Prologue
“I’m getting a cat.” Jessa ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed the mess into a ponytail. She doubted the woman with the cats actually cared what Jessa looked like, but better to make a good impression. She whisked her bangs from her eyes and then climbed out of the car. Remnants of Halloween decorations -- a decaying pumpkin if she wasn’t mistaken -- sat outside the gate. Orange streamers fluttered in the trees, making a crinkling sound. A shiver skated up her spine. Most places offering free kittens weren’t this scary. Why did she feel compelled to go to see Hildegard?
Go for what you want for a change , she told herself. She opened the gate and headed to the house.
“There you are.”
Jessa glanced around the yard. She didn’t see anyone, but she’d heard a scratchy voice. “Hello? Hildegard?” She crept up the walkway. “Hildy?”
“Right here, dearie.” Hildegard stood. The porch swing, hidden from the road behind a thick outcropping of ivy, creaked. “I knew you were coming.”
“How?” Jessa picked at her watch. “I hadn’t decided on a kitty yet.”
“Oh?” Hildegard smiled. Her ragged teeth showed and a lock of her salt-and-pepper hair blew in her face. “There are only two left. One is yours.”
“But how did you know?” Jessa followed the short woman. She’d known of Hildegard for years. Everyone knew about the witch. She kept cats and a myriad of other animals in her ragtag house.
Hildegard reached into a basket and withdrew a kitten. The little one, black with shiny gold eyes, stared at Jessa. The kitten yawned, showing off his bright pink tongue. “He’s very calm and likes to be held. Should be a good fit for you. Be patient with him.” Hildegard placed the kitten in Jessa’s arms. “Enjoy him.”
“I --” Jessa rubbed the kitten’s head against her chin. So soft and cuddly. Yeah, she needed someone or something to take away the loneliness. “Thank you. I’ll take very good care of him.”
“I know you will.”
Jessa glanced over at the last kitten. He seemed so lonely in the box. Should she take him, too? Part of her wanted to give the little thing a home, but two cats would be a lot of responsibility. “What about the other one? Does he have a home lined up?”
“He’ll be well cared for as well. Don’t worry about him.” Hildegard smiled again, then disappeared into her house. At least, Jessa assumed she went into the house.
“Oh.” Jessa tucked the kitten into the space between her windbreaker and her sweater. “You’re coming home with me, little guy. I don’t know you, but I think I’m in love.”
Chapter One
One year later…
“Damn it, Roman, get back here. I’m not very in love with you right now.” Jessa tossed the towel onto the floor, then raced after her black cat. “Whoever said he was calm should’ve had to bathe him.” With him speeding ahead of her, she sprinted down the hallway.
“Come back here.” Her hair flew in her eyes and her chest hurt from the scratches inflicted moments earlier when she’d first introduced him to the water.
Roman backed himself into a corner and hissed, his gold eyes blazing.
“Don’t make me have to tackle you.” Jessa crouched and took her best offensive stance. She counted to three, then lunged. An earth-shattering screech echoed in the room, but she managed to grab him. She looked down into her curled arms. The cat struggled, but couldn’t free himself.
“You are a brat -- cute, but a brat.” She kept him tight in her grasp and marched back to the bathroom. “If you weren’t one gigantic flea, this wouldn’t be necessary.”
Upon entering the bathroom, she kicked the door shut. “Now try and get away.” She glanced around for where the cat shampoo had landed. “This won’t take long.”
The cat scampered from her arms and skidded on the rug. He collided with the bathroom door. When he fell back, instead of a black cat, a man -- a naked man --
“I’m getting a cat.” Jessa ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed the mess into a ponytail. She doubted the woman with the cats actually cared what Jessa looked like, but better to make a good impression. She whisked her bangs from her eyes and then climbed out of the car. Remnants of Halloween decorations -- a decaying pumpkin if she wasn’t mistaken -- sat outside the gate. Orange streamers fluttered in the trees, making a crinkling sound. A shiver skated up her spine. Most places offering free kittens weren’t this scary. Why did she feel compelled to go to see Hildegard?
Go for what you want for a change , she told herself. She opened the gate and headed to the house.
“There you are.”
Jessa glanced around the yard. She didn’t see anyone, but she’d heard a scratchy voice. “Hello? Hildegard?” She crept up the walkway. “Hildy?”
“Right here, dearie.” Hildegard stood. The porch swing, hidden from the road behind a thick outcropping of ivy, creaked. “I knew you were coming.”
“How?” Jessa picked at her watch. “I hadn’t decided on a kitty yet.”
“Oh?” Hildegard smiled. Her ragged teeth showed and a lock of her salt-and-pepper hair blew in her face. “There are only two left. One is yours.”
“But how did you know?” Jessa followed the short woman. She’d known of Hildegard for years. Everyone knew about the witch. She kept cats and a myriad of other animals in her ragtag house.
Hildegard reached into a basket and withdrew a kitten. The little one, black with shiny gold eyes, stared at Jessa. The kitten yawned, showing off his bright pink tongue. “He’s very calm and likes to be held. Should be a good fit for you. Be patient with him.” Hildegard placed the kitten in Jessa’s arms. “Enjoy him.”
“I --” Jessa rubbed the kitten’s head against her chin. So soft and cuddly. Yeah, she needed someone or something to take away the loneliness. “Thank you. I’ll take very good care of him.”
“I know you will.”
Jessa glanced over at the last kitten. He seemed so lonely in the box. Should she take him, too? Part of her wanted to give the little thing a home, but two cats would be a lot of responsibility. “What about the other one? Does he have a home lined up?”
“He’ll be well cared for as well. Don’t worry about him.” Hildegard smiled again, then disappeared into her house. At least, Jessa assumed she went into the house.
“Oh.” Jessa tucked the kitten into the space between her windbreaker and her sweater. “You’re coming home with me, little guy. I don’t know you, but I think I’m in love.”
Chapter One
One year later…
“Damn it, Roman, get back here. I’m not very in love with you right now.” Jessa tossed the towel onto the floor, then raced after her black cat. “Whoever said he was calm should’ve had to bathe him.” With him speeding ahead of her, she sprinted down the hallway.
“Come back here.” Her hair flew in her eyes and her chest hurt from the scratches inflicted moments earlier when she’d first introduced him to the water.
Roman backed himself into a corner and hissed, his gold eyes blazing.
“Don’t make me have to tackle you.” Jessa crouched and took her best offensive stance. She counted to three, then lunged. An earth-shattering screech echoed in the room, but she managed to grab him. She looked down into her curled arms. The cat struggled, but couldn’t free himself.
“You are a brat -- cute, but a brat.” She kept him tight in her grasp and marched back to the bathroom. “If you weren’t one gigantic flea, this wouldn’t be necessary.”
Upon entering the bathroom, she kicked the door shut. “Now try and get away.” She glanced around for where the cat shampoo had landed. “This won’t take long.”
The cat scampered from her arms and skidded on the rug. He collided with the bathroom door. When he fell back, instead of a black cat, a man -- a naked man --
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