Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Jack never comes out. He hates strangers. He hates people. He hates me,” I say, incredulous at the unexpected feline appearance.
“Hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty much catnip.” Hollis bends and offers a hand to Jack for sniffing.
The cat rubs his head against my cousin’s palm. Yeah, Hollis is catnip all right. I glance at the sea-blue clock on the living room wall, made of recycled ocean plastic. My mind races a few hours ahead to the airfield, but I force my focus back to Hollis, who’s squinting at the cat.
“He has one eye. Cool. I like that.”
“I’m sure he did it for you.”
Hollis scratches the traitorous beast’s chin. “Jack, we’re going to have a good time taking care of the monkey flowers.”
A gentle rumble fills the air.
“Is he—” I can’t bring myself to say it.
Hollis flashes me an easy grin. “Yes, he’s purring. What can I say? Cats like me, dogs like me, people like me. I’m just that kind of guy. Plus, I’ve been watching this vet show, and I learned a ton of cool shit. Like, do you brush your cat’s teeth?”
“No. I don’t have a death wish.”
“Cool. I’m gonna make it my mission then. I’ve seen every single one of Doctor Lennox’s vids, so I’m pretty sure I can do it just as well as a vet.”
I stifle a groan. It’s evidently my fate to be surrounded by cocky fuckers. I don’t bother to point out that the good doctor, known for his The Hot Vet series, might have some tricks up his DVM sleeve. “Good luck, buddy. If you freshen Jack’s breath…free beer for life.”
“It is on,” Hollis says. I show him the cat food tin and the litter, giving him the rest of the details as Jack the Traitor follows my cousin everywhere.
When we’re done, Hollis reaches into his back pocket and produces a string with a feather at the end.
“Where did you find that?”
Hollis dangles it in front of the cat, who bats it, then pins it to the reclaimed wood floor. “I brought it,” Hollis says. “You said you wanted me to take care of the cat, so I figured I’d be the cool cat uncle.”
I give him a genuine smile. “Appreciate it. I really do.”
“Anytime,” he says. “Well, not while I’m at an away game.”
“I hear ya.”
On the way to the door, Hollis asks with natural curiosity, “Where did you say you’re going?”
I pause, unsure if I want to say much about my trip, but I should give him a little. He is helping out after all. “Washington State. Cute little island off a ferry.” I leave off who I’m going with. It’s not a secret, but it feels private. Especially since it involved a promise made last night at a bar, sealed with a brew and a bubbly water.
“That sounds nice,” he says. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t leave much, does it?”
“Fact,” he agrees. “So good luck.” With that, he takes off into the city on a Sunday morning.
I shut the door, a pop of adrenaline rushing through me, the kind you feel when you’re going away with someone you want to be more than friends with.
Too bad I have no business feeling this way. I can’t act on this desire, no matter how much I want to turn the tables on Aubrey and surprise her with one hell of a knee-weakening, toe-curling kiss.
Two hours later, I roll up to the airfield in Novato, jittery like I’ve drunk too much coffee when I’ve had none.
But when I head into the tiny terminal and see Aubrey sitting next to Dev, showing him something on her phone, that jittery feeling morphs into something else.
Something I haven’t felt around a woman, or around the game of hockey in a while.
Excitement.
It’s both welcome and entirely dangerous.
14
MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH
Aubrey
I’ve seen enough TV to imagine what flying private looks like. Cushy leather seats, immaculate service, the royal treatment. Reality is even better.
Thirty minutes into a smooth flight up the coast, I run a palm along the buttery material of my chair. There are four spacious seats on this Embraer Phenom jet, one on each side of the aisle, so every seat has a window, and we face each other.
“It’s official,” I say, meeting the gaze of the guys across from me. “I’m addicted.”
Dev smiles in agreement. “It’s hard to go back to commercial.”
“Especially since you always need the tenth row,” Ledger says to Dev.
I swivel my gaze to Dev. “Superstitious?”
“It works. I’m telling you, it works,” Dev says, clearly a believer.
Ledger cups the side of his mouth. “And, he laces his skates up right skate first.”
“Because I’m right-handed, man,” Dev says.
“Sure,” Ledger says.
“Not everything I do is a superstition.”
“But most things are,” Ledger counters with his eyes on me, and I can tell he’s ribbing him for my benefit. Well, ribbing appreciated.