Page 17 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“Yep.”

We pass the frozen section, and Sparkle pauses to grab a couple bags of vegetables.

“What else?”

His ears flatten. “Why?”

“I’m curious.”

And I want to understand exactly how much he carries. Sparkle pushes open one of the freezer doors and stares inside.

“I help get everyone ready for school. Help with homework. Mama handles the older kittens most of the time, but I help, especially when she has a lot of orders. I cook. Clean. Run errands. Whatever needs done so she can focus on her craft.”

“And you work.”

He shuts the freezer. “Of course I work. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have anything all my own.”

That stops me. “What do you do for you?”

“The bakery.”

“That’s what you do with your friends.”

“I love my friends.”

“I know.” I hold up my hands. “But what do you do that’s just for you?”

“I work at Flutter and Fangs to get away. I don’t really need the money because the covens pay Mama well, but...” His words trail away. He tosses something into the cart and starts walking again.

I let the silence settle instead of pushing.

Two aisles later, he speaks again. “I like getting my nails done.” Sparkle keeps his attention on the shelves. Maybe it’s easier to talk that way. “And sometimes I go shopping for clothes. Fun shopping. I like dancing when no one’s paying me to do it.” His tail slows. “And sometimes I shift into my cat and find somewhere warm to sleep where nobody can bother me.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It is.” Sparkle finally looks at me. “You’re very nosy.”

“Don’t you ask your friends questions to get to know them?”

There it is again. That beautiful pink spreads across his cheeks.

“You care about everyone around you, darlin’. I want to know who takes care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.” Sparkle folds his arms. “Stop acting like I need someone to save me.”

That lands way harder than I expect. “I don’t think you need saving.”

Sparkle cocks out his hip. So sassy, this kitty.

I give him my full attention. “I think you deserve to be cherished. There’s a difference.”

His tail goes still. Someone pushes a cart past us and gives me a strange look. I smile and wave. They hurry away. Sparkle snorts.

“I’m pretty charming.”

“You scared them.” He uncrosses his arms, but when his eyes meet mine again, the sadness is still there. “I can’t go on a date with you.”

I don’t like the answer, but I nod and reach for the bag of flour beside him.