Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“I meant like only you would get pancakes and everyone else would get eggs or something. But you can have a side of me too.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss me this time. I love seeing him like this.
“Boss,” Antony calls. Renato sighs, lifting his mouth from mine. “We need to head out soon.”
“Go,” I encourage him, wanting him to know I’m fine here when he needs to go work. He doesn’t have to set up extravagant shopping trips and such to keep me occupied. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I loved every second of it, but I know he has to work too. Besides, my hands are full with five mischievous kittens.
“Love you.” He drops another kiss on me before he heads out of the kitchen. Every time he tells me he loves me, a warmth fills my whole body.
I clean up the mess I made in the kitchen before I head back upstairs to check on my little fur babies and to change my panties. Renato’s release made them stick to me. When I enter, I hear an odd sound. I rush over to the kittens to see Gingero throwing up.
“Baby.” I pick him up when he’s done to look him over and make sure he’s okay. Knowing I won’t be able to think straight until I get him checked, I look up a nearby veterinarian before I go in search of Carlo.
He’s who I was told to always speak to if I needed something when Renato and Antony weren’t home. I quickly find him downstairs and give him a rundown of what’s going on.
“It’s only five miles from here. Can you take me?” I ask, hoping he agrees.
“I don’t have clearance to—” He stops talking when Gingero starts to dry heave again. Thankfully he doesn’t throw up this time.
“Please,” I beg.
“Let me pull the SUV around and get James to come with us.”
“Thank you.” In no time, we’re at the veterinarian’s office and I’m back in an exam room with Gingero getting him checked over.
“I think he’s fine. Just caught a little bug,” Dr. Amelia assures me with a bright smile. She seems rather young for a veterinarian, but it’s clear she knows her stuff and loves kittens. “But I’d like to keep him overnight to be sure. Then tomorrow you can bring the rest of the kittens in for me to meet. I'll check all of them over and set them up with Dr. Melinda. I’m filling in for her while she’s on maternity leave.”
“Okay.” I feel a little nervous that Dr. Amelia isn’t going to be my regular vet.
She picks up on my thoughts. “My practice is about an hour away, so if you really want to come see me, you’re welcome anytime. I just can’t leave home for too long or my husband can get a little …” She smiles. “Possessive.”
“I know the feeling.”
She pets Gingero. “I mean a girl that adopted five kittens from a shelter is my kind of girl. Plus, you kitten sit.”
“I’m not so sure I kitten sit anymore. I’m married now, and things are different.”
“Oh, I get that.” She gives me a conspiratorial wink. “But what if they’re brought to you sometimes? Have you ever considered that? Sometimes, we vets just need someone to watch over some kittens. We can only house so many.”
“Like a foster?”
“Maybe once in a while, but sometimes it might only be for a few days if their owners are away. It wouldn’t be all the time, just when we get too many kittens on hand.”
“I think I’d like that. I’ll talk to my husband about it. We have more than enough space. I could make a kitten room or two!” I say excitedly, getting ahead of myself.
“That sounds amazing.” Dr. Amelia agrees.
“Thank you so much.”
“Anytime. Don’t worry about your little boy Gingero. I promise we’ll take good care of him for you.”
“I love you,” I tell Gingero, giving him a kiss on the head and a few pets before I leave him. It’s tough, but I manage it.
“Thank you guys so much,” I tell Carlo and James when I get back into the SUV.
“Little guy going to be okay?” Carlo asks as he pulls out of the parking lot.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“On your left!” James suddenly shouts. I turn my head to the left to see what he’s talking about at the same time as a white van slams into the side of the SUV. I scream as the SUV starts to spin, my head hitting the window hard.
Black spots dance in my eyes.
“Boss, we’re under attack!” I hear one of them say before I hear Renato's voice.
“Maddie!”
“Renato?” I blink, trying to find him. The SUV is no longer spinning. I realize his voice must be coming through the car speaker.
“I’m coming for you, little bird,” I hear him vow before gunfire fills the air.