Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(112)

Kevin scowled at the old bed taking up too much room.

In a rush, just in case Kevin thought to deny him, Jesse added, “You can consider it payback for your taking care of Love.”

“But I want to do that.”

“Great.” He gestured around the room. “And I want to make this setup better suited for you. It’s great when you can enjoy your work.”

Unconvinced, Kevin shifted his feet. “I don’t know how to build anything.”

“Well, neither did I at your age, not until someone taught me.”

“Who?”

“My dad, and Brick’s dad—you’ve met Brick, right? There was an older guy that lived next door to us too. He built furniture and he’d let me lend a hand sometimes.” Shrugging, Jesse added, “Anytime someone gave me the opportunity to hold a tool, I was on it.”

Tonya eased closer to Kevin. “Would you mind if we replaced these things?”

“To make room for Love?” Jesse hoped that’d cinch the deal. Damn, but he wanted to do something for the boy.

“I don’t care.” Kevin swept a scowl over his meager belongings. “It’s all junk anyhow.”

“It’s not bad. I remember being your age,” Jesse told him. “I’d camp out on the ground, the floor, in a tree house... I could pretty much crash anywhere.”

“I guess.”

Needing no more agreement than that, Jesse almost rubbed his hands together. “Tomorrow is Saturday. We can get started then. It might take a few days. It’ll be best if we build the bed right in here, which means we’ll have to move all this out. I have a sleeping bag you can use until we get it all done. Love will probably want to bunk down with you. You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

Tonya stared at him for that verbal outpouring, but she didn’t interfere.

Kevin shook his head. “Don’t think so.”

“Good. I have her things in my truck. Cat box and litter—Tonya will have to decide a good place for that.”

“In the alcove by the stairs to the basement?” she suggested.

“Sounds good.” Again he put his arm around Kevin, ignoring it when the kid stiffened. “I have a brush for her too. She loves being brushed. And some food and her dishes.”

“Those can go in the kitchen.”

It almost made him grin, how Tonya struggled to keep up.

“Got her some toys and catnip too. She’s nuts on the nip, so protect your toes. She likes to pounce.”

Kevin looked at the cat and grinned—and damn, but that almost floored Jesse. That grin made him feel twelve feet tall, and at the same time it put a vise around his throat. “You have great teeth. Anyone ever told you that?”

Blinking, Kevin said, “Uh, no.”

“You do.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a good-looking kid. Tall. Broad shoulders. Strong enough to help me with the heavy lifting.”

Tonya protested. “Hey, I want to help too. I think I’m strong enough.”

She had more strength than any woman he’d ever known. He smiled at her, checked her biceps and pretended to think about it. “Hmm. What do you think, Kevin?”

Ducking his face, Kevin hid a smile. “Up to her.”

“Then I guess she can help. A little. But I was thinking it’d be nice to make it a surprise for her.”

“I do love surprises,” she said, playing along.

To Kevin, Jesse asked, “Wanna help me carry stuff in?”

“Sure.”

Love jumped up to Kevin’s mattress, circled a few times, then snuggled down into his pillow.

Appalled, worried, Kevin glanced at Tonya.

Reassuring him, she smiled. “Isn’t that sweet? Will you mind sharing your pillow?”

“No, I don’t mind.” Poor dude exhaled in relief, scrunched up his brow, then blurted, “I brought this old cat in once, but Mom had a fit and made me put it back out cuz it got on the couch and stuff. She said no one wanted an old mangy cat hanging around. She said if I wanted a pet, she’d get me a cute little kitten.”

Jesse and Tonya exchanged a look over how he’d suddenly shared all that.

“She never did though. We never had any pets.” Still frowning, Kevin stepped over to pet Love. “Probably a good thing, I guess.”

It surprised Jesse, hearing Kevin open up so much. “A lot of people like kittens more, but I think Love is perfect. For one thing, she doesn’t have to be box trained, and she already knows not to shred anything with her claws.”

Kevin nodded.

“And she’ll have kittens,” Jesse reminded him, in case that appealed to him.

“Yeah.”

Going one further, Tonya said, “I know not everyone lets pets on the furniture, but it’s never bothered me. You’ve met Merrily and her menagerie. They all go wherever they want.”

“We’ll have to introduce the animals to one another.” Jesse watched how gently Kevin petted that cat, and how the cat loved it. “Brick might want to help with the room. He’s a handyman himself. His brother, Evan, is pretty good too. Have you met him? He’s a gym teacher at the elementary.”

“Evan and Cinder were by a few nights ago,” Tonya told him. And then to Kevin, “You remember them, right?”