Chapter 6

Jett

With the school on lockdown for a few days while they sterilize the rooms, and the students affected have a chance to recover, Dusty and I are taking care of some necessary yard work, which translates to he’s picking up the weeds I’ve pulled, and placing them inside the extra-large garbage bags, he has been chattering my ear off. The mowing and trimming are already finished, leaving this particular job left to do, which I hate.

“Dad?”

“Yeah, Dusty?”

“You gonna ask that lady friend of yours out if you see her again?”

“The one I told you about? The one that I saw last weekend, right?” I query, sitting back on my heels to look at him. “Does it really bother you that I’m single?”

“I just don’t want you to be alone, Dad, like we talked about. I mean, how many times have I seen my own mother since she left? Once? Twice? She wouldn’t even recognize me if she passed me on the street, I bet.”

I highly doubt that since he’s the spitting image of me, but I keep those thoughts to myself. Instead, I consider what he’s really saying, and warmth courses through my body. He’s a good kid, just looking out for his old man, is all.

“If the situation presents itself, I’ll see if she’s willing to go out with a single dad, who comes with a lukewarm kid, how’s that sound?” I tease. His sigh is sufficient to have me laughing. “C’mon, let’s wrap this up so we can enjoy the next few days off since you’re caught up on homework.”

Later that day, while I work on game plans for the upcoming week, hoping we’ll be able to cobble enough of the kids together to even play, and Dusty is destroying zombies or some shit on his video game, my phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Um, hi, Jett. It’s Sunday. Sunday Cross.”

Her voice washes over me, making me wish she was right in front of me instead of on the phone.

“Hey, how are you?” I ask.

“Well, I’ve got a bit of a problem, and I’m hoping maybe you can help?” The last part comes out unsure, posed as a question instead of a statement, and it has my interest piqued.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but a few weeks ago, a kitten showed up on my back porch and I took her in. I’m getting her vetted and all that stuff, but that’s not the problem. Apparently, she has a sibling, only it’s stuck in my bushes, and I can’t quite get to her. I thought maybe you might be able to help me get her out.”

“Give us a few minutes and we’ll head on over,” I reply, already setting my team binder to the side. Dusty, without any prompting from me, saves his game and stands, practically vibrating with excitement as he listens to my half of the conversation.

“Thank you. I didn’t know who else to call since Bria’s away on a trip for work, and my dad’s allergic to cats.”

“We’re on our way, Sunday,” I promise.

* * *

“She looks just like the other one almost,” Dusty says, once we finally untangle the other kitten and he compares the two. “Except Pudge is heavier and doesn’t have black spots on her back.”

“I think I’ll call this one Smudge,” Sunday says, grinning at him. “Thank you both for helping me with this. I was actually going to look at the shelter to see about getting another kitten so Pudge wouldn’t be by herself. Now I just need to take Smudge in and get her started on her shots, I guess.”

“Go ahead and call the vet, see if we can come and get her looked over now,” I suggest. “We’ll go with you.”

“Oh, I couldn’t impose like that,” she says.

“We’re not doing anything else, Miss Sunday,” Dusty replies. “We already did all the chores, and were just sitting around.”

I hide my smile, because ever since we got to her house, Dusty has been Team Sunday, and when he figured out she was the one I mentioned, he’s ramped up his efforts to hang around and delegate. Pushing us closer together… the little matchmaker. When she looks at me for confirmation, I merely nod, then watch her pick up her phone to call the vet.

She already has the kitten in a carrier to keep the two separated, which is smart since one has been living as a stray.

“Dusty, while she does that, why don’t you grab her trash can, and take it down to the curb?” I ask.

Before she can protest, he’s up like a shot and running over to the corner of her garage, where her trash can is sitting. I watch as he maneuvers it so it’s not going to fall over, then he takes it to the end of her driveway, and puts it to the side by the curb so it’s not hit from her pulling in or out, like we do ours.

She hangs up the phone, and says, “He’s a good kid, Jett.”

“Yeah, he really is. Are they able to see you today?”

Her smile is radiant as she nods. “I just need to grab my purse then I can take her. Thank you both for your help.”

“We can drive you, if you want,” I offer, not quite ready to leave since I’m enjoying the time we’ve spent together.

“You don’t have to, Jett. I feel bad enough I had to pull you away from what you guys were doing to help me get her untangled.”

“Not an imposition for either of us, Sunday. In fact, because I promised my boy I would, if the situation presented itself, ask if you would like to go out with me the next time you’re off?”

Shit, I feel like I’m sixteen again, asking a girl out for the very first time. I almost want to bounce in place like Dusty does in an effort to rid myself of the nerves.

“You want to take me out?” she softly asks. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” I reply.

“Yes, I’d like to go out with you the next time I’m off, which is Saturday night.”

“Then it’s a date.”

* * *

The small glances she keeps giving me, as we come back to her place from the vet’s, has me wishing we weren’t at the beginning stages of a relationship, but I can be patient. Once we pull into her driveway, Dusty quickly undoes his seatbelt, then jumps out, before carefully getting the carrier out and heading up to Sunday’s porch.

“I was going to heat up some homemade spaghetti sauce I made, if you and Dusty would like to join me for dinner,” she announces. “I just have to cook the pasta, and I might have the fixings for a salad, too, because my mom hit up the grocery store for me the day I got called in for the extra shift when the kids all got sick, and she knows how much I like them.”

“Not too sure about Dusty eating a salad, but if you’re sure, we’d love to join you.”

Anything to stay a little longer, I think to myself. Because she’s captivated me for a long time now, and I’m grabbing onto this opportunity with both hands.