Tiger's Lily Read Online Free Page A

growling at his older brother, arm reaching out to interject.
    Lily waved at the younger brother, giving him a quick nod, indicating for him to stay put. She could handle the situation and those gruff accusations. For a long moment, she debated the wisdom of arguing with the hyena, but decided enough was enough. "Listen, soap for brains, I'll have you know that I have no romantic interest in Carson." A snicker sounded from the bed as Dillon reacted to her name-calling. Ignoring it, she plunged ahead. "He's a friend, a very good one, and one that I will be forever grateful to for helping me when I needed it the most."
    Tiger stood tall and glared down at her. "Don't give me that shit. I saw the way you looked at him when he left and the hug you gave him. Call it what you want, but your actions say different."
    Stomping her foot in agitation, Lily stepped forward, nearly snarling at the cranky brother. "I look at him like a mentor, like someone that I look up to. Yes, I care for the man. Like I would a brother or a close friend. Hugs are allowed among friends if both parties are acceptable to the affection. I adore his wife. In fact, we're best friends. If you don't believe me, call him up and ask. Or, even better, call up Casey. She will set you straight."
    Shooting him another glare, Lily left the room before she would do something dire like kick the man in the shin and end up tied to the front door as a consequence of messing with the ogre and losing. Besides, piles of laundry called. She needed to make the sofa into a bed for the night, the cats had yet to be fed, and tomorrow's meal preparation started today. Unfortunately, none of those chores would do themselves.

Chapter 4

    Lily woke with a purring sound and a paw patting her face. Blinking, it took her a moment to recall she slept on the sleeper sofa in the living room as Dillon occupied her one and only bed. Her glow in the dark watch read a few minutes past five.
    "Let me guess. You and the babies are hungry again?" Automatically, she stroked her fingers over the calico's face and down her back. She learned a while back that sleeping wouldn't happen if Hope didn't want it. The cat ruled the house and all its occupants whether she knew it or not. Who was she kidding? Hope realized that and ruled with regality. With a sigh, she climbed out of bed, heading for the kitchen and canned cat food. At least Hope seemed to have taken the invasion in stride. She didn't appear nervous or pensive with the appearance of the guys. With any luck, it would stay that way. She worked too hard and spent more than she could afford to get that cat back to a healthy state. No way would she let anything interfere with that now.
    "Brrrr." Rubbing her arms, she made a quick stop at the thermostat, turning the heat up a bit. She purposely kept the setting low to help ease the electric bill due to her strained budget with the record low temperatures they were experiencing this November. But she really couldn't expect to freeze her guests, either. With a sigh, she grabbed up breakfast for her small brood.
    No sooner had she opened the cans, then the kittens along with mother, dashed over to busily inhale their early morning breakfast. The high calorie canned kitten food cost an arm and a leg each time at the vet's office, but she couldn't refuse them. Not when they obviously loved the stuff. Even though she kept a large bowl full of dry kitten morsels, they much preferred the wet food. Like a kid faced with eating broccoli who ate everything else first. Taking a moment to watch the furry family, she glanced back at her watch. "Time for antibiotics."
    She walked over to the small spare refrigerator that Carson brought which held the IV antibiotics that had to be kept chilled. Selecting the correct variety, she carried it quietly into the bedroom.
    Dillon slept on his right side, curled up to face the door. He looked like a teenager, a baby face people would call him. Way too young to be in such a