Page 84 of Damaged Protector
“I bet someone’s missing you,” I said, cradling her against my chest. Her claws extended and latched onto my shirt for dear life.
Pushing to my feet, I carried her to the sidewalk and turned left. “Let’s go see if we can find your home.”
A lady from two doors down informed me that they had found two kittens earlier that morning and supposed someone had dumped them.
“That’s so sad,” I said, fighting back tears.
“Yeah, it happens sometimes. My kids really want them, but we can only keep one. I’m taking the other to my mother later.”
I held up the kitten in my arms and smiled hopefully. “Do you think she would want two?”
The lady smiled ruefully. “Afraid not.”
For the next thirty minutes, I walked around the neighborhood, attempting to find anyone who wanted a little white furball. No one did.
“You can take it to the pound,” a middle-aged man suggested, and I recoiled.
“Certainly not. She’s just a baby.”
He smirked. “Then I guess you got yourself a kitten, lady.”
Looking down at the bundle in my hand, my heart melted when she blinked lazily, let out a plaintive mewl, and fell promptly asleep, her head curling down between her front paws.
Dammit, why did she have to be so adorable?
“Wait right here,” I instructed the kitten after our trip to the pet store. I set her on the front porch and stuck my head inside the house, hearing the water running. “Okay good. He’s in the shower. I’m going to sneak you into—Wait! Where are you going?”
The kitten had taken off inside the house and skidded to a stop beside the couch. I caught her just as she was lifting her paw to scratch at the upholstery.
“No, no! Bad kitty!” I scolded. “You can’t mess up anything in Hawk’s house. You’re just going to stay in my room for a little bit until I can find you a home.”
She let out a chastised mew and dipped her head.
“It’s okay, baby,” I told her, kissing her nose before retrieving the bags of kitten-related items I’d just purchased. Creeping to my room, I was relieved to hear the shower still running in Hawk’s bathroom.
I set up the small litter box, food and water bowls, and cat bed in my own bathroom before sitting on the floor and rolling the tiny red ball across the floor. The kitten’s ears perked up, and then she hopped across the tile and pounced on the ball. She was officially the cutest kitty ever.
“You’re a clever girl, aren’t you? I guess you need a name, huh?”
She rolled onto her back, clutching her toy between her paws as she awaited my decision.
“Ummm, Fluffy?” The cat appeared unimpressed, licking one paw and rubbing it against her ear. “How about Snowball? Gizmo? Matilda?” She rejected each suggestion, and I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes at the last one.
I stroked her white fur down to her brown paw, and it inspired me. “What about Coconut?”
She turned over and stood on short legs, her entire body wiggling with excitement. “Mew!”
Picking her up, I cuddled her against my neck. “Okay, Coconut, it is.”
I jerked upright when a knock sounded at my door. “Mallori, are you talking to someone?”
Shit, shit, shit. “Um, I’m on the phone. Be out in a bit,” I called back to Hawk before placing Coconut on the light-blue padded cat bed, scratching her soft head, and whispering, “Now, you be good and don’t make any noise. This is only temporary, but Uncle Hawk can’t find out.”
She circled three times before laying down and resting her cute little face on her paws. Within seconds she was fast asleep, and I was in love.
Chapter 25
It had been five days since we’d been to the plant nursery, and Mallori still had no idea I was aware of the kitten she was keeping in her room.