Prologue
Three Years Ago
Levi Peletier had long ago learned to trust his instincts, and instinct was what prompted him to pull over to the side of a country road in Wyoming to inspect an abandoned cardboard box. He wasn’t usually much for checking out other people’s trash, but he trundled onto the shoulder, mindful of the brand-new tiny house he had hitched to his pickup. Levi didn’t want to risk hurting his first major adult investment.
There was nothing special about the box, no markings beyond the moving company logo stamped on the sides, but something still drew him to it. He shifted into park and got out. The two-lane road stretched out for miles in all directions, and he’d chosen this route because of its remoteness. After getting sober six months ago, Levi preferred solitude with nature over the bustle of city life. Or even small-town life. Give him open skies or thick forests any day.
The mewling sounds from the box clued Levi in before he could peer inside. Three kittens were curled up in a bundle of fur and tails and spindly legs, and two of the three were crying. They were young, he couldn’t guess how young, and someone had left them here. Three tiny, precious lives. Abandoned.
“Hey, you guys.” He squatted beside the box and reached inside. The striped ginger kitten immediately tried suckling his fingertip. He didn’t know a lot about cats, having grown up spending most of his life in a traveling rodeo, but he did know this suggested they hadn’t been properly weaned. And they were hungry. Poor little things. “Well, I hadn’t planned on having roommates this soon, but I guess you’re all coming with me.”
He picked up the box, grateful he’d listened to his instincts and stopped to check.
Since the only thing Levi had in his tiny house that the kittens could eat was bottled water, he found the smallest bowl he had and gave them some. The little babies mobbed the bowl, and it infuriated him to think how long they’d been without food. He tried not to think about it. His phone’s GPS said the nearest town was about ten miles ahead, so once he had them settled in the box with a towel to keep warm, he headed out again.
Naturally, the town didn’t have a veterinarian’s office, but a nice lady at the post office gave him directions to another town with options. She also thanked him for rescuing the kittens. “Any decent person would,” he said as he tipped his hat. Maybe Levi didn’t ride anymore but he still loved his cowboy hats.
He’d lost all his old hats last year when he ended up homeless, and the hat on his head had been a gift from his father after Levi completed rehab.
He took a photo of the post office’s exterior before rolling out of town. He’d definitely be writing about this newest adventure on his blog, and he liked including photos. The blog idea had come up during his stint in rehab, as a method of remembering his past in a positive way, instead of letting the agony of his little brother’s accidental death a year and a half ago darken and distort his entire life. At first, Levi had written in a notebook. Once he realized what an incredibly unique life he’d lived, he decided to share it with the wider world.
And he was also documenting his decision to take his home on the road on the blog. He enjoyed blindly traveling the states and landing wherever he landed for the night, even if it was just on the side of the road.
The next town was large enough to have several grocery stores and vet options. The first vet he visited squeezed them in, since the kittens were so young and vulnerable, and Levi instantly liked the young man who examined them. He explained how he’d found the trio.
“I don’t understand people who abandon innocent creatures like that,” Dr. Clark said as he looked over the black-and-white baby.
“Agreed.” Levi watched the careful way the vet handled the kittens as he weighed them, looked at their teeth and into their ears. The calico meowed the entire time it was handled.
“They’re all girls, and I’d guess them to be around six weeks old. Should be old enough to figure out drinking formula from a bowl so you don’t have to bottle-feed them. Assuming you’re going to keep them.”
Levi stroked the top of the ginger’s head. “They ended up in my life for a reason. If the universe decided I need three cats, I’ll keep them.”
Dr. Clark smiled and held eye contact a hair longer than most men would hold with other men. Unless they were interested. “Can I assume you’ll be bringing them back for future shots and checkups? Because they’ll need names.”
He hadn’t decided for sure on settling in this area but sticking around might have its merits. “I have no idea what to call them. I’m used to naming horses, not cats.”
“Well, for now we can designate them by their breed and your last name. Mister?”
“Levi Peletier.” He spelled his last name for the vet, who typed it into a computer. “Um, I guess Ginger, Tuxedo and Calico for now.” Actually, he liked the name Ginger for his little ginger kitty. Maybe he’d keep that.
“You’re new in town, I take it?”
“Very new. I’ve got my house hitched to my pickup.”
“How’s that?”
Levi explained a bit about his blog. “As I told the kittens, I hadn’t intended on getting a roommate, much less three, but here we are.”
“If you need a place to park, Lakeview Campground is only a few miles outside of town.” Dr. Clark grinned. “I’ve been fishing out on that lake. It’s a beautiful area. Peaceful. Not too crowded, even at the height of summer vacation season.”
“Then maybe I’ll check it out. Stick around for a little while.”
“Then welcome to town, Mr. Peletier.”
“Thank you, and Levi is fine.” He couldn’t decide if the vet was flirting with him or not. Levi was bisexual, and Dr. Clark was all kinds of cute and kind.
They shook hands and Levi liked that Dr. Clark didn’t let go right away. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, not after only being six months sober, but maybe living out here wouldn’t be as lonely as he expected. If nothing else, he could make a new friend while he was in the area.
“I’ll get you some cans of kitten formula,” Dr. Clark said. “You should be able to transition them from the formula to wet food fairly soon. The biggest question is litter box training.”
Ginger chose that moment to prove the doc right by squatting and pooping on the exam table. Levi laughed. “I guess we’ll figure that one out,” he replied.
“Have you ever owned a cat before, Levi?”
“Not a day in my life but I’m a fast learner. They came to me for a reason, and I’ll honor that reason. And I also believe in karma, so whoever abandoned them better watch their ass.”