, Artemis,” Sophie said. “She’s a bit…” Sophie was going to say “antisocial” but thought better of it. “She’s a bit shy. I got her from a cat shelter. Her last owners weren’t very kind to her, so people aren’t her favorite thing. She’d been at the shelter for nearly a year when I got her. No one else wanted her because she was so…shy. We get along okay, though. I love her, and she ignores me. It works pretty well.”
Izzy had dropped to the floor and was peering under the sofa. “Catty? Catty where are you?” she inquired. “Come back, Catty. Izzy’s going to cuddle you up! ”
“The thing is, Izzy,” Sophie said to the child’s bottom, “It’s probably best that while you’re staying here you leave her alone. Okay?”
“Okay,” Izzy said cheerfully. “Catteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee? Whereareyooooooooo?” She peeped around the living room door and looked each way down the short hallway before advancing toward the bedroom. Evidently, Izzy’s definition of okay was different from Sophie’s. Well, looking for Artemis would keep her occupied for a few minutes, Sophie reasoned. There was no way Izzy would find Artemis on top of the wardrobe, her favorite hiding place anyway, so they would both probably be quite safe for the time being.
“So,” Sophie said to Bella, who remained
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