Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3)

Black Cat and the Accidental Angel

Published by Elk Grove Publications

© 2015 by Elaine Faber

ISBN-13: 978-1-940781-12-9

All rights reserved. No part of this digital publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the author.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to support feline rescue projects.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or publisher.

Cover photo
Black and White Cat
: © vivienstock,
http://us.fotolia.com/id/46333972 (halo added)

Cover layout and book formatting: Julie Williams, juliewilliams.us

Printed in the United States of America

A Special Thank-You

To Elk Grove Publications, for making the Black Cat mysteries possible. Thanks, Michael.

To my editor, Julie Williams, my mentor, formatter, book designer and confidant. Your assistance and advice adds so much to the Black Cat mysteries.

To my beta readers who help with edits before publication. Sherri Bergmann, Sandy Lassa, Lois Parrish, and Sharon Prewitt.

To my long-suffering husband, Lee, who brings me coffee in bed every morning and patiently listens to every agonizing decision and heart-wrenching twist until the novel is complete.

To my precious children, Michael and Londa, for their continual encouragement and praise.

To my readers who ask for the next Black Cat adventure.

And lastly to Boots and Amber, my living, breathing muses for Black Cat and Angel (aka Thumper and Noe-Noe). Without their inspiring personalities and antics to influence my writing, Black Cat and Angel would just be two more cats with six toes on each foot.

Chapter One

T
humper lifted his head to peer through the wires of the carrier. For as far as his eyes could see—nothing but the tops of apple trees. Where were they? Last time he’d looked, they’d been on the freeway, somewhere between San Francisco and Fern Lake, headed home. They couldn’t get there fast enough to suit him.

“
Oww!
You’ve stepped on my tail.” Noe-Noe twisted her fetching furry head and glared. “When can I get out of this wretched thing?”

Thumper shifted his weight in the carrier they shared, trying to give her more space. “Sorry, my precious. It won’t be long now.”

The SUV hit another pothole, rocking the cat carrier against the passenger door and the seat cushions.

Thumper lifted his nose and sniffed. He pulled his ears back.
Dog!
How long had it been since Kimberlee’s cousin, Dorian, gave Sam a bath? Probably before they left Texas. Dog smell swirled through the car, stirred by the air conditioner. Would it hurt someone to crack a window?

Sam’s panting sounded behind the seat. He was probably drooling all over the luggage
.
Noe-Noe was right. This trip couldn’t be over soon enough. “We should be home in an hour, my sweet.”

His companion, appearing less than impressed, turned her head away.
“Oww!
Move over. Now your foot is in my stomach.” Noe-Noe laid her head on the blanket and closed her eyes.

Poor thing. She’s exhausted.
She certainly wasn’t the sweet kitty he’d fallen in love with in Texas this past week. But, how could he blame her for being cranky after five hours on the plane and another hour and a half jammed together in a carrier meant for one cat. Thumper scooted closer to the hard side wall and tried to find a comfortable position.

Noe-Noe’s eyes slit open. “I had no idea how far Texas was from Fern Lake. I’ve changed my mind.” She stood and rocked as the carrier swayed. “Tell Brett to stop this car and let me out this instant. I want to go home!”

Thumper’s gaze moved from her golden stripes to the front seat where Brett drove with one hand on the steering wheel and his other arm across the back of the seat. He reached up and twirled his finger through one of Kimberlee’s dark curls.

Kimberlee glanced at Brett and smacked her lips, sending him an
air-kiss
.

Thumper turned back to Noe-Noe. “You want to go home now? How do you think you’d get there? Fly? You’re a cat, not a bird!” As if he could tell Brett to stop the car, anyway.
It wasn’t likely his
person
would start taking driving instructions from him at this late date. Nor would he turn the car around and take the cantankerous feline back to Texas.

“Maybe this was a mistake. Why did you make me come with you? ” Noe-Noe flattened her ears against her head, reached out a golden paw and gave him a swat.

“What do you mean, why did I
make
you come? You begged me not to leave you behind. It was a lucky break that Kimberlee brought you along at the last minute. Now scoot over. You’re already taking up three-quarters of the space.”

“Am not. Move your own fat black butt. You’re poking me. I’m up against the wall already…”

Kimberlee’s voice cut through his sweetheart’s muttering. “Is this right? It looks like a levee road. Did you make a wrong turn at the last intersection?”

“Yeah, I think we did.” Brett sighed, pulled his arm off the back of the seat and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “I’m looking for someplace wide enough to turn around.”

“Our
persons
sound like they’re as tired as we are.” Thumper reached up to scratch his left ear.
That blasted dog. I better not have a flea on me.

“They aren’t jammed into a little bitty cat box like we are.”

“Go back to sleep. It won’t be long now.”

Thumper peeked through the wire door. Outside, tree tops whizzed past on both sides of the road. He sighed. Kimberlee was right. This definitely didn’t look like the right road. Were they lost?
I’m much too tired to be lost
.

He was at his wits end with exhaustion, after traveling all day with five-year-old Amanda, Brett, Kimberlee, her cousin Dorian and her potentially flea-ridden dog, Sam. Not to mention dealing with his newly acquired cranky
mi amour
. Lost? They weren’t really lost. He had faith in Brett. He’d figure it out.

Amanda leaned over her car seat, across Dorian’s lap and peered into Thumper’s cage. “Hi, Thumper. Are you and Noe-Noe awake? I’m so glad Mama brought her with us. I know how much you
wove
her.”

Indeed, he
woved
her. At least he’d
woved
her this morning. This afternoon, he wasn’t so sure.

Kimberlee turned to Dorian, squeezed between Amanda’s booster seat and Thumper’s carrier. “How are the animals?” She peeled the wrapper off a hard candy and offered it to Amanda. The scent of cinnamon momentarily drowned out the odor of sweaty dog as Amanda popped the candy into her mouth.

Dorian peeked into Thumper’s carrier, and then glanced back at Sam’s cage, wedged behind the rear seat. “Noe-Noe’s sleeping. Sam and Thumper are awake.”

“Good. We’ll be home soon.” Kimberlee shoved a curl behind her ear and turned back. She spread the road map across her lap. “Oh, I see what happened. We should have turned right at that last intersection.”

Thumper lifted his foot and poked a toe through the wire.
Play with me, Amanda.
As much as he loved all three of his
persons
, Amanda was his favorite. Whenever he was bored, she was the one most likely to entertain him. Like now.

Amanda tickled his toes and giggled, then sat back in her seat.

The SUV swayed in the draft of a delivery van that zoomed past, its wheels edging over the white line.

“Brett! Be careful.” Kimberlee grabbed Brett’s shoulder. “That truck almost hit us.” She twisted again toward the back seat. “Are you okay, Dorian? Are you getting carsick?”

“Oh,” Dorian yawned. “I’m fine. I’ve been napping.” She glanced out the window “Apple trees? What is this? Some kind of levee road? Did we make a wrong turn?”