Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
She looked up and tilted her head to the side before meowing loudly, then started to make biscuits on his leg with her sharp little claws. She was so cute and just what he needed to keep him from spending the night crying over Rhys and watching depressing TV.
While he held Mallow, he looked up what to do for a makeshift litter box. Shredded paper in a box lined with a trash bag seemed like his best bet. He had shredded paper in the shop’s office, so he brought Mallow with him to retrieve it, then set the box up. She scratched around in it but didn’t use it immediately. He considered putting her and the box in the bathroom for the night, but he didn’t want to leave her alone, even though she’d been on her own in the alley.
She followed him to the bedroom and jumped on the bed with him. He’d just have to cross his fingers that she didn’t have an accident in the bed.
The next day, Caleb introduced Mallow to his employees and several of his customers. She wasn’t nearly as shy as he expected her to be, and the noise of the shop didn’t bother her at all. She was going to be the perfect coffee shop cat.
Fortunately, the vet declared her in good health. She wasn’t chipped, and no one had reported a missing kitten as far as he knew, so she was his. He really had a cat. The only thing that made the situation less than perfect was feeling like he couldn’t call Rhys and tell him.
He and Mallow were once again sitting on his couch in the evening when his phone buzzed. He looked down, hoping it was Rhys. It was Marianne. Need a friend?
Maybe.
Meet me at the back door in a few minutes.
He did, letting her in, then inviting her upstairs so no one would be watching through the windows. All he needed were more rumors. “My place is kind of a mess. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “As a female goalie, I’ve often had to change in men’s locker rooms. I promise nothing is going to bother me.”
“Right. I guess not. I just took in a stray kitten. I hope that’s also okay.”
“Of course. I love kittens.”
“Good. Mallow is really sweet. She was living out back, and I finally managed to catch and take her in for a checkup.”
“Aww, she’s lucky to have you.”
Her compliment made Caleb smile. “Thanks.”
The kitten came running when they stepped into the apartment. “This is Mallow.”
“What a perfect name.” Marianne bent down to let the kitten sniff her hand and then scooped her up. “She’s so pretty.”
“Isn’t she? I know I’ll have hair everywhere, but I love all her fluff.”
“Me too.”
They moved to the couch, and Mallow climbed into Caleb’s lap to demand attention from him.
“I saw Agnes confront the two of you. Rhys looked panicked.”
Caleb nodded. “He was, but he got a lot worse when we ran into Mrs. Murphy, then Sylvia Rattray, and they both assumed we were a couple.”
“Oh no. I was hoping those were easy interactions, but he did look like he was about to pass out when you two left.”
“Do you notice everything?”
She shrugged. “I’m a goalie. It’s kind of what I do.”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“What did Sylvia say?”
“Just that she was excited that we were working together and that I couldn’t have found a better man, but Rhys took it like she’d said she knew we were sleeping together.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. What did you do?”
“I tried to do most of the talking, but I think the more we protested, the more she, Agnes, and Mrs. Murphy knew they were right.”
Marianne raised her brows. “And they are right, aren’t they?”
“Yes, but please—”
“I’m not going to say anything, but you have to know a lot of people have been hoping you’d get together, and they were already going to assume more than you said, even if it wasn’t true.”
“I know. I figured that out last night.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Caleb wasn’t sure what he could say. Marianne was Rhys’s friend, and he wasn’t going to shit-talk Rhys in front of her. He wasn’t really sure how fair that would be, anyway, because Rhys had good reason to be scared. He just wished things were different. He loved Frostwick Harbor, and he wanted to be with Rhys. “I care about him. A lot.”
Marianne smiled. “That’s good.”
“Is it? I’m not sure he wants that.”
“I think he does, but he’s scared.”
Caleb scratched Mallow behind the ears, eliciting some purrs. “I don’t know what to do about that.”
“I think the only thing you can do is wait for him to figure out what he wants.”
“I can’t wait forever.” Mallow nudged him, wanting more attention.
“True, but it’s only been a few weeks, right?”