“I got you ice,” Dakota chimed in, her voice tight. “As well as the blankets and water. And a couple of towels.”
“I’ll help, Mom,” Joshua said, the excitement in his voice coming back.
“Let me finish the exams, and then we’ll make some plans,” I told him softly, and Joshua nodded. When Dakota didn’t correct my use of we, I tried not to think about it as a win. She was just protecting her son. I wasn’t part of this family. Even if part of me desperately wanted to be.
I finished the exam, made sure the babies were eating, and then hand-fed the mama cat. She was clearly tired but looked to be in better spirits.
“This should be good for the evening. I’ll take them into the office tomorrow, and Jeremy and I can figure out what to do.”
“You’re going to take them away?” Joshua asked, his lower lip quivering.
I met Dakota’s gaze, knowing she needed to handle this.
Dakota knelt closer to her son. “They aren’t ours, baby. But we can make sure they’re safe for now.”
“But what happens when they’re all better? Are they going to a shelter? One of the ones that kills them?”
I closed my eyes and held back a groan as Dakota gave me a pleading look.
“They aren’t going to a shelter,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but Macon will help us. You know that we can’t take care of five cats. And these are babies. They’re going to need lots of attention. But we’ll do our best to help.”
I cleared my throat. “Your mom’s right. They’re going to need a lot of love and nurturing.”
“I can love.”
“I know you can.” I ignored how my heart ached at that.
“Are they feral?” Dakota asked, and Joshua’s gaze traveled between us.
I shook my head. “No, the mama cat’s domesticated. I’ll have to check for a chip tomorrow.” I looked at Joshua. “If she’s chipped, that means she most likely has a home somewhere, and we’re going to want to reunite her with her family. She might’ve gotten lost and scared. But you helped find her and are taking care of her now. That counts for something.”
“I don’t want her to be sad.” Joshua reached out and ran his hand over one of the babies. The momma cat looked at the little boy with such love and trust that I knew this was going to hurt when we split them up.
“Neither do I,” I said.
Dakota leaned closer. “Should we bring her inside then since she’s domesticated?”
I nodded, noticing that the weather was a bit chilly. “That would be best.”
“They can go in my laundry room. I have a little sectioned-off area so the kittens can’t get into anything but are still warm and not lost in my couch or something.”
I snorted at that. “Okay, we can do that.”
It took a little maneuvering, and we were cautious about moving everybody with Joshua helping to hold the kittens. The kid looked like he was in love, and honestly, so did Dakota. Even if she appeared scared as hell about what would happen when she had to say goodbye to these cats. Because I had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to keep all five.
“Thank you so much,” she said after Joshua had fallen asleep on the floor next to the cats’ box.
“You’re welcome. I’m always here if you need me.”
“As I said before, sometimes I wish I could just call you without needing something.”
I tucked her hair behind her ear without thinking and swallowed hard. “You’re always welcome to call me. I like the sound of your voice.”
She didn’t back away. Instead, she let out a sigh and leaned into me. “I wish you wouldn’t fight.”
“I don’t think I’m going to do it for much longer,” I replied honestly.
“Good. Because I don’t like the bruises on you.”
“I told Joshua it was from boxing. Which is the truth. But I don’t want to show up around him beat up again.”
“Okay,” she said. “I should get him to bed.”
“I’ll help.”
“You help with so much, Macon. But you never take anything.”
“That’s not what friends do,” I whispered and kissed the top of her head, not knowing that I was doing so until it was already too late.
I helped tuck Joshua into bed and then went back to looking at the kittens.
I sat against the wall next to them, keeping an eye on them. And then Dakota was at my side, two cups of coffee in her hand.
“It’s decaf,” she said. “I know decaf is nearly a sin to some coffee drinkers, but sometimes you just need the taste without the boost.”
“It makes sense.” I took the mug. “Thank you.” She sat down next to me, her warm weight solid against my side, and all I wanted to do was sink into her and never let go. But I didn’t. I watched the kittens sleep and nuzzle into the mama cat as she cleaned them before falling asleep herself.
I heard Dakota’s steady breaths at my side as she fell asleep right along with them.
I knew she had to be exhausted, her days starting earlier than even mine, and her nights filled with Joshua—and now this surprise.
But I didn’t wake her. I didn’t move her. I pulled an extra blanket over both of us and let myself pretend that this could be real. That it mattered.
And then I fell asleep too, knowing this wasn’t reality. It was only a moment in time.
But one I wanted to last forever.
Chapter 11
Dakota
Strong arms wrapped around me as I slowly pulled myself from sleep, my brain foggy as I tried to figure out where I was. A mewling sound came from my side, and then there was a rustling and a low voice that wasn’t too much of a whisper.
My eyes shot open, and I realized that I was on the floor of the laundry room, practically sprawled on top
