“These dogs are adorbs, Livy, especially that pointer.” Ava dropped her voice and nudged her in the ribs. “But I want deets on the hottie. I take it he was the one who picked you up? Which begs the question, why didn’t you find a way to mention how phenomenal looking he is? And what am I doing here? You should’ve asked to ride back with him.”

Olivia gave her sister another he’ll-hear-you glare and pulled her over to the cat kennels on the opposite side of the shed. “Hush, will you? I’ll fill you in in the car. And I didn’t know how things were going to turn out.”

Ava was stubborn and determined, but she was also a cat person, and luck was on Olivia’s side in terms of adequate distraction from her sister’s train of thought.

A few particularly adorable cats had been brought in. Two had been wandering the town, and one was rescued off a tractor in a flooded field. Ava seemed especially drawn to a silver-and-cream long-haired tabby with bright-green eyes. “They don’t know how she came to be there, but she turned up at the filling station. She slipped inside with one of the customers, and she seemed terrified of the outdoors.”

“Can I hold her?”

Olivia nodded. “Rhonda told us we could so long as they don’t fight it.”

When her crate was opened, the dainty cat practically hopped into Ava’s arms, and Ava let out a heartfelt coo. “I forgot how much I love cats.” Her sister smoothed the cat’s long, silky coat, sending tufts of fur flying into the air. “Her coat’s soft and tangle-free like an indoor cat.”

Olivia ran her hand along the cat’s smooth coat. “She seems to be in great health, that’s for sure. And she’s not underweight either.”

“Oh, Sis, I want a cat. And not just a cat. I want this cat. Don’t you think my failing marriage entitles me to a cat?”

Olivia choked back a laugh. “Yes, definitely, but I think you should sleep on it first.” Hearing a deep, thrumming purr erupting from the cat, she shook her head. “Though something tells me you two are a great match.”

Ava wasn’t one to make impulsive decisions often, but when she did, she could forget to take things into account, and right now, that included who was going to be getting the house, and if it wasn’t her, where she was going to live, among other things. Fortunately, this kitty would still be in limbo another day or two. It would give her sister time to take stock of some of the big decisions awaiting her if she and Wes were in fact calling it quits.