Love's Dance (27 page)

Jaina regretfully had to cut the call short, since she had to get to work. She dressed quickly in a long brown skirt with rose-colored flowers on it, calf-high brown boots, and a rose sweater. She never wore pink. Well, not usually.

"I really appreciate breakfast," she said as she was shrugging into her parka. "But I wish it had been on the weekend."

Colin gave her a lopsided smile. "Well, we spent all day yesterday in bed..."

"Still, it's my birthday. I shouldn't have to go to work.
"

♥♥♥

It was raining, which Jaina sarcastically said made her day unbelievably perfect. She lugged her giant case of makeup--it seemed to get bigger every week--out to Colin's car, since neither of them saw a need to take two cars, as their destinations in either direction were the same.

"Careful," she'd joked. "People are going to start thinking we're going out."

She put the case in the trunk and adjusted the hook of her waterproof parka. "I hate rain," she said with feeling.

"Y'know... Auckland isn't supposed to be a place of extreme weather," Colin said.

"Didn't you know? Bad weather follows me wherever I go." Jaina went around to her side. Then she stopped. "Do you hear that?"

Colin, who obviously didn't hear it, asked, "Hear what?"

She looked around. "It sounds like-"

There, huddled under a nearby bush, was a tiny, grey, bedraggled thing, with huge blue eyes. She let out an "Ooohhh!" and scooped up the soaked kitten.

It was tiny, not even old enough to be away from its mother. It cried pitifully as Jaina cuddled it.

Colin came around the car, curious to see what she'd picked up. "What is it?"

"It's a kitten," she said. "I don't know what it's doing out here, it's way too young to be alone."

He looked at Jaina, then at the kitten, and back to Jaina. She looked at him with big, pleading green eyes. He sighed.

"All right, you can keep it. Might as well take it with us.
"

♥♥♥

In the car, Jaina used several of the paper napkins they kept in the car to dry off the kitten. It was a puffball of fur, with ears that seemed much too large for its tiny head and body. It blinked at her, confused and frightened.

Colin glanced over, surprised to see Jaina cooing to the furball.

"Uh, Jay? What do you plan to do with that?"

She rubbed the fur between its ears. "I'm going to get this poor baby warm and dry and feed-" Jaina lifted the kitten's tail "-her. She must be starving, poor wittoo thing."

He couldn't believe his ears. Did she just call it
wittoo
? "Feed her with
what
?" he had to ask.

"Um. Milk, I'm assuming. Jasa will know. I'll call him from the studio."

"Why would Jason know? What
does
your brother
do
, anyway?"

"Oh, he's a vet." She looked at him. "Are you really okay with this?"

Colin looked at the kitten, which, now that it was drier, looked like a fist-sized ball of fur with eyes. He had to admit, it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. "Yeah, sure. I'm not heartless."

Jaina grinned and stuck the kitten in her sweater, to keep it warm.

"I envy it," he said wryly.

"Oh, hush.
"

♥♥♥

Jaina set the kitten on the counter in the makeup trailer, on a bed made of her scarf. The kitten hadn't learned to purr yet, but it squeezed its eyes shut as it kneaded the green chenille.

She set out her supplie
s as she rang up her brother. "Hi, Jase? It's Jaya. I was wondering if you knew what to feed a kitten that's about a month old."

Jason's voice, groggy at first, replied, "A kitten? What?"

"I found a kitten. It's a dinky little thing, maybe four weeks old. What should I feed it?"

There was silence for several moments, then Jason said, "It's four weeks old? Are you sure?"

Jaina bent to examine the kitten. Its eyes crossed as it tried to look at her. "Yeah, it's about four, maybe five weeks. It's small enough to sit in my hand."

He sighed. "Isn't it a little soon to be adopting?"

Jaina stuck her tongue out at the phone.

"If it's that little... probably kitten food and maybe kitten formula. We've got some at the office. If you want to send Colin in, since I know you can't leave, I can give you a discount, since you're family."

"Thanks. You're the best brother ever."

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, what are you going to do with it until then? We don't open until nine."

"Would warmed milk be okay?"

"A tiny bit should be okay, but not too much."

"Great." Jaina waved at Robert as the door opened and he came in. The Australian eyed the kitten with great interest. "I gotta go, Jase, I'll talk to you in a bit."

"Happy birthday, Jay," he said.

"Thanks."

Jaina hung up and turned to Robert, who had extended a finger for the kitten to sniff. "Sorry about that, I had to consult my veterinarian brother on what to feed this little thing."

"Where'd you find it?"

"On the way to work." Okay, so that wasn't very specific. Jaina wasn't about to tel
l Robert she was living at Colin's. "Sit down and I'll get you ready to go.
"

♥♥♥

Jaina wasn't able to go in search of
anything
to feed the kitten--and tried to ignore its yowls--before Colin was able to take off with the noisy grey thing and deliver it to Jason's office. She was, in her opinion, insanely busy, and waiting nervously for some mysterious guest star that was supposed to be coming in.

In the exam room of the veterinary clinic, Jason looked down at the ball of fur. Colin stood on the other side, also looking down at it.

Jason looked up at Colin. "She named it
what
?!"

"Cupcake," Colin repeated. "Temporarily. At least, I hope it's temporary. I don't want a cat named Cupcake running around my house."

Jaina's brother shook his head. "That doesn't seem very Jaina. Naming it Cupcake, I mean. Yoda, or something, yeah. But cutesy? No way."

Colin shared in that incredulity. "You wouldn't believe how... mushy she's become since we picked up this kitten. Instant mutation."

The younger man picked up the tiny cat and began examining it. "Okay, she's right, definitely a girl."

Colin frowned. "How can you
tell
on something that little?"

Delighted to have an up on his sister's boyfriend, Jason explained. By the time he finished, Colin was glassy-eyed.

"I'm assuming you want shots?" Jason asked.

Colin nodded. "Jay said she wanted, and I quote, 'everything but spaying because my poor little sweetie doesn't need that nasty operation'."

The vet snickered. "I don't envy you."

"Oh, you're having your revenge now," Colin said.

Jason shook his head. He gave Colin a reluctant smile. "I've, uh, apologized to Jaina for what I said that night... I owe you one, too. I've never seen Jaina this happy."

The older man tried to shrug it off, but inwardly knew that Jason's acceptance of this meant a lot.

Fortunately, the kitten was so small that it took very little to hold her still while Jason administered a shot. He said that Cupcake--laughing at the name--was so small that he didn't dare give her more than that.

Colin bundled the kitten--which was very put out at this point--into a new carrier, with a bed and some cat toys, and put kitten, carrier, and supplies in the car. He stood for a moment by his car door, wondering at the lengths he'd gone to for Jaina. Never mind that it was
her birthday, he just wanted to make her happy.

Feeling a little silly, he stuck the last item in his pocket and got in the car
.

♥♥♥

Jaina was enjoying her birthday--several people had already wished her a happy one--and a small break when there was a knock at the trailer door and a PA stuck her head in.

"Ms. McGregor? There's a delivery for you."

"Come in," Jaina said, straightening in her chair.

The PA came in, carrying a flower arrangement. It was in a green wicker basket, tied with a gold ribbon. As the PA set it down, Jaina saw it was actually a small rose plant, white roses, and there was a card on a plastic stake in the potting soil.

After she thanked the young woman and the PA left, Jaina pulled the card out of its small envelope. In Colin's handwriting, only small and a bit cramped, was a note.

Jay,

Happy birthday. I know you don't like

cut flowers, so... I got you those

white roses you mentioned. I guess you

can put them on the kitchen table.

He'd scribbled something out, and then scrawled, "I love you. Colin."

She was grinning stupidly when another knock came at the door. Jaina got up and went over, hoping it was the erstwhile guest who was a good hour late.

Jaina pulled open the door, and stopped cold.

Standing on the pavement, a large bouq
uet of pink roses in his arms, was Jack Fallon
.

♥♥♥

She stared at him for several moments, too surprised to speak.

His brown eyes swept over her appraisingly. "You're looking good, Jaina. I thought for sure New Zealand would do you in."

Rage boiled up within her and she clenched her fists. Her voice shook as she demanded, "What are you doing here, Jack?"

He actually had the grace to look sheepish. "I, uh... heard you were working here, so I made a desperate play to get a guest on the show."

Jaina's eyes narrowed. "Who'd you hear it from?"

"An acquaintance, uh, Angela... Ellison, I think her name is?"

She made a vow to hurt Angela severely.

Jack moved to the first step of the trailer. Jaina took an instinctive step back, and he pushed his way in. "Look, I... I'm sorry for the way I treated you, darling. I know I don't deserve it, but I hope you'll forgive me."

Jaina's eyes went from him to the roses he was holding. And then her gaze flickered to the small white roses on the counter. The pink ones were larger, flashier... but the white ones were alive, and had genuine sentiment behind them.

She straightened. "What are you trying to pull?"

His perfect blonde brows met in an expression of hurt confusion. "I thought it was obvious, Jay. I..."

Jack stopped, and said, "I know it's your birthday, so I got you these, but I was hoping..."

The door opened behind him and Colin walked in with Cupcake as Jack dropped to one knee.

"Will you take me back?"

Chapter Thirty

Jaina stared at Jack in silence, her eyes huge. Then she looked at Colin, who wore an almost identical expression... for an instant before it dissolved into a hard, fierce look she'd last seen on Hedridan's face when he was stabbing orcs.

Luckily, it wasn't directed at her, but at the man kneeling before her.

"Uh..." Jaina said.

Colin cleared his throat, forcing his features into bland interest. "Am I interrupting?"

Jack turned around. "Hullo. If you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of making up with my fiancée."

Jaina considered her options. There was boiling him alive, skinning him, hanging him by his toenails... Or she could castrate him with a dull spoon. A rusty one. Now
that
sounded entertaining.

She reached down and grabbed him by his perfectly styled locks. "No, you're not," she said, giving them a hard yank.

"Ow!" he yelled.

Jack scrambled to his feet and Jaina jabbed her finger into his chest. "I told you I never want to see you again, you smeghead!"

He grabbed her hand. "Jaina, darling-"

"Don't you 'Jaina, darling' me, you git!" She pulled her hand away and slapped him.

Rubbing his cheek, he turned and glanced at Colin, who'd set down the carrier and was holding Cupcake. The kitten looked incongruously small in his hands. "Jaina, must we do this in front of an audience?"

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of him." She smiled nastily.

Jack frowned. "Who
is
this?"

"Colin Pierce." Colin didn't offer a hand. Instead, he set the kitten on the counter. It saw Jaina and headed down the length of the counter on its feet the size of dimes.