laminate but seemed to be in good condition. Same with the kitchen cabinets. At some stage the kitchen would need to be updated, but for the time being it would provide the most basic of amenities.
She made her way through the kitchen to the living room when she heard what sounded like another car pulling into the driveway.
A sense of unease filled her. She stood in a house in the middle of nowhere. No one from town knew she’d come out here. No one apart from the Cooper family knew she had come to town. She had nothing to defend herself with, unless there happened to be a knife in the kitchen drawer.
Charlotte sidled up to the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she watched a sleek-looking sports car pull up beside her mundane sedan.
She didn’t know much about serial killers, but she was pretty sure they didn’t drive late model sports cars.
A tall figure stepped out.
Gage.
What the hell was he doing here? And what did he have on the end of what looked like a leash—a cat or the smallest dog in history? Gage didn’t strike her as a small dog kind of guy. A German shepherd or a Rottweiler, yes. A frou-frou dog? No way.
She marched over to the front door. Maybe the key in her hand was dual function and unlocked the back and front doors. She’d never know until she tried.
Charlotte inserted the key in the door and turned. The satisfying sound of the lock unbolting echoed around the room.
She opened the door and walked out onto the porch.
“I’m afraid I’ve got nothing for unexpected visitors.”
If she thought she’d surprised him last night at the bar, it was nothing like the incredulous look on his face at hearing her voice.
“Charlotte? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I could say the same to you, seeing as how you’re trespassing on what is essentially my property.”
A flash of black darted out from behind Gage, pulling his arm and jerking him off his feet.
“God dammit, Oil Slick, come back here.”
She laughed as he gave the lead a slight yank and the animal immediately halted in its attempt to escape or chase something. She wasn’t quite sure what the animal was doing.
She traipsed down the steps and ambled over to Gage. She could finally make out it wasn’t a dog at the end of the leash but a cute, black kitten. How could it be a cat, though. Cats didn’t like leashes.
“Is that a cat?”
“No, what it is, is Gavin’s idea of a sick joke. He and Macy talked me into taking the cat Macy hit with her car.”
As she got closer she could see a scar on the back of its leg where the fur had yet to grow over. The cat, with its inquisitive nature, pranced over to where she stood and immediately began sniffing her outstretched hand like a dog.
She smiled up at Gage. “I suspect your cat thinks it’s a dog. I’ve never seen a cat so happy to be attached to a leash.”
Gage bent down and picked up the furry creature. Straight away, it head-butted Gage for a pat. “Tell me about it. But I guess hanging out with Gavin’s dog, Merle, she picked up some of the dog’s habits and mannerisms. All the way down here in the car, she sat quietly on the passenger seat. I had to check a couple of times to make sure she was still breathing.”
“I thought cats hated cars.”
“Yeah, and you’d think after being hit by one, Oil Slick here would dislike them.”
“Oil Slick? What sort of name is that for a cat?”
“It’s better than the name they were calling her.”
“What was that?”
“Lady Marceline.”
“Well, it’s prettier than the name you’ve given her.”
“She’s my cat now, I get to name her what I want. Besides”—Gage shrugged—“I thought Oil Slick fit her well. I’m in the oil industry. She’s black and she was almost a slick on the road.”
Charlotte snorted, she couldn’t help it. “What an awful analogy.”
“Maybe, but she likes it.” He tickled the cat around her ears. “Don’t you, Oil Slick?”
The cat purred loudly in response. God,
She made her way through the kitchen to the living room when she heard what sounded like another car pulling into the driveway.
A sense of unease filled her. She stood in a house in the middle of nowhere. No one from town knew she’d come out here. No one apart from the Cooper family knew she had come to town. She had nothing to defend herself with, unless there happened to be a knife in the kitchen drawer.
Charlotte sidled up to the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she watched a sleek-looking sports car pull up beside her mundane sedan.
She didn’t know much about serial killers, but she was pretty sure they didn’t drive late model sports cars.
A tall figure stepped out.
Gage.
What the hell was he doing here? And what did he have on the end of what looked like a leash—a cat or the smallest dog in history? Gage didn’t strike her as a small dog kind of guy. A German shepherd or a Rottweiler, yes. A frou-frou dog? No way.
She marched over to the front door. Maybe the key in her hand was dual function and unlocked the back and front doors. She’d never know until she tried.
Charlotte inserted the key in the door and turned. The satisfying sound of the lock unbolting echoed around the room.
She opened the door and walked out onto the porch.
“I’m afraid I’ve got nothing for unexpected visitors.”
If she thought she’d surprised him last night at the bar, it was nothing like the incredulous look on his face at hearing her voice.
“Charlotte? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I could say the same to you, seeing as how you’re trespassing on what is essentially my property.”
A flash of black darted out from behind Gage, pulling his arm and jerking him off his feet.
“God dammit, Oil Slick, come back here.”
She laughed as he gave the lead a slight yank and the animal immediately halted in its attempt to escape or chase something. She wasn’t quite sure what the animal was doing.
She traipsed down the steps and ambled over to Gage. She could finally make out it wasn’t a dog at the end of the leash but a cute, black kitten. How could it be a cat, though. Cats didn’t like leashes.
“Is that a cat?”
“No, what it is, is Gavin’s idea of a sick joke. He and Macy talked me into taking the cat Macy hit with her car.”
As she got closer she could see a scar on the back of its leg where the fur had yet to grow over. The cat, with its inquisitive nature, pranced over to where she stood and immediately began sniffing her outstretched hand like a dog.
She smiled up at Gage. “I suspect your cat thinks it’s a dog. I’ve never seen a cat so happy to be attached to a leash.”
Gage bent down and picked up the furry creature. Straight away, it head-butted Gage for a pat. “Tell me about it. But I guess hanging out with Gavin’s dog, Merle, she picked up some of the dog’s habits and mannerisms. All the way down here in the car, she sat quietly on the passenger seat. I had to check a couple of times to make sure she was still breathing.”
“I thought cats hated cars.”
“Yeah, and you’d think after being hit by one, Oil Slick here would dislike them.”
“Oil Slick? What sort of name is that for a cat?”
“It’s better than the name they were calling her.”
“What was that?”
“Lady Marceline.”
“Well, it’s prettier than the name you’ve given her.”
“She’s my cat now, I get to name her what I want. Besides”—Gage shrugged—“I thought Oil Slick fit her well. I’m in the oil industry. She’s black and she was almost a slick on the road.”
Charlotte snorted, she couldn’t help it. “What an awful analogy.”
“Maybe, but she likes it.” He tickled the cat around her ears. “Don’t you, Oil Slick?”
The cat purred loudly in response. God,
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