Page 81 of Seasons of Love
Slade stared at Harley and me with raised eyebrows. Okay, so pouting wasn't working. Dammit.
He sat next to us and ran his hand over Harley's fur. She purred and went over to him. She always liked nuzzling under his beard.
Traitor.
I knew Slade was right, but I couldn't bear the thought of giving Harley to someone else.
We'd been back in Chester Falls for two weeks, and she'd become my writing companion. She'd sleep at my feet while I worked on my book, and then she'd follow me down to the garage and watch as Slade and I worked on the bike.
"If she was yours and you lost her, wouldn't you want to have her back?" he asked.
Damn him and his reasonable…reasoning.
"Okay, fine, but if she belongs to someone else, I'm going to buy her off them."
He chuckled and turned my face for a kiss.
Harley wasn't keen on PDAs unless they were directed at her, so she jumped off Slade's arms and went to hide in the bedroom.
With Slade's lap now vacant, I made my move.
"I believe this is how it all started," he said, running his hands over my jean-clad thighs.
I sighed. "I've thought back trying to find the defining moment that led me to being here with you, but I can't find it. It could have been the guy on the bike looking at the little girl that gave me the plot bunny for my book. It could have been the desperation to leave San Diego that brought me to Chester Falls. Maybe it was that split-second decision to help Ben out with the book fair. Or maybe it was the moment I was trapped in the intensity of your blue eyes."
He placed his hands on either side of my face and pulled me in for a gentle kiss. "You really are a writer."
I chuckled.
"Come on, let's take Harley to the V. E. T.," he said.
Tom had recommended Dr. Sawyer's practice, saying he'd been excellent with Coco, his and Wren's cat.
From the number of people in the waiting room with their pets, it looked like Dr. Sawyer was popular, or at least very good at his job.
Slade put his hand on my shaking leg.
"Sorry, I'm nervous for her. What if they hurt her?"
"They won't, baby."
I peered inside the travel box and Harley was happily asleep. To think our first encounter was her jumping on my back. She did have a naughty streak, but she seemed to pick her victims.
Liam often lost his lunch to mysterious events, but despite the warnings, he still made a habit of leaving his lunch on the bench while he answered the phone or saw a new customer in.
"Harley Warren-Lawton?" the girl in reception called.
"That's us."
We followed her to the consultation room.
"You gave the cat a hyphenated surname?" Slade asked.
"Of course. What else would she be called?"
"Hello, I'm Doctor Micah Sawyer, but you can call me Micah. Who do we have here?"
I looked at the doctor and then at Slade, who winked at me.
