Ava nodded. “For almost thirty minutes.” She looked at Griffin. “Sorry we stopped our job. But that kitten needs its mom, right?”

Griffin ruffled Ava’s hair. “You did the right thing.”

“I’ll be her mom,” Mia said. “Please, Cae Cae! Can we keep her? Please?”

My chest clenched and my eyes burned. “We can’t, Mi. You know what the landlord said.”

Mia instantly turned to Griffin. “Will you keep her, Griffin? Please? I’ll take care of her. You won’t have to do anything. I’ve been saving my allowance, and I can pay for her food.”

Griffin looked at me with panic in his eyes. “How do you ever say no to that face?”

“It pretty much kills me every time.” Just as I was about to explain to Mia that Griffin couldn’t keep her new friend, the kitten let out a fierce mewl.

“I think she wants down,” Ava said.

Mia set the kitten on the grass, and it instantly made its way over to Griffin. Instead of rubbing itself on his leg like most cats did, it launched itself at him, locking its claws in Griffin’s jeans and beginning to climb.

“Ow, shit,” Griffin winced. “I’m naming him Lucifer.”

I plucked the kitten off Griffin’s leg and cuddled it to me, flipping it onto its back. “I’m pretty sure it’s a she.”

Griffin peeked over my shoulder. “How do you know that?”

I pressed my lips together to hold in my laughter. “No balls.”

“I guess that’s solid evidence.”

“We can call her Luci!” Mia cheered.

Griffin looked from the kitten to Mia to me. “I guess I have a cat.”

My heart did a funny flip in my chest. That this man would do anything to make my girl happy. Even sign up for a lifetime with a devil cat.

30

Griffin

I followed the sound of adorably off-key singing. Pausing in the doorway of the kitchen, I took a minute to drink Caelyn in. Her back was to me as she sliced what looked like strawberries, placing the pieces into a bowl beside her. As she sang, her hips swung back and forth. The motion drew my attention there, but it was the cutoff denim shorts that held me captive. They molded to her curves as if they were made for her alone.

I forced my gaze away and cleared my throat. “Hey.”

Caelyn squealed, whirling around, knife in hand. “I am going to have to put a bell on you, I swear.”

“Only if it’s a pink sparkly one like we got for Luci.”

In the past twenty-four hours, Luci had been cemented as a member of the household. She’d been to the vet, was outfitted with everything a kitten could ever dream of and had attached herself to Mia like sisters separated at birth.