Something warm and soft streaked across her feet. Warm, soft, and furry.
“Eeek!” Jess pulled up her legs on the bench, as far away from the ground as possible. Rats? Here, on the hospital grounds? Her heart raced as it had all those months ago, as if it would burst from her chest any minute.
Even though some light from the hospital’s windows filtered through the trees, most of the ground was cast in shadows. It was too dark to recognize anything but a moving shape.
Oh, fuck. That was some really big rat.
She pulled her phone from her coat and fumbled until she activated the light.
Eyes reflected in the darkness. “Meow.” An annoyed cat jumped away from the light, onto the bench.
Jess let out a shaky breath, shut off the light, and stretched out her hand. Only a cat.
Carefully, the cat crept closer and sniffed Jess’s hand. After a moment, it nudged its head in her hand as if to tell Jess to pet it.
“Where did you come from?” Jess ruffled the fur at the cat’s neck. It didn’t look like a stray. The fur gleamed in healthy shades of gray and black, and it seemed well-fed.
The soft fur and responsive body calmed Jess’s racing heart better than any medication could. When the cat jumped on Jess’s lap, she opened her coat to share the warmth with her new friend. “No collar. Is someone missing you?”
“Tiger?” Someone plowed through the trees.
“Mm, I guess that’s a yes.” If it were up to her, Jess wouldn’t mind spending another hour with her new friend. Or longer, much longer. Who’d have thought that cuddling a cat would be so calming?
“Where are you, Tiger?”
That sounded like Liz’s voice. Why was an emergency doctor looking for a cat?
“Over here, on the bench,” Jess called back.
“You’re answering to Tiger now, Jess?” Laughing, Liz emerged from the darkness of the trees. “Is that something your girlfriend calls you?”
“Ha ha.” At the mention of her partner, Jess’s mood lifted. Instead of moping on the park bench, she should get home as fast as possible to cuddle with Lena and their daughter. “I guess you’re looking for this tiger?” She opened her coat to reveal the cat.
“Oh, thank God.” Liz sank on the bench next to her. “You found her.”
“More like she found me. Is she yours?”
“No, a patient’s. But she’s my responsibility now.” Liz carefully reached out and, when Tiger didn’t protest, petted her on the back. “She ran away, and the family left before we could catch her. They don’t want her anymore; she was a not-so-well-received Christmas present.”
“Poor Tiger. What are you going to do with her now, take her home?” Jess stifled the urge to clutch Tiger to her chest. She had known her for all of five minutes, and it wasn’t her place to be jealous.
“Can’t. My roommate is allergic.” Liz sighed. “That reminds me, I need to shower before I go home or Alexis will kill me.”
“Oh, right, the Great Cat Incident.” Jess had been working at another hospital across town at the time, but the story had made the rounds through all the hospitals in Seattle.
“Don’t remind me.” Liz groaned. “Maybe Tony or someone else can take her until we find her a permanent home. I don’t want to take her to the shelter; it’ll be crowded after Christmas.”
“So, no one has a claim on her?” An idea formed in Jess’s mind and filled her with anticipation like the first budding green after a long winter. “Could I take her?”
“Um, sure. But don’t you have to call your girlfriend first?”
“Fiancée.” Jess grinned. “I asked her to marry me on Christmas.”
“How wonderful.” Liz hugged her with one arm. “Does Lena like cats? Are you sure about it?”
“Like is not strong enough. Lena told me, all she ever wanted was a family: a wife, kids, and a cat.” The more Jess thought about the idea, the more she loved it. Yes, she had regretted her enthusiasm for her own ideas more than once in the past, but there wasn’t even a trace of doubt in her mind. Lena would love Tiger as much as she did already. But she had learned her lesson. Communication was more important than her beliefs. “I’m sure. She’ll fit right in with our small family. But I’ll call Lena and ask her before I leave.”
“Congratulations. You just became a mother again on the park bench.” Liz winked. “I’m looking forward to the next time.”