She knew checking on her dad wasn’t the only reason he’d stopped by. She did not have plans, other than working, then realized she hadn’t told Brent about her new book contract. And for some odd reason, she didn’t want to tell him just yet. Later, after her trip to Seattle, she would, but at the moment, she wanted to keep this to herself. “Actually, I’m doing some research, so I’ll be glued to the”—she almost said Internet, but he didn’t need to know that either—“books. Just a project I’m interested in.”

“Well, I hope that’s all it is,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shook his head. “That you’re not just saying that to keep me away.”

“Brent, I don’t want to get into this now. You know how I feel.” And this was not the time to discuss her lack of romantic interest in him. “I do have some good news to share with you. I’m going to be a mom,” she said, but when she saw the look on his face, she realized she’d left out one critical word. “A cat mom.”

She saw the relief on his face.

“I went to the shelter this morning, and not only did I adopt a momma cat—her name’s Daisy—I also adopted her kittens. Evie and Yule.”

He laughed. “For a minute, I thought you were having a baby. Yeah, that’s a good thing to do. Animals are a good substitute for kids.”

“Brent! That’s mean,” she said, and she wasn’t joking.

“You know what I meant,” he said. “Until you settle down and have a family of your own. Pets are almost as good as kids. Unconditional love and all.”

Lauren wanted to tell him there weren’t a lot of choices in Fallen Springs, but that was a low blow. She wasn’t that cruel. “Yes, they do give love in return. The shelter wouldn’t allow the kittens to be separated from their mother, and I agreed to take all three. I think Dad will get a kick out of it. You remember how crazy he was over Buzz?”

Brent laughed. “He thought that cat was a dog.”

“He did, and Buzz acted like a dog, too. I miss that furry guy.”

“Well, as I said, I just wanted to stop in, check on your dad. You tell him I’ll stop by for a beer this weekend,” Brent said. “And I’ll bring pizza from Papa Joe’s.”

“Sounds good, I’ll tell Dad,” she said, relieved that he was leaving.

“Saturday or Sunday? Which day is best?” he asked.

The bell jingled on the door, and, of course, Mr. Hunk’s timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Uh, I’ll call Dad and ask. I’ll get back to you,” she said, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise to her face.