Free The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond

of him. “They have very big teeth. How about you? You must know a lot about them.”
    I didn’t want to admit that even after living in cougar country my whole life, Onawa was my first cougar.
    “I can show you where she’s been.”
    Luke stood. “Lead on!”
    He was amazed by the cougar scratches. “And look here.” I pointed to a slight dip under a cedar tree, where the earth was matted down. “That’s where she was sleeping.” Would Onawa mind my sharing her secrets with Luke? She seemed to have chosen him. I might have seen the cougar marks before if I’d paid better attention. But I’d been preoccupied with Devon. While I hunted for more cougar signs, Luke stepped off the trail. “Don’t get lost,” I caled.
    A minute later, I heard him shout.
    I folowed his voice to an old cedar snag that stood like a chimney a foot or so taler than me. Malory and I had played in it until she’d outgrown that sort of thing. Luke poked his head inside the opening at the bottom.
    “What is it?”
    He reached in and lifted something out. It was a kitten, the size of a small house cat. Round, curious nose, spotted fur.
    “That’s a cougar kitten!”
    He handed it to me. The kitten fit into my arms like a baby dol. It had a wild smell—strong and pungent. It laid its head listlessly against my hand. Vibrant blue eyes looked up at me.
    “There’s another one.” Luke lifted out the sibling.
    They had huge paws, but their limbs were so floppy. Mine They had huge paws, but their limbs were so floppy. Mine began to purr. Luke’s gave a pathetic mew.
    “Onawa’s babies,” I said.
    Luke nodded. “Orphans.”

chapter
eleven
    My kitten opened its white-mustached mouth, but no sound came out. It was spotted, almost like a leopard. They must outgrow their spots, the way fawns do.
    Overhead, a woodpecker drummed. A gnat buzzed in my ear.
    I roled the kitten on its back. “Mine’s a boy,” I said. “I think.” Luke checked his cat. “Another boy?”
    I peered at his cub. My cat Ophelia had borne two litters before she’d been spayed. “I don’t think so. Male cats have hidden genitals. See the round spot on mine? That’s the p—” I felt myself redden. “Anyway. I’m guessing yours is a girl.” Luke sat cross-legged and tucked the kitten into his lap. She batted at him weakly.
    My kitten began to purr again and to knead my chest with his paws. “Ouch!” I unhooked his claws from my shirt. He looked at me languidly. I ran my finger across the fuzz of his chest and could feel his ribs underneath loose skin. How long since they had eaten? Onawa had been dead five days. It had rained once since then, so maybe they’d had water. Maybe.
    Luke rubbed the girl cat’s ears. “What are you going to do with them?”
    Me? What was I going to do with them? I shook my head.
    Luke knocked a bug off his forearm. “Aren’t there people Luke knocked a bug off his forearm. “Aren’t there people who deal with things like this? Some department somewhere?”
    “Are you kidding? That would be Fish and Wildlife.”
    “So call them.” He put his nose against the girl kitten’s nose and scratched behind her ears.
    “Fish and Wildlife?” Was he realy that stupid? Only a few minutes ago he’d been caling the kittens orphans. He’d understood why I had to give their mother a name. At least, I thought he had.
    “What?” Luke looked up at me with those blue, blue eyes of his. They were almost the same color as my kitten’s eyes. He smiled, rather adorably, and I decided to forgive him his stupidity.
    “Fish and Wildlife sent Officer Mark.” I tried to speak patiently. “The guy who shot Onawa?”
    “They wouldn’t shoot kittens.”
    “Luke! Kittens grow into cats. Big cats.”
    “Yeah.” He stood, cradling the girl cat. “They’ll die if they don’t eat,” he said. “You have to do something.” Me again. I had to do something. “Don’t you care what happens to them?” I glared at him.
    “Of course I