lately but she’s still timid. The fact that she doesn’t even flinch or hiss makes me worry most of all. She’s not in a good place. She sniffs the treat but doesn’t eat it. “Hey, sweet Abby girl, we’re going to get you somewhere warm and safe, okay?”
I know cats don’t like it when you come at them from the front, but from this position there’s no other option. I glance up at Bass. “I think if you move that container you can grab her from behind. I’ll block this side so she can’t run.”
“Good idea.” The rain starts coming down harder now, and from the sound of it hitting the concrete and grass, little plinks instead of drops, it’s already beginning to ice over. I get the cat carrier and move it to the area we need Abby to go. He looks down at me and asks, “You ready?”
“Yep.” I wipe a cold drop off my cheek. She’s not going to give us more than one chance, and once she’s exposed to the ice coming down, she’s going to bolt and go god knows where.
Bass carefully shifts the bin, closing up one entrance and making another. He then pushes it forward, forcing Abby to move or get crushed between them. It’s enough of a threat to get her moving, and she stands, backing her swollen body toward the carrier. When she gets close enough, I grab her gently and push her inside, slamming and latching the door quickly.
I exhale and look up at Bass’s grinning face. “Good shit.”
“So,” I reply, standing, “what do we do now?”
Abby makes a low meowing sound, and I peek inside. We may have caught her just in time.
Bass grimaces and says, “I’m not sure.”
“Your room?”
“Have you been around a cat giving birth?” he asks. I shake my head. “Well, it’s probably loud and I’m pretty sure even with a suite, my neighbors would hear.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Don’t you have your family thing tomorrow?”
“I’m supposed to, but with the weather and not having my car back yet…”
He nods, brows knitting together in contemplation. “I think we can solve that. We can take Abby back to my house, which will put you closer to the Briar Cliffs. I can drive you up there tomorrow.” He watches me closely. “If you’re okay with that.”
I’m struck with surprise that he so willingly wants to take me to his home. That he so willingly wants me to take him to mine. I’d been determined not to have Sebastian meet my family, particularly Doug, but the time for stressing over either has passed. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
As if on cue, Abby gives another long howl. Whatever I think about tomorrow, right now she needs to get somewhere safe, and Sebastian can provide it.
“Yeah, let’s do it,” I tell him, even though the idea terrifies me. He must sense it, because he kisses me on the forehead and tells me to meet him at the car once I’ve grabbed my stuff. Life put Sebastian Wilcox in my path, and there’s no way to avoid introducing him to my family.
I just hope that everyone can survive.
25
Sebastian
If I had to picture a scenario of me taking Sugar—or any girl—home, it would not have been to the soundtrack of a howling cat about to give birth.
“Holy shit,” Sugar says, peering into the crate, “Abby really does not like being in this thing. Is it much further?”
“Nah, we’re almost there.” The ice is coming down harder now, the tiny pellets bouncing off Jasmine’s windshield. I’m as confident as anyone can get about driving, but I’m still tense and anxious. Maybe it’s the fact I’m carrying precious cargo that makes my hands clench, white-knuckled around the steering wheel. After we pass two accidents, I’m ready to get off this fucking hellscape of a road.
It feels like it takes forever for the stone pillars marking the entry of my driveway to finally come into view. I turn in, following the long path toward the house, and can’t help but sneak a quick peek at Sugar, trying to anticipate her reaction. Sugar knows enough about me and my family’s financial status to expect a nice house. But exactly how nice is relative.
Even I’m aware that our house isn’t only big. It could almost be qualified as a fucking compound. We could house a cult in here and no one would be the wiser. Any other girl would be impressed as hell,