Mistletoe Magic (3 page)

Caitlin
wouldn’t mind a happy ending, but so far she’d gotten only as far
as chapter two or three, a long way from the end. She tapped her
boot against the tile floor, in time to the Christmas carol playing
on overhead speakers.

Had Noah found
his happy ending?

For all she
knew, he was married with kids or had a girlfriend. Maybe more than
one. The guy had been a catch his senior year. On the surface,
nothing looked to have changed.

But she’d
learned to look deeper than a pretty face.

Even one as
pretty as Noah Sullivan’s.

Noah stared at
the kitten, now dry, wrapped in heated blankets. IV bags filled
with water and heated in the microwave helped to raise the cat’s
temperature. The warming techniques were working the way they
should—slowly. Rushing the process could cause more harm than
good.

But the cat’s
dehydration and thinness concerned him. Lack of food or a hidden
health issue? Tests would answer the question, but Noah might not
like the answers. Caitlin, either.

His body
hummed with awareness, memories of her in his arms and against his
lips sprang to life as if the seven years that had passed were
seven days.

A dog whined.
Only one was back here.

He glanced
over at the tech. “How’s Chewey doing?”

Kelly was
taking Chihuahua’s vitals. “Looks like he’s ready to go home. The
owners live on a small ranch outside of town. It’ll take them a
while to drive in if they didn’t stick around Marietta.”

“
Give them a call. Before discharge, I’ll speak with them about
leaving presents filled with chocolate under the tree, wrapped or
not.” Noah strode to the door, eager to see Caitlin again now that
the cat’s condition was more stable. “I’m going to the waiting
room. I have questions about the kitten.”

“
Mistletoe,” Kelly said.

Noah glanced
over his shoulder. “What?”

“
The kitten’s name is Mistletoe. That’s what Veronica said
Caitlin named her.”

He froze at
the tech’s familiar use of her name. Curiosity about the woman he’d
once known had him walking back toward Kelly. “Do you know
Caitlin?”

“
Yes. I knew her better back in high school, but sometimes she
attends the workout classes I teach.”

So Caitlin
worked out. He wasn’t surprised. She used to jog in college. Maybe
he’d get a better look at her this time. Her hat, big coat, and the
fleece blanket had kept her hidden.

Kelly eyed him
suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

Her wary tone
made him feel like a stalker. He didn’t like the feeling.
Especially since he wondered if there was anyone special in
Caitlin’s life—a boyfriend or fiancé or husband. “You didn’t call
her a client or Mistletoe’s person, but used her first name.”

“
Most people around here know other folks’ names even if they
don’t know the person well. Most people know Caitlin Butler because
she’s the most popular preschool teacher around. The kids adore
Miss Caitlin.”

Miss, not Mrs.
Noah’s relief was palpable.

“
Speaking of names.” Kelly glanced at the kitten. An
I’m-on-my-way-to-being-a-crazy-cat-lady smile curved her lips.
“Mistletoe is such a cute name. Perfect for this sweet little
girl.”

“
I’d say Caitlin chose the name because mistletoe was hanging
over her head.”

Kelly made a
face. “Does it matter how she came up with the name? Mistletoe
fits.”

Maybe he was
just pissed because Caitlin was thinking about the kitten while
standing under the mistletoe and not him. Back in college she would
have attacked him with kisses. “Yeah, I’m probably making too much
out of the name.”

“
Mistletoe does suggest Christmas. What the kitten needs is a
Santa hat and bow. Wouldn’t that be so adorable?”

He grimaced,
not understanding why anyone would want to dress a kitten in
clothing. No wonder cats acted so put-out all the time. He would
too if someone tried to dress him up like Santa or a comic book
super hero or a baby. “Do you want to play holiday dress-up before
administering SubQ fluids or after the blood draw? Why not stick
Veronica’s antlers on Chewy so he’ll look like the dog from The
Grinch Who Stole Christmas?”

Kelly’s eyes
brightened. “Max! He would look exactly like him. If Mistletoe
starts feeling better—”

“
Joking,” Noah interrupted.

Her smile
fell. “Don’t joke about Christmas. It’s serious stuff around here.
Especially tonight.”

“
I’m figuring that out.” Noah didn’t mind any of the Christmas
decorations except the mistletoe. He especially liked the lights
hanging around the windows, hanging like his dad hung them when
Noah was a kid.

The town liked
gingerbread, too. Every business in Marietta had a replica
gingerbread house of their establishment thanks to a new baker from
Arizona who was in town for the holidays. A mastiff named Duke had
taken a chunk out of the Copper Mountain Animal Hospital
gingerbread house. Thankfully Rachel Murphy, the baker, had assured
them and the worried pet owner that all parts were edible. “I’ll be
out front if you need me.”

Noah hoped the
cat continued to stabilize and not crash.

For Caitlin’s
sake.

And theirs,
too.

After all,
tonight was Christmas Eve.

A time for
miracles and, dare he hope, second chances.

Footsteps
sounded down the hallway, ones too heavy to belong to Zumba-thin
Kelly, who taught Zumba fitness and dance in the school gym a few
nights a week. Caitlin looked up from the Country Living magazine
on her lap.

Noah walked
toward her, his strides long, his gaze focused on her.

Her heart
jolted.

Seeing him
made Caitlin feel a mix of emotion, mostly good, but she hated that
she found him so much more attractive. That just wasn’t fair.

And then she
remembered…

The
kitten.

Caitlin jumped
to her feet. The magazine hit the ground with a thump, a way she
imagined her heart might sound if Noah came any closer.

He swooped up
the periodical then handed it to her in a single motion, a knight
in shining scrubs. She didn’t need rescuing, but she knew who
did.

“
Mistletoe… ?”

Noah moved
closer, too close for her comfort level, but with the chair behind
her she couldn’t move. His soap and water scent tickled her nose.
She stopped talking. She didn’t remember him smelling good enough
to take another sniff.

Move away.
Now.

Caitlin
stepped to her left, then placed the magazine on the table next to
her. “Is Mistletoe going to be okay?”

“
She’s showing signs of improvement from the hypothermia. We
don’t want to warm her too quickly. A slow increase in temperature
is good.”

The rich
timbre of his voice sent a burst of warmth flowing through her
veins. She forced herself to concentrate on the small tabby. “Poor
kitty.”

“
It’s a good thing you brought her in when you did. You may
have saved a life today.”

“
May have?” A lump burned in Caitlin’s throat. Her lungs
trapped her breath. Tears stung the corner of her eyes. “That
doesn’t sound good.”

He pulled her
into his arms, a place she’d only dreamed about being for a very
long time. “She’s getting better. But with animals, especially
young ones, we tend toward the cautious side.”

His heart beat
against her chest. She should back away, but didn’t want to. Not
yet.

The feel, even
the smell, became more familiar with each passing second. Her body
remembered, wanted to be closer, but the attraction thrumming
through her was new. Different. Overwhelming.

She didn’t
know how long they stood there. She didn’t care. She hadn’t dated
anyone in the last six months. She’d missed… this, a comforting
touch. She longed for someone of her own, someone to give her
comfort and support when needed, someone to… care. The way she
wanted to do and give back in return.

Someday…

“
Tell me about finding Mistletoe,” he said finally, only
loosening his arms slightly.

“
I was bringing my friends’ garbage can to the garage. I saw
something lying on the snow. For a minute I thought… I thought the
kitten was, um, dead. As I moved closer, I could see the kitten was
wet, shivering. Such a relief. For a moment at least.”

Noah squeezed,
a light, reassuring pressure. “I bet. Especially after thinking the
worst.”

She leaned
closer, drawn by the gesture of comfort, and by him. Was it wrong
to be enjoying being in his arms so much?

If only she
could think of him as a vet, not also a man.

But she
didn’t. Caitlin took a step back, awash with sensation, heat and a
heavy dose of caution.

He’d broken
her heart once. Sure she’d recovered, moved on, fallen in love
again. But she’d never forgotten him. Still they’d both changed
over the years. She knew nothing about the man he’d become.

Best to follow
his prescription for warming Mistletoe.

Go slowly.

“
I’m housesitting for friends over the holidays. They had a cat
disappear a few months ago. I thought for a split second this might
be Miss Kitty. But I realized this cat was younger. A
kitten.”

“
I’d say she’s four or five months old, based on her teeth, but
that’s young. Was she making any noise?”

“
Her mouth moved, like she wanted to meow, but no sound came
out. When she looked up at me with those big, sad green eyes…”
Caitlin fought the urge to touch Noah. She placed her hand on her
chest instead. “Please tell me there’s nothing seriously wrong with
her.”

Concern
flitted across his face. He lowered his hand. “As I said,
stabilizing her temperature is going well. But I want to perform
further tests.”

“
What kind of tests?”

“
To see if there’s anything going on inside her. Organs, blood,
a whole lot of other things a blood panel will tell us.”

“
Do you think something’s wrong with her?”

“
I want to rule a few things out,” he said. “Mistletoe isn’t
micro-chipped. Veronica is searching lost pet listings online.
Based on her condition and how you found her, she appears to be a
stray or maybe from one of the feral catch and release colonies in
Marietta.”

“
Mistletoe didn’t hiss or try to scratch me when I touched her.
Though she wasn’t moving much.”

“
A symptom of hypothermia is unresponsiveness,” he said. “Stray
doesn’t always mean feral. Ranches like Nate Vaughn’s Bar V5 take
unadoptable cats from the shelter in Bozeman and make them barn
cats. I’ve examined a couple. Nice cats.”

She scrunched
her face. “Are they? You thinking Mistletoe came all the way from
Paradise Valley? That would be a long trip for a kitten.”

“
Not if she caught a ride in an engine or wheel
well.”

Caitlin
inhaled sharply. “That’s… “

“
When temperatures drop, animals go where it’s warm.” He moved
a step closer, giving her another whiff of his delicious scent.
“That’s why during winter some people bang once or twice on their
car hoods before starting the engine.”

“
I had no idea. I’ll start doing that.” She noticed Veronica
eyeing them with interest. Caitlin had forgotten the woman was
there. “So, Mistletoe?”

“
We want to run a panel of blood tests.” He glanced at
Veronica, who was obviously eavesdropping. “The results will help
us determine if Mistletoe’s healthy, and just needs fluids and a
few good meals. If that’s the case, we can place her with the
shelter in Bozeman. A Good Samaritan Fund will cover the cost of
her treatment.”