Savas's Wildcat

“He’s not damaged. He’s selfish,” his sister Tallie had told one of them.

It was, essentially, the truth. Relationships required effort. They made demands. Took time. He wasn’t interested. He liked his freedom, wanted to be unencumbered, forever footloose and free.

It was why Cat snarled and spat at him. They’d had three months together. Damn good months, he remembered. He’d never clicked with any woman the way he had with Cat, in bed and out.

But ultimately she’d wanted more than he’d been willing to give. And now, according to Maggie, she’d found someone who was willing. He found himself looking at her hand to see if she wore a ring.

She did. It flashed in the light as she moved. His jaw tightened.

“Impressive,” he grunted.

She blinked. “What?”

“Never mind.” More power to her, he thought grimly. She’d got what she wanted. And he didn’t have to keep standing here. He was free to go. Smiling, he flexed his shoulders.

“Right,” he said. “I’ll be off then.”

“Off? No!” The sudden urgency in her tone surprised him, as did the volume. So much for silence. Instantly Cat clapped her hand over her mouth, then warily uncovered it again after a long moment’s wait didn’t produce a wail from the bedroom. Then she said in little more than a whisper, “I mean, no. You can’t.”

“Can’t?”

Cat shrugged awkwardly. “Well, I mean … he doesn’t know me. He knows you!”

“He didn’t know me fifteen hours ago.”

“But he knows you now,” she insisted.

“So?”

The color was high in her cheeks. “So you don’t want him having a fit when he wakes up and finds a stranger here.” She waved her hands. The ring flashed again.

Yiannis narrowed his eyes. “You mean you don’t.”

But she didn’t admit that. She gave him a guileless look, then pursed her lips and raised her chin. “Children need continuity.” She sounded like a public service pronouncement.

“Says who?”

“I deal with children every day. I’m a librarian.”

“Then tell him to shush.”

Her green eyes flashed. “Not a stereotypical librarian. I give programs. I tell stories with puppets.”

“I’m sure Harry will love puppets.”

She hugged her arms across her chest. “You’re laughing at me.”

“I’m not,” he swore, but he did like watching her eyes flash. He always had.

“You are,” she disagreed and gave him one of her disapproving looks. “But when he wakes up and doesn’t know who I am, that won’t be good for him.”

“I’m not sure life has been particularly good for Harry.”

Cat’s mouth opened. And closed again. From her expression he thought she was considering what Harry’s life was like.

Finally she sighed. “Poor Harry. Gran shouldn’t have said she’d take him.”

He frowned. “And that would have been better because?”

She flung her hands in the air. “Because then maybe for once Misty would act responsibly.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

“No. Probably not. But I don’t know what to do. I can’t take him for two weeks! And Gran won’t be able to.”

“Misty’s number is in the rooster bowl,” Yiannis told her. “Maybe you’ll have better luck getting hold of her than I did.”

“I doubt it. Germany?” She shook her head. “I can’t think why Gran would have agreed. She didn’t even mention it when she called me.”

“She didn’t mention him to me, either—until I was putting her in the car.”

At Cat’s look of surprise, Yiannis shrugged. “Well, what was she going to do? Call social services and tell them to come and get this spare baby she couldn’t take care of any longer?”

“Of course not, but—” Cat paused, considering. “I guess she didn’t want to give you a chance to back out.”

“Or you, either, obviously,” Yiannis said.

“So, what are we going to do?”

Yiannis blinked. “We?”

“Oh, I forgot. You don’t do responsibility, do you?”

“I’m here,” he pointed out, irritated at how the veiled accusation stung.

“And leaving,” she reminded him.

“You want me to spend the night with you?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“I do not. I know better than that,” Cat snapped. “I’m only trying to think of what’s best for Harry.”

“Well, I did my bit. Maggie said you’d be taking over.”

“It’s not what she said to me! She said I should help you.”

“You’re her granddaughter.”

“You’re her landlord!”