Kentucky Rain by Jan Scarbrough Page A

mother. If they’d been alone, he would have kidded Kate, asking her what she’d do for his permission. Another dinner date? A kiss maybe? But he sensed his answer was much too important to joke about. So he cleared his throat and lifted a cautious eyebrow.
    “I think the best way to answer this is to show you something,” he said. “Will you excuse me a moment?”
    Taking the steps to the second floor two at a time, Scott found his own calico cat in the master bedroom curled up on his pillow. He scooped up the snoozing feline and brought her downstairs.
    “Does this answer your question?”
    “A kitten!” Reagan hopped from one foot to the other and clapped her hands.
    “You have a cat?” Kate asked.
    “Surprises you?”
    She inclined her head. “A little.”
    “You don’t know much about me then.”
    She looked sheepish. “I guess I don’t.”
    “This is Folly,” Scott said to Reagan. “I call her that because I didn’t intend to take her, but my sister, Miss Sarah, drives a hard bargain.”
    “She’s beautiful, Scott.”
    “Would you like to hold her?” He offered the cat to Kate.
    Folly was a pretty, long-haired calico—spotted orange and shiny black on her back, but with a white bib and belly. Her paws were white and furry.
    “Look, the tip of her little nose is black,” Kate commented, stroking the silky fur.
    “She’s unique, but of course I’m biased,” he countered. “She’s a good companion and keeps me company on long, lonely nights.”
    Kate frowned at his remark and lifted her gaze to meet his.
    Scott raised a challenging eyebrow and held her gaze a moment. Then he turned to Reagan. “As you see, I have a cat, so you may have a cat, too. However, if you start to colonize the apartment with more of them, we may need to talk.”
    “Thank you.” Reagan grinned and shyly ducked her head.
    “You’re welcome.” He was glad he’d pleased her. Maybe that was the tack he needed to take with Kate. Could he get to the mom through the daughter without seeming to be a total jerk? Kate was coming off an unhappy divorce, after all, but that didn’t mean her life had ended.
    He had wanted to marry her once. After this morning’s meeting, he found he hadn’t changed his mind. So much for moving on. He could be a sucker for punishment, couldn’t he? But he intended to convince Kate that she’d made a mistake and should live life as she was meant to live it…with him.
    “Do you have the supplies you need for the kitten?” he asked Reagan.
    She shook her head no. “We just got him this afternoon.”
    “You’ll need food and cat litter to get him through the night. You can use a box lid to hold the litter until your mom buys a pan from the store.” Reagan hung on his every word, looking at him with trust. He was surprised by the warm feeling that rolled through his heart. He cleared his throat, unprepared for the tenderness. “Let’s go into my kitchen and see what I have.”
    Reagan came with him willingly, anxious for his help. Scott looked back at her mother to gauge her reaction. Instead of following them, she continued to hold his cat, caressing the long fur and cuddling it to her breast. When she bent down and kissed the black top of Folly’s head, a pang of jealousy surged through him.
    Somehow, he would take the place of that cat. Sooner than she realized, Katherine Cox Lawrence would be holding and kissing him instead.

 
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    The next day, while Reagan was at horse camp, Kate carried Spike to the Walters Small Animal Clinic where she had an appointment. Scott had shocked her last night. He’d been good with Reagan, letting her daughter keep the kitten and giving them food and litter for the night. More importantly, she’d been stunned by her response to a side of him she hadn’t known. The man owned a beautiful, well cared-for cat that was evidently well-loved.
    Good with her daughter. Cat owner. Was there a softer side to the man? Careful, Kate,