Discombobulate

Chapter Fifteen

It had been three hours since Andy left. Denise had made a trip to Wal-Mart and she walked to Opal's coffee shop. It was a half-hour walk from her cabin, but she figured she could use the exercise. Plus, it gave her time to start brainstorming her next story idea. 

So far, she had nothing. She sat on one of her bar stools staring at a blank piece of paper. A black-inked pen was in her hand. A cup of black coffee from Opal's Coffee Shop was still warm beside her.

Nothing was coming to mind. No character names, no plot, no plot twists, not even a simple setting. Instead of writing, her thoughts circled back to her sister and her mom. If their case was solved, she could finally have some closure. She'd be able to have some inner peace. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

She spun around towards the door startled. Nobody had made plans with her to come over. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She ignored the negative thoughts in her head and headed towards the door. 

She yanked it open to reveal Andy. An ear-to-ear grin sat on her face. "Surprise! I got him for you! Isn't he cute?" 

Denise glanced down to see what Andy was holding. An orange kitten was in her arms. A light green collar wrapped around it's neck. It matched the kitten's wide green eyes. The kitten looked up at Denise with curiosity.

Denise stood staring at the tiny creature. She tried to form words, but she couldn't get her lips to move. Her vocal cords struggled to work. When she finally spoke she could only get out one word. "What?" 

Andy chuckled and shimmed herself around Denise. "He's two months old and his name is Dupe." She placed him on the hardwood floor. 

Dupe immediately started walking around. He slowly took a few steps toward Denise. She took a step back from him. He took a few more towards her. 

"Dupe?" She echoed her friend. 

"According to the humane society, that's his name. They named his only other brother Duke. Duke and Dupe were the only two boys in a litter of six. They had to put his brother down a few nights ago." 

"I thought you left town. I can't take in this kitten. I know nothing about cats! Andy, you have to take him back." 

Andy rolled her eyes, "I'm leaving town after this. You used to feed the outdoor cats all the time at your old house. I have everything he needs out in my trunk."

"The outdoor cats weren't kittens! They were older and didn't rely on me for their every need!" Denise took a step back as Dupe continued to approach her. 

Panic engulfed her. She didn't need to worry about a kitten along with everything else. Dupe moved forward and rubbed up against her leg. He glanced up from between her legs and let out a high-pitched meow. She could feel her hard exterior crumbling. His little body was warm against her bare ankle. He was a gorgeous kitten with an orange and yellow coat. 

"I can't take him back. I signed an agreement to be his owner and paid for him. He was the last in his litter. He reminded me of you. You'll get along great. Not to mention, he's litter box trained and up to date on his shots. All you have to do is give him food and water. Change his litter box regularly. Let me get the rest of his stuff." 

Andy left Denise alone with Dupe. 

Dupe sat down and stared up at Denise some more. She glanced at him and put her hands on her hips. He meowed again. She let out a sigh before reaching down and lifting him off the ground. She stroked the top of his head. He let out a happy purr. 

"You're very cute and all, but you might have to go back home. I'm not sure I'm equipped to have a kitten. They can be a handful, I'm sure you're well aware of this."