The Tessa Randolph Collection, Books 1-3 by Paula Lester (best ereader for comics .txt) 📗

and she got to her feet, ready to leap off the couch and find a nook to hide in. But Tessa had been expecting that and grabbed Pepper before she could jump. She stuffed her, tail first, into the carrier and shut the door. Then, she peered through the grate at her angry feline friend. "Yeah, I don't blame you for not wanting to go," she said. "This is not going to be pleasant.”

Chapter 14

TESSA ENDED UP GOING to the coffee shop before her mother's house. While she told herself she was only doing that because her body was having a strong craving for some hot java after a basically sleepless night, the real reason was she was hoping Cheryl wouldn't be home.

She glanced at her watch. It was 7:15 AM—should be safe now. Her mother usually left the house around seven to get to the office early, while things were still quiet. She was that brand of workaholic—the kind that doesn’t believe they can get real work done during work hours.

After weighing through the options, Tessa was convinced that Cheryl coming home from work and finding Pepper in her house would be better than opening the door to find her daughter standing there with a pet carrier. That thing about permission versus forgiveness.

Surely, Cheryl wouldn't scoop up the cat and throw her outside or something, once she recognized the furry girl had settled in and made herself at home.

Tessa had an idea that maybe the cat could use her old bedroom as her main place to stay. In her mind, she had it all worked out. She’d even practiced a speech to give her mother later—one in which she promised to come over daily to scoop the litter box and feed Pepper herself. "You won't have to do anything, Mom. I'll handle everything," she muttered to herself as she got out of the car and went around to the passenger side to grab the cat carrier.

Sure, it was extremely similar to something she'd said as a middle schooler when she had hoped to talk her mom into getting her a puppy. It hadn’t worked then, but that didn't mean it wouldn't work now. After all, in this case she already had the cat.

And, who knew? Maybe Cheryl was lonely and would welcome the kitty in her life.

Tessa snorted out loud at that. Her mother was so prim and proper, there was almost no chance she'd be interested in having cat fur all over the place.

Tessa straightened her shoulders and headed for the house. She didn't have a choice. Silas had drawn a line in the sand when it came to Pepper, and he'd made it very clear he meant it. Tessa didn't want to antagonize him any further. Cheryl was just going to have to keep the cat, at least for a little while.

When she got to the porch, Tessa set the cat carrier on the step and slid the big orange pot full of dying petunias aside to scoop up the hidden key underneath. She unlocked the front door and left it ajar. After she returned the key and scooched the pot back into place, she grabbed Pepper again, who yowled mournfully, and stepped into the house.

"Shhh," she told the cat. "You're okay. I'll make sure you have a nice, cozy spot. You're going to love it here." She tried to keep her voice upbeat, so the cat would stay calm. But something didn’t quite feel right.

Tessa realized, belatedly, the house wasn't empty. It was almost the exact opposite to how she’d felt at Nathaniel’s home the previous night. Someone was walking around upstairs, and there was a light on in the kitchen.

"Mom?" Tessa called, feeling just a tiny bit uneasy about a potential intruder.

Cheryl appeared at the top of the stairs. "Tessa, what are you doing here?" She glanced at her watch. "It's pretty early for you to be awake."

No kidding.

Rolling her eyes, Tessa set the cat down a little bit behind her, sort of hoping her mother wouldn't notice. "I didn't sleep very well last night. And, um, I have a big favor to ask you."

Cheryl’s forehead wrinkled.

Tessa realized she started too big. Stall. Stall. Stall. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and tied it with a band she'd slipped over her wrist. "Hey, what are you still doing home, anyway? Usually, you've gone to work by this time."

Cheryl leaned to the side and returned to her previous position, now holding the handle of a suitcase. She descended the stairs with it and stopped in front of Tessa. "I'm getting ready to leave. I have . . . a business trip." Her eyes dropped to the floor and then she craned her neck to see around Tessa's shins. "What's that?" she snapped.

"It's Pepper. Silas—my landlord—says I can't keep her anymore. I don't have anywhere else to take her, so I was hoping she could stay with you."

“They let him out?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of a long story.” A story Tessa wasn’t ready to tell.

But Cheryl had already focused her attention on the cat carrier, scowling.

Tessa held up her hands, palms out. "Just for a little while." Of course, she didn't mean that. There was nowhere else she could take Pepper, so the cat was going to have to stay with Cheryl long-term.

"I don't know. Pets aren't really my thing." Cheryl chewed her bottom lip for a second.

Tessa cocked her head, examining her mother. Cheryl had an uncharacteristic expression on her face. It was almost as though she were nervous. That was certainly not an emotion the woman exhibited very often.

Suddenly, Cheryl spun on her heel and marched to the kitchen. "Do you want some breakfast?” she called. “I'm going to scramble an egg real fast.”

Tessa knelt down and peered into the cat carrier. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes," she whispered.

Pepper yowled and glowered back. Tessa could almost hear her say, "Where am I supposed to go?