Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy Read Free Book Online

I’d ever met. Bruce was shorter and had a more muscular build. By nature a nurturing individual, he also had a slightly more cynical view of the world.
    “What are you two doing home so early?” I asked. “And make sure you close the back door. We’ve got a cat in here.”
    “Did you say ‘cat’?” Scott asked.
    I’d returned to staring under the sofa as my roommates’ footsteps creaked across the wood floor. Bruce got down next to me and peered, too. “She meant to say ‘kitten’.”
    “It won’t trust me,” I said. “And I don’t want to reach under and grab. It might bite.”
    “Did you try feeding it anything?” Scott asked.
    I sat up on the back of my legs to tell them about my success with cheese and we decided to try again. While Scott went to the kitchen, Bruce gave my hair a once-over. “It looks like you just stepped out of the shower. You’re totally drenched. How long were you outside like that?”
    “Felt like forever.”
    “I’ll bet. And you’re still cold, aren’t you?”
    I admitted I was.
    “You’re going to get sick,” he said.
    “You don’t get sick from being cold or wet. You get sick from germs.”
    Bruce was shaking his head. “Mark my words. You’ll see. Tomorrow you’re going to come down with a nasty cold.”
    “No way.”
    I was spared further argument by Scott’s return. He’d pulled out four different varieties of cheese. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
    “Haven’t figured that one out yet,” I said, giving the plethora of cheese a perplexed look.
    “I didn’t know what kind the little kitten would like. Gruyere, Brie, Asiago, Muenster . . . what do you think?”
    We put a small crumb of Muenster just under the sofa and then littered a few more out in the open. “Let’s back up,” Bruce said. “Give the little thing some space.”
    We shuffled to the opposite side of the room to wait and watch.
    “You’ve had cats?” I asked.
    Bruce nodded. “But it’s been a while. The kitten is scared right now. No idea where it is or what we might do to it.”
    “I should ask the neighbors if anyone lost a cat,” I said.
    A huge clap of thunder shook the house, rattling the windows and making my feet rumble.
    “Not tonight you’re not,” Bruce said. “It’s not a fit night out for woman . . .” he pointed to me then to the cat who’d finally poked its head out. “Or beast.”
    Keeping a wary eye on us, the cat crept forward and picked up the next crumb of cheese, chewing excessively before eyeing the next piece, which was considerably closer to where we stood. We all waited, and I for one, held my breath.
    “It’s a tuxedo cat,” Bruce said quietly.
    “A what?”
    “See,” he said, keeping his voice low and slowly raising his finger to point, “black and white, like it’s wearing a tuxedo.”
    “It’s really cute,” I said.
    The cat must have heard me because at that moment it stopped eating and looked up. It opened its mouth and let out a despondent little cry that again reminded me of a tiny Chewbacca. Encouraged, I slowly lowered myself to the floor and crossed my legs, striving to appear less intimidating.
    “Good,” Bruce said under his breath as the cat took another cautious step toward me. “It’s sizing you up.”
    The cat made its way, one silent, guarded step after another, until it stood right next to me. I barely breathed. Then, in what seemed to me a decisive, no-turning-backnow move, it jumped into my lap and didn’t squirm away when I touched it.
    Emboldened, Bruce and Scott sat next to me on the floor. Bruce picked up the cat’s tail and gave it a quick perusal.
    “It likes me,” I said as I found a sweet spot behind its ears and started to rub.
    “ She likes you,” Bruce corrected.
    “You sure?”
    He nodded.
    “She’s purring,” I said in amazement. “Can you believe it?”
    “Looks like she’s adopted you.”
    I shook my head. “This is somebody’s cat. Look how pretty she is. How clean. I bet a family