Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(34)

This was all Kristine’s fault, Sophie thought, trying to look more interested than totally freaked out. Fostering as a way to have a cat in her life without having to emotionally commit had sounded so sensible. Easy, even. But now, when faced with the reality of cat birth in her rental house, she wasn’t sure she could do it. Not that she was responsible for the actual birthing, but what if something went wrong?

“You’ll be fine,” the woman added.

Sophie nodded because curling up in a ball and keening didn’t look good on anyone. Plus, there was another family getting a foster cat and they were all listening attentively, looking totally calm about the process.

“Shall we meet our mama cats?” the woman asked.

“We can’t wait,” the other foster mother said. “This is going to be a wonderful experience for us and our children. It’s the cycle of life.”

Which sounded so very rational and normal. Sophie was left feeling conflicted, knowing her experience with any kind of birthing was limited to mold growing on cheese left too long in the refrigerator.

The shelter worker left them for a second. The other family talked among themselves while Sophie resisted the need to pace restlessly and/or run. But before she could bolt for the door, the worker returned with a carrier in each hand.

“Here you go.”

She set a carrier in front of Sophie and walked to the other family to give them theirs. Sophie looked inside and saw a short-haired white cat with yellow eyes. Part of an ear was missing and she had a scar on one cheek. She appeared tired and crabby and when she looked at Sophie her expression was both weary and hopeless.

Sophie picked up the paperwork and glanced at the cat’s name.

“Lily?” she murmured. “Hi. I’m Sophie. You’re going to stay with me for a while.”

She picked up the carrier and her paperwork and started for the door. A volunteer followed her out to load food and litter in the car. Once the doors were closed and the engine turned on, Lily began howling at an earsplitting volume.

“I know, little girl,” Sophie said over the loud screeches. “It’s scary to be in your carrier, and not knowing what’s going to happen only makes it worse. But I will take good care of you.”

Lily was unimpressed and continued to howl for the entire thirty-minute trip back to the island and Sophie’s rental. When she arrived, she carried in Lily first, then all the supplies. She quickly poured fresh litter into the box she’d bought the day before, then closed the bedroom door and opened the carrier.

Lily stayed in her carrier and hissed.

“Really?” Sophie asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “What about the fact that I did all this for you?”

The bedroom wasn’t huge, but there was a big window and lots of light—at least when it was sunny. The windowsill was wide enough for Lily to sit on and look out. Dugan had stopped by to help her empty the bedroom a couple of days ago. They’d had sex, as well, but the actual purpose had been to get the room cat-ready. After taking out the bed and dresser and nightstands, they’d brought in a comfy club chair she’d picked up at the Goodwill so the mama cat would have somewhere to escape from the kittens. There was a new scratching post, a feeding station and most important, a sturdy box turned on its side.

She’d done some reading online, then had put in a thick layer of newspapers, then puppy pee pads. Over that were several blankets and old towels. She’d bought plenty of each at the Goodwill store. Once the kittens were born, she would turn the box upright and cut out a side so Lily could easily jump out, while the kittens were contained.

“I have toys for you, but it’s probably too soon. Did you notice I put the litter box in the closet? Dugan took the door off, so it won’t accidentally close. I think you’ll like Dugan. He’s an interesting guy. He teaches Tai Chi, which is weird, let me tell you. He has money—that’s for sure. I think he inherited it or something.” She lowered her voice. “Between you and me, he’s prettier than he is smart, but he does try to help me with the business, which I appreciate.” She thought for a second. “Okay, not really, but I know he’s trying. He gave me the name of a marketing guy. I’ll be meeting him this afternoon. I’m hoping he’ll take the job.”

Lily inched out of her carrier. Sophie stayed where she was, keeping still, knowing Lily had to make the first move.

“I’ve had a cat before,” she said. “Just so you know. CK was a kitten when I got her.” Her throat thickened. “I loved her a lot. She died. It was really sad.”

Lily approached cautiously and sniffed at her, then began to explore the room.

“I got her fixed, so she never had kittens. Plus, she was an indoor cat. So you’re going to be my first pregnant mom. I really hope you know what you’re doing because I don’t have a clue and I don’t mind telling you that I’m pretty nervous about the whole thing. I’m really not very nurturing. I want to be.” She paused. “Okay, I’m not sure I want to be but I think the world expects me to be nurturing, because I’m a woman.”

Lily sniffed the birthing box but didn’t go in. She also ignored the water and the litter box. After she jumped onto the windowsill, she looked at Sophie.

“New relationships are tough,” Sophie told her. “I get that. It’s hard to trust people. My mom always told me to be careful, that people would break my heart, and she was right.” She paused, not sure what else to share. “I was married before. That didn’t go well. We met in college. We were too young and we wanted different things.”