Free Halfway There by Susan Mallery Page A

arrived at six and had been focused on his work. He hadn’t even heard anyone walking into the building. Other than the blonde, of course.
    A quick look around the office confirmed that they seemed to be alone. Ethan Hendrix, Ryan’s new boss, didn’t believe in paying his engineers to sit around. Most of them were already on job sites or up at the manufacturing facility just outside of Fool’s Gold. Because Ryan was working on a new design, he was in the main office. He’d been on the job all of a week. Ethan had mentioned something about hiring a temp to handle the phone, but hadn’t given Ryan a name or ETA.
    The woman stared at him blankly. “There’s no pregnant person,” she said, as if convinced he was an idiot. “It’s Misty. I’m cat sitting, and she’s pregnant. I told Ethan I couldn’t leave her alone, so he said to bring her in to work with me. I didn’t think it would be a problem because Charity, her owner, said she wasn’t due for a week and they’d all be back by then. They’re in Florida for a charity bike race that Josh is—”
    The woman drew in a breath. “None of this matters. Misty is giving birth. We have to get help.”
    Ryan shook his head. “Most cats give birth just fine on their own. They know what to do. If there’s a problem, we can contact a local vet.”
    “Won’t it be too late then?” She turned and sprinted for the desk by the front door. “I have to do something.” She disappeared behind one of the partitions.
    Ryan followed her and found her crouched by a box containing a short-haired tabby and what looked to be one squirming newborn kitten.
    “It’s happening!” the woman shrieked. “Misty, stop, please! I’ll call a vet. I can find a vet.”
    Misty shot him a look that begged for privacy, along with peace and quiet.
    “Okay, then,” he said, grabbing the woman by the elbow and tugging her to her feet. “You need to step back and breathe.”
    “How is that going to help? Misty needs me.”
    “Misty’s doing fine on her own. Come on.”
    He thought about easing her toward the break room, but it seemed like the last thing the blonde needed was caffeine. She was plenty wired on her own.
    Instead he took her to his small office and settled her in the visitor’s chair. He took his seat and settled his hands on the computer keyboard.
    “Do you know a vet around town?” he asked.
    She stared at him. “What? Yes. Of course. Cameron McKenzie. He’s the local vet.”
    Ryan typed the name into the search engine and got the link to the veterinary practice. “Here’s the phone number. They opened at seven, and they’ll be there until five.” He studied the address. While he hadn’t been in town long, he thought the office couldn’t be very far away.
    The woman twisted her fingers together. “We should go now. ”
    “So this is about you, not Misty, right? Because she’s doing fine.”
    Those big hazel eyes narrowed considerably. “Excuse me? Are you saying I’m being selfish while Misty is doing all the work?”
    “Pretty much.”
    He leaned back in the chair and prepared himself for a heated discussion. He’d always believed you learned a lot about a person by how she handled a disagreement. When tensions ran high, true character was revealed.
    The woman sucked in a breath. He braced himself for shrieking and was surprised when she sagged back in the chair and nodded slowly.
    “I’ve never been around a cat giving birth before,” she said with a sigh. “I still think she belongs in a feline maternity ward, but your point is a good one. She seems to be doing fine on her own. I guess I can check on her every five minutes and if she seems to be handling it, leave her to become a mom in her own time.”
    “That seems like a plan,” he said, impressed by her ability to be rational and only a little disappointed there wasn’t going to be a show. “I’m Ryan, by the way.”
    Those beautiful eyes widened again, and color flooded her face. “Oh,