Page 91 of Autumn at the Cat Cafe

“I know.” She sighed, tears starting to flow. Great, she was crying in front of her big brother—the one who used to tease her for being a big baby when she skinned her knee. “I promised myself I wouldn’t let my past get in the way of my future.” She lifted her head and looked at him. “I did exactly that.”

“Why didn’t you make an offer on Second Chapter? That makes the most sense to me.”

She stared at her lap. “I couldn’t afford it.”

“Then I would have given you a loan. Or gone in as a partner. It’s a great business investment.”

“Mom and Dad paid so much money for my wedding. I promised I’d pay them back, even though they didn’t want me to.”

“What does that have to do with me? I just rented the tux.”

“Nothing... I guess.” She wiped off her cheek with the back ofher hand. “I didn’t want to depend on family. Or anyone else. I’d already made such a huge mistake, and now I just made an even bigger one. I’m hopeless.”

Fergus shoved himself off the chair and went to the end table. He grabbed the tissue box and offered it awkwardly to her.

“Thanks.” She pulled one out and honked into it. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over between me and Leo.”

“So there was something between you. I knew it.”

Via looked up at him looming over her. “Sparks?”

“What? No.” He grinned. “He told me.”

Via shot up from the couch. “What? When?”

“After Sunday lunch a few weeks ago. You were packing up the car. He pulled me aside and admitted it. Said he didn’t want me to worry about you.” His smile faded. “That he wouldn’t hurt you.”

Her brother might as well have shot an arrow into her heart.

“I’m sorry you guys didn’t work out,” he said. “Leo seemed like a good dude. For an Ivy Leaguer.” He paused. “You sure you’re gonna be okay?”

She fell into his bear hug. “Yes.” Eventually. She had to be. “Thanks for checking on me.”

“Anytime.” He pulled away. “Just don’t spread it around that I did. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Fergus left, and Via sat back down on the couch. So Leo had told her brother he liked her. She had no idea. And now she felt even more despondent.

Trevor had shattered her heart. She never imagined she would be the one to shatter it again.

Chapter 24

During the first two weeks of November, Via tried to get back to normal. She’d stopped staring at Leo’s—Earl’s—apartment door every morning and had thrown herself into new activities at Pawsitive Vibes. Unfortunately one of them included another Meow and Mingle, back by popular demand, with Dora promising not to get sick this time. Via had no intention of being involved.

She leash-trained Squeaks, which wasn’t an easy task and had taken up a lot of her spare time. She also worked on her autumn sweater and was almost done with that by mid-November. She considered that a win and put a half checkmark by it on her bucket list. The only thing that she hadn’t completed was watching a Lake Erie sunset. Every time she tried to get in the mood to go, she stopped herself. If it weren’t for her idiocy, she and Leo would have already finished the list. Who cared if it was part of Earl’s stipulations? She realized she’d been so very, very wrong to be angry with Leo about that too.

On the third Monday of November, she opened the door to take Sir Meow and Squeaks on their morning walks, only to freeze in her tracks. Earl’s door was ajar and she heard movement inside. Where was her lamp when she needed it?

“Meow!” Sir tugged on the leash, pulling toward the apartment.

Leo! Her heart raced as she and the cats burst inside the room... to see two guys packing up boxes. “What are you doing?” she asked. “You’re not allowed to be in here.”

The tall, slim guy with a toothpick in the corner of his mouth walked up to her. “All I know is my boss told us to come here and pack everything up. New owner’s orders.”

“New owner?” she said weakly. Then she grabbed the cats, flew down the stairs, and shot out the door to the sidewalk. Sure enough, in the corner of Second Chapter’s front window was the For Sale sign.

“He did it.” Via slowly set down Sir and Squeaks, their leashes still around her wrist. “He really did it.” Her phone rang inside the pocket of her jacket. She pulled it out. “Hi, Bennett,” she said, unable to even pretend to be chipper.

“Hello, Via. You sound like you’ve already found out.”