Until There Was You(120)

“Hardly,” he said, giving her that sleepy, bedroom-eyed smile that never failed to get the girl parts yowling. “I brought you a present.”

“Is it food? I’m kind of hungry.”

“Gretchen told me you had five pancakes for breakfast,” he said, still not coming in.

“What’s your point, biker boy?”

“You won’t faint, that’s all I’m saying. Plus, I know you have an Almond Joy in that drawer.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So, what’s my present?”

He opened the door fully. “Here.”

It was a cardboard box, the kind with holes in the side. The kind used to carry animals. As if on cue, a small, striped paw stuck out.

“It’s a kitten,” Liam said, opening the box and lifting the little thing out. “Since your other cats dumped you for the new people.”

“Oh, Liam,” Posey breathed. The cat was tiny, a gray tiger kitten. Shilo lumbered over and gave it a sniff, his tail wagging, and the kitten squeaked and batted the dog’s giant nose, earning a lick.

Liam set the little cat in her lap. Its fur was so soft and fluffy, and its eyes were wide and blue.

“It’s a boy,” he said, reaching up to tuck some hair behind Posey’s ear. “I thought we could call him Joe.”