Husband With Benefits
Chapter 196: Kitten

Chapter 196: Kitten

"Kitten? Kitten? Come here, wherever you are, or I won’t give you a treat." A man stood in the middle of the garden, hands on his hips, the sun beating down on his head. After one last futile scan of the surroundings, he sighed, "Alright, you keep playing in the hot sun. I’m out of here."

With a touch of dramatic flair, he scooped up his gardening tools and turned to head back, throwing one last call over his shoulder, "Come on, Kitten! Are you going to make me worry?"

Just then, a little girl raced over there, slightly huffing and her pigtails bouncing behind her. "Mister? What are you looking for?"

"I think she’s been naughty and fears that I will scold her."

The girl nodded sagely, a few delicate curls escaping her perfectly styled hair, and agreed, "Then it’s right she will hide. Even if she has been naughty, you shouldn’t scold her, or she will fear you."

The man furrowed his brows, looking at the girl with genuine worry in his eyes. "But if I don’t scold her, then she won’t understand her mistake, will she? I love her, so I must scold her."

The girl rolled her eyes with an air of worldly wisdom and spoke, "You sounded like my grandmother just now! She says the same thing when she scolds me and my cousins! ’I love you, my children, so I must scold you.’ What’s the logic in that?"

The man chuckled, the worry lines on his face softening as he bent down and spoke, "Your grandmother sounds like a wise woman. So, are you also hiding so that you don’t get a scolding?"

The girl gave the man a playful pout, crossing her lace-adorned arms. "Ha! Who would dare to scold me? I’ll simply cry so much, and they’ll know what it is to scold a tender little chick like me."

The man laughed, nodding along, "Of course, of course. You’re so cute; no one must scold you ever.. Do you know if someone ever wants to hide, I know the perfect place. I am the gardener here. See those new shrubs over there? They’re the perfect spot for hiding away from prying eyes. And they also offer protection from the sun because they are already so tall. Also, there’s water near there. Plus, they’re set up like a maze, once you go inside... I am the one who created that. Aren’t I smart?"

The young girl listened attentively, her eyes widening with interest. After absorbing the information, she praised the man as he waited, "Wow! You’re so smart! Since you helped me, I must reward you..."

The man frowned, shaking his head, "Reward me? No need. I’m only talking about my garden. It’s not as if I’ve told you something of importance. Also, you must not give out rewards. Do you think you are the princess?"

The girl looked wide eyed at that and shook her head while the man picked up his toolbox and made a move to go.

The girl bit her lip and called out, "Mister? Do you live around here? If I find your cat, I will bring him back to you... My grandmother says that we must be kind..."

The man stopped and looked back at the girl with a warm smile, "I don’t have a cat."

The girl frowned at that. The mister had been looking for his kitten just now... "Mister? Are you having a sunstroke? Weren’t you looking for your cat just now? You’ve already forgotten? I know, its because you are so old. My teacher told me that old people tend to forget things a lot. Though my grandmother never forgets anything! Are you older than my grandmother?"

The man chuckled and shook his head," Hey! I am not that old. And I have not forgotten anything. I am looking for my Kitten."

The girl nodded in understanding, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. The man was probably a bit dim witted and did not know that a kitten was of the cat breed. He was only a gardener after all.

"Fine. Fine. I hope you find your kitten. But just so you know, kittens are also cats."

"My kitten is not a cat..."The man replied stubbornly, a twinkle of mischief in his eye," Wait, I’ll prove it to you! Kitten, if you want a chicken treat, then come out right this instant!"

The girl shook her head in exasperation. Cats liked fish better... Just as she was about to explain this to the man, a little furry bundle of energy burst out of one of the plants a little down the way. The sun caught the golden fur of the exuberant puppy as it came racing towards them, little paws kicking up small clouds of dust.

The little girl’s eyes widened in realization, and she turned to the man, her voice filled with dramatic astonishment, "Wait, your Kitten is not a cat! It’s a... a... puppy!"

The man, now wearing a mischievous grin, nodded proudly, "Exactly! I told you, my Kitten is not a cat. I named this little one Kitten because it is as mischievous as a cat."

The girl burst into laughter, the realization making her laugh harder. "You’re funny, Mister! Naming a puppy Kitten! That’s really, really clever!"

The man smiled proudly and as the puppy continued to wag its tail at him, he fished out a treat from his overalls and fed the young pup a treat. The little girl was excited and quickly questioned," Mister, may I pet your puppy?"

"You may not." The man spoke sharply.

The little girl frowned and was about to scold the man for his rudeness when he continued," You are a stranger. You have to tell me your name first so that I can make formal introductions."

The girl giggled at that and said," Okay okay! My name is Dora I am all of eight years old!"

"Nice to meet you, Miss Dora. My name is Gaia and I am not older than your grandmother. And this is my Kitten."

The girl quickly played with the little pup who was just as excited to find a new playmate. It was only as someone called her name in the distance that she bid them farewell and ran away while calling out," If you ever need to find your kitten again, you can look for me!"

The man looked down at the dog who was now sitting quietly by his side and clicked his fingers," Come pup."

As the man picked up his tools and ambled away, the softness in his eyes was replaced by a coldness. Yes. He would definitely look for the little girl to find his kitten...

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel