“She is about the size of a grenade,” Owen said. “She kind of looks like a camo cat too.”
Soaking wet, she kind of did.
“I should put her back with her mom.” I got out of the car. Reggie went wild.
No! Mine! Granate!
My father stepped onto the porch. “What in blue blazes is going on out here?”
“Reggie had a kitten in his mouth.” I held her out.
“Ah, her. That one’s mama died. There were only two in the litter and another cat took in the brother. This one…” He shrugged. “She’s weaned and on her own. Haven’t seen her in a while. Thought she might be hawk food. She will be if she keeps wanderin’ off.”
This was usually the way I ended up with fosters. It was me—or the hawk.
I took her with me to the car. Reggie immediately stopped barking and nosed the kitten. Instead of lifting her back like a Halloween cat, she licked his nose.
Mama.
I bit back my laughter as Reggie preened.
Mine. Granate.
“What does granate mean?”
Owen cast me an odd glance. “Where’d you hear that?”
I glanced at Reggie, who was now licking the kitten like any good mama would. “Around. Why?”
“Granate is German for grenade.”
Chapter 21
Owen wasn’t sure what to say to Becca. It wasn’t every day you discovered you were abandoned in the forest.
“Is that your cat now?” he asked.
“I think she’s Reggie’s.”
The dog did appear obsessed. Or in love.
“He isn’t going to be able to keep her.” Owen couldn’t imagine trying to smuggle a cat into Afghanistan. It would probably be easier to bring in some dope.
“You tell him,” Becca said. “I don’t have the heart.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at your parents’?”
“I’m sure.” She cast him a sideways glance. “I’d rather stay with you.”
He’d rather she stayed with him too.
The crazies were still out there. A lot of them, his mom included. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he didn’t want to let Becca out of his sight.
Owen started the truck, drove up to the main road, paused. “Do you want to stop at your place first?”
“For pajamas?”
He snorted, and he could have sworn she blushed, but it was hard to tell in the blue-gray of approaching twilight. He pulled onto the road and drove toward town.
“What about the wolf?”
“Pru.”
“Pru,” he repeated, and Reggie sat up and looked out the window with interest. The kitten tumbled off Becca’s lap and began to chew on the dog’s foot. Reggie didn’t seem to mind. “What does that mean?”
“Short for Prudence.” She shrugged. “Gotta call her something.”
“So you chose Prudence?”
Of all the names to choose for a wolf, that would not have been one of them. Then again, the kitten appeared to be named Grenade.
Reggie woofed, low, a bit startled.
“Deer,” Becca said, but she was staring at the dog and not the road.
Owen followed Reggie’s gaze and hit the brakes as a deer bolted in front of the truck.
He hated it when Becca did stuff like that. Sometimes he swore she was psychic, would have believed it too, if he were the sort to believe in things like that.
“Do you need to check on Pru?”
“No.” Becca peered out the passenger window. “The anesthesia should make her dopey enough to knock her out for the rest of the night.”
“And in the morning?”
“In the morning, we’ll see.”
“What about your sister?”
“Which one?”
He didn’t answer. She knew which one.
Instead of taking Carstairs Avenue through town, Owen skirted Three Harbors altogether. Lights blazed in the tavern; the scent of food made his stomach rumble. When was the last time he’d eaten?
He parked in front of his cottage and handed Becca his key. “You go in. I’ll get us some dinner.” He contemplated the kitten. “What about her?”
“Order me a chicken sandwich. She can have some of that.”
“Any other requests?”
“Wine,” she said. “Bring the bottle.”
* * *
I juggled Grenade as I opened the door. At least she wouldn’t explode if I dropped her.
Reggie pushed past me and I let him. If anyone or anything waited within that shouldn’t, he’d know about it.
Something creaked. I flicked on the light. Reggie stood on the bed. He twirled once and lay down. I deposited his kitten next to him, and she crawled between his paws. Within seconds the two of them had crashed.
I wished I could. When was the last time I’d slept? Would I be able to sleep tonight with all that swirled in my head?
My parents weren’t my parents. My brothers weren’t my brothers. My sister