Naked Hope (13 page)

Jill waved a hand. “I’m not in the market. I’m just here with my friend.”

Will glanced around. “I don’t see no friend. Just see you lookin’ all lonely and lost standin’ by these here rabbits. Rabbits won’t do it for you. Lemme show you the cats.” He reached for her hand.

But Jill shrank back.
The last thing she needed right now was responsibility for the care and maintenance of an animal
.

“Come on now, I won’t bite.” When Will smiled, his weathered face softened.

This shelter worker looked less like the kind of stranger mothers warn their children about, and more like somebody’s grandfather. Jill folded her arms. “No, really. But thanks. I’m just waiting for my friend.”

Will cocked his head. “Got a tiny white kitten with blue eyes. Poor little thing’s deaf,” he clucked. “Gonna be mighty hard for her to find a home bein’ deaf like that. Why there now, cat lady, what’re you cryin’ about?” His eyes widened.

Jill leaned against the row of rabbit cages and tried to catch her breath, tears squeezing out of her eyes. “I’m all right,” she managed through a tight throat. “ My sister died a month ago.”

Will smacked the back of his hand against his forehead.

“She had a white cat.” Tightness in Jill’s chest made her choke. “Blue eyes. Deaf.” She sat down on one of the cages. Her words rushed out, broken. “I was out of the country when Anna died. Her cat was old and going blind. They put down the cat before I could get back. I’d promised to take care of the cat if anything ever happened to Anna. But I didn’t because I wasn’t there. Not for Anna, and not for her cat.”

Will slid an arm through hers. “I tell you what, cat lady,” he said, guiding her down the hall. “I’m gonna take you over to one of them observatory rooms. You just sit there awhile and recover yourself. Okay, darlin’?” He opened the door to one of the stark rooms.

She grasped Will’s hand. “Can you stay?”

Will grinned. “I can do better’n that. Be right back.”

Jill plunked down onto the metal bench, her body aching from tension. How silly to pour out all her personal business to a stranger like that.

Will returned, carrying a cardboard box and set it down in the middle of the room. He opened the lid and out leaped a sleek black cat, landing on Jill’s lap.

The animal looked at her with the greenest eyes she’d ever seen, and then licked Jill’s hand.

“That’s Sydney. He’s ‘bout four. Very dignified and ya know what they say…if looks could kill.” Will wiggled his eyebrows.

A scrabbling came from inside the box.

Jill looked at Will, who grinned like a rascal.

“Well, wadaya know. Mebbe somethin’ else is in there. Go on, take a look.”

Sydney hopped down as Jill peeked in and saw a tiny white kitten with blue eyes, an exact miniature of Anna’s cat, AayKay. Her brain skidded into memories of Anna, no matter how hard she tried to stop it.

“Why did you name your cat AayKay?”

Anna’s mouth puckered into a secretive smile. She picked up a pencil and drew an A and then a K. “AK—Anna’s Kat.”

“Well, go on. Pick her up.”

Will’s raspy urgings brought her back to the present. Jill couldn’t resist. Her fingers closed around the linty white fur. “She’s so tiny.”

“Nigh onto six weeks. Her mama died last night. But Sydney here has taken a shine to her.” He jerked his head toward the black cat.

Jill placed the kitten on the steel bench. Sydney hopped up, caught the kitten by the scruff of its neck, and curled into Jill’s lap, his prickly tongue bathing the kitten’s face. Cat and kitten looked like the perfect representation of yin and yang.
Outmaneuvered by two felines and an old man
. “You’re a crafty one.” Jill accused.

Will’s craggy face cracked into a wide smile. “See, I knew you was a cat lady.”

Jill nodded, her fingers traveling back and forth between Sydney’s black fur and the kitten’s white scruff. “Okay, Will,” she said, grinning. “Show me what you recommend for supplies.”

Back in the car Gage asked, “What will you name them?”

Jill looked down at her lap and stroked Sydney’s fur. “I’d never change Sydney’s name, but the kitten…” She untangled the kitten from Sydney’s paws. The kitten hugged her open palm, staring back. A wave of tenderness washed over her and she whispered, “You are a wonder.”

Gage pulled into her driveway. “I think that’s a darling name.”

Jill frowned. “What is?”

Gage grinned. “Wonder.”

Jill set up a litter box in the laundry room. Satisfied, she cruised into the kitchen to put kitten food in Wonder’s bowl and adult cat food in Sydney’s bowl.
Will said it usually works out but how will I ever keep them out of each other’s food?

Sure enough, Sydney dove into Wonder’s bowl and the kitten crawled into Sydney’s bowl where she promptly fell asleep on top of the dry kibbled bits.

Jill set a kettle for tea on the stove and popped a bowl of chili into the microwave. She selected one of her favorite chi blends, tapped the leaves into a tea strainer, and removed the water just as it started to boil. She set everything on a tray, tucked the kitten into her arm, and climbed to the loft where her wide surfaced desk waited, piled high with projects. Jill set the tray on her desk, and flipped on the fireplace, even though it was really too early in the season. She loved the ambience a fire provided, and sat at her desk with Wonder curled in her lap, to outline the next chapter in her new book as she ate.

Sydney leaped onto the desk and rolled over on his back, revealing his jet black belly.

Jill absently stroked Sydney and took a few bites of chili, as thoughts of the past several days settled around her like low-hanging clouds. Had Gavin simply been having his kicks? Had he seduced her as a way of coercing Olivia’s enrollment? She shook her head, rejecting the idea. Clearly he could just buy his way in, so he certainly hadn’t needed to resort to seducing her.

Besides, he didn’t seduce you. If anything, you made the first move.

Aware thoughts like these would get her nowhere, she finished her chili, sipped her tea, and was soon lost in her work. A soft knocking escalated to an insistent pounding before she could answer the door. With a small sigh, she headed down the stairs, nimbly avoiding the scanty little kitten that rollicked at her heels. Thinking Gage had forgotten something, she swung the door wide without looking through the peephole.

Gavin Fairfield stood on her step, his dark hair disheveled, and his erect posture slipping.

She clasped a hand over her half-open mouth. He looked altogether undone, and devastatingly male.

Chapter Ten

Gavin yanked at the knot of his tie. “I'm sorry—I tried calling—may I come in?”

She closed the door behind him. “Has something happened to Olivia?”

His jaw ticked. “She’s safe now but I don’t know what to do.” Gavin glanced around. “It’s Liv,” he repeated.

“Have a seat.” She indicated the sofa. “I was having tea. Would you like some?”

“Liv won’t stop crying, and she won’t come out of her room. I don’t know what to do.”

Gavin appeared not to have heard her. Jill worked to keep from showing her concern. “How long has this been going on?”

He glanced at his watch. “Started this morning. This isn’t one of her typical tantrums.”

Jill sat on the sofa. “Do you know what brought this on?”

Gavin sat next to her. “Something to do with starting school.” He glanced around and pointed to the stairs. “Loft? May I see?” He took the stairs two steps at a time without waiting for an answer.

When she caught up with him, he stood staring at her desk.

“You write?” He picked up one of her books.

“Yes, I have a series of children’s books designed to help children with TBI master their reading and visualization skills.”

“But this doesn’t look like a teaching aid.” He flipped over the book. “Ten weeks on the New York Times best sellers list. That’s a pretty good run.”

“Gavin, I know you’re distracted, but I can’t help unless you focus and tell me what’s going on. You were saying Olivia’s upset about school? ” She fought to keep from saying,
this is exactly why I didn’t recommend Olivia for admission. The pressure is too much for her right now
.

Gavin put down the book exactly as he’d found it. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure where to start. This morning, Chapman called to tell me you’d reconsidered and agreed to admit Olivia into your program, after all.”

Jill gave a start.
Reconsidered?

“So, Mother started going through her school things with her while we explained about the new school. Liv had a fit, but we got her calmed down in fairly short order. That’s when I called to thank you—but couldn’t reach you, and I couldn’t leave a message because your voice mail’s full. So, I drove in to thank you in person.”

He reached for her. “I don’t know what made you change your mind. I’m just grateful you did. You have a guard dog for a neighbor, by the way.”

She moved out of his arms, unsure how to respond, or even how she wanted to respond.

He followed, reaching for her a second time. “And there are a few things between us I’d like to straighten out.”

She avoided his arms. The term hadn’t even started yet and already she’d been bullied by the board as a result of his influence, and forced to override her decision about Olivia. What would the situation be like the next time he disagreed?

“But you weren’t at the office, and you weren’t home. So I headed back to Shadow Hills. That’s when Mother called to say Liv had gone missing. By the time I got home, Liv had been found, but no one can get her to stop crying. That’s when I knew we needed you. I couldn’t get you by phone, so I took my chances you’d be home by now and drove back. You’ve got to help us, Jillian.” His blue-gray eyes deepened. “We need you.”

With him so close, Jill struggled to think clearly. How could she deny him?
Check that. Olivia. It’s Olivia who needs me
. She reached around him and flipped off the fire. “Let me change my shirt.”

Gavin cocked his head. “You look good to me.”

“A jacket then. The forecast predicts a chilly night. I’ll just be a moment.”

An hour later, Jill found Olivia in her bedroom, lying on top of the bed covers, her little face turned to the wall. Tucked into the curve of her arm was a well-worn bunny-bear. She sat on the edge of the little girl’s bed. “Hello, Olivia.” When Olivia didn’t respond, she said, “It's Dr. Jill.”

Still, no response.

“I came for another visit. I thought, perhaps, you might take me into your sun room to see the birds.”

The little girl gulped in a huge, ragged breath.

Jill stroked the bunny-bear’s ear. “I have something to show you.”

Without waiting for a response, Jill scooped Wonder out of her carrier and set the kitten on the bed.

Wonder prowled the mounds of pink and purple bed covers until she’d crawled the length of Olivia’s lanky frame, and plopped down next to Olivia’s ear. After an experimental lick, Wonder rolled off Olivia’s body, caught herself on the comforter, and pulled herself back up until she sat on top of Olivia’s head. There, she kneaded her tiny paws against Olivia’s tangled brown hair.

Jill could hardly keep from laughing.

Without turning around, Olivia groped blindly until her fingers touched Wonder’s kitteny fur. She sprang up, smoothing the kitten's tufted fur. When Wonder didn’t purr, Olivia’s face creased into a petulant sneer, and pushed away the kitten.

But Wonder, crawled back into Olivia’s thin arms, proving to be as stubborn as Olivia.

“Why doesn't he purr?” Olivia asked.

Jill smiled. “He is a she. And you're quite right. She doesn't purr, yet.”

“Why?”

“Because cats purr on instinct when they feel happy. Safe. And this little kitten doesn’t feel safe yet, probably because she’s still adjusting.”

“Adjusting to what?”

“Well, she has a disability.”

Olivia looked at Jill. “What’s wrong with her?”

Not at all surprised to learn Olivia held the common misconception and equated a disability with being defective, Jill answered, “There’s nothing wrong with her. Having a disability doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. Wonder is deaf.”

“Deaf?”

“That's right. She can’t hear.”

“Poor little thing,” Olivia murmured, holding the little kitten close. “Will she ever purr?”

Jill nodded. “Yes, I think so. But first she needs to feel safe, just like people sometimes do.”

Olivia frowned. Then, she said, “I remember you.”

Jill heard the child’s wise-sounding voice and waited, but Olivia had returned to scratching Wonder’s chin.

“Do you like the kitten?” Jill asked.

Olivia nodded, her eyes rounded.

Ever vigilant about managing her reaction, a relieved Jill said, “Good. Because you'll be seeing her a lot.”

Olivia laid her cheek against Wonder’s fur. “I will?”

“Yes. At your school.”

“School?” Olivia's eyes narrowed.

“It’s my school, too, and Wonder visits the children frequently. Would you like to see her again?”

“Maybe.” Olivia’s eyes softened, a little more each time she looked down at the kitten.

Jill stood. “You'll have to make up your mind. School starts in just a few days.”

Wonder stirred in Olivia's arms. She opened her sleepy eyes and placed a miniature paw against Olivia's chin.

“School’s okay, I guess,” Olivia muttered.

“Very good. Let's go tell your father.” Jill held out her hand.

“My d-dad's home?” Olivia’s stutter returned.

“In fact, I think he's dishing up bowls of ice cream. Shall we get in on some of that action?”

Olivia looked torn, her gaze flickering between the doorway and the bundle in her arms. She stroked the kitten. “May I take her with me?”

Jill nodded, smiling at the child’s obvious affection for the kitten. “Of course.”

Olivia clattered out of the bedroom, and streaked down the hall out of sight.