Big eyes, one yellow and one blue, stared up at him.
Hoping Tonya would accept his plan, he said, “She’s pregnant, due to give birth in the next few weeks, according to the vet.” He paused as both Tonya and Kevin bent to peer inside.
Kevin said nothing, but Tonya started in surprise. “She has two different-colored eyes.”
“She’s unique.” Jesse opened the door and went in with the other two following close behind.
For once, Kevin didn’t shuffle.
“I found her hiding under a woodpile at the shop.” As a carpenter, he had a lot of stored supplies, both inside the building and out in the yard. It was during a rainstorm that he’d found the cat. He’d opened a tarp to cover a new delivery of wood and there she was, huddled down, soaked through and round with pregnancy.
Back in the kitchen, he set the carrier on the floor, opened it and, counting on the cat to do her part, took his seat at the table.
Kevin went to his knees in a rush, silent but more involved than Jesse had witnessed so far. Wide-eyed curiosity replaced the scowl. When the cat poked her head out, Kevin looked as if he’d never seen a pet before.
“Be extra gentle with her,” Jesse instructed quietly. “She’s not only pregnant, but deaf. She’s been through a lot lately too. First being out in a storm, then getting used to me when I took her in, then the vet and now here.” The cat had a lot to adjust to—just as Kevin did. It’d be nice if they helped each other with that.
After giving him a knowing, very pleased and finally real smile, Tonya went to the floor with Kevin, their shoulders almost touching.
Tonya was a tall woman, nearly six feet of female perfection. But Kevin, at only twelve, was probably only three or four inches shorter. Clearly height ran in their family.
“You’re sure she’s deaf?” Tonya asked.
“I’d suspected, but the vet confirmed it.” He took two big bites of food, satisfied with the cat’s reception so far. “I know Kevin starts school soon, but until then, do you think he could help me with the cat?”
“Help how?”
Both Tonya and Jesse went still at the words. So far Kevin had been mostly withdrawn, and when he did speak, it wasn’t with any type of enthusiasm.
Now, though, he seemed wholly engaged.
Tonya recovered first. She tickled the cat under the chin as she spoke. “Jesse’s a carpenter with his own shop. He puts in a lot of hours. With the cat pregnant and probably a little scared, it’d be nice if she had someone looking after her. Someone she could get to know and trust.”
Sitting back on his heels, Kevin stared at the cat with rapt fascination. After what felt like an eternity, his attention went to Jesse. “You’d let me watch her?”
“I’d beg if needed,” Jesse teased.
Kevin’s attention went to Tonya. He licked his lips, his expression painfully hopeful. “You...you wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not.” With a fleeting touch to his back, Tonya said, “But are you sure? Cats are a lot of responsibility.”
Bobbing his head, Kevin glanced back at the cat. “I’m sure.”
As if on cue, Love walked out of the carrier with her big belly swaying. With a raspy meow, she butted her head against Kevin’s knee.
The boy breathed fast, then carefully ran his hand down her back.
She purred loudly, and poor Kevin looked like he’d collapse.
It damn near left Jesse choked up. “She likes you,” he managed to say without too much smothering sentiment.
When the cat put both front paws on his thighs and looked up into his face, Kevin went stiff.
“Aw. She does,” Tonya confirmed.
In her gaze, Jesse saw the same things he felt—relief, satisfaction...and burgeoning hope. Kevin needed a new focus, and he badly needed a friend. So far he’d shunned those people trying to get closer, so maybe the cat could do what humans couldn’t—or at least soften the way a little.
While Kevin and the cat cozied up to each other, Jesse ate the rest of his sandwich, content just to watch the bonding process.
After climbing into his lap, the cat curled herself comfortably and closed her eyes. Kevin continued to gently stroke her. “She’s going to sleep.”
Tonya blinked back tears and carefully put her hand to Kevin’s back. “Yes, she is. That’s how she tells you that she trusts you.”
Moving slowly so he wouldn’t disturb the cat, Kevin shifted to sit cross-legged, his back to the wall. He swallowed hard when the cat looked up at him, gave a high-pitched “meow” and settled again.
His gaze flashed to Tonya, and then to Jesse.
“Cat talk,” Jesse said. “She likes to meow every now and then, but I don’t think she realizes how loud she is.” He chewed the last bite of his sandwich. “The vet told me most white cats with blue eyes are deaf. I hadn’t realized that.”
“How come?”
Jesse shrugged. “No idea. Just part of their DNA I guess.”
“Maybe we could go to the library one day and get some cat books, do a little research to see what causes it,” Tonya suggested.
Kevin froze again. “The library?”
“There’s one not too far from here. I have a library card, but we could get you your own if you want.”
Given his expression, Jesse would bet Kevin had never been within throwing distance of a library. Which probably meant he didn’t do much reading. “I like mysteries,” Jesse said. “And I own a ton of how-to books.”
“I read a lot of romance and some biographies,” Tonya offered.
Kevin frowned. “I don’t read much.”
“Then maybe you just haven’t found the type of books you like. But we’ll look into it,” she told him.
“Cat books,” he murmured uncertainly. “I guess I could check in to them.”
“So.” Jesse, too, joined them on the floor. “I already got her a cat box. With her pregnant, that’ll need to be changed a couple of times a day.”
“I’ll do it.” Kevin glanced at Tonya, then back at the cat. Shoulders dropping, sounding very uncertain, he offered, “She could stay in my bedroom with me.”
Locking her hands together, probably to keep from hugging the boy, Tonya said, “That’d be great, honey. But I’m not sure there’s room.”
“Why don’t I take a look?” Relieved to again have something to do, Jesse pushed back to his feet.
“A look at what?” Scrambling up to join him, Tonya laughed with her own uncertainty. “You can’t make the room bigger.”
“No, but I can do other things.” As he started out of the room, he heard her speaking to Kevin in a rush.
“Do you mind keeping an eye on her while I...?”
Kevin must’ve agreed, because two seconds later Tonya was beside him. “Jesse, wait. I don’t know what—”
Overwhelmed and feeling it, he caught the back of her neck and put his mouth over hers. Her soft, sweet lips took him closer to the edge, but he knew this wasn’t the time and it sure as hell wasn’t the place. By small degrees he forced himself to ease away.