Jack led Sissy and Ben to a large room lined floor to ceiling along each wall with cages. Sissy felt almost claustrophobic and struggled to breathe. This vet wanted her to turn Snickers loose into the wild and try to love another animal. Well, she had news for him. She owned a café. A dog would be all wrong. She heard them whining all around her, with an occasional, pathetic meow of a cat to change the tune.
Most of the cages contained animals that looked as if they’d undergone surgery.
“Is this your recovery room?” Ben asked.
“And holding area.” Jack stopped at a sink to wash his hands. Then he went to the far end of the cages stacked along the right wall. He opened a chest-high wire door. “This is who I want you to meet, Sissy.”
She stepped closer. Inside the cage, she saw a fluffy gray kitten missing both front feet. The amputated limbs appeared to be almost healed, the stubs grown over with pink skin.
“This fellow got left outside by his owners,” Jack explained. “When the man got home from work, it was cold outside, and the kitten sought warmth under the hood of his car. It happens too often. A recently used engine puts off heat, and a small creature gravitates toward the warmth. When the man’s wife told him he needed to make a grocery run for dinner, he went back out to the car, started the engine, and heard yowling.”
“Oh, my God,” Sissy whispered.
“The kitten’s front legs were mangled by the fan belt. I performed surgery, and he’s healing nicely. He could live to a ripe old age if he were given the chance.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“His owners have been waffling about what to do, and today, they decided to have him euthanized because he will require special care. This little guy can never go outside unless he’s in a safe enclosure. He’ll never be able to climb a tree or defend himself against other cats.” Jack paused. “I’m supposed to put him down in the morning.”
Sissy couldn’t see how this poor kitten related to her dilemma with Snickers, but her heart was already aching for the little guy in the cage. “That’s horrible” was all she could think to say.
“Especially when there’s a fabulous no-kill shelter next door where the kitten could possibly be adopted and go to a wonderful home,” Jack said. “If I could get authorization from the owners, I’d put him in the shelter. I work over there pro bono. I’m confident he’d get adopted. But the owners don’t share my certainty of that, and they don’t want the kitten to live over there for years in a cage.”
“Well, that wouldn’t be a good life for him,” she agreed.
Behind her, Ben said, “Well, heck, of course he’ll get adopted. I’d take him if I could, but I have barn cats. If the kitten ever got outside, he’d be toast.”
Just then the kitten hobbled over to its food dish. Jack winked at Sissy. “See? He’s already walking. I’m sure his stumps are still tender, but over time they’ll toughen up, and he’ll be running all over the place. Or he will if he gets the chance.” He gave her a solemn look. “If only someone would offer to adopt him today and convince the owners that he’ll have a wonderful, loving home, I wouldn’t have to kill him in the morning. Unfortunately, a vet is required by law to comply with the owners’ wishes in regards to an animal in his care. If this kitten were a stray, I’d have more control over its fate.”
Sissy felt her fists bunch at her sides, as if of their own volition. That kitten was every bit as adorable as Snickers, and his owners had consigned him to death. “I could give him a wonderful home.” She looked up at the vet. “He deserves to live. It’s not fair that his owners have that kind of power when he is perfectly healthy, except for having no front feet!”
Jack sighed. “I feel the same way. Do you really want to adopt him? He’ll never be able to be an outdoor cat. He may occasionally hurt his stubs and need them to be medicated and wrapped. He won’t be that much trouble, really, but he won’t be as easy to care for as a regular kitten.”
Sissy feasted her gaze on that adorable little fluff ball and instantly decided that she’d do anything to stop him from being euthanized. “I’m sure. I want him.”
Jack nodded. “But then you have Snickers to think of as well, Sissy. If you keep him caged, this kitten should be able to share the same home with him. But if you let Snickers return to his natural environment, which is my vote, you can never allow Snickers to be in your residence, just in case he has caught a disease that may compromise the health of the cat.”
With a decision like that to make, Sissy resisted her urge to reach past Jack to pet the kitten. He would be dead by this time tomorrow if she didn’t take him. But in another room of this clinic, Snickers, all trusting of her, waited. She couldn’t decide his fate without researching the ramifications of domesticating a pack rat.
As if he read her mind, Jack said, “We have some time. Maybe you should go home and read online about pack rats. Then, if you wish to release Snickers and take the kitten, you can call me. I’ve thrown a lot at you all at once.”
Sissy stared at that sweet bundle of gray fur. This kitten, with no front feet, was defying all the odds and walking. She had defied all the odds, too. “But if I keep Snickers caged and checked often by you, I could still have the kitten?” she asked.
Jack nodded.
That settled it for Sissy. “Then I’ll adopt him. He’ll have a wonderful home with me.”
With a slump of his shoulders, Jack said, “It may not be that simple. The owners of the kitten may still insist on euthanizing him even if I call them and sing your praises.” He pulled the prescription pad from his pocket and jotted something down before handing it to her. “You can also call them to reassure them that you’ll give the kitten a good home. Their last name is Miller. But be aware that they are, as pet owners go, a little odd. I think they’re way over-the-top about his disability. But ultimately it will be their decision, not mine.”
Sissy gaped up at him. “You mean, even if I want to adopt him, they may still reject me as suitable and have him euthanized?”
“Pretty much, yes.” Jack sighed. “By law, it’s out of my hands. It’s one of the saddest things for me as a vet. Sometimes when I know an animal can be saved, the owners, for whatever reason, decide otherwise.”
Sissy struggled to see through a red haze of anger. “I’ll do the responsible thing for Snickers,” she pushed out. “Now I’ll ask you to do one outrageously responsible thing for this kitten. If I call these people and tell them what a wonderful home I can give this kitty and they reject me as an adoptive owner, can you accidentally leave the back door of your clinic unlocked tonight?”
A stunned expression crossed the vet’s face. Then his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed. “I do occasionally forget to lock the back door and set the security system.”
Sissy nodded, certain he understood her intentions. It crossed her mind that she was once again trusting a man. Her common sense seemed to have leaked out her ears. “Great. Just in case, be forgetful tonight. Please?”
Sissy knew that she was putting the vet in a horrible position, but if it was within her power, she would not allow that precious kitten to be killed in the morning. She didn’t wait for Jack to agree. That would make him complicit in the execution of a crime she intended to commit. She could only hope he left the clinic unprotected that night. It probably wouldn’t be necessary for her to carry out her backup plan, but if the kitten’s owners proved to be difficult—well, Sissy would intervene.
She turned and ran smack-dab into Ben’s chest. To his credit, he acted perfectly normal, saying farewell to the vet and helping her to collect Snickers and leave the clinic. It wasn’t until they were in the truck that he reacted.
“What the hell? You just asked Jack to leave the clinic unprotected tonight so you can steal that kitten if the owners won’t let you adopt him.”
Sissy, holding Snickers’s cage on her lap, stared with burning eyes out the windshield, seeing almost nothing. “Yep.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Sissy took a deep breath and slowly released it. “No. I’ve lived under the radar all my life, always keeping my head down. I know you don’t understand. But this is one time, only one time, when I’m going to stand up for what’s right, no matter what. Normally, I don’t commit crimes, but to save that kitten, I will. If I offer to adopt him and his owners still insist on killing him, I’m going in there tonight and stealing him.”
Ben didn’t start the truck. He stared for a long moment at Snickers. Sissy saw emotions she couldn’t read cross his handsome countenance. He swallowed hard, just like the vet had. Then he said, “Well, sweetheart, if we’re going to commit a B and E, we need something more than a half-baked plan.”
Sissy gaped at him. “We? I don’t expect you to do it with me.”
Ben started the engine. “I know. But I’ll be damned if I’ll let you do it alone. I’m in love with you. Any man worth his salt stands by the woman he loves.”
Sissy tried to assimilate that, but none of it computed in her brain. She’d held him at arm’s length. Sometimes she’d even been rude to him.
Ben said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m sorry I told you like that. I guess romantic isn’t my middle name. But damn it, Sissy, I care about you. If you’re dead set on rescuing that kitten, you’re not doing it alone. Too much could go wrong.”
“Your brother is a deputy!” She realized she was shouting and struggled to calm down. “You are a Sterling, not a Bentley. Sterlings don’t commit crimes.”
“This one will.” He flashed her a broad grin. “Actually, I think you’re bringing out my wild side. It sounds kind of fun. Bonnie and Clyde stealing a kitten. Whether you like it or not, you’re not alone anymore. You’ve got me. We could both do time for this, but I’m not going to chicken out at the last minute. Are you?”
Sissy hadn’t actually thought about the serious aspects of what she meant to do. She swallowed hard. Then she thought of that kitten, the victim of two crazy people. She’d been there once. And nobody had been brave enough to rescue her. “No, I’m not going to chicken out. If those people deny me the right to adopt that kitten, I’m going to go get him tonight, with or without you.”
“With me,” he shot back. He sent her a burning look. “I don’t want to make you get all skittish. I know you don’t want me to care about you. But if I can’t control how I feel, you sure as hell can’t.”
Sissy couldn’t bring herself to address his feelings or her own right then. “So, what’s our plan?”
Ben pulled out of the parking lot. Moments later he headed south on North Huckleberry toward town. “Well, if you don’t get the kitten, I think Jack probably makes his night rounds well before ten. So I think we should leave for the clinic at that time.”
Sissy’s stomach knotted. It was scary to think about committing a criminal act, no matter how important it was. “Ten sounds great. I’ll be finished with closing and have breakfast prep done. I think we should wear black so we’ll blend in with the darkness.”
“Good idea. And we shouldn’t be seen together. I won’t come in for dinner tonight.”
She nodded. “Should we meet somewhere, then?”
“I’m afraid someone might see our vehicles together. By ten Main is mostly dark. Meet me at ten sharp in front of the café. Stand against the building in the shadows.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Douse your headlights as you come onto Main. That way, your truck won’t be as visible. Come to a stop in front of my place, and I’ll run out to get in.” She sighed. “I just hope those stupid people don’t turn me down.”
“Me, too.”
He drove into Sissy’s backyard. She understood why he didn’t offer to exit his truck and go inside. “Set the cage by the stairs and let Finn outside. I’ll call him. He’ll just load up if I have the door open.”
Sissy, cautiously balancing Snickers’s cage, opened her door and slid to the ground. “The owners work, so I’ll let you know what they say sometime after five when they should be home to take my call.”
Ben inclined his head at the cage she embraced. “Don’t forget to visit those websites to read up on pack rats kept in captivity.”
Her heart squeezed. “I won’t. I think I’ll keep the café closed for lunch so I have time to do that. I can also get a head start on breakfast prep for tomorrow. If the kitten’s owners are unreasonable, it may be a really busy night.”
* * *
After finishing dinner prep, Sissy carried Snickers upstairs. The moment she entered the kitchen, she set the live trap on her table, opened the side door, and lifted the rat into her cupped hands.
“Hi, baby.” She giggled when Snickers touched her wristwatch and tipped his head, clearly mesmerized by the shiny crystal. “You already stole one once. No repeat performances.”
Cuddling the rat close, Sissy got out her laptop and sat on the sofa to boot up her system. While the computer loaded, she ran her fingers over Snickers’s fur. He smelled of flea powder, but she didn’t care.
“We’re going to surf the Internet,” she said. “It’ll be a lot of doom-and-gloom nonsense, mind you, and nothing I read will change my mind. From here on out, we’re going to be friends always, and if the kitten grows up with you, he won’t try to hurt you as he grows larger.”
Within minutes, tears were running down Sissy’s cheeks. She set aside the laptop and returned Snickers to his cage. Then she drew her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Ben’s number.
The familiar sound of his deep voice brought more tears to Sissy’s eyes. “It’s me,” she said, her throat tight. “I visited the websites. They say Snickers may have a shortened life span if I keep him in a cage. And that he needs to hang out with other pack rats to be happy and healthy.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I wish it were different.”
Sissy squeezed her eyes closed. “I can’t keep him, Ben. Why can’t I have just one little friend to love?” She sniffed and wiped her nose on her shirtsleeve. “If I can’t get the kitten for whatever reason, setting Snickers free will leave me alone again.”
“I know. But Jack Palmer says I can ratproof your building so Snickers can’t get back inside if you set him free. Once we know where his nest is, you’ll be able to visit him every day. So you aren’t saying good-bye. You can still have Snickers as your friend.”
“I worry that it may frighten the other rats if I go near their nests.”
Ben laughed. “Well, you may give them a startle the first time you visit. But once they realize you bring gifts, they’ll probably look forward to seeing you.”
Sissy felt a bit better, not quite so sad. “It won’t be the same, though.”
“No,” Ben agreed. “But you won’t have to say good-bye to Snickers and never see him again. And there’s a huge possibility that the Millers will love the idea of you giving their kitten a wonderful home. And if they don’t, we move on to plan B.”
“True. And if something happens so that I can’t steal the kitten, I suppose I could adopt one the ordinary way. I’m sure there are lots of kittens at the no-kill shelter who need good homes.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“But another kitten will never need me as much as the injured one does.”
She heard Ben sigh. “No. His circumstances are unique. And because of his problems, you’ll probably love him more than you might a perfectly healthy cat.”
Sissy appreciated his understanding. Some men might not have.
“So,” he said, “have you decided what the better choice is for Snickers yet?”
She also appreciated that Ben wasn’t pressing her to make the decision he hoped she would. “It’s pretty clear that keeping him in captivity isn’t better for Snickers.” She heard her voice go thin. “I have to turn him loose.”
“It won’t be easy,” Ben warned. “The two of you bonded pretty fast.”
“Doing the right thing is often difficult. Maybe I’ll wait until I have the kitten before I turn Snickers loose.”
“Great idea,” he agreed. “You’ll have the kitten for comfort. And don’t forget that you’ll be able to visit Snickers at his nest if I’m able to find it.”
“Knowing that helps.” Sissy could think of little else to say on that topic. “I’ll try to reach the Millers around five thirty. I’ll call you immediately after I talk to them.”
She heard Ben clear his throat. “Just in case it doesn’t go well, have your cat burglar clothes laid out.”
“Cat burglar clothes?” She pushed aside her sadness over Snickers and laughed. “That’s apropos.”
“Pun intended.” After a moment’s silence, he said, “I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for your call.”
* * *
The Cauldron was packed with diners. All the counter stools were taken. The booths were full. Sissy had people standing by the front door, waiting to eat. Normally she would have been pleased, but tonight all she wanted was to chase everyone out of her café, lock the door, and wait for the Millers to call her back. At five thirty, they hadn’t answered their home phone, so she’d left a message.
“It’s the coach’s fault,” Blackie yelled as she walked by his place at the bar. “Why did he allow that stupid pass? He had to know the other team’s offense might intercept!”
Sissy nodded and pretended to care, but pulling that off while both her arms were laden with plates was nearly impossible. Just as Sissy reached Chris and Kim Peck’s table, her cell phone vibrated. It was the Millers calling. It was almost six. They would have listened to her message by now.
Sissy couldn’t answer the call with both hands full. And she didn’t like talking on her phone while serving customers. Damn and drat! Gritting her teeth to keep from saying those words out loud, she forced her lips to curve into a smile.
“Here you go,” she said, injecting warmth she didn’t feel into her voice. “The shrimp for Kimberly, and the pot roast for Chris.” She set the heaped plates in front of both restaurateurs. “I hope you enjoy your meals, but I’ve got to add that you’re slumming it by eating here. Nothing I serve can compare to the gourmet creations at your place. All my stuff is ordinary.”
Kimberly laughed. A petite natural blonde with gray eyes, she radiated friendliness. “That’s why we’re here. We’re craving ordinary.”
Chris, a tall, slender man with jet-black hair and merry blue eyes, took a bite of roast and moaned as if he’d just tasted ambrosia. “Oh, man. I heard it was fabulous, and it is.”
“Thank you.” Sissy appreciated the compliment, but her phone was vibrating in her pocket again. “Please, enjoy your meal, and if you need anything more, just signal me. I’ll be right over.”
Sissy refused to run in front of her customers, so she speed-walked back to the kitchen and darted into the pantry. She checked her recent calls, and sure enough, the last two had been from the Miller residence. Sissy quickly dialed them back.
A woman answered. “Ah, Ms. Bentley. Irene Miller at this end. I was hoping you’d get back to me quickly. I hated for you to get your hopes up only to have us dash them.”
Sissy stiffened. “Dash them? I’m the perfect person to give your kitten a good home. I live alone. I have no other pets. He’d be so happy with me.”
“Yes, but as we understand it, you own a café and live above your business. Stairs aren’t a good fit for this kitten. Going up and down steps will always be painful for him.”
“But he won’t be on the stairs, and even if he ever were, according to the vet, his stubs will heal and toughen up.”
“I’m sorry,” the woman said. “But my husband and I both agree that stairs are a huge problem. We wish you luck in finding a kitten more suited to your living arrangements.”
Before Sissy could reply, the woman hung up. Sissy immediately dialed Ben.
He answered with “Did you get him?”
“No!” Sissy said, unable to keep the outrage she felt from her tone. “And I’m swamped in here, so I’ll spit it out fast. My living arrangements are unsuitable for their kitten because I have stairs. So we’re on for tonight. Meet me out front at ten sharp.”
“Maybe I can call and ask to adopt him.”
Sissy shook her head even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “You have barn cats and a dog.” Because he’d offered an alternative to meeting her later, she asked, “Are you wanting to back out? There could be serious ramifications for both of us if we’re caught, and I’ll certainly understand if you’ve had second thoughts.”
“No second thoughts. By midnight, you’re going to be a kitten mama.”
Sissy giggled nervously. “From your lips to God’s ear.”
Sissy’s heart was pounding as she returned to the café dining room. She and Ben were actually going to commit a B and E. It was a crime. If she had any sense, she would stop this nonsense right now. She took a deep breath and thought of the poor kitten, consigned to death. She didn’t have a lick of sense, she guessed, because she intended to do it.
* * *
Sissy stood in the shadows of her building, shivering with cold. West Main was empty of cars. A few upstairs lights glowed through apartment windows, but otherwise, the town had rolled up the carpet. The streetlamps shone in the darkness, illuminating the fog that had descended over the town.
Foggy is good, Sissy told herself. With both of us wearing black, we’ll be harder to spot. From the town center, she heard the clock tower bong the hour. The repetitive sounds seemed eerie tonight, not as soothing as they usually were. Just then she heard a noise and realized it was hard rubber tread grabbing at asphalt. A second later, a long blue shape, almost indiscernible in the darkness, rounded the street corner.
When the truck stopped in the right lane, Sissy dashed from her hiding place and darted into the thoroughfare. As she drew closer to the vehicle, she could barely make out Ben’s hulky silhouette through the driver’s-side window. She circled the front bumper, tucked her frozen fingers under the lift-up door handle, and jumped inside.
“Wow. The lady has springs on her feet tonight.”
Sissy closed the door with as little force as possible and started to buckle up. Safety first, that was her motto. But what they planned to do tonight was far from safe, and if they hoped to succeed in their mission without getting caught, she had to get into the proper frame of mind. “I’m a criminal. Criminals don’t worry about stupid things like seat belts.”
“What?” In the yellow-green glow of the dash lights, Ben, wearing his Stetson, looked like a cowboy with faint firelight casting his features into sharp relief. “You sound pretty nervous.”
Sissy hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud. “I’m just doing mental prep.”
“Breakfast prep, followed by mental prep. I get you. Only, mental prep for what?”
“Breaking and entering, for one. And theft on top of that. We could get into serious trouble.”
“Well, it’s not grand theft auto,” Ben reminded her. “It’s a mutt kitten that’s scheduled to be euthanized.”
“True, but it’s still theft, plus breaking and entering.”
“If Jack left the back door of the clinic unlocked, we’ll at least know he’s supportive of what we’re doing.”
Sissy stretched her neck and shoulders, trying to make her muscles relax. “That’s true. If he paved our way, he’ll be in on it with us.”
“Well, I can’t say he’s in on it, exactly. He’s making it easier, but that’s all. He won’t go down with us if we get caught.”
Sissy stiffened again. “But if he left the door unlocked, we’re not really breaking and entering. Right?”
Ben drove around the town center and took North Huckleberry. The instant they cleared the city limits, he flipped the headlights on. “Whoa. Resume your mental prep for criminal activity. Just because a door is left unlocked doesn’t mean we have authorization to enter the building. And Jack will have to file a police report, just as if an actual crime has been committed. With the kitten missing, it would look strange if he didn’t. He’ll have to play it as if it’s for real, or he’ll be at risk of getting his license revoked. If we get caught, Jack won’t step forward. This was our idea. Well, yours, actually, but I’m in. So it’s our risk to take.” He sent Sissy a questioning look. “If you’re that nervous, you can stay in the truck and I’ll do it.”
The tension zinged straight back into Sissy’s body. “I said I would go, and I’m going. My kitten’s life is on the line. So what’s our plan?”
She saw him smile as he returned his attention to the road. “Well, I’m going to park well away from the clinic, so we’ll have to walk. It’s darker than hell out on Hurricane Road at night. No streetlights, only a few houses. I brought a little penlight, but I don’t want to use it unless it’s necessary. It’ll draw attention to us. We know which cage the kitten’s in. I want to sneak in, not turn on any lights, find his cage, grab him, and run like hell.”
Sissy nodded. “I can’t see very well in the dark.”
“Well, our eyes will be adjusted to it by the time we reach the clinic. And maybe inside there’ll be some sources of faint light, like digital screens on equipment.” He glanced at her again. “Can you see in here with the dash lights on?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, there you go.” She heard him chuckle. “I’ve never done anything like this, either. I’m not worried that we can’t pull it off. I’m more concerned about my brother Barney seeing the police report and then meeting the kitten later. Two missing front feet are identifying marks that are pretty uncommon.”
“True.” Sissy was starting to relax again. Ben didn’t seem worried, and there was something about him that always soothed her. “But it’s very unlikely that Barney will ever see the kitten. He does eat at the Cauldron sometimes, but he’ll never go upstairs.”
“It’s my motto never to say never,” Ben replied. “Barney’s a cop. I don’t know what he’d do if he found out we stole a kitten to save it from being killed. The cop in him would feel obligated to press charges against us, the regular guy in him would be glad we saved the kitten, and he’d feel conflicted. Especially since I’m his brother. I honestly don’t know which part of him would win.”
“Well, let’s just hope he’s never put to the test.”
It seemed to Sissy that Ben was pulling off to the side of Hurricane Road in only seconds. The instant he cut the engine and the headlamps blinked off, an impenetrable darkness blanketed the vehicle. Sissy leaned toward the windshield to peer out. In the distance, she saw a house with some lights still on, but it was otherwise as black as a cave out there.
“You can hold my arm,” Ben told her. “I’ll come around to your side and help you out. No tumbles into the drainage ditch allowed. You might scrape your face, and tomorrow everyone would wonder what had happened to you.”
She grabbed blindly for his arm before he got out of the truck. “Before we do this, I want you to know that there’s nobody on earth I’d rather do time with.”
Ben chuckled and gave her a quick hug. “Same for me.” His voice sounded thick. “But I don’t think any Oregon prisons have unisex cell blocks.”
“Oh.”
Ben got out and came around the truck to help Sissy out. In moments, she was holding his arm. For every sure-footed stride he took, she stumbled over something. She couldn’t walk with confidence until they stepped onto asphalt. She still wasn’t able to see where she was putting her feet, but at least she was traveling over a level surface.
When they rounded a curve in the road, she saw the clinic. Yard lights illuminated the area all around the large building. “Oh, God. How can we stay hidden when we get there?”
“We can’t. It’ll be time to do the fastest one-hundred-yard dash on record. One thing’s in our favor, though. The no-kill shelter next door to the clinic is home to a lot of dogs that bark and howl all night, so only one home has been built near there. It belongs to Hutch and Sue Mulder. They own Hutch’s, a little fast-food joint by the high school at the end of the road. Kids go off campus to eat there. The Mulders getup early to offer breakfast, so they’re probably in bed.”
“Where does Jack live?”
“Just this side of the clinic.”
“Oh, no.”
Ben laughed. “Sissy, he doesn’t want to euthanize the kitten. If he left the back door unlocked, I doubt he’s going to peer out his windows, hoping to catch us.”
When they got close to the clinic, Sissy noticed that the house right next to it had no lights on. “Is that Jack’s place?”
“Yes. And over on the right, catty-corner from the clinic, is where the Mulders live. Only their porch light is on. Nobody is awake there, either.”
When they reached the huge circle of illumination created by the security lights, Sissy’s heart started to race. “I don’t think I can break any records doing a hundred-yard dash,” she whispered. “My legs are short.”
Ben gave her hand a squeeze and then didn’t release his hold. “Just in case you trip, I don’t want you to fall down.”
She took a deep breath and had barely expelled it when Ben broke into a run, pulling her along beside him. He stayed on the asphalt byway that went past the building to an equine-care facility.
Once they circled the clinic, the roofline cast shadows to hide them as they raced toward the back door. Sissy was about to chuff out a sigh of relief when her feet hit a patch of ice. One of her legs shot sideways. She felt herself start to go down. Ben, still holding her hand, caught her from falling.
As she got her balance, she whispered, “Studded boots?”
“And thank God I’m wearing them.”
They reached the porch. Ben let go of Sissy’s hand. He chafed his palms together and stared at the doorknob. “Well, this is it, the moment when we’ll find out what Jack’s made of.”
“If it’s locked, what then?”
“We break in. We haven’t come this far to let a stupid door stop us.”
Ben grasped the knob. When he turned it, the door swung inward. A breath that Sissy hadn’t realized she’d been holding whooshed from her lungs.
Ben drew her inside the dark bowels of the building. She heard the door close softly behind her. “Jack’s the man,” he whispered.
Sissy nodded, but she was too scared to speak. I’m committing a crime, she thought. For a moment, she felt paralyzed. Then she pictured the kitten they’d come to save, and an adrenaline rush, the likes of which she’d never experienced, sent thrills of excitement coursing through her body. “Let’s do this!”
Ben said, “You’ve got mettle.”
“What’s that?”
“Guts. Nerve. What it takes to go the whole nine yards.”
Sissy grinned as he drew her along a dark corridor. “Thanks. This is starting to be kind of fun.”
Ben chuckled as he pushed open another door. “This is it, the recovery room.”
Sissy heard a dog whine off to her right. Then the sounds of animals wanting comfort erupted from all around them. Cats meowed. Puppies began to bark. Large dogs started to not only bark but also howl. “Oh, shit, oh, shit,” Sissy cried. “We are so screwed.”
“Yep,” Ben agreed as he pulled her off to their left. “A built-in natural security alarm.” He drew to a sudden stop. “He’s here, at the end, second cage from the top. Right?”
“Right.” Sissy realized he was almost yelling so she could hear him. “Shh! Don’t talk so loud!” she yelled back, and then the absurdity of it hit her, and she started to giggle. “Get him. Quick. We have to get out of here.”
She heard a cage door clank open. The next moment, Ben said, “Got him. Now is when we run like our lives depend on it.”
He grabbed her hand with an unerring aim that told Sissy he could at least see something in the void of blackness. He broke into a run. At this point, his trusty studded boots put him at a disadvantage on tile floors. While Sissy’s athletic shoes grabbed for traction, his footwear slipped on the slick surface. But they made it to the back door and out onto the porch, and then huddled in the shadows to hide until the animals inside the clinic finally quieted down.
“We did it,” Ben said with a note of pride in his voice. “You are one hell of a partner in crime. We should do this more often.” She felt him press the backs of his knuckles against her chest. “Here you go, Mama. Your new baby. He’s a cutie.”
Sissy felt with her hands. In the dim glow of the yard lights, she could barely make out the kitten, but by touch, she could tell he was just as beautiful as she remembered, with dark, fluffy fur and a warm little body. Her heart felt as if it were melting as she cupped his weight in one hand and trailed the fingertips of her other hand over him.
“Ben?” she whispered, unable to keep the urgency out of her voice.
“What?”
Sissy had a hysterical urge to giggle. “It’s got front feet.”
“What?”
“Front feet. We grabbed the wrong kitten.” A horrible thought hit Sissy. She searched by touch and felt a stitched incision on the kitten’s belly. “I think this one’s a girl. And, oh, God, fresh out of surgery. She’s just been neutered.”
“Jesus.” Ben, a dark, looming hulk, turned toward her. “Spayed, you mean?” He muttered under his breath. “Be gentle. Shit! Shit, shit! I know I got the right cage! What the hell?”
Beyond the glow of the yard lights, a male voice boomed, frightening Sissy half out of her wits. “Why the hell didn’t you turn on the lights, Sterling? My techs shift the patients, putting the recent surgery patients at that end. The kitten with the amputated legs graduated to light care today.”
“Well, now is a fine time to tell me,” Ben boomed back. “You could have texted me!”
Sissy recovered her senses and struggled not to laugh hysterically.
“Electronic evidence,” Palmer shouted. “I never saw you. I never talked to you. I know nothing about this. Got it? Same side, six rows down, third cage from the top. And for God’s sake, turn on the lights so you put that kitten back in the right place. She’s still loopy from the anesthetic. Handle her with care.”
Sissy heard receding footsteps and knew Jack Palmer, apparently disgusted with their ineptitude at kitten stealing, was walking back home.
Ben slumped against the side of the building. “Am I dreaming this?”
“No,” Sissy replied. “Because I’m having the same nightmare.” She gently cupped both hands over the kitten and held her protectively against her chest. “Poor little girl. We’ll put you back in your bed. You’re going to be just fine.”
Ben led the way back into the building. This time, as they passed from room to room, he flipped on lights with the back of his hand. “Shit, I forgot. We should be wearing gloves. We’ve left our fingerprints all over the damned place.”
“I guess I’m not such a good criminal. I should have thought of that.”
“My fingerprints aren’t on record. Are yours?”
“No. I wasn’t even born in a hospital. I doubt that my parents took me in after my birth to get my footprint, either. Mama went right back out the next morning to pick apples.” Sissy wanted to call back those words the moment they shot from her mouth. “They, um, had an apple orchard to care for then.”
Sissy assured herself that she hadn’t lied—not really. But she hadn’t told the exact truth, either, and she felt horrible.
“Damn. I just remembered. I got fingerprinted in school. I can’t remember when, exactly, and I have no idea what they did with the prints. It may have been only a teaching process. But if they’re filed electronically anywhere, and they dust this clinic, I’m screwed.” They entered the recovery room. The moment the lights came on, pandemonium broke out again, with each of the animals letting loose with a noise common for its species. “Did you?” Ben asked loudly. “Get fingerprinted in school, I mean?”
“No. Maybe I was sick that day.” Sissy thought it more likely that she’d been out of school on fingerprinting day because her parents had been moving again, but she didn’t wish to tell Ben that. He had grown up in a different world, a normal world where he’d gotten to attend school in the same town all his life.
Ben took the kitten from her arms and returned it with great care to its cage. Then he turned to Sissy. “We’ve got to wipe down everything we touched. Maybe your prints aren’t on file anywhere, but mine may be.”
Sissy wished they could just get her kitten and leave. But Ben could go to jail for this if they left any prints behind. They found a stack of white cloths on a counter in one corner of the room. Ben dampened two at the sink located in the same area.
Shoving aside all her thoughts about the kitten, Sissy wiped down the first kitten’s cage to make sure Ben hadn’t left so much as a partial print on the door. While she did that, Ben rubbed both sides of the recovery room door, making certain he cleaned every inch he might have touched. Then he walked down to the sixth stack of cages, and, using the same rag to prevent himself from leaving his fingerprints behind, opened a cage, and drew out the darling, fluffy gray kitten that Sissy had already come to love.
“Oh, Ben.” She barely heard the clamor of the other animals now. Her entire attention became focused on the kitten. “He is so precious! And he’s much smaller than the other one, still just a baby.”
“He’ll be your baby if we can get out of here without any trouble,” he said as he took her rag and tossed it in a laundry hamper. Walking ahead of Sissy, he led the way to the door, then used his cloth to turn the doorknob and switch off the light. “Keep both hands on the kitten. I’ll rub down surfaces we may have touched earlier as we walk out.”
Hugging the kitten to her chest, Sissy led the way, falling even more in love with her new baby as she walked, yet acutely aware of Ben behind her making swishing sounds as he cleaned away any possible fingerprints.
Once they were outside, Sissy opened her black hoodie, tucked the kitten inside, and drew the zipper tab back up. “You’re safe now.” To Ben, she said, “He’ll stay warm this way.”
“Yep. His last home sucked, but now he’ll have a good one.”
Sissy held the kitten between her breasts as she and Ben made the long trek back to the truck. Ben gripped her arm to steady her in case they encountered more ice. When they reached his vehicle, he helped her to the passenger side, opened the door, and grabbed her at the waist to lift her onto the seat. When he leaned across her to fasten her seat belt, she didn’t know of whom she was more acutely aware: the helpless kitten curled against her breasts, which Ben so cautiously avoided smashing with the strap, or the man. His body heat wafted over her, tantalizing her with the scent of his cologne. His hands brushed against certain parts of her anatomy that she’d never given another man permission to touch. Ben might be the one person for whom she would break that pattern.