Downton Tabby Read Free

right place at the right time and had been riding that wave ever since. Or as my Grandma Tillie would’ve said, they’d been “ridin’ a gravy train with biscuit wheels.” In the part of Texas I’m from we’re more versed in gravy than surf.
    Today Cash sported his typical billionaire-geek office attire: jeans, an expensive but wrinkled dress shirt, and a weathered, brown leather bomber jacket. Toria, his adorable Scottish Fold cat, was tucked under his arm.
    “Morning, Caro. Toria’s going to help me out today. Aren’t you, luv?” He scratched the cat under the chin, and she rubbed her face against his.
    Toria often accompanied the tech tycoon. A sturdy feline, as was common in the breed, the grey silky tabby was a little, um, more sturdy than most. I suspected a bit of spoiling.
    Cash strolled in and plopped down in the chair by my desk. I reached over to give Toria a proper greeting. “Good morning, girlfriend, and how are you today?” She leaned into my hand in answer.
    “You checked her over, right?” He scratched the cat’s soft, wide head. “No signs of problems.”
    “Nothing.” A week ago, Cash had asked me to examine Toria for any signs of behavioral problems. Apparently, someone had reported she’d been aggressive, which not only did I find hard to believe but would also be highly unusual in the breed. “I’d recommend you have Dr. Darling give her a once-over to make sure she’s not having any health issues, but behavior-wise I didn’t find a thing.”
    “See? No problem, m’lady.” He lifted her to eye level and looked into her green saucer-like eyes. “Falsely accused. I knew you were too well-mannered to misbehave like that.”
    “Maybe she’s simply bored.” I smiled at the flicker of shock in his intelligent blue eyes. “Sometimes a normally passive cat will become a little forceful in their play if they have a lot of pent-up energy.”
    “But what is one to do?” He stroked the cat’s back. “I should think you can’t take a cat for a proper walk.”
    “Perhaps you and Jake can develop an app to entertain Toria.”
    He stared off into space, apparently lost in the possibilities.
    I waved a hand in front of his face. “Cash, I was kidding.”
    “You have a cat, don’t you?” He continued to absently stroke Toria’s fur. “So we’d have some built-in beta testers.”
    “I have two cats, Thelma and Louise.” I laughed. “Common house cats, though, not pure-bred royalty like Toria.”
    “Old girl thinks she’s an aristo-cat anyway.” A wide grin creased his cheeks. “And a royal name to boot. After Queen Victoria.”
    Cash stood, ignoring the cat fur that now covered his dark blue jeans. “An early patron of animal rights. One of the few for her time. She’s the royal who authorized adding that important prefix to our Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.”
    “Interesting stuff.” I looked up at the two. “In fact, I can’t believe I didn’t know that.”
    “See, I’m more than just another pretty face.” His bright-blue eyes twinkled. And then cradling Toria against him, he turned to go.
    “Oh, Cash, by the way there’s a package for you on the front desk.”
    “Thanks.” He disappeared into the reception area. “Come on, Toria. I’m positive at this point we’ve got hundreds of bloody emails to answer.”
    An hour flew by as I updated files, organized notes, and made my list for the day. Yep, I’m one of those. Don’t judge. I love my daily list. I know it’s about control, but I don’t care. It’s a little coping thing, and it works for me.
    I could hear Cash in the office next door. His music was some sort of Celtic instrumental. Usually he used headphones, but today he’d apparently opted for speakers. Didn’t bother me at all. It was lilting and relaxing. I’d made good progress on my paperwork.
    “Caro, could Toria hang with you for a bit?”
    I looked up from my computer. Cash was suddenly back at my door, and