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“It’s true,” Willow said sadly. “Maybe he’s different.”
“Still standing here,” he announced.
“You could feed the cat,” Willow said. “You’ll probably be more comfortable in the kitchen while we’re talking about you behind your back.”
In a scary, twisted way, her words made sense. He retreated to the kitchen, all the while wondering what had happened. This morning everything about his life had been normal and pleasantly solitary. Somewhere along the way, he’d been invaded. There were people here—he didn’t do people.
He went through the bags. There was canned cat food, a bag of dry and three bowls. He filled one with water and the other with dry food. The mother cat rushed into the kitchen and fell on the food. When he dished up some canned, she abandoned the dry to feast on that.
While she ate, he checked out the rest of the bags. Marina had brought over bread, honey, several packages of frozen soup, bags of cookies, apples, pears, some girly soap and the latest issue of a celebrity gossip magazine. Did she think her sister was moving in?
He felt something brush against his leg. When he glanced down he saw the mother cat rubbing her leg against him. She looked up, purring.
Feeling awkward and stupid and like he was being taken, he bent over and patted the top of her head. She turned and rubbed her jaw against his fingers. He could feel the vibration of her purring.
He’d never been one for pets. As a kid, it was all he could do to feed himself. Plus caring about anything only made you a victim. In the army, there had always been guys who kept dogs around, but he wasn’t one of them.
He straightened. He could hear Willow and Marina talking in the living room, although he couldn’t hear the words, thank God. So now what? Where did he go? This was supposed to be his house, but he suddenly felt like he didn’t belong.
There was another knock on the door. Before he could say anything, Marina yelled that she was getting it. He walked into his living room in time to see an older version of Willow stepping into his house, along with a fiftysomething guy in a suit.
“Mom, you didn’t have to come,” Willow said. “I’m fine.”
Willow’s mother handed Marina a casserole, then rushed to Willow’s side. “You’re not fine. You hurt yourself. What was I supposed to do? Just let you lie here in pain?”
“Oh, Mom.”
The man approached Kane. “I’m Dr. David Greenberg, a friend of the family.”
“Kane Dennison.” They shook hands.
Dr. Greenberg moved over to the ottoman. “All right, Willow, let’s see what you’ve done.”
Willow’s mother moved back. Marina touched her arm. “This is Kane, Mom.”
The older woman smiled at him. “Hi. Naomi Nelson. She said you carried her here and saved her life.”
Willow had managed to make a number of phone calls and pass on a lot of information in the short time he’d been gone, he thought, not sure if he should punish her or be impressed.
“I don’t think she was all that near death,” he said.
“Mom, there are kittens,” Willow said. She pointed at the box.
“Oh, they’re just born.”
While Naomi went to coo over the kittens, Marina murmured something about putting the casserole in the refrigerator. Kane watched as the doctor examined Willow’s ankle.
“Does this hurt?” he asked as he manipulated her foot. “Does this?”
She answered his questions, then looked at Kane. He felt the impact of her gaze all the way down to his groin. Funny how Marina was similar in appearance, but nothing about her turned him on. Yet with Willow, all it took was a look.
Dr. Greenberg continued his exam for a couple more minutes, then patted her knee. “You’ll live. It’s a minor sprain. You have some swelling, which should go away in the next couple of days. Keep doing what you’re doing. Elevation and ice. You’ll be better in the morning.”
“It hurts,” Willow said with a soft whimper.
The doctor smiled. “I remember how badly you handle pain. You’re the one who cried before I ever gave you a shot when you were little.” He dug around in his case and handed her a sample pack of pills. “These will help. Take them now and then don’t even think about driving until tomorrow. You’re going to be out of it.”
She smiled. “You’ve been very good to me.”
“I know.” He stood, bent over and kissed her cheek. “Try not to be such a klutz.”
“I didn’t do this on purpose.”
“But you still do it.”
Naomi hurried over. “Thank you so much for coming.”
The doctor shrugged. “I’ve known them nearly all their lives. They’re like my girls, too. I’m going back to the office.”
“I’ll be there within the hour,” Naomi promised.
Both women fluttered around, bringing Willow water so she could take her pill, more ice, a snack. Kane stayed in the background, watching them move so easily through his place—as if they’d been here before. Or maybe that was the way of nurturers. They were comfortable wherever they went.
At last Marina left, leaving only Willow and her mother. Naomi beckoned him into the kitchen.
“Thank you for all your help,” she began. “I’m sorry we’ve all invaded you like this.”
“It’s fine,” he said, when what he was thinking was more along the lines of “you could be gone now.”
“I’ll just get her things and take her home.”
Kane eyed the woman. She was about five-five and in decent shape, but there was no way she could carry her daughter.
“I’ll do that,” he said, knowing it was the only way. “You can’t carry her inside.”
“Oh.” Naomi looked concerned. “I hadn’t thought about that. With her foot and all…Can she hop?”
“Not well. Don’t worry. I’ll get her home.”
“If you’re sure…” She glanced at her watch and he knew she was thinking she had to get back to work.
“Ask Willow if she’s comfortable with that arrangement,” he said.
Naomi nodded, then walked back into the living room. Kane followed her and watched as Willow and her mother spoke.
“I’ll be fine,” Willow said, glancing at him, her blue eyes bright with anticipation and humor.
He narrowed his gaze. What the hell was she planning now?
Naomi hugged her daughter, then walked over to him and held out her hand. “You’ve been very kind. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
“Good luck with the cat and her kittens. They’re going to be a handful.”
As they wouldn’t still be here while they were growing up, he didn’t care.
Then she was gone and he was alone with Willow.
“Sorry about everyone coming by,” she said.
“No, you’re not. You invited them all. You wanted them to come.”
“Okay. Maybe. I had to be sure I wasn’t dying.”
“Sprained ankles are rarely fatal.”
“At least they brought food.” She smiled. “You like food.”
“How do you know?”
“You’re a guy. It’s a guy thing.”
“I’m going to get the cat food,” he said and turned back to the kitchen.
“You haven’t fed her yet?” Willow sounded outraged.
He held in a groan. “Of course I fed the cat. I’m going to collect the food so you can have it.”
“I don’t eat cat food.”
She was doing this on purpose. He knew that. She thought baiting him was a fun, new game.
“It’s for the cat,” he said patiently.
“The cat’s not coming home with me. My building doesn’t allow pets, which is one of the reasons I rented there. That and the amazing backyard. I turned it into a garden and it’s so beautiful. But there are a lot of plants that would be poisonous to a kitten. Not that I wouldn’t love one. But I know better. If I rescue one cat, soon I’ll want to rescue them all. Then there are dogs and birds and it could really turn into a disaster.”
He rarely got headaches, but he could feel one coming on.
“I’m not keeping the cat.”
“You have to,” she told him. “The kittens are too young to be moved. They have to be warm and they need their mom. Oh, do you have a hot water bottle to put in the box, because that would be great.”
He could hear a strange buzzing in his ears. “Aren’t there rescue places?”
“Sure, but they’re already busy with real strays. This cat has a home, at least until the babies are older.”
“They don’t have a home here.”
She stared at him, wide-eyed. He knew he was being manipulated and knew he wasn’t going to give in.
“I don’t do cats,” he said firmly. “Not this one, not any one.”
“That’s so mean.”
She spoke softly. He barely heard the words, yet it was as if she’d slapped him. Her blue eyes darkened with disappointment and she seemed to shrink into the chair.
“All right,” she told him. “Just get the cat supplies together. I’ll figure out something.”
He’d led men into more dangerous parts of the world than most people knew about. He’d killed to stay alive and had been left for dead more than once. Yet never had he felt so out of his element than he did at this moment.
What the hell did he care what this woman thought of him? It was a damn cat. Let her take it.
He went into the kitchen and put the food into a grocery bag, then carried it into the living room. But when he glanced at Willow, he saw she’d fallen asleep.
Her head lay on the armrest, her long blond hair a contrast to the dark leather. One leg curled up under her while the other one was stretched out, ice still strapped to her injured ankle.
“Willow?”
She didn’t stir. In addition to being a wimp about pain, she was also a lightweight when it came to painkillers. No wonder the doctor had told her not to drive after taking it.
The room was silent, except for the quiet purring of the mother cat and loud thudding of his own heart.
Willow woke up and had no idea where she was. As if that had never happened to her before, she immediately sat up and thought about panicking. But before the adrenaline could really get pumping, she remembered the whole Kane-ankle-cat thing and decided she was probably still in his house.
A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was nearly midnight. Wow—that pill had knocked her out for hours. She sat up and looked around. A night-light from the bathroom allowed her to see the shapes of the furniture, including the bed she’d slept on. The guest room, she thought, noting the bed wasn’t huge and the furniture looked more neutral than masculine. Too bad. She really wouldn’t have minded waking up in his bed…with him.
Smiling at the thought, she looked down at herself and saw that except for her shoes, she was completely dressed. Kane had been a gentleman. Wasn’t that just her luck?
Willow sighed. She was never really like this about guys. But there was just something about Kane that got to her and made her want to be wild. Maybe because being around him felt safe. As if no matter what she did or how she acted, nothing bad would happen to her. He would be there, protecting her.
No one had ever been safe before.
She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood carefully. While her ankle was still sore, it was a ton better. She could almost walk normally.
After visiting the bathroom—where she found a brand-new toothbrush and toothpaste conveniently waiting—she made use of the facilities, washed her face, brushed her teeth, then went in search of her host.
Kane was in the living room, reading. He glanced up as she entered.
“Sorry,” she said. “The pill knocked me out.”
“I noticed.”
“So, you, um, carried me to bed.”
“Yes.”
“I slept through that.”
