Page 9 of Approved (The Dapper Duck #1)

Chapter nine

WEST

After my brother headed home, I realized I hadn’t been home with nothing to do this early in the evening for a long time.

I again felt the craving to have someone there to share the evening with.

Up until Tyler, I had worked so much that I had never felt lonely.

Now, I wanted to call him and invite him over to watch TV, and then maybe I could convince him to make out with me until bedtime.

If he wanted to, he could stay in the spare room.

Having him in the house in the morning would be amazing.

My heart did a few flips while I thought about starting the day with him.

WEST

Two sleeps before our date!

I’m very excited.

I hope you had a great night.

TYLER

Are you always this excitable?

I thought for a few minutes before I replied because he didn’t know me well, but I was excited and at a loss for proper words.

Fuck it.

He might as well see the real me, and I have made it clear how I feel about him.

WEST

Only when I have a date with a hot guy.

I am determined to get your approval.

TYLER

I know I’ve made it difficult.

I’m sorry.

I ignored his apology, since there was no reason for it.

He had his reasons for being guarded, and I knew he would share those reasons when the time came.

WEST

I’ve got a date now, that’s all that matters.

We texted back and forth about random topics for a few more hours.

He told me more about Jamie and how she was his best friend, then told me more about Earl, with stories included about the two of them together.

I made a note to bring something for his beloved friends when I picked him up.

There didn’t seem to be anybody else in his life, which made me wonder about his family and where they were, but any time the conversation shifted that way, he would redirect it.

Frequently, I would laugh aloud and then smile like a dope at something he said.

I was tempted to call him once we had been texting, but I took his lead, wanting him to feel comfortable.

TYLER

It’s getting late.

I need to get some sleep.

I was disappointed but understood, my sleep schedule was not typical.

WEST

Okay, beautiful.

Sweet dreams.

I’ll text you more tomorrow if that’s okay.

TYLER

Of course.

I would like that.

Good night, West.

After I got ready for bed, I closed my eyes, and my mind drifted to Tyler, like it did every night since I met him.

I knew he was probably tucked into bed, Earl on the pillow next to him, and Larry on his chest.

I thought about him lying in bed; I bet he was adorable when he slept.

Without any intention, my thoughts drifted to him naked, wrapped in only a sheet, and the image made me groan.

Since I’d hugged him and felt his body, I knew he was lean muscle, and the memory of how he felt in my arms made my cock perk up.

It was easy to conjure up how he fit so perfectly against me, and then when we kissed, his lips were so warm and soft, the most perfect kiss I ever had.

I wanted to do it more, tangle our tongues together, delve deep into his mouth, and let him feel what he does to me.

The idea of kissing him—holding him—made me steel hard.

Men have turned me on before, but this was bone deep, it was an ache, a desire, most certainly a need.

Those other guys were fine; they were fun to get off with, but I wanted much more with Tyler.

It scared me, but it excited me more.

I ran my hand over my throbbing cock a few times, thoughts about being with this man took over every free thought I had.

I didn’t mind, but I hoped that the next time I climaxed, it would be with Tyler.

It might be wishful thinking, but I resisted my need for the moment, choosing to wait until we were together.

Going to sleep with thoughts of Tyler’s hard body against mine was normal for me now.

Sleeping when you are hard was difficult enough, and my brain couldn’t stop thinking about Tyler’s smile, laugh, and body.

Ultimately, I embraced my fantasies and let dreams take me through the things my body needed.

When I woke up early, I was a little disappointed there were no messages from Tyler, but I knew he had gone to bed when I did and then went straight to his shop.

It was almost 7:00 a.

m.

, and I started some coffee.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to eat when I checked the fridge.

Last night I hadn’t eaten much, even though East was here.

I was excited about Tyler agreeing to go out with me, and my stomach grumbled, confirming that I needed some fuel.

With a toasted bagel slathered in cream cheese and a mug of coffee, I headed to my back patio.

This time of year, the weather would be around sixty degrees, which meant it would be another beautiful day on Friday when we went to the festival.

It was before noon, so the hoodie I had pulled on was enough to sit outside in one of my Adirondack chairs.

One of the things I liked about my backyard was that it was set back in the woods.

It allowed for privacy, and if you stood on the railing, the nearest house could barely be seen through the trees.

I enjoyed my bagel.

Sitting out here was a luxury I rarely indulged in—I vowed to do this more often.

“Meowwwrrrawwwwwwwwwww” It wasn’t loud, but it was insistent.

“What the hell was that?” I knew nobody could hear me, but that was a terrifying sound, and certainly didn’t sound natural.

“Meow.. Meeeeooooww.. Meow.” It sounded like it came from the woods.

Was that the neighbor’s cat?

I was pretty sure they had cats.

“Meow. Mew. Mew.” It sounded small.

It made more noise, and I knew the only option was to try to find whatever was so upset, it sounded trapped or worse.

As I stomped through the soggy leaves and mud, I attempted to pinpoint where the sound came from.

After thirty minutes, I was confident that it was a cat, most likely a kitten, and by now I would have assumed it would have moved, but the cries seemed to stay in the same place, but I couldn’t find where it came from.

Finally, inside a hollowed-out log, there was a ball of orange fluff—it looked terrible.

The fur was wet, matted, and covered in mud.

There were cuts on its shoulders and neck, and blood coated the area.

Carefully, I picked up the tiny creature and wondered where it had come from, and by the size, knew it was too young not to be with its mama.

“Mewww. Mewwwwwwwwww.”

“I know little guy. It looks like you have had a rough go of it. Let’s go find your family.” I hoped I could fulfill that promise because he looked at me with so much trust.

Immediately, I knew I didn’t deserve it.

I had no idea what to do with this tiny animal, yet he had his little life in my hands.

“You got this,” I mumbled while hoping the kitten didn’t sense my fear.

While putting the trembling kitten in my hoodie pouch, I spent another fifteen minutes looking through leaves and trees, ensuring there weren’t any brothers or sisters around.

When I was satisfied they were alone, I took them back to the house.

I found a box and put it in the kitchen, then got one of my fluffy towels for them to snuggle in.

Once they were settled, I took several pictures.

I was sure they belonged to someone in the neighborhood.

My plan was to go to the houses around me, show the image, and find their home.

They couldn’t have come too far, maybe three or four blocks from me.

After I reminded their owner about taking care of their pets, I would return the furball and head to work.

Two hours later, I had knocked on every door around the neighborhood that the kitten could have come from.

Nobody knew the creature or knew of anybody who had recently had a cat that had given birth.

It was time for plan B.

Seventeen veterinary clinics were in the city limits, so I would go to their offices and see if they knew anything about a missing kitten.

Before I got started, I looked at the clock and knew I would be late for work.

“The Dapper Duck, thanks for calling. We don’t take reservations. How may I help you?” I smirked.

Spark had apparently added a little to how they answered the phone.

“Spark. New greeting?” They laughed.

“Why are you calling me on the house phone, not my cell?” To be honest, I wasn’t sure.

“I’m scattered. I found this tiny kitten and didn’t want to leave it in the woods, so now I am trying to find the owner. I will be late.”

“Good thing you have a highly trained staff and a well-paid manager to handle things while you deal with this ‘kitten’. Is that a euphemism for a man?”

“No, Spark, I didn’t find a wet man in the woods and bring him into my home. It’s actually a kitten.”

“Oh, one of THOSE animals. The wet man sounds a thousand times better.” Spark was taking a piss out of me and it made me laugh.

I appreciated my friend and that they could take care of the bar without me around.

“Spark. It’s so tiny.” My voice rose a few octaves.

They chuckled.

“Are you scared of a kitten?”

I thought about it.

“Certainly not.” I didn’t sound nearly as confident as I had hoped.

“Okay, call me if you need anything. I have to call some vets and try to find its owner.”

They laughed again like they knew something I didn’t.

“Good luck with that.” Then hung up.

For three hours, I drove to the clinics around the city and showed them the pictures.

None of them knew of a client who had kittens, especially one with an orange kitten, which was rare in some ways.

As I said, thank you to the last business, my only option was to go home, with no plan about what to do next.

In my kitchen, the small ball of fur was still there.

“Mewwwww. Meowwwwww.. Mew.” The sound was much smaller now.

It must have been very distressed when it was in the woods.

I knew enough about animals that this guy needed food, and I did too.

My bagel had been abandoned hours earlier, and my stomach now grumbled at me.

This situation was above my abilities, because I knew nothing about pet ownership or caring for something that clearly still needed its mother.

What if it died while I was responsible?

I grabbed a bag of Cheetos and then sat on the floor next to the cardboard box.

“I don’t know how to keep you alive, buddy. Which means I am well and truly fucked.” It blinked at me.

“We need to find your mother.” In my heart, though, I knew we would probably not find her.

Suddenly, my body flushed because I had an idea and knew I would get the help needed.

I tapped my finger while I waited for the phone to ring.

“Calling me in the middle of the day. You are showing your cards, West.”

“Help!” Then I word vomited all over him.

“I tried to find its owners, but I couldn’t. It’s going to starve. I don’t have any idea what to do. The neighbors don’t know who it belongs to. I think I made it warm, but it’s still mud-covered and hungry. It was alone in the woods. It can’t die, I would feel terrible. I went to seventeen vets. And I went to all the houses in a three-block radius. It’s so tiny and keeps crying.” I stopped talking, then threw in one more time, much quieter.

“Help.”

“West?” Tyler hadn’t interrupted while I dumped all that information.

“Let me unpack some of that and see if I can help. You found an animal in the woods?”

“Yes. It’s wet, muddy, shivering, and has cuts.”

“Is it a dog? A cat?”

“It’s so tiny, and it meows sadly. Yes. A cat.” I had no idea why this tiny kitten had unhinged me so completely, maybe because I had never dealt with a baby anything other than my niece, and that terrified me, too.

“Okay. So you asked all the neighbors and local vets. Nobody knows whose kitten it is?” I nodded, then realized he probably needed words.

“Yeah. It’s not very old. I think it needs milk still. Tyler, what if I kill it?” My heart started to beat hard.

“You’re not going to kill it. How can this freak you out so much?”

”I don’t know, but you need to help me.

Please.

I’ll give you anything.

”

He laughed.

“You are losing so many coolness points. I’ll help you. Let me talk to Jamie, and I’ll be over and help you with the whittle bitty kitty that has you all freaked out.”

“You can make fun of me all you want. It’s so little. I am not equipped to care for something like this.”

“Call one of those vets and make an appointment as soon as possible. That will be step one. Let’s find out if they are healthy; if they aren’t, we will do what needs to be done.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.” I felt immediately relieved; now, at least, I had a partner to help with this situation.

We had an appointment at 4:00 p.

m.

, which meant it would be a few hours before we had to go.

Tyler should be here by then, and he could take over.

I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while I paced the kitchen.

“How did you end up out there in the woods?” A sense of relief washed over me when the doorbell rang about thirty minutes after I got off the phone.

Tyler was here, and I knew he would make this something manageable.

When I saw him standing there, all I could do was smile.

He wore one of his Flower Power polo shirts, slim-fit faded jeans, and some well-loved Chucks.

Without thinking, I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him against my chest.

I kissed the side of his head.

“Thank you for coming.”

He hugged me back, his arms going around my waist, his head tucked against my shoulder.

It felt good, natural.

Knowing he was here grounded me.

“This isn’t the end of the world, I promise.” He said against my chest.

“Come see them. So tiny, and I think they are hurt.” I released him from the hug, but took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

He looked into the box.

“Oh Shit.”