"How come the kittens' pop is around the house? I never saw a full-grown tom here before."
"He saw me buying some cans of cat food, so he followed me home. Susan isn't admitting she ever knew him or ever wants to. I'll give him another feed and send him on his way, I guess. He's a handsome young fellow." Kate strokes him between the ears, and h
He starts to pull back farther under the sofa.
Without stopping to think myself, or giving him time to, I pick him up.
Susan arches up and spits.
I can feel the muscles in his body tense up as he gets ready to spring out of my lap.
Then he changes his mind and decides to take advantage of the lap.
He narrows his eyes and gives Susan a bored look and turns his head to take me in.
After he's sized me up, he pretends he only turned around to lick his back.
"Cat," I say to him, "how about coming home with me?"