A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery [Mallery, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9781459241244
Google: 2sIAqUFWpoYC
Amazon: 0373777027
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-09-24T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Evie parked in front of the Fool’s Gold Animal Shelter and got out of her car. She’d called ahead to make sure this was a convenient time for the staff, but now she hesitated. Was she really ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a cat?

“I guess that’s what I’m here to find out.”

Tammy was waiting for her as she walked into the building. Alexander was sitting on a tall, carpeted platform, his long tail swishing as he looked around the room.

“This is the one, isn’t it?” Tammy asked. “You said Alexander, but sometimes people get names mixed up.”

“This is him.”

Evie walked over to the cat and held out her fingers for him to sniff. “Hi, big guy. How are you doing?”

His green eyes narrowed slightly. He took an obligatory sniff, then turned away.

“Does he hate me?” Evie asked, not sure what his actions meant in the cat world. If she were on a blind date, she would know exactly what he was thinking and it wouldn’t be flattering.

“He’s making you work for it,” Tammy told her. “Keep talking to him and then pet him. He’s going to make you earn his trust.”

“I can respect that,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be very trusting, either.”

She lightly touched his back. While he didn’t flinch, he wasn’t relaxed, either. His shoulders got a little hunchy. She continued to stroke him, moving slowly and gently, not making sudden moves.

The phone rang.

“I need to get that,” Tammy told her. “I’ll be right back.”

Evie nodded and kept her attention on the cat. She lengthened the strokes so she was petting him from shoulder to tail. After a couple of minutes, he relaxed. By the time Tammy returned, he was actually glancing at her with something slightly warmer than disdain.

“I like him,” Evie said. “I need to make sure I’m ready for a cat, but I’m leaning in that direction for sure. Has anyone else said they’re interested in him?”

“No. He’s not a kitten, which makes his adoption more challenging. But I can let you know if we get any calls before the event.”

“That would be great.” Evie glanced at her watch. “I have to run. Thanks for this, Tammy.”

“No problem. I hope you take him. He’s a great guy.”

“Bye, Alexander.”

The cat looked at her. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he realized she was leaving. Then he turned away. Evie wanted to tell him that she might be giving him a forever home, but stopped herself. Until she was sure, it wouldn’t be right to allow him to hope. Unfortunately, explaining to herself that Alexander didn’t speak English didn’t make her feel any less awful about leaving without him.

* * *

EVIE WAS ALREADY LATE. She hurried through town on her way to Ronan’s Lodge, glancing at her watch as she went. Thoughts of Dante and her family and the production had kept her tossing and turning much of the night. Now she had to face a morning of book wrapping.

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