Page 214 of Love Unwritten

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Obviously something’s got you looking like that.”

He clears his throat. “You’ll make a good mom one day. That’s all.”

His comment makes me feel unreasonably warm all of a sudden. “You think so?”

“I know it.” He glances away.

I can tell his mind is drifting toward unpleasant thoughts, and after the fun night we have had, I can’t stand the idea of that happening.

“Well, unfortunately, I have my hands full right now as a cat mom of six.”

He groans. “Please don’t get attached.”

Too late.

“You plan on getting rid of them already? I just started naming them,” I whisper, as if the kittens can hear us.

His head drops back against the wood support wall of the stall. “No reasonable person has six cats, Elle.”

He stares at me while I grab another kitten. “Look Stella in the eyes and tell her you’re putting her up for adoption. I dare you.”

His lips twitch. “Based on the blue ribbon around his neck, I’m pretty sure that’s a boy.”

I glare. “That’s what I said.”

“Stella will find a new home once he is big enough.”

I point at the gray kitten cradled against his chest. “And Corona?”

“She will too.”

“Please don’t get rid of them.” I pop my bottom lip out like Nico does. I’m not expecting it to work, but Rafael struggles to get his next sentence out, so it may do the trick after all.

This time, I hold two gray kittens up for him to see. “Miller and Sam want to stay.”

His expressionless face gives nothing away.

I pick up the last kitten. This one is smaller than the others, with light blond fur and a white patch at the top of their head. “I’ll let you name this last one.”

“No.”

“It’s important that a father bonds with his babies.”

He sighs. “You’re worse than Nico when he wants his way.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He looks at the kitten for the longest ten seconds of my life and sighs. “Rubia.”

“Love it.” I smile and drop a kiss on Rafael’s cheek as a reward for his compliance.

“But…”

I turn and hit him with my best puppy-dog eyes.