Pusheen trotted down the snow-dusted street. Her whiskers twitched. Something smelled like cinnamon.
Mr. Grumble shuffled out of his house. He pressed a wax paper bag into Pusheen's paws. 'For Valentine's Day,' he grunted.
Pusheen peeked inside. Six dark chocolate truffles nestle in red foil. Her tail curled happily around her front legs.
Pusheen padded toward her cottage, counting the sweets in her head. One, two, three... The snow crunched under her paws.
Suddenly, three neighborhood dogs burst from behind the hedge. Their collars jingled. They circled Pusheen, tails wagging.
They blocked the path to her door. Pusheen stood very still. Her ears flattened slightly.
A flash of orange fur darted from the rose arbor. The ginger cat landed between Pusheen and the dogs with a soft mrrp!
The dogs yelped and scattered, chasing their own tails into the snowdrift. The ginger cat hopped down.
He nudged a single heart-shaped lemon drop toward her nose. 'From me,' he called, already gone.
Pusheen slipped through the unlocked door and sat at her small kitchen table. She unwrapped the heart-shaped lemon drop.
She wrapped the candy carefully around her paw. The citrus still tasted sweet on her tongue.
Outside, the streetlamps glowed pink against the twilight. Pusheen watched the snow begin to fall again.