Chapter 143: Declan

He scooped the cat food out of the mouse-proof bin tucked up underneath the eaves of the house and dumped it into the weathered metal bowl. Two of the outdoor cats wound their way around his feet eagerly, while a third sat off to the side, regally inspecting the going-ons without actually getting involved. Declan had nicknamed him King last week, during his first trip over to feed the cats since the...

Since everything happened.

He refused to let himself think anything deeper than that.

He placed a bowl on the ground and the two eager cats dug into it, while King just continued to observe. He knew another bowl was coming.

Yup, he deserved that nickname all right.

"Come on, boy," he said, as he dug out the food for the second bowl, "you know it wouldn't hurt you to say thanks every once in a while."

One long blink was his reply.

Declan wasn't sure how to interpret that, so instead, he simply put the bowl down on the ground. "Yours for the eatin'," he said gruffly.