Cloud stood in the kitchen the next morning, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Strands of hair had managed to escape their restraint during her early morning jog and they framed her face as she watched the sausages she was making for her husband sizzle in the pan.
Kira walked into the kitchen with a yawn, âToo earlyâŚâ She plopped down into a chair. âOr too late.â
âItâs not that earlyâŚâ Cloud watched, amused while Pocket herded her four kittens into the kitchen.
âKittens!â
One of the kittens, a boy, mewled at Kiraâs voice and stumbled over his tail. Cloud nodded, still amused.
âShe had them on Rayâs jacket.â Another boy swiped his paw at Pocketâs tail while Cloud talked. She wondered what she and her husband would name them.
Pocket calmly twitched her tail out of the way of offending paws and sat down at Cloudâs feet. Cloud chuckled and set Pocketâs food dish down in front of her.
âCan I hold one?â Kira asked.
âGo ahead.â Cloud replied before turning back to the sausages. The fall frost was starting to set in and her baggy white sweatshirt hadnât done much in the brisk morning air.
Kira knelt down and held her hand out towards the litter. One of the girls was starting to crawl away and a boy, falling asleep.
The other boy in the litter took a few steps towards Kira before stopping and trying to lick down the cowlick on his back again. His fur was a smoky gray like his fatherâs but the cowlick was white. Heâd tried to rid himself of it often during the night, but had failed.
Kira smiled at him and wiggled her fingers, causing him to look up at her, his tail twitching. She changed her mind and gently picked up one of the girls.
She curved her gray tipped tail around Kiraâs wrist with a small mewl.
âCloudâŚTheyâre so tiny.â Kira grinned.
âTheyâre kittens. What do you expect?â Cloud questioned as she turned the burner on the stove off.
âI donât knowâŚâ
Cloud stretched and slid her sneakers off. She flexed her right ankle before carefully unwrapping the ace bandage and managing to get the sausage onto a plate at the same time.
âOooâŚSkilledâŚâ Kira chuckled. âCloudâŚQuestionâŚâ
She blinked and looked over at Kira, the plate balanced on one hand, a bottle of Snapple in the other. Carefully, she set her foot back on the floor and stepped over to the table where she set the plate down and sat in a chair.
âThereâs gonna be a horse auctionâŚI went to look yesterday. Kinda snuck inâŚâ Kira explained.
âIf itâs not a bankruptcy auction, Iâm not going.â Cloudâs eyebrows were raised.
âIt isâŚNot just horsesâŚThereâs a few horsesâŚBut I saw oneâŚâ Kiraâs words caused Cloudâs other eyebrow to shoot up. âI want to get himâŚâ She looked at Cloud, âI have no clue, butâŚHelp?â
âI donâ got enough money. Just got back from one not that long ago.â Cloud explained, bringing up reference to her newest horse, Iced Cinnamon.
âI have the money. I still have it from when I was with the teamâŚBut I donât know anything about horsesâŚEdâŚHeâs not a horseâŚAnd this one I sawâŚisâŚCloud, heâs huge!â
Cloud paused before speaking again, âTake yourself. If I go, Iâll end up getting another one. âShotâll skin me.â
âSo? Iâll pay for itâŚCloudâŚI donât know how to win thisâŚI donât even know how to get it back or make it walk! Please?â
She paused again, âJust how big are we talking?â The horse trailer she had wasnât made for draft horses and she had a feeling that was just what Kira was talking about.
âUhâŚKindaâŚWay big. I can find somewhere else to keep him if you wantâŚHeâsâŚâ Kira cleared her throat, âgeldedâŚThere are stables down the road where I can keep him if you donât want him in the barn.â
âDescribe it.â Cloud ordered as Kira lay on the puppy eyes.
âHeâs big. Mostly black with white from, like, his knees down. Like the beer horses I saw on t.v. Heâs got, uh, I donât know what itâs called.â
âYou want a fucking draft horse?! Are you fucking crazy?! Hell no! That damned thing wonât even fit in the trailer!â
âKâŚThen Iâll figure it out on my own.â Kira blinked, startled at Cloudâs sudden outburst. âFind somewhere else to keep him.â She moved to stand.
âItâs not the keeping part! The stalls are big enough! The trailer isnât!â
âIâll figure it out. Donât worry.â Kira sighed.
âYouâre fucking crazy. That thingâs as tall, if not taller than âShot.â Cloud argued. âWhat the hell do you think youâre going to do with it? I couldnât even get on one of those things!â
âLookâŚI heard a couple of guys talkingâŚThe one wanted the horse for somethingâŚI didnât hear whatâŚBut I didnât like the way they were gloating. They gave me the creeps. I donât want the poor monster stuck with that dude! I donât care if he wonât let me rideâŚOr I canâtâŚEven if heâs almost dead, itâd be nice for him to have a home.â
âYouâre trying to make me pity it. Donât do this.â Normally, Cloud would have jumped at the chance to go to a bankruptcy auction, but her last run in with a Killer hadnât come out so great. Sure, sheâd gotten Iced Cinnamon, but five others were taken to slaughter.
âIâm not trying to make you do anything. Iâm telling you why I am going to get that horse. I was only asking for your help.â Kira shoved her chair in and stepped back. âLike I said, Iâll figure out a way to get him and Iâll pay the people down the road to keep him there. Maybe I can rent a trailer thing big enough.â Cloud shrugged.
âThanks ever so much for the help.â Kira gave her parting words and walked out of the kitchen. Cloud snorted and glared at the plate of sausage.
âWhatâs your problem?â DeadShot asked as he walked into the kitchen.
âShut up and eat your damned sausages. I didnât spend my time making them for them to sit and get cold.â She glared at her husband.
âNoâŚIâm going to help KiraâŚSince you decided to drop her flat.â
Cloud stood with a growl and dumped the plate down his shirt, âGet out of my kitchen!â She scowled as he left and she pulled her boots on before stepping out onto the porch.
Kira looked up and ran after Cloudâs retreating form.
âCloud.â It didnât take her long to catch up. âAtleast tell me why you freaked on me?â