The Favor

Yes, I did know. He’d gotten me a cat … because it was all he could give me. The other things I wanted out of life—children, a real husband—weren’t things he would ever want to offer me. Although that thought made my chest ache, it didn’t dim my happiness at the gift he’d given me. Because he hadn’t had to do it. It wasn’t like it was my birthday or Christmas or anything. No, he’d done this utterly sweet thing for me … just because.

I didn’t need to ask why he’d picked a cat from a rescue center. The animals there were all in the same position we’d once been in—they had no one to care for them and needed a new home.

Blinking my teary eyes, I lifted my head. “She’ll need food.”

“It’s in the kitchen, along with cat litter and a bunch of other stuff that was on the list.”

“List?”

He shrugged. “I don’t have a clue what cats need. I had to Google it. I bought it all on the way home.”

My heart melted. I smiled. “Dude, you’re so getting lucky later.” I crossed to the shelf and whispered nonsense at the cat while gently scratching the top of her head. She was tense, but she didn’t hiss or take a swipe at me.

I petted her, loving the soft, silky feel of her coat. The more I stroked and whispered to her, the more she relaxed. But when I tried scooping her up, she retreated.

My shoulders sagged. “She doesn’t want to come down.”

Dane sighed at her. “You can’t hide up there. It’s stupid.” He effortlessly lifted her and held her against his chest—the move so natural I would bet my life he’d Googled how to carry and hold a cat.

I smiled at the way she settled in his arms. “She likes you.”

“She just recognizes me as the person who got her out of a cage,” he said a little gruffly.

I watched as she rubbed against him, scent-marking him. My smile widened. “Yeah, Blue is so not my cat.”

He frowned. “What?”

“People don’t own cats, Dane. Cats own us. And this one has decided you’re hers.” I shrugged.

He shot me a droll look and thrust her at me. “Here.”

I happily took her and cuddled her close. I stared into her beautiful green eyes and fell in love right there. “Hello. Hungry? Hmm? Let’s go find out.”

Downstairs, I discovered that Dane had in fact bought everything necessary for a cat. We set most of her things up in the sitting room that was barely used—her cat bed, litter tray, scratching post, feeding bowl, and water fountain.

Blue watched us closely from a shelf the entire time. Coaxing her down didn’t work, but I wasn’t surprised by that, given that these were brand-new surroundings for her. I was just glad she wasn’t frightened. She was a little edgy and twitchy and seemed to feel safer when up high, but I figured that was normal.

“The woman at the rescue center said not to let her outside for at least three weeks; said Blue needs to settle into her new environment first,” Dane told me.

I turned to him, deciding to let her alone for now. She’d come down when she was ready. “Has she had all her immunizations?”

He nodded. “I left all the paperwork on your workstation before I opened the cat carrier to let her out. I didn’t expect her to hide.”

“She’s just nervous. New place, new people, new scents.”

He tilted his head. “I also didn’t expect you to come back from the mall empty-handed.”

My smile dimmed. “I didn’t see anything I liked.”

“You looked tired in the foyer. Drained, even.” His eyes narrowed as they drifted over my face. “Did something happen?”

“Not exactly.”

He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Tell me.”

I sighed. “I saw Heather at the mall. She didn’t see me. She was in a café with who is quite possibly her new boyfriend.” I backed up a few steps and slumped onto the sofa. “I also saw Owen at the mall.”

Dane’s face hardened. “What did the fucker say?”

“Nothing. He didn’t see me either. He was the guy sitting opposite Heather in the café.”

Dane’s brow pinched. “You said he hated her.”

“He does. And she doesn’t have warm, fuzzy feelings for him either, because he never succumbed to her advances. But they looked real cozy earlier.”

“Hmm.”

“I don’t know if they’re dating or up to something or both. Whatever the case, it pisses me off, because what have I really done to upset them other than live my life in the way I chose? Nothing. So, yeah, I was in a real shitty mood. Then I came here, saw you and Blue, and it all fell away. So thank you.” I took in his inscrutable expression and slanted my head. “What are you thinking?”

He sat beside me on the sofa and twisted to face me. “I’m thinking I want to fuck them both over, because they can only be doing this in the hope of hurting you. But if I do that, they’ll believe they’ve succeeded. I don’t want either of them to have that satisfaction.”