Page 29 of The Marriage Deal (Sunset Falls #1)
HALF MAD BY NOW
LILAH
“Ohmigawwwd! He’s sooooo cute!” I’m obviously not the only one who thinks this of the little black kitten with its tiny back arched, kitten fur all puffed up. He spits big warnings from his itty-bitty body as Senior noses him, entirely unfazed by the little paw that swings to smack at his snout.
“Hey, little spookers,” I scold the scared kitten with a tone that sounds more like a coo as I pull Senior’s curious snout gently toward me.
I could have left Senior home, but why would I when he loves spending his days with me? And, really, most of my days are spent with flowers around town where passerby’s give him all the loving. Besides, it’s nice to have someone to chitchat to. Senior might not reply, but I know he listens.
Madelyn chuckles as she lifts the still spitting kitten. “This one is a fighter.”
“Where’d you find him?”
Something dark crosses her expression. “A lady from Summerland called. Said her son found a box of them in the ditch on her property when he came to mow. Her husband passed a couple months ago, and the ditch was overgrown, easy for passersby to miss.” She sighs with a heavy shake of her head as she gives the kitten a little squeeze.
“This little guy was the only one to survive. Heat and lack of water got to them.”
“My God.” I massage the tips of my fingers into my aching heart. “I hate people. So much sometimes.”
“Me too.” She drops a kiss to the kitten’s head. “With patience and a bit of outreach, there are better ways. At the very least, drop them where you know they’ll be found quickly. Don’t leave them to die in a hot ditch.” Madelyn lets out a string of curses as emotion gets the better of her.
“I’m sorry, Mad.”
“Me too. We’re part of the problem. Vets, I mean.”
I frown. “How so?”
“Our prices are out of control.” I know I’ve really gotten her on a rant when she says, “People say, oh, well, don’t get pets if you can’t afford them.
But it’s not that simple. Pets are wonderful companions, and don’t even get me started on the benefits of having a pet during child development.
Besides, just because you can afford them when you get them doesn’t mean you’re not going to fall on hard times.
Everyone falls on hard times. I just had a woman call for a spay quote today because the clinic in her town quoted her nine hundred dollars to spay her small dog. Nine hundred dollars!”
“Jeez.”
“That doesn’t even account for the rounds of vaccines and dewormer I know the pup has had.
Which round up to another thousand dollars.
” Her eyes are big and passionate. “Then there’s the poor people who live out of town who constantly suffer the dumping of cats.
They provide food and shelter but getting them spayed and neutered at the cost of some of these vets is unsustainable, which only adds to the influx of births—of strain on rescues.
Because when people are desperate, they do desperate things.
Clearly.” She sighs, shakes her head and mutters, “Sorry. I just remember very clearly a time when pet care was semi affordable.”
“The whole country is unaffordable right now.” I know it’s not a comfort, but I add, “And you’re doing what you can.
You offer a whole month every spring of seriously discounted cat spay and neuters.
You do all you can to help the ones in need.
You’re part of the solution, Mad. Even if it doesn’t feel like it. ”
She gives the kitten a small head pet. His mouth is open like he is going to hiss, but nothing sounds. Progress.
“I realize we have to make a living too, but I’m a vet and I think we’re overpricing basic care.” When I give her a small smile of sympathy, she looses another sigh. “Sorry. I just needed to vent. Days like these are hard.”
“You can vent to me any time.”
She gives the kitten a little jostle in her arms. “He’s a kitten, so he’ll go easier than a cat. The fact he’s black though…”
“I’ll take him.”
Madelyn’s brows wing up. “You will?”
“Absolutely. Yes.” I’m not sure if I’m nodding to convince her or myself. “Senior seemed to like him, and he’ll get used to Senior eventually.”
“And your fiancé?”
“Oh, him.” I absolutely had not forgotten about Briggs.
Not even for a second. In fact, he’s been on my mind every second since he made me come all the way apart two mornings ago.
It’s been two days of agony as I spend literally all the time I can away from the house and my fiancé.
In fact, I invited myself home for dinner with Mom and Dad just to avoid him.
Madelyn huffs a laugh. “Yes, him. The man you’re marrying. You know, the one you live with?”
I wave her off. “He’ll be fine.”
“You don’t think you should consult with him?”
I stretch out ‘give me’ hands to the kitten. Madelyn hands him over and I tuck him gently into my chest. His little heart is just pounding. Poor baby.
“Nope.” I drop a kiss to his head. “Spookers is mine.”
“Spookers?”
“He looks like a Halloween window sticker. It suits, doesn’t it?”
“Aren’t spooks supposed to be CIA spies?”
“Well, you never know. He could be a little spy. You’d never see him in the dark.”
“True.”
I huff. “I can’t name him Boo.”
“Overused,” Madelyn agrees. “I’m still concerned about Briggs.”
“Oh, please. The man has to know what it means to get a wife and give her all that land he has. I mean—what woman wouldn’t fill it with animals?”
“Maybe. I mean, if it was real.”
“He wants it to appear real. If it was, this is what I’d do.” I shoot her a big smile as I give Spookers a gentle little bounce. “He should consider himself lucky I’ve not brought home chickens. Or goats.” A maniacal giggle escapes me. “It could be goats.”
Madelyn shakes her head, but she’s laughing too, now. “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of that man’s mind. You’ve got to be driving him half mad by now.”
I shrug. “Perhaps.”
Her eyes narrow, sensing there’s something I’m not telling her. She folds her arms over her chest and demands. “Spill. Now.”
I spill because, truthfully, I need a little help decoding the insanity of what happened between us.