Beauty & the Beasts Read Online Free PDF

away if they aren’t any good to some human.”
    That had been Dr. Stewart’s real offense; as far as Madeline could tell from people’s comments, he’d been a competent veterinarian. And Eric was right: it was impossible for any one man to be available around the clock seven days a week no matter how dedicated he was. But Joan’s only criteria for judging people was: did they care about cats? All cats. Preferably enough to make sacrifices for their sake.
    Joan and Eric settled on the best hours for him to visit each week; he laid out the charges he and his partner had agreed on, and Joan’s cheeks flushed with pleasure.
    “Dr. Bergstrom, thank you.” She pumped his hand again. “Now I must be going. Madeline, you’ll lock up? A man offered a pile of wood shavings if I’d pick them up. We use them for kitty litter when we’re short,” she said as an aside to Eric.
    “Dr. Bergstrom would like to meet Jackson,” Madeline said. “Do you mind if we stick our heads in your place?”
    “Of course not.” With the speed of an uncaught feral cat, she whizzed away.
    Several of the residents came to meet them in Joan’s private quarters. One was Jackson, weighing in at twenty-five pounds.
    “Good God,” Eric said, with obvious awe. “He is a cat?”
    With his huge head and magnificent plume of a tail, Jackson was probably Maine coon cat, perhaps even a purebred. Blueblooded cats passed through here just as the commoners did, none immune to the indifference or cruelty of humans.
    Outside Madeline repeated Joan’s thanks. “This is good of you,” she said with more warmth than she’d let herself show him yet.
    His brows drew together in what looked like impatience. “You’re giving a hell of a lot more time than I will be. I don’t deserve any more commendation than you do.”
    “I’m not a professional donating services I’m normally paid for,” Madeline said.
    “This is something useful I can do.” He literally shrugged off her praise. “I’m happy to do it.” Heopened his truck door, adding brusquely over his shoulder, “I’m sure I’ll see you.”
    “I gave you my home phone—”
    “I have Joan’s card, too.” No more talk about a contact person. He settled behind the wheel and reached for the door handle.
    Madeline backed away, feeling childishly let down. And why? Because she’d expected that he’d try to change her mind about that dinner invitation. He didn’t strike her as a man who accepted defeat easily.
    Unless he hadn’t been that interested to start with.
    He pulled the door toward him, then stopped just before it slammed. “Oh, hell.” He looked at her with exasperated resignation.
    Her heart began to drum.
    “I’d like to adopt that cat. Hannah.”
    “Adopt? Oh.” A flush spread across her face. God forbid he could read her thoughts. “Hannah. Are you sure? We…we do expect you’ll be making a lifetime commitment.”
    “Of course I am. What do you require?”
    “I have forms…They’ll only take a minute. Naturally we’ll waive the donation.” She managed a smile. “You’ll be working off the price of a cat.”
    Eric followed her back inside, where she dug the forms out of a filing cabinet. “I don’t suppose you need the free exam at the vet,” she said foolishly.
    “I guess not.” He reached for the pen she handed him and bent over the desk, filling in the blank spaces with vigorous dark script.
    “I suppose you want to take her right now.” Thiscomment struck her as equally idiotic, especially since Hannah was sitting right on the other side of the glass, gazing hopefully at them.
    Eric lifted his head, and she expected to read mockery or impatience on his face. Instead, the crease in one cheek had deepened and a couple of smaller lines had formed between his brows.
    He cleared his throat. “Unless you’d like to reconsider about that dinner. We probably will be seeing a lot of each other. It wouldn’t hurt to get better acquainted. Besides…I