Page 40 of Jasper

He’d rattled her in the store as much as he had himself.

“Whatcha doing down there?” He set the tray on the coffee table and sank down across from her.

“Thinking.”

“About what?”

“Christmas.”

“I should have known, considering it looks like Santa’s workshop in here.”

“I’m not done yet.”

“Good God, woman, you can’t fit anything else in here.”

She smiled softly, gazing into the flames. “You’d be amazed at what I can do.”

“Of that, I’m sure. You’re a pretty amazing person.”

Her gaze flickered to him then back to the flames. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away. I’m an open book.”

“Why were you so upset we had to leave the kittens at the vet?”

He shrugged, not really sure himself.

“You specifically said they’d feel like we abandoned them.”

“Well, yeah. We’re the only two people they know who took care of them.”

She laid her head on her knees, facing him. “But they’re with people who will take care of them. It’s their job, Jasper. You know that, so why did you use that word?”

Where the hell was this coming from?

“How long have you been out of the military?”

“A couple years. Why?”

“Did I tell you my dad was in the Air Force?”

He shook his head, not sure where she was going with this.

“When you said we abandoned the kittens, it got me thinking about my dad.”

“It did?”

She nodded. “He was a man of integrity and honor, and everything he did showcased that. He tried to always be the man the Air Force taught him to be.”

“Most servicemen do. We take our oaths and the values they instill in us to heart. It’s what makes us the men we are.”

“I know. My dad always said pretty much the same thing.”

“Why are we talking about this, Sloane?”

“You might get mad at me.”

Jasper leaned back and gestured to the food. “Do you want to eat while we talk?”