Page 47 of Autumn at the Cat Cafe
“Can he breathe okay?”
“Don’t worry.” She turned back around. “We’ve gone on many trips with the catpack.”
That seemed to appease him. And now she felt like a bigger fool. She’d accused him of something Trevor would do, and that wasn’t fair. “I’m sorry, Leo. I shouldn’t have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I...” No, she couldn’t explain herself any more than that. She didn’t want to bring her past into the present more than she already had.
He tilted his head, as if he were going to say something. Then he nodded. “Are you ready to go? There’s nothing I can do about my car right now. I’ll figure it out later.”
When they got to the back parking lot, Dora was by Gold Yeller, texting on her phone. From her smile, Via was sure she was talking to Charlie.
She was surprised her sister hadn’t canceled to go to the pumpkin patch with him instead. They had spent every Saturday night together since they started dating, but Dora had said that Charlie was meeting his ex-wife to pick up their daughter, Phoenix, for the weekend, and she lived over an hour away near Akron.
Leo was peering inside the driver’s side window, then looked at the door handle. “Do you have the key?”
“Keys,” Via said, pulling them out of her jacket pocket. “One for the door, the other for the ignition.”
He looked at them like foreign objects, then at the truck like it was from outer space.
“Have you ever driven an old truck before?” Via asked.
“No,” he said. “Or a new one.”
“Never?” Dora asked.
“Ever?” Via added.
“Didn’t have a need to, until now.”
“She’s all yours,” Via said with a touch of sadness.
“Don’t worry. Gold Yeller is in good hands.” He gulped. “I think.”
She took off Sir’s catpack and held it by the top handle. As Leo got inside the truck, she opened the passenger’s side door. “Get in,” she said to Dora.
“You first.” Dora grabbed her arm and shoved her and Sir Meow inside across the bench seat, making her bump against Leo.
She glared at Dora. “Apparently my sister can’t wait to get to the pumpkin patch.”
Dora simply grinned.
The truck was midsized, and with the three of them in the cab, there wasn’t much room. Her thigh pressed against Leo’s as Dora wedged her purse between her and Via. Sir Meow was facing front, although his view consisted of the air-conditioning vent and half of the radio.
Leo either didn’t notice or care that there was zero space between them as he looked over the steering wheel and dashboard, but she couldn’t stop noticing. She definitely couldn’t stop the wonderful tingling warmth coursing through her. Not when it was taking everything she had not to fully lean against him.
His gaze stopped at the green-cardboard tree air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror that had lost its scent long ago. He shrugged, stuck the key into the ignition, and turned it. GoldYeller came to life. “Here we go, I guess.” After a quick study of the controls and dash, he yanked down the automatic gear shift.
Via grabbed on to Sir’s pack in her lap as the truck lurched forward.
Soon it was smooth driving as they made their way to Pumpkin Paradise, about twenty minutes south of Pecan Corner. Via gave him directions, trying to ignore the warmth of his leg against hers, the slight friction of it as he deftly shifted his foot from gas pedal to brake during the drive. Once he got comfortable with Gold Yeller, he placed his right hand on his lower thigh... very close to her knee. If he just moved his hand two centimeters to the right...
She glanced at his profile, noting the concentration. He wasn’t thinking about her, and that knowledge was the dose of reality she always seemed to need when she was around him.
Via stared straight ahead. Dora and Sir were also quiet. Leo seemed to have a handle on Gold Yeller, and she settled against the bench seat.
Thud!
The truck rocked to the side, rolling over an impressive pothole. Via clutched the catpack again as she slid against Leo.
“Sorry.” Both his hands were back on the wheel. At Sir’s indignant meow he said, “Sorry to you too, Sir.”
