Free Courting Alley Cat by Kathryn Kelly Page A

today?”
                  “Thank you, Mrs. York. I hope I’m not disturbing.”
                  “Oh course not,” Mrs. York, said, stepping back so Alley could enter. “Is Charlie alright?”
                  “I think so. I just thought maybe Justin could make sure. I feel so responsible for him being sick in the first place.”
                  “Nonsense. You got him over here as soon as you noticed something was wrong. That’s more than a lot of people do. Do you have any pets at home, Dear?”
                  “Unfortunately, no, I don’t. I think maybe that’s why I didn’t notice anything was wrong right away.”
                  “You’re doing just fine. With cats, it’s hard to tell when they’re not feeling well. They’re quite good at hiding it.”
                  “I’ll bet you’ve picked up quite a bit about animals, with two veterinarians in the house.”
                  “I suppose I have, at that. Also, just being around them has taught me a lot.”
                  “I’m sure it does,” she said, glancing around the foyer. She didn’t hear any sounds coming from the basement. “Is the clinic very busy today?”
                  “Oh, no, not at all. But Justin isn’t here.”
                  Alley felt her heart sink in to her toes. She tried to keep the smile on her face, but could feel it trying to slide into sadness. She ruined everything last night. He’d gone wherever it was without her, or even worse, he’d taken someone else. It was all over before it even got started.
                  “Oh,” was all she could manage to get out without making a fool of herself.
                  “It’s alright, Dear, the older Dr. York is filling in for him.”
                  Alley swallowed thickly and forced herself not to panic. “I thought he had retired.”
                  “Oh, he has, but sometimes Justin has to.... travel and my husband is more than willing to fill in.”
                  “Travel?”
                  “Yes, on business.”
                  Alley thought that sounded just strange enough to distract her from feeling devastated.
    “If Dr. York is busy, I can make an appointment for when Justin returns.”
                  “Oh, don’t worry. Come on downstairs,” Mrs. York said, urging Alley down to the clinic. “It’s really quiet today and, besides, I’m not sure when Justin will be back.”
                  “Will he be back today?” Alley couldn’t resist asking.
                  Mrs. York hesitated a second longer than expected. “I just don’t know. Sometimes it takes longer than others. Now don’t you worry. We’ll take care of little Charlie.”             
                  Alley fought down the urge to skip out the front door, taking Charlie with her. She only wanted to see Justin. She sighed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to see Justin’s dad. Maybe he could offer some insights into what was going on with his son. She certainly needed some. In Dallas, people rarely even admitted to having parents.
                  She wasn’t in Dallas anymore.
                  “Hi there, Alley, come on in. Who have you got there?” At the sight of Dr. York’s sunny, welcoming smile, Alley was overcome with guilt. Justin’s parents had been incredibly kind to her and all she could do was resent them for being there.
                  She immediately put the smile back on her face. “I’ve got little Charlie, who, I think, is doing just fine.”
                  “Let’s take a look at him,” Dr. York said, as he took the cat from her arms.
                  Alley realized that her smile was genuine.