Chapter 23
Leo slowly drifted into wakefulness. The first thing she became aware of was the warm body pressed to hers from behind. Holly’s knees were tucked behind hers, her groin snugly fitted to Leo’s bottom, and her naked breasts pressed against Leo’s back. One foot rested between Leo’s ankles, and her arm was draped around her waist.
Once, when Leo had awakened during the night, they had been in the exact same position, as if they had slept like that all night.
She lay still and listened to Holly’s even breaths, enjoying their closeness and the feel of Holly’s bare skin against hers.
Flashes of last night replayed through her mind: Holly bending down to kiss her breast, her breathy moan when Leo had kissed the nape of her neck, the look of wonder on her face as she brought Leo pleasure. God, what a night. She couldn’t stop smiling. Not because she’d had great sex—okay, not just because she’d had great sex—but because they had managed to make it a good experience for them both.
Holly murmured something incomprehensible in her sleep. Leo thought it might have been her name.
She couldn’t resist rolling over to watch her sleep, careful not to dislodge Holly’s arm around her in the process.
Streaks of morning sunlight bathed Holly’s face in a golden hue and glinted off her auburn hair, which was tousled from the many times Leo had run her hands through it last night. One hand rested beneath her chin, and her face was relaxed in deep slumber.
The sheet had slipped down to her waist some time during the night, and now Leo drank in the curves of her body and the glow of her skin.
As if sensing her attention, Holly mumbled something and tightened her hold on Leo.
With a hum, Leo cuddled closer and kept watching her face from just inches away.
Finally, Holly blinked open her eyes. A smile curled her lips as their gazes connected. Without saying anything, she trailed her fingers along Leo’s jaw and to the corner of her mouth. Her fingertips rested there as she bridged the few inches of space between them and kissed her, caressing Leo’s lips with her own.
“Good morning,” she whispered when the kiss ended. She yawned and stretched like a lazy cat. Her soft skin brushed along Leo’s in a sensual slide.
Leo struggled to bite back a moan. Her “good morning” came out much raspier than intended. Get a grip. She’d woken up next to Holly several times by now, but never naked. Never after a night of lovemaking. “Is this okay?” She nodded down at their entwined bodies. “The naked cuddling, I mean.”
“Very okay.” Holly splayed her fingers across Leo’s back as if soaking up the feeling of her skin and let out a contented sigh. “I could stay like this all day.”
Very aware of the leg between her own, Leo cuddled closer. “Hmm, me too. Anything else you’d like to do today?” She ran a finger up Holly’s side, enjoying the goose bumps that rose beneath her touch. “Maybe something a little more…” Her voice dropped a register. “…active?”
“How about some Xbox?”
Leo paused with her finger near the edge of Holly’s breast and stared at her. “Xbox?” she echoed.
Her eyes half-closed and a peaceful expression on her face, Holly nodded. “Meg sent me a game that I think you might like.”
With Holly’s naked body pressed against hers, she could barely think of anything but how amazing last night had been.
Yeah, it was amazing, but it didn’t change who Holly is. She’s still ace. A surge of love tightened Leo’s throat. My ace.
“But if you’re not in the mood…” Holly added.
Leo burst out laughing.
Holly opened her eyes more fully and gave her a puzzled look. “What’s so funny about video games?”
“Nothing.” Leo trailed her fingers through Holly’s tousled hair. “Just thinking about how much I love you.”
Holly went still against her, and a slow smile brought out her dimples. “I love you too.” She kissed her tenderly. Then her smile turned into a challenging grin. “But that doesn’t explain why you were laughing.” She dug her fingers into Leo’s bare side, tickling her. “Tell me!”
They laughed and wrestled playfully. The sheet tightened around their calves, chaining them to each other.
Leo squirmed and halfheartedly tried to get away. “Sex,” she cried out breathlessly. “Sex and video games.”
Holly stopped. The tickling turned into absentminded caresses. “Huh?”
“That’s what made me laugh—the way our brains are wired. You were thinking about video games, and I was thinking about making love.”
“Oh.” Holly blinked once; then she slapped her own forehead and laughed too. Finally, she sobered, placed one palm along Leo’s face, and looked into her eyes. “Well, if you want to, we can—”
Leo interrupted her with a soft kiss. “I appreciate the offer.” She kissed her again, this time a little more deeply, just enough to show her that she was still desired. “But I’ll need my energy to kick your ass at Xbox.”
They looked into each other’s eyes, and a silent understanding passed between them.
“Later,” Holly said, her voice a little hoarse. “First, I need more cuddle time.”
With twin sighs, they settled back into each other’s arms.
Leo’s eyes drifted closed. Sex and video games, she thought with a smile. It would make for a cool song title.
A week later, Leo leaned back on the couch and playfully wiggled her toes against Holly’s thighs as she tried another chord progression for the chorus she was working on.
Without looking up from her novel, Holly started a one-handed foot massage that had Leo sigh in contentment and put down her guitar to enjoy it more fully.
Holly looked up. “Hey, why did you stop playing? That song was starting to sound really nice.” She hummed the chorus in the adorably off-key way that always made Leo smile.
“I love you.” Saying those three words had never come easily to Leo, and she wasn’t using them lightly now either, but with Holly she found herself thinking it—and saying it—at the most surprising times.
A glow from within lit up Holly’s face, transforming her features from cute to breathtaking. Her gaze went soft. “I love you too.” She tugged on Leo’s big toe, and the tender smile grew into a teasing grin. “Even if there’s a hole in your sock.”
Leo craned her neck to see it. “There is?”
“Mm-hm.” Holly tickled the bit of skin peeking out through the hole.
Leo’s foot twitched. “Yeah, well, musical geniuses work better with some ventilation.”
“Oh yeah?” Holly tickled a path up Leo’s leg and found the sensitive spot behind her knee.
Leo giggled and squirmed but didn’t withdraw. It was so wonderful to see how comfortable Holly had become with these little playful touches.
“Why are you even wearing socks in the middle of summer?” Holly asked. “You’d think you were the one with the ugly crooked toes.”
“Hey, I love your crooked toes.”
They looked at each other, knowing Leo was talking about much more than Holly’s toes.
The ringing of a phone from the kitchen interrupted the moment.
“Leontyne?” Her mother called from the same direction. “That’s yours. It’s your manager calling—again.”
“On a Sunday?” Holly muttered. “Doesn’t he keep normal office hours? I’m beginning to really dislike that man.”
Just as Leo was about to get up from her comfy spot next to Holly, her mother entered the living room and held out the ringing phone to her. “Me too,” she said to Holly. “He’d do anything to get Leontyne back to New York. Sometimes, I wonder if he was the one who told the paparazzi where to find her.”
Leo’s stomach churned. Saul wouldn’t do that…would he? In the past, she never would have doubted him, but now she no longer had that kind of trust. Yeah. And that should tell you it’s time for a change.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Holly muttered. At the mention of Leo returning to New York, her face had gone carefully blank.
By now, Leo knew that look: Holly put it on whenever she didn’t want to broadcast her feelings. It was probably something she had learned as a nurse. She put a hand on Holly’s knee and rubbed gently. “Don’t worry. I think this time he’s calling because of something else.”
But she knew Holly would continue to worry. She did too whenever she thought about her inevitable return to New York. At some point, she wouldn’t be able to postpone it anymore. But that day wouldn’t be today.
She let the call go to voice mail, even though she was eager to find out what Saul thought of the two songs she had recorded on her laptop and then sent to him.
“You could have taken the call,” Holly said. “I have to get going anyway. I’m running low on clean clothes because I spent all week playing video games with a certain someone, so I need to do some laundry before we meet for dinner at Mom’s.”
They grinned at each other; then Leo shook her head and said, “Nah, that’s fine. I’ll call him back later.”
Holly got up from the couch and bent to kiss Leo goodbye.
“You can kiss me anytime,” Leo said before their lips were about to meet, “but just to let you know, I fully intend to walk you to your car.”
Holly smiled and kissed her anyway.
It had been a nice surprise how comfortable she was with public displays of affection.
When they pulled apart, Holly hugged Leo’s mom goodbye. “You’re coming to dinner too, right?”
“If you’re sure that the two of you wouldn’t rather be alone…”
“Alone?” Holly laughed. “My mom, my brothers, their wives, and their four kids will be there. Maybe a cousin or two or one of my brothers’ friends too. My mom will be glad to have someone her age to help her reign over the chaos.”
Leo’s mother smiled. “Then I’ll gladly come. Tell Beth I’ll bring an apple pie.”
“Will do,” Holly said. “Thank you.”
Leo took her hand and walked her to the Jeep.
Holly unlocked it and opened the driver’s side door but didn’t get in immediately. Instead, they stood facing each other, their fingers tightly entangled.
Every time they separated, even if just for a few hours, Leo was more reluctant to let her go. They really had to figure out what to do about the future, because one thing Leo knew for sure: whatever happened in her life, she wanted to share it with Holly.
One of their neighbors walked past and waved to them. “Hi, Holly. Morning, Leontyne. How’s your mom?”
How amazing. If someone recognized her on the street in New York, they usually started jumping up and down, screaming hysterically, or they rooted around for a piece of paper for her to sign. She sometimes encountered fans here in Fair Oaks too, but most of the people in town didn’t make a big deal of her presence.
“She’s hanging in there, keeping busy making apple pies,” Leo answered.
“We’ll start harvesting our Jonagold next week. I’ll have Jack bring her a basket. They’re great for pies.” The neighbor waved again and walked on.
Holly smiled. “You’re still not used to it, are you?”
“Hmm?” Leo turned her gaze from where she had stared after the neighbor.
“You’re used to people going gaga over your very presence. Do you miss it?” Holly asked softly.
Leo didn’t have to think about it. “Not at all. As a teenager, I used to daydream about being famous, the fans going crazy when I climb out of my limousine in some fancy designer dress or something…” She gave a self-deprecating smile.
“That’s so not you,” Holly said.
“No, it isn’t. But I didn’t know that back then.”
“Well…” Holly lifted up on her tiptoes and gave her another sweet kiss. “You won’t need a designer dress to have dinner with my family. But putting on a different pair of socks before you come over might be a good idea, musical genius.”
Chuckling, Leo watched her climb behind the wheel of the Jeep. Neither let go of the other’s hand.
They smiled at each other for several seconds. Then their hands slid apart, and Holly closed the driver’s side door.
Leo stood in the driveway and waved until the Jeep disappeared down the street.
“So, dinner with your in-laws,” her mother said when Leo returned to the living room. “Are you nervous?”
It hadn’t occurred to Leo that she had reason to be, but now that her mother said it, something started to flutter in her stomach. “Um, you think I should be? It’s no big deal, right? Holly’s had dinner with us dozens of times.”
“That’s hardly the same. Holly had dinner with your father and me several times a week before you came home. But Beth hasn’t had much of a chance to get to know the woman who’s in love with her daughter.”
“Beth has known me since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.”
“She knew you back then, when you were a little girl and then a teenager, but she doesn’t know the woman you’ve become. It would only be natural if she was a bit skeptical. What woman would like her daughter to date a rock star?”
“Pop star,” Leo mumbled.
“You know what I mean. If I were her, I’d want to know what your intentions are.”
Leo gulped and plopped down onto the couch. That sounded as if she might be in for a maternal interrogation. “Gee, thanks, Mom. Now I am nervous.”
Her mother laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be a lovely dinner.”
The cell phone rang again, and Saul’s name flashed across the display.
“I’ll get started on that apple pie.” Her mother left the living room.
Once she was alone, Leo accepted the call and skipped the usual pleasantries. “What did you think?”
“Um, I assume you mean the songs you sent me?”
“Yes, what else? Come on, Saul. Don’t make me wait.” She bounced on the couch once. “What did you think?”
He cleared his throat. “They’re good.”
“Really?” She sank against the back of the sofa. Somehow, she had expected him to talk her out of trying something new—or, rather, into returning to her old style—no matter how good the songs might be.
“Yeah. I mean…technically. But, Jenna, they’re not what we’re looking for.”
She should have known there was a but involved. Leo gritted her teeth. “We?”
“Well, the label. They want something…flashier.”
“To hell with what they want. What about what I want?”
“What do you want?” He sounded as if he was just humoring her.
Leo struggled not to raise her voice. “I want to let my music speak for itself. No more high-tech shows, costumes that barely cover a thing, or music videos that would make a sex worker blush!”
“Jenna, please. You know that’s not enough nowadays, especially not with the younger crowd. Good voices are a dime a dozen. If you want to be successful, you’ve got to deliver the full package. You know what they say: sex sells.”
A sudden calm came over her. “You know what? Sex is overrated. And so is money. I made enough to last me a lifetime. If I’m not at the top of the charts all the time, I can live with that. I want to go back to making music, Saul. Real music.”
“But the label execs won’t—”
The calm dissipated like fog under the burning sun. She jumped up. “Enough! You work for me, not for the label!”
Saul breathed in and out audibly, as if she were a child trying his patience. “Yes, I do. Which is why I’m trying to save your career.”
“Who says my career needs saving?”
“I do. The label does. And the producers of A Star is Born do. They know a sinking star when they see one.”
“Sinking star? Oh, come on! I’m sick and tired of that you’re-on-the-brink-of-losing-everything routine! You pull that shit every time I’m not doing what you want.” She had avoided dealing with her dissatisfaction long enough. Now she was done with keeping the status quo out of fear or indecisiveness.
“What I want?” Saul huffed. “I’m doing what’s best for you!”
“And you think you know what that is, without even asking me?”
“Of course I do! I’ve been your manager for a dozen years, and your career only took off once you hired me! With my help, you achieved everything you dreamed of—and now you’re destroying all that hard work!”
Leo took a deep breath so she wouldn’t yell at him. “You’re right. I achieved my dream, and I’m grateful for your help. But you know what? Now that I’m living it, my dream is feeling more and more like a nightmare. I hung in there for a long time, thinking it might change, that it was just stress. But if my time back in Fair Oaks has taught me one thing, it’s that I’ve got to face the truth. It’s time to make new dreams.”
“New dreams. Yeah. You’ll have to, because the old ones are slipping through your fingers.” His tone cut like steel. “The producers of A Star is Born just told me they hired someone else to be a judge on the show.”
Maybe he thought the shock of hearing that would be the slap in the face that would make her see reason, but it wasn’t even a blip on Leo’s emotional radar. “That was your dream, not mine. I was never eager to tell a couple of wannabes that they can’t sing to save their lives.” If she wanted off-key singing, Holly could do it much cuter.
“Do you have any idea what ratings that show—?”
Long-pent-up anger bubbled up inside of her. “Fuck the ratings! From now on, I’m doing what I want.”
“You’ll regret it. When the label drops you like a hot potato and your fans forget who you even are, you’ll wish you’d stuck with it.”
“Maybe.” Leo gave a one-shouldered shrug with the phone still pressed to her ear. “But then at least it will have been my choice. I can’t go on like this, Saul. Either I start making my own decisions, or I’ll retire on the spot.”
“At thirty-two?” He snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, you know what’s ridiculous? You talking to me as if you were footing my paycheck, not the other way around. I’m done with how you are running my career. Either you support me in this, or we go our separate ways.”
He sucked in a breath. “You can’t just—”
“I can and I will,” she said, her calm voice a counterpoint to his yelling. “So, what’s it gonna be?”
“You’re crazy if you think for a minute that you’ll—”
“Goodbye, Saul. I’ll make sure you get your last paycheck. And Saul? If I ever find out that you were the one who told the paparazzi where to find me, I’ll make sure no one else in the music industry will ever hire you again.” She ended the call before he could answer. There was nothing left to say.
As silence spread through the living room, she slowly began to grasp what she had just done.
She’d fired her manager of twelve years, the man who’d been a big part of her success. She might have just ruined her career.
Oh God. Her knees gave out, so she plopped down onto the couch. Holy cow! I did it. I really did it.
It was crazy and terrifying, but it also felt freeing, as if she had thrown off shackles that she had worn for so long that she’d forgotten they were there. She had fulfilled the contractual obligations to Clio Records when she’d wrapped up her world tour, so now she was free. No one could force her to return to New York if that wasn’t what she wanted.
So, what did she want?
The first thing that popped into her mind wasn’t her music. Instead, images of Holly rose from deep inside of her—images of walking hand in hand along the creek, of Holly smiling at her as they lay in bed, talking and cuddling, and of the peace she had felt when they had hung out on the couch earlier, with Holly reading and her composing a new song.
That’s what I want. She had no idea what the future would bring when it came to her career, but she knew with a certainty that left no room for doubts that she wanted a life with Holly. Now the question is: how do I get it?
Holly slid the bookmark between the pages of her novel and put it on the bedside table. The book was good, but she couldn’t focus on its plot. The empty spot in bed next to her was too distracting.
At breakfast, Leo had told her that she had an important appointment today and that it might be pretty late by the time she got back. That was when Holly had decided she might as well sleep in her own bed for a change. Now she regretted that decision as she imagined how nice it would feel to slip into bed with Leo, cuddle close, and let her heartbeat and her wonderful scent lull her to sleep.
Jesus, get a grip. It’s just one night. What are you going to do when she flies back to New York or goes on a year-long world tour?
A chill slid over her, even though it was a pleasant seventy-two degrees in her bedroom. She and Leo had avoided talking about it, but they both knew the day would come when they had to go their separate ways.
Or you could go with her. Nurses are needed everywhere, even in New York.
The thought made her heart pound with part fear, part excitement. Except for the four years when she’d been away at college, she had lived in Fair Oaks her entire life. She loved it here—being around her family and the people she’d grown up with, working with long-term patients she came to care about.
How would she deal with the anonymity of a big city like New York and the constant change of patients in a large hospital?
Maybe she could find work as a home-health-care nurse.
Of course, Leo might say that she didn’t have to work at all since she made more than enough money for the two of them. But she loved her work and didn’t want to give it up. While she loved Leo even more, she didn’t think that giving up her job would be good for their relationship either. She wanted them to be equals.
The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts.
When she saw the name on the display, she smiled. Leo!
She decided then and there that she would tell her about the option of her coming to New York with her—just throw it out there and see what Leo would think. They might be moving a little fast, but she had a feeling Leo would like the suggestion.
Her finger felt a little unsteady as she swiped to accept the call. “Hey there.”
“What are you wearing?” Leo asked.
Holly chuckled. “You’re not, by any chance, trying to have phone sex with an asexual woman, are you?”
Leo’s laughter trickled through the line. “No. I’m trying to find out if the aforementioned woman is still dressed so she can come open the door.”
“Open the…?” Holly’s breath caught. “Where are you?”
“In front of your house,” Leo said, a big grin in her voice.
Holly jumped out of bed, almost getting her feet tangled in the covers in her haste to get to the door. Seconds later, she threw it open.
Leo leaned against her father’s car, which she was driving now, cell phone at her ear. Her blonde hair was tousled, as if she’d repeatedly run her hand through it. She exuded an energy that seemed to make the air around her crackle.
Holly hesitated, not sure what it was—excitement or nervousness. “Hi,” she said, then realized that she was still talking into the phone. She put it away and repeated, “Hi. All done with your appointment?”
Without moving away from the car, Leo put her phone away as well and nodded. “Just came back. There’s something I have to tell you, and I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow.”
“I’ve got something to tell you too.” Holly paused and took a second to study Leo more closely.
Leo’s expression was so serious that it could only mean one thing: her appointment had been with her manager, who had flown all the way to Missouri to drag her back to New York, and now she had come to tell Holly she was leaving. Surely she would want Holly to come with her, right? The thought of living apart and not seeing Leo every day caused an almost physical ache, and she was sure it wasn’t a one-sided feeling.
Still, her knees started to tremble, so she leaned against the doorjamb. “You met with Saul, didn’t you?”
“Saul?” Leo shook her head. “No. And I won’t be getting any more phone calls from him either.”
Because Saul would finally get what he wanted—Leo back in New York—or was there another explanation? “Why not?”
“Because I fired him.”
Holly gripped the doorframe. “You fired him? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“It just happened yesterday, even though it was a long time coming. We just don’t want the same things anymore.”
Holly swallowed. “What is it that you want?”
“For one thing, I want to write music like ‘Odd One Out’ or ‘Holly’s Song.’ I don’t know if my record label will go for it, but if they don’t, I could easily finance it myself. That way, I would have full creative control.”
“Oh, Leo. That would be fantastic!” Something in Leo’s expression told her that wasn’t all. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
Leo nodded. “I also want to give Chance a good home.”
“You want to give Chance a good home?” Holly repeated as if that would help her understand.
An affectionate smile spread across Leo’s face. “Are you going to repeat everything I say?”
“Sorry. My brain can’t keep up. Who or what is Chance?”
Now Leo stepped to the side, opened the back door, and pulled a cat carrier from the car. “This is Chance.”
Holly rushed over and peeked through the bars.
Big yellow eyes stared back at her from a furry face.
“Aww. You got yourself a kitten? Is it one of Happy’s little ones?”
“No. I mean…yes, he’s one of Happy’s kittens. But I didn’t get him for me—I got him for us.”
“For us?” A thrill of hope spiraled through her. She stared at Leo, just as wide-eyed as the kitten. “Does this mean you want me to come to New York with you?”
“No.”
Holly waited for her to go on, her heart hammering and her mouth dry.
“Because I’m not going back to New York,” Leo added. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But what about your music?”
Leo shrugged and grinned. “I always thought someone should build a recording studio in Fair Oaks. Might as well be me.”
“But…but…you don’t like it here. You said it’s claustrophobic.”
“It’s endearing,” Leo corrected, as Holly had many weeks ago. “In my mind, I made it into this horrible place full of nosy, narrow-minded people. It took coming back to realize that there’s also a lot of positive things that I had forgotten about. I like the slower pace here and that I can be just Leo. And you are here. I like that most of all.”
“Leo?” Holly’s voice quivered as she struggled to hold back either tears or giddy laughter—she wasn’t sure which.
“Yeah?”
“You’d better put that cat carrier down.”
Leo looked back and forth between the kitten and her. “Um, why?”
“Because I’m about to jump you.”
Leo laughed—loud, happy, and unrestrained. “Who needs New York when I’ve got you right here?”
Then neither of them said anything else, because Leo put the carrier down, and Holly threw herself into her arms and kissed her with all the love in her heart.
It was a high-pitched mew that pulled them apart minutes later.
They leaned their foreheads together.
“I think someone is feeling a little neglected,” Leo whispered against Holly’s lips.
“He’d better get used to it because I intend to do this…” She kissed Leo again, but this time just for a few seconds. “…any chance I get.”
“Any chance.” Leo laughed. “See, I named him well. Because there’ll be lots and lots of chances.” She rained kisses down on Holly’s face before she picked up the cat carrier by its handle and slid her free hand into Holly’s.
Holly felt as if she were floating rather than walking into the house. Having Leo here, knowing she would stay, was more than she had ever dreamed possible.
Once inside, Leo lifted the kitten out of the carrier and nuzzled her cheek against its soft-looking fur for a moment.
Aww. The two were so cute together that Holly nearly melted. “You didn’t happen to get a litter box for him too, did you?”
“It’s all in the trunk.” Leo pointed to where she’d parked the car. “Your mother gave me a list of things I’d need for a cat.”
Holly stared at her. “My mother knew about this? That you’re staying? She didn’t say a word when we all had dinner together yesterday.”
“I asked her when I helped with the dishes and you were busy cleaning up the mess your nephew made in the living room.”
“So, what did she say?” Holly asked.
“That we’ll have to have Chance neutered in about two months, and that she expects me to be there for it.” Leo grinned. “I think it’s her way of telling me I’d better stick around and not play fast and loose with her daughter’s heart.”
“And you will? Stick around, I mean.” Holly still couldn’t believe it.
“I will,” Leo said. “I’ll probably have to travel and give a concert or an interview every now and then, but I won’t do big tours anymore. Let other singers do it. I’ve been on the road for long enough.”
Could it really be so easy? Holly felt a little faint with happiness, so she pulled Leo over to the couch.
They snuggled together on the middle cushion and watched Chance explore his new home.
“So,” Leo said after a while, “what was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?”
“Hmm?” Holly leaned her head on Leo’s shoulder.
“You said you had something to tell me too.”
“Oh. That.” She chuckled. “Great minds think alike. I was about to offer that I move to New York with you.”
Leo stared at her. “You would have moved away from Fair Oaks? For me?”
“For us.” Holly lifted her head off Leo’s shoulder. “The offer is still on the table if you’d rather do it that way.”
“Hell, no! Your mother would use her evil vet tools on me.” Leo laughed but then sobered and looked into Holly’s eyes. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
Drawn in by the loving look in Leo’s eyes, Holly leaned toward her for a kiss.
Chance chose that moment to leap for the laptop power cord dangling off the edge of the couch. When he couldn’t reach it, he tried to climb Holly’s leg.
Leo saved her by gently picking him up before he could use his claws. “There goes your peace and quiet. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” She nodded down at the kitten batting at a strand of her hair.
Holly grinned. “Who needs peace and quiet when I can have the two of you?”
They beamed at each other and then leaned across Chance to share a kiss—the first of many kitten-supervised kisses.