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“So you’d like to adopt a kitten?” I asked. How could such a tiny creature be a match for the massive, slobbery guy standing before me?

Sunny’s bright blue eyes flashed with worry. “That’s okay. Isn’t it?”

“Of course, it’s okay! I just wish Nan would have told me before disappearing on us.”

“Sorry about that. I was really excited, which is why she offered to come over straight away.”

“I didn’t even wait for Tilly,” Nan supplied with a wink. “Although I’m still hoping she’ll adopt one of our babies, too.”

Sunny laughed.“I’ll be sure to pass that on. Hey, now that you guys are here, could you help me decide on a kitten?”

“We’d be honored,” Charles answered.

“Do I smell donuts?” I asked Nan before joining Charles, Sunny, and the kittens in the living room. My rumbling stomach was more than ready for a treat.

Chapter Sixteen

We spent the better part of the next hour at Sunny’s. She ultimately chose the only gray kitten of the bunch and then immediately dubbed the little missPrincess Muffin.

While we were on the way out, Paisley confided in me,“I didn’t want to say goodbye to any of my cat puppies.”

I waited until Sunny had shut the door behind us to respond.“I know, sweetie. I am so sorry.”

Much to my surprise, Paisley wagged her tail so hard her whole body shook.“That’s okay, Mommy. I didn’t want to say goodbye, but it made me feel good that Sunny and Jasper are so happy now. Do you think Princess Muffin will like living with them?”

I smiled and reached down to pat Paisley on the back.“I know she will.”

“That’s all any good Mommy can do. Prepare her cat puppies for the world and give them the best opportunities they can.” The little dog’s capacity to love never ceased to amaze me.

“You’re a great mother, Paisley,” I told her.

“You are, too, Mommy.”

A wall of emotion crashed into me, and I couldn’t help but tear up after receiving those tender words from Paisley. Luckily, I always kept a tissue stashed in my pocket during cold and flu season. I drew it out now and used it to wipe at my eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Charles asked, concerned etched around the edges of his mouth.

“Nothing,” I lied. How could I tell him that maybe I was readier for our future than I thought? Yes. Maybe Icould be a wife and mother someday, because I already helped to raise one wonderful little doggie and one mostly okay cat.

“All right!” Nan waved to us from the driver’s side of her little red sports coupe. “See you crazy kids back at home.”

“Wait!” I trudged across the slushy road after my grandmother. “Why didn’t you tell us where you were going before you left? And why didn’t you answer your phone when we tried calling you?”

“Oh, sorry about that. I silenced it after the bootcamp instructor yelled at another gal for receiving a text alert. Seems I forgot to turn it back on after.”

“But you called Sunny,” I argued.

“No, I calledTilly, then she put me on to Sunny. And I used our landline, dear. Sometimes the simplest option is best.” She rummaged around in her giant handbag until she found her phone and waved it in front me. “See. It’s right here.”

Unsurprisingly, her phone had accumulated so many unread notifications the list of them fell off the screen.

“Give me that.” I grabbed the poor, neglected device from her hands and entered her highly secure passcode,1-2-3-4.

“It looks like you have several texts and missed calls from… um,Diamond Guy?”That was definitely a new one.

Nan blushed and took the phone back.“That’s private.”

“Who’s Diamond Guy?” I teased, unable to suppress the giant smile that spread across my face.

She fluffed her hair, but it did little to distract from the deep blush that had taken over both cheeks.“It’s just a new nickname we’re trying out. After all, he does sell diamonds for a living.”

“Oh my gosh. Is this how you and Mr. Gable flirt?” I broke apart laughing. Nan was usually so brazen with her friendships but acted completely different in her recent flirtations with the local jewelry shop owner.

“Hush up, you,” she clucked. “You and Charles were no better in the start.”

My smile had become stuck on my face.“Aren’t you going to see what he wants?”

She jammed her phone back in her purse while shaking her head.“You know I’m a very private person.”

I laughed right in her face.“Really? Since when?”

“Fine. I’ll call him back now. Happy?” She grabbed her phone again and pressed the CALL button.

“Why not just check your messages?” I suggested as the line continued to ring.

“I don’t have my voicemail set up. Don’t need it, because I have an answering machine—”

“On the land line,” I finished for her. “What about the texts?”

She ended the attempted call. Apparently Mr. Gable didn’t have his voicemail set up, either. Old people are so funny sometimes.

Nan showed me her phone again. She did, indeed, have six new texts from Diamond Guy, but every single one said the same thing:Hello, Dorothy. Please call me when you get the chance.