That wasn’t what she needed right at that moment, and I’d disappointed her enough lately.
“I can’t really give him up. And I’m certainly not moving any time soon.”
“Oh, hell, no.”
“He loves you. And he isn’t much trouble. I promise.”
“If he’s not much trouble, then why did you have all that construction in your apartment? I somehow think that was his fault.”
“Okay, so he’s a little trouble. But it’s just because he loves running water.”
“That’s great.”
“Handily, the mansion doesn’t have any running water right now.”
“Yeah, but people will be coming in and out all day.”
“True. But I think he’d be happy in...”
“No.” I sat up and Gizmo dug in his claws until he finally jumped off me and onto the coffee table, then he sailed into her arms.
She gave him a long stroke down to his tail. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”
I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on. “You’re going to say Harriette’s room.”
“No, but that is a good idea. She’d probably like the company.”
“Absolutely not.”
She sighed. “He’d be good in the tower room. There’s plenty of room for him, and tons of windows to look out. I’d take care of all the cat things like food and litter. You’d barely know he was there.”
“Hellcat. What if he got out? Then I’d have to listen to you for seven days and seven-hundred hours that he got away.”
“Probably fourteen thousand actually.”
I sighed. “Don’t you think there’s a better place for him?”
“No. I’ve tried everyone I know, and I just can’t bring him to the shelter. They’re overrun with strays already.” She drew the cat up to her neck and stroked under his chin. “I can’t do that to him.”
I clasped my hands together between my legs. I was going to regret this, but there was no way I could let a defenseless animal get hurt. Especially when he looked like the cat I’d tried to keep as a kid. Until my shithead father had found him in my room and let him out because he’d been too high to know what the hell he was doing.
The memory sideswiped me. I hadn’t thought of Freddy in a damn long time.
“Gizmo is a sweetheart. He just likes to climb on things.”
“And the running water.”
Her cheeks pinked up. “Yeah, he really does love that for some reason.”
The black and white cat squirmed free and jumped down to wind around my ankles before climbing up my leg. “Ow.”
“I need to clip his nails.”
I picked up the cat and held him in front of my face. “How much trouble are you going to give me day to day, huh?”
Gizmo patted my face and just blinked at me.
Hell.
I curled him into my chest. “I don’t suppose you have a carrier?”
“I do.” She popped up and about killed me when the robe opened to flash her entire thigh at me. “I have food and all the things. You know what? I’ll just help you set up.”
I collapsed back against the cushion, and the cat inched up my chest to tuck himself under my chin.
Promptly, he fell asleep.
I was so very screwed.
TWENTY-TWO
I didn’t let him have a second to rethink his yes.
Okay, so it wasn’t even really a true yes, but I was taking the win.
Flushed with victory, I rushed around my apartment to get his carrier, favorite toys, and a week’s worth of food.
