moment caressing the soft fur around the tabby’s face.
“Some of the dogs probably did run off,” Seth added. His voice had taken on an odd sound. Trying to ease the harsh reality a bit for her?
No need.
She straightened and reached for the thermometer and a few swabs. “I’ll take a few readings, then some samples to test him for worms and mites. Then, he’s in desperate need of a thorough bath. We’ve got shampoo for kittens and a powder to dust him for fleas.”
Seth’s face twisted in a funny expression. A giggle tickled her belly as she wondered if a werewolf ever had to be dipped for fleas.
“Don’t enjoy baths?” She tried for innocent. She sounded more like she was choking on something.
“I like baths.” His gaze pinned her, sent shivers across her skin. “When there’s someone to wash my back.”
“You do have a broad back.” Suddenly words were tripping over her tongue. “Could see how you’d need a bit of help reaching a few places.”
Silence fell across the room, wrapped her in an odd tension. She bustled the kitten through his tests and much needed bath despite yowls and squirming on his part. Seth even lent a hand to keep the orange spitfire in the sink.
Every time their shoulders brushed or their sides bumped, excitement tingled across Maisie’s skin. She remembered the touch of his hands... Wanted more.
And oddly, seeing how gentle he was with the kitten caused a twinge in her heart. She’d seen him crush zombie skulls, rip body parts off the monsters. And here he was, helping care for a stray kitten. So much control over all that strength.
Finally, the kitten was bathed, dusted and settled into a kennel in the room they kept for cats. When she placed a dish of wet food in front of him, he dove face first into it, smooshing the food with his paws as he greedily sucked up the much needed sustenance.
Seth chuckled.
“He’s a bit young to be neat about it.” Maisie felt a need to defend their little charge.
Seth raised his hands in acquiescence. “I can leave him with you, then?”
Of course.
Then Brian’s latest lecture whispered at the back of her mind and she grimaced.
“A problem?”
“It’s just that all of our business is boarding the pets of the tourists lately. It’s enough to keep us afloat, but not by much. We don’t have the means to care for strays really, and there are a lot of them out there.” She shook her head. “I’ll find a way around it.”
“Put his care on a tab and I’ll take care of it.”
She blinked. “We’re not a pub.”
“And I don’t plan to eat him.” Seth reached across the space between them and tapped her nose with his fingertip. “But I did make sure he didn’t become a zombie snack, so I figure I ought to see to his care until he can look after himself.”
“And what use do you have for a cat?”
“No idea.” Seth grinned. “We’ve got a few rats plaguing the cellar and I hear cats are good for those.”
“So are Yorkies, and they’d seem a better choice for a werewolf.”
“Tch. You saw how those little...things reacted to me when I first got here.”
And he obviously equated Yorkie with a four-letter word, one not meant for polite company.
“This kitten is the first I’ve encountered willing to make friends with a werewolf. Least I can do is see if he wants a home with one once he’s big enough I won’t be stepping on him.”
She’d no idea what to say to that. Warmth spread through her chest all the same. The kitten would have a home after all.
Before she realized what she’d done, she was in his arms and kissing him.
“Maisie?” A voice came from the hallway. “Maisie, luv, are you back here? Brian said to come on back.”
Oh for heaven’s... No time to gather her wits. They were scattered all over the room.
She stepped away from Seth and cleared her throat. “Here, Mrs. Wells.”
Seth kept a hand on the small of her back as the older woman entered the room. When Mrs. Wells
“Some of the dogs probably did run off,” Seth added. His voice had taken on an odd sound. Trying to ease the harsh reality a bit for her?
No need.
She straightened and reached for the thermometer and a few swabs. “I’ll take a few readings, then some samples to test him for worms and mites. Then, he’s in desperate need of a thorough bath. We’ve got shampoo for kittens and a powder to dust him for fleas.”
Seth’s face twisted in a funny expression. A giggle tickled her belly as she wondered if a werewolf ever had to be dipped for fleas.
“Don’t enjoy baths?” She tried for innocent. She sounded more like she was choking on something.
“I like baths.” His gaze pinned her, sent shivers across her skin. “When there’s someone to wash my back.”
“You do have a broad back.” Suddenly words were tripping over her tongue. “Could see how you’d need a bit of help reaching a few places.”
Silence fell across the room, wrapped her in an odd tension. She bustled the kitten through his tests and much needed bath despite yowls and squirming on his part. Seth even lent a hand to keep the orange spitfire in the sink.
Every time their shoulders brushed or their sides bumped, excitement tingled across Maisie’s skin. She remembered the touch of his hands... Wanted more.
And oddly, seeing how gentle he was with the kitten caused a twinge in her heart. She’d seen him crush zombie skulls, rip body parts off the monsters. And here he was, helping care for a stray kitten. So much control over all that strength.
Finally, the kitten was bathed, dusted and settled into a kennel in the room they kept for cats. When she placed a dish of wet food in front of him, he dove face first into it, smooshing the food with his paws as he greedily sucked up the much needed sustenance.
Seth chuckled.
“He’s a bit young to be neat about it.” Maisie felt a need to defend their little charge.
Seth raised his hands in acquiescence. “I can leave him with you, then?”
Of course.
Then Brian’s latest lecture whispered at the back of her mind and she grimaced.
“A problem?”
“It’s just that all of our business is boarding the pets of the tourists lately. It’s enough to keep us afloat, but not by much. We don’t have the means to care for strays really, and there are a lot of them out there.” She shook her head. “I’ll find a way around it.”
“Put his care on a tab and I’ll take care of it.”
She blinked. “We’re not a pub.”
“And I don’t plan to eat him.” Seth reached across the space between them and tapped her nose with his fingertip. “But I did make sure he didn’t become a zombie snack, so I figure I ought to see to his care until he can look after himself.”
“And what use do you have for a cat?”
“No idea.” Seth grinned. “We’ve got a few rats plaguing the cellar and I hear cats are good for those.”
“So are Yorkies, and they’d seem a better choice for a werewolf.”
“Tch. You saw how those little...things reacted to me when I first got here.”
And he obviously equated Yorkie with a four-letter word, one not meant for polite company.
“This kitten is the first I’ve encountered willing to make friends with a werewolf. Least I can do is see if he wants a home with one once he’s big enough I won’t be stepping on him.”
She’d no idea what to say to that. Warmth spread through her chest all the same. The kitten would have a home after all.
Before she realized what she’d done, she was in his arms and kissing him.
“Maisie?” A voice came from the hallway. “Maisie, luv, are you back here? Brian said to come on back.”
Oh for heaven’s... No time to gather her wits. They were scattered all over the room.
She stepped away from Seth and cleared her throat. “Here, Mrs. Wells.”
Seth kept a hand on the small of her back as the older woman entered the room. When Mrs. Wells
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