Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Palesa

# Chapter 1: Palesa

"IT'S OKAY, bug. Try a small amount. There you go." I coaxed the orange tabby over to me with a mix of wet cat food and dry kibble. At first, he wanted nothing to do with me. But the smell of the food was too much to ignore.

Bongo sniffed my finger, then sniffed the dish, before finally starting to lick some up. "Good job, buddy," I said to him before moving on to the other three cats I had to feed.

My little cabin on the edge of Clarens was filled to the brim with dogs and cats, a couple of hamsters, and a guinea pig. I couldn't help it. I loved the furry things in life.

Besides teaching at the local high school, I volunteered at various animal shelters in the area, and a couple of years ago, I started fostering animals.

Most of the time, I was what they called a "foster fail" because I ended up adopting them, but after I kept two dogs and two cats, I told myself I couldn't keep any more. So far, I stuck to my promise, yet Bongo was growing on me. Fast.

After the cats were fed, I moved on to the dogs, and last, the hamsters and guinea pig, cleaning out their cage bedding and supplying them with fresh water and food.

As I worked, music drifted through the speakers, and I hummed along.

Ring! Ring!

My phone in my back pocket buzzed, and when I pulled it out and looked at the screen, an unknown local number scrolled across.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, is this the Clarens Wild Bird Rescue?"

Yoh, his voice...so deep, so growly.

It took a second for my brain to process, too focused on his voice and who he was.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He cleared his throat. "Is this Clarens Wild Bird Rescue?" His voice sounded even more growly, with a hint of irritation. Still sexy as fuck.

"No, I'm sorry. You must have the wrong number."

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. "Google gave me this number."

"Maybe you misdialed by a number or two." I pulled my phone from my ear and quickly swiped up. After exiting the phone app, I navigated to Google and quickly searched for the bird rescue. The number appeared on the screen, and I recognised it was off one number from mine. Mine was a recycled number the network had handed out again, and it sat one digit off the rescue's landline. "Yeah, my number is close to theirs. You dialed a nine at the end when you should've dialed a seven."

"Damn fat fingers," he snarled over the phone, and my insides twisted. Why was this growly voice such a turn-on?

Confusing, brain. "Ha, it happens. I hope everything is okay with your bird."

"My bird? I don't own a bird," he snapped.

"Sorry, I just assumed since you asked for the bird-"

"My daughter won't stop pestering me about having the injured bird we found checked out by a doctor." His voice was rough and edgy, almost as if he hated the world. Why, though?

And he had a daughter, more information for my greedy, lustful heart to know.

"Aw, what happened?"

"It's really none of your business. I don't even know you."

I swallowed hard. What a grumpy jerk. Yoh, that man.

"Just curious, as I love animals, but okay. Good luck with everything. Bye." I pressed the end button before he had a chance to respond.

I'd never felt so turned on and so pissed off at the same time. Holy fuck. That man...

He had an injured bird. Why not just tell me what was wrong with it?

With a sigh, I tossed my phone down on the counter and got back to cleaning cages.

LATER THAT NIGHT, I couldn't stop thinking about the phone call from earlier. I didn't even know the person, and his voice turned me on and infuriated me all at the same time. How was it possible?

"I think you need to get out more," Nadia, my best friend and roommate, said to me later over a dinner of lasagna and garlic bread. "He sounds like a big fat jerk, and you're drooling over him? Come on, girl."

I rolled my eyes. With affection, of course. "You didn't hear the sound of it. Like he could whisper sweet nothings or dirty somethings, and you'll still be coming for five hours straight."

Nadia tilted her head to the side and looked at me as if I were nuts before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"It's true, stop laughing! Maybe you're the one who needs to get out more," I retorted.

She waved her hand toward me. "Don't worry about me, love. I've got what I need. It's rechargeable." She winked.

"I think I might go volunteer at the bird rescue sanctuary."

"That phone call has you thinking about birds, huh?"

"Yes. But I also want to check it out. I didn't know it existed."

"Me either. But how will you find the time?"

"Good question. I'll have to work less at another, maybe. I'll figure it out."

"Animals are lucky to have you, my friend."

"They sure are. Speaking of which, I might be fostering another dog. Just for a couple of days while the adoption couple travels here to pick her up."

Nadia groaned teasingly. "Okay, but she better not be cute."

I laughed. "Yeah, okay. She's a full-bred husky."

"Dammit, Palesa. Our cabin is going to turn into a furball. I'll be able to knit with it."

I laughed more. She cracked me up. "You know you love it. I see you loving on them when I'm not looking."

Nadia waved me off with her fork. "Mmm, maybe."

After dinner, we cleaned up and chilled in the living room with a movie. But I couldn't focus. All I could think about was the bird. The guy from earlier. Every part of it.

I showered and got ready for bed, my mind running a race I didn't remember being invited to. When I slid between the sheets, warm and comfortable, I brought up my old call history. I clicked the three dots next to the number from earlier and selected New Message.

I sat and stared at the empty message box for a while.

With a deep breath, I typed out a quick message and hit send.

I stared at the reply. Grumpier than I expected.

Whatever. At least I had a new opportunity to volunteer at. That was what mattered most.