Chapter 19 — Calvin

Calvin woke up smiling.

Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel his cheeks moving to what was apparently their new default position. He’d never smiled so much in his life, but now he couldn’t seem to stop.

It was because of Jack, of course.

And as improbable as it would have seemed even a week ago, Calvin was pretty sure Jack felt the same way.

Calvin wished he would have taken a chance and invited Jack to stay the night, but he’d been so out of it after what probably ranked as the best orgasm of his entire life that the thought didn’t even occur to him until after Jack was already gone.

That was okay, though. There would definitely be a next time.

Soon.

Very soon, if Calvin had his way.

He reached for his phone on the nightstand, feeling a surge of excitement when he realized he had a text from Jack.

Last night was amazing. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.

If Calvin hadn’t already been beaming, he definitely would have been by now. Seeing this new side of Jack was so nice, so refreshing. It reminded Calvin of how close they used to be as teenagers, except this was so much better.

So, so much better.

He felt a rekindled connection with Jack that Calvin thought had been severed a long time ago, and he didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize that connection again.

Jack would still have to go back to Boston soon, of course, but Calvin really hoped that they had turned a corner in their friendship, that they were building something better and stronger than what they had before.

He hoped that this new change in their relationship would endure time and distance and whatever misunderstandings might come up between them.

Above all, he just hoped that he wouldn’t lose Jack again completely. Even if he couldn’t have Jack as a boyfriend—and God, Calvin really, really wanted that—he could at least hope to keep his friendship this time around.

Calvin sighed and sat up in bed, stretching before swinging his legs off the side and standing up. There would be plenty of time to talk with Jack about whatever this new thing was between them and what it meant for them both going forward.

Now, though, he needed to take a shower and get to work.

After all, the sooner he left his house, the sooner he would see Jack again. That was reason enough to get moving.

###

Calvin had known Lane Brooks, Silver Lake’s veterinarian, for most of his life. Lane had gone to school with Calvin and Jack, and Lane’s dad had been the only vet in town ever since Calvin could remember.

Even if there had been another vet, Calvin really couldn’t imagine taking a pet anywhere else.

Still, it felt a little weird this time, since the pet in question was his pregnant stray cat, Darren, and Lane looked completely out of place in his dad’s old office.

But whatever.

Lane had a great reputation around town, so he was clearly doing a good job taking care of his father’s old clients.

“How long have you had her?” Lane asked, gingerly lifting Darren up onto the exam table as he looked across to where Calvin and Jack were standing. Darren squirmed, but Lane handled her like a pro, somehow managing to keep her on the table while avoiding her claws and teeth. “She’s a feisty one, isn’t she?”

Calvin winced. “She doesn’t really like to be picked up… except by Jack, I guess.” He nodded at the cat. “And I’m not sure… she’s been coming around the bookstore for maybe a month? I didn’t know she was pregnant until just a few days ago.”

“Didn’t know she was a she until a few days ago,” Jack muttered, earning a confused look from Lane and a mock-glare from Calvin.

“Ah, I see,” Lane said, his expression showing that he really didn’t see at all. “Well, we’re going to take good care of Miss Darren. She looks good and healthy, especially for a stray. If you’ll help keep her calm while I check her over, that would be great.”

Calvin and Jack both moved to pet and distract Darren while Lane poked and prodded and listened with his stethoscope.

“Will you be able to tell when she’s due?” Calvin asked. “I’d like to take her home and make her comfortable before she has her kittens.”

“A cat’s gestation period is only about nine weeks,” Lane said, not taking his eyes off Darren as he spoke. “And I’d say she’s over halfway there, so if you really do plan on taking her home, I’d make sure to do it soon so she has time to adjust and familiarize herself with the area. We don’t want to put undue stress on her when it’s time for her to have her litter.”

Calvin could feel his eyes go wide. If she was over halfway through her pregnancy—and God, just nine weeks?—that meant Calvin had less than a month left to get her comfortable in her new home. He might have as little as two or three weeks left, really.

“I think I’d better take her home from here, then,” Calvin mused. “Or maybe I should wait until I have all the things she’ll need—a litter box and food, a bed, toys—but now that I know how close she is to having her kittens, I’d hate to just turn her loose in the alley again. That just seems cruel.”

“Don’t worry, babe,” Jack said, resting a hand on Calvin’s lower back. “We’ll get everything sorted out. I can help you get some of the things you need so you won’t have to leave her unattended in your house right away.”

“And I’m sure we have some supplies around here we could give you to get you started,” Lane added. “A crate, a couple of toys, some food and treats…”

The last word made Darren’s ears perk up, and Lane smiled as he reached down to scratch her head. “Looks like she knows what that means.”

Calvin gave a sheepish grin. “I may have sort of spoiled her with treats a couple of times a day, but I couldn’t stand the thought of making her go hungry. Life is rough out there, you know? We all need some treats in our life, in my opinion.”

“You don’t have to convince me,” Lane said. “But I would suggest getting her set up with something a little more substantial—and a little healthier—than just a diet of treats if you plan on keeping her.”

“Oh, of course,” Calvin said quickly, nodding. “I’d be grateful if you could give me some recommendations for food when we’re done here. But, um… we don’t have to cut out treats completely, do we? She really does look forward to those.”

“I wouldn’t dream of telling you not to give this sweet girl any treats.” She nuzzled into Lane’s hand, as if to thank him. “Just use some moderation. She’ll still be just as appreciative of some healthy cat food, I promise.”

Calvin had to admit that it sounded pretty reasonable when Lane said it like that. Of course Darren wasn’t going to hold a grudge if Calvin cut back on treats, as long as he was feeding her some tasty kibble or whatever instead. Right? Maybe?

If Calvin was being honest, he really didn’t know what Darren liked aside from back scratches and too many treats. What if she hated it at Calvin’s house? What if she ran away and got lost on the other side of town from the bookstore?

Granted, Silver Lake wasn’t that big. And cats were pretty smart.

But still, he didn’t like the idea of his pregnant cat navigating her way across busy streets just to get back to the alley she was used to.

“How will I know what to do once we get home?” Calvin asked, hoping either Lane or Jack would give him some words of wisdom—or at least a little bit of encouragement. “What if she doesn’t like it there? What if we’re, um, incompatible?”

Both Jack and Lane shot Calvin a look that was part-amused, part-sympathetic. Jack was the first one to speak.

“I think if you weren’t compatible, she wouldn’t keep coming back to see you now. And I already know she’s going to love it at your house. You’ll be there, and I have a hunch that will be enough for her.” He shrugged. “It’s definitely enough for me.”

Calvin almost made a remark about giving Jack a treat when they got back to his house, but caught himself just in time before embarrassing himself in front of Lane.

It was just that Jack made it so easy to forget that anyone else was around.

“Jack is right,” Lane said, smiling at both of them. “Doing what you’re doing now—loving and caring for her, taking time to figure out what she needs and making sure she’s comfortable and is adjusting well—will be more than enough for Darren, and she will appreciate you for it.” He gestured toward the way Calvin was still absently petting her. “You see? You’ve already bonded with this cat. She already trusts you. Everything else will come in time. Don’t worry.”

Calvin wasn’t sure if it was possible not to worry—hello, did Lane even realize who he was talking to? They had known each other since high school, after all.

But he knew that what Lane and Jack said made sense, and he trusted both of them more than his normal, worrying instincts.

“Did you hear that, Darren?” Calvin said, giving her little scratches down her spine, just like she liked it. “I’m going to take care of you and we’re going to make this work, okay?”

Darren looked up at him and purred, and even though Calvin knew there wasn’t a way she could have actually understood the words he was saying, he still felt like she knew what he meant.

She knew he was trying, and that he was sincere. He was determined to do his best with her, and he hoped that would count for something.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he could make it work. He could give Darren a better life than the one she’d had living on the streets and hanging around outside the bookstore, that was for sure.

And he could make sure her kittens were taken care of, too, and that they could have good, loving homes someday.

That was his goal, anyway, and hopefully Darren could understand that on some level.

Looking at her looking back at him, Calvin was pretty sure she could.