Leap of Faith by Jackie Keswick

Author:Jackie Keswick [Keswick, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-63533-409-8
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2017-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

THE WRITING on the pad blurred into long, nonsensical lines and Kieran closed his eyes in frustration. How was he supposed to find a pattern in the data if seeing said data was a challenge?

He got up with a vague thought of brewing more coffee, when Marius’s Bengal cat strolled through the doorway in that nonchalant way cats had perfected since time immemorial. The rhythm of her stride caught the attention of Kieran’s tired mind, and he stopped in the middle of the kitchen and watched her. The cat made a circuit of the room, checked on the contents of her bowl of snacks, and then sat down neatly in front of Kieran and chirped at him.

Kieran had grown up in Miami, with dogs and cats aplenty in his neighborhood. Yet he couldn’t remember any of them sounding quite like Marius’s Bengal cat. No genteel meow, nor a purr or hiss; the Bengal was quite obviously talking and looking up at him expectantly.

Kieran stared back, nonplussed, until the cat grew bored of waiting for him to understand. She stood up and walked to the doorway. Then she turned around and came back to sit down in front of Kieran again.

Finally Kieran got it. He forgot about the coffee he’d planned to make. He forgot about his notes. Instead he crossed the kitchen to the doorway and waited for the cat to lead the way.

Joel was sitting up as Kieran walked into the gold-and-cinnamon bedroom in Mara’s wake. And before he could stop her, the cat jumped up on the bed and settled herself on Joel’s lap. Joel kept his left arm still against his torso while he stroked the cat with the other hand. His eyes were clear and a smile curled one corner of his mouth. “Ross, you look like shit.”

“Nice of you to notice.”

A tinge of pink dusted Joel’s cheeks and he dropped his gaze to the cat in his lap. “So not my fault,” he muttered, and he sounded so embarrassed that Kieran took pity.

“We need to stop doing that,” he said as he sank onto the second bed with a tired sigh. He shuffled around until he was comfortable and could watch Joel without having to twist his neck or strain his shoulders. “This time was way too close for comfort.”

“I don’t remember jack shit,” Joel admitted.

“Want me to fill you in? It’s probably just the anesthetic.”

Joel narrowed his eyes. “Don’t humor me, Ross.”

“This isn’t even remotely funny. I’m missing something and I had hopes that walking you through it would help me remember.”

“That’s not the way you do things.”

“No. But I’m so fucking beat, my way’s not working right now.”

“Fine.” Joel settled back against his cushions. He closed his eyes and kept his hands on the cat in his lap. “Go for it. Start with the woman on the roof.”

Kieran winced, but he dutifully started where the whole mess had begun days earlier. He spoke slowly, careful to remember and include every detail. Joel’s soft breaths and the deep, steady purr of the cat anchored him in the present.

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