To Love Someone (Baytown Boys #14) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,61

Jason. The work that’s been done is more than that.”

“Sam, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Huh? What gift horse?”

“He’ll probably hate that I told you this, but it was Joseph.”

“What was Joseph?”

“He wanted to make sure your vehicle was safe. So, he told Troy to do the work on it and he covered the cost. Look, Sam, I’ve really got to go. Come by anytime and you can pay up. No rush.” With that, Jason disconnected.

She stared at her phone for a few seconds, her mind playing catch-up with what Jason had said. Joseph wanted my vehicle safe? He covered the cost? If I’m pinching pennies, he must surely be also. She rubbed her hand over her forehead, and not for the first time wished she had a best girlfriend to talk over the muddled messages floating in her head.

“Dr. Collins, you’ve got a drop-in. A man found two kittens and is in exam room two.”

Glad for the interruption, she nodded toward Tonya and walked down the hall. Entering, her gaze landed on the familiar face, the lips curving as his eyes found her. Blinking, she cocked her head to the side, staring at the man she had left in bed just a couple of hours ago. “Joseph?” Before he had a chance to respond, he lifted his arms, and there, nestled in his large hands, were two tiny kittens. She sucked in a gasp so quickly her throat constricted. It didn’t matter how many animals she treated, worked with, cured, kept healthy… there was something so intrinsically precious about a kitten.

She rushed forward, scooping first one and then the other out of his hands, bringing them closer, her practiced eye checking for fleas. Seeing they were clean, she pressed them against her chest, their fur tickling her neck. She immediately heard the faint, rumbling purrs and smiled widely, her gaze jumping up to him. “I just left you! Where did you find them?”

“They were in the alley, right under my bike. Normally, I wouldn’t even be out there in the mornings. But I woke up alone, and hated staying in my place by myself—”

Another gasp escaped, this one less painful but just as surprised.

He blushed and shrugged. “I get it. You needed to get back to Frodo, and we hadn’t exactly decided…” He scrubbed his fingers through his hair, pulling the long locks back from his face as he seemed to search for the right words. “Anyway, I walked to the diner for breakfast, and when I came back, they were there.”

She wondered what he’d been about to say about the two of them but focused on the kittens instead. “Oh, it’s a miracle you found them.”

“I don’t know anything about cats. I looked around for more, but it was only these two. Then I looked around for a mama cat but didn’t see one.” He shrugged and said, “I’ve got no idea how old they are or what they need, but I knew you’d help me.”

“Okay, let’s get these two checked out, and then you’ll have a better idea of what you should do.”

She could not help but laugh at the antics of the two kittens as they tumbled over each other, swatted at her fingers with their tiny claws, and meowed. “The one with more gray is a little boy, and the one with the white face is a girl.”

“What do I feed them?”

“We’ve got kitten food in the front lobby you can purchase. I know you can get kitten food in the grocery store, but what we have is formulated for their age and needs. It’s a little bit more expensive—”

“Doesn’t matter. I want to get what they need.”

She hesitated, chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. “Joseph… um… you don’t have to keep them. You… you could take them to the shelter.” As soon as those words left her mouth, she knew she couldn’t part with them. If he didn’t want them, she did. It would be ridiculous to try to have two growing kittens along with Frodo in her camper, but somehow, knowing Joseph had rescued them made them all the more precious.

“No.” He spoke definitively while shaking his head. “I want to keep them, but I need your help. I don’t know what to do for them.”

She slowly lowered her arms, placing the kittens onto the examining table, keeping them safely tucked into her hands. “Joseph,” she began, shaking her head. “You need to think about what’s best for them.