Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) (10 page)

Angel!
His insides were all squishy and cold and his heart felt like a block of ice in a 1920’s icebox.

“Black Cat! Black Cat, oh, where are you?” Cindy called from the front porch. She sounded like she’d been crying.

I don’t care.
Black Cat hunkered behind the woodpile. He didn’t want to see anyone, not even Cindy. From now on, he was on his own. He tried to remember something about his past life. Something! Anything! He had to remember. How else could he go home?

He squinted his eyes, thinking of what he remembered so far.

A car and people screaming…

A lovely lady and purple flowers over the porch…

A little girl with brown bouncing curls and a daddy sitting on a patio…

Wait! There was a lake and a motel next door and a barbecue!

As he visualized the lawn between the house and the motel, he saw a man throwing a Frisbee to a dog with flowing golden hair. Boats tied up at the dock. Where was Angel? Why wasn’t she in any of the things he remembered? If he was the kittens’ father, he and Angel must have
some
history. After all, you don’t make kittens through the mail!

Angel.
Beautiful Angel with eyes the color of mustard and stripes the color of marigolds.
The phrase echoed through his mind. …
eyes the color of mustard
…

His heart surged with love. What was so bad about Angel having kittens, anyway? So what if he wasn’t their real father. Even if he was their
step-father
, wouldn’t that be okay? Five or six little Angels
running around calling him
Daddy Black Cat
wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

He was willing to forgive and forget. She’d wronged him, but he would be the bigger cat and welcome her back with open paws. She didn’t even need to apologize for lying—sort of lying. Maybe all females were like that, all persnickety and shy about private, personal things. Maybe she just wasn’t the sharing type. Deal with it.

The warmth of forgiveness swept through his body and tender feelings toward Angel tickled his toes. How magnanimous and generous he would be, considering the extent of Angel’s indiscretion. He raced toward the house. He stood against the door and scratched.
Meow!
Wouldn’t Angel be thrilled that he had forgiven her?
Let me in. I forgive you, Angel. I’m not mad anymore!

Cindy opened the door, tears streaming down her face. “Where’s my daddy? I want my Daddy!”

What’s going on? Tears?

Cindy clutched Black Cat to her chest and collapsed on the sofa, shaking with sobs. She wiped the back of her sleeve across her cheeks. “Oh, Black Cat. Where have you been? I was so scared. I called and called. Mama took Angel away. I thought she took you, too. She’s taking Angel to the pound!”

Chapter Ten

P
ound? Angel?
The words rattled around in his head like marbles in a teacup. Black Cat’s head swam, worse than when he woke from the accident. It didn’t make sense. He gazed into Cindy’s tear-streaked face. She lay curled in a ball, tears trickling down her cheeks. The room swayed, all blurry and out of focus. His head hurt. He needed Angel. Where was she? The last time he saw her, he was sitting at the door…

Kittens! His head cleared. He remembered now. The mama said Angel was going to have kittens and he’d gone away mad. He stared at the cabin door. A chill traveled across the back of his neck and paraded up and down his spine.
What did Cindy say about the pound?
The mama took Angel…? Impossible! Cats don’t come back from the pound. Never!

How could it be true? This kind of thing only happened in movies or books. Penny novel drivel, not in real life, like now.

He raced from the couch to the door and clawed the handle. How could he have treated his precious love that way? Thinking she had betrayed
him
! If he’d known the mama would take Angel away, he would never have been so rude. He was going to forgive her! Now she was gone. How would she ever forgive him for not being there when she needed him? It was well over an hour since the mama drove away. If only he’d known Angel was in the car, he would have… What could he have done?

When will I learn to treasure each moment? It could be your last.
Now, it’s too late.

Black Cat slunk back to the sofa.
It’s my fault
. If he’d stayed in the cabin, maybe he could have done something. He snuggled next to Cindy’s side and laid his head on his paws. He pulled his tail over his face.
Just make the world go away.
Angel was gone and he’d never see her again. How he wished he could cry, like Cindy.

The door opened and John came in, the scent of outdoors, all woodsy and piney, clinging to his red, checkered shirt. He stamped his feet and bits of sawdust tumbled off his boots. “What’s the matter, honey?” He sat on the sofa and drew Cindy onto his lap. He pulled a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped her wet cheeks. “What is it? Tell me.”

“Mama came.” Cindy’s head slumped onto his shoulder. “She said Angel was going to have kittens and you couldn’t afford to keep them,
a passel
, so she took her to the pound!”

John’s jaw tightened. “That blasted, meddling woman. I didn’t know she was in town or I wouldn’t have left you home alone. I’m so sorry, Cindy.” He patted her shoulder. “Remember? We were only going to keep the cats until we found their family. She’ll be okay. And, it’s not exactly the pound. It’s the animal shelter. They’ll take good care of her. They’ll find her a good home for her and her babies, too. Don’t worry.” He turned his face away from Cindy. Drops of perspiration sprinkled his forehead. His cheeks reddened.

Black Cat buried his face deeper under his tail. John didn’t believe a word he said about what would happen to Angel. He knew that when a pregnant cat ends up at the animal shelter, it’s doubtful they’d keep her around long enough for her kittens to be born and then have five or six more mouths to feed and homes to locate.

Cindy’s mother, Carolyn, might have thought she was protecting Cindy from feeling bad in the future, but had she considered for one minute that her decision was Angel’s death warrant? Maybe she had, and she just didn’t care.

“Run and wash your face, Cindy. What’s done is done. Your mama thought she was doing the right thing, though I do wish she’d mind her own business.”

Cindy sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Black Cat followed her to the bathroom and sat on the rug staring up at her reflection in the mirror. She washed her face and then went to her room and closed the door.

John sat in the rocking chair, rubbing his calloused hand over the stubble on his cheeks. His shoulders slumped. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Black Cat crossed the room and crouched by the potbelly stove. His head swam in a misty fog.
Eyes the color of mustard
. He might never see those beautiful eyes again. How could he go on without her? Angel was his bridge between the past and present, his lifeline, so to speak. Wasn’t Life a cruel master? Just when he realized how much he loved her, she was lost to him. He was going to be a father…maybe…and now he would never know if he had sons or daughters, if they were well, or even alive, for that matter, if the animal shelter decided…

Black Cat closed his eyes, willing his mind to wander back—back into the past. In his mind’s eye, the sound of flying hooves thundered by. Like seeing through a giant kaleidoscope, the colors of brown, red, black and tan blurred together. A herd of wild horses raced across the plains beyond stone fences crossing fields of green. A horse ranch! Was it the ranch Angel had mentioned? Maybe that’s where they met.

He squinted his eyes tight, forcing his mind to remember. There. A shadow at first, and then he saw a fountain beneath a sprawling oak tree, with water splashing over the edge and…a little orange striped cat half-hidden in the grass. Her eyes flicked from side to side and her ears lay flattened to her head as she eyed the little birds dancing through the spray. Angel!

Was it possible? His chest swelled with overwhelming joy one minute and then crashing despair the next. His memory was coming back! Clearly now, he remembered a house by the lake, and a ranch with horses. And he remembered Angel…now that it was too late and she was…gone. His head dropped to his paws.

Angry voices across the room interrupted his melancholy. He opened his eyes. There stood the hated mama at the front door, shouting at John.
Did she come back to get me, too?
Black Cat dashed under the table and crouched between the chair legs. His fur snapped to attention on the back of his neck.
She took my Angel!
Should I kill her now or listen to what she says and kill her later?
He slunk a little closer.
Now’s good.
He clenched his teeth. Hate saliva filled his mouth and drooled from his jowls.

The mama stood with her feet apart and her head jutted forward. Her balled fists trembled and her eyes bulged from her sockets. She looked as if she wanted to take John apart with her bare hands. And she looked like she could do it.
Maybe I better hear what she has to say.

John glared at the mama. A muscle in his cheek twitched. “How could you dare come back here after what you’ve done?” He jabbed his finger into her chest. “What right do you have taking Cindy’s cat to the pound without consulting me?”

A blotch of red crept up her cheeks. She unclenched her fists. “I’m her mother. That’s what gives me the right. I don’t want my child going hungry so you can feed a mess of stray cats.” The mama’s voice trembled. Maybe she wasn’t as confident as she tried to appear. A strand of blonde hair tumbled across her forehead, over her eyes. She brushed it off her face.

“Let me put your mind at ease, Carolyn. Cindy’s not in any danger of going hungry.” John’s voice softened, almost more frightening than when he was shouting. His mouth twisted into a sneer. “Your sudden concern is touching. Where was all this concern last year when you left us for…that man?”

The mama’s cheeks paled. “You know why I left. I couldn’t take it anymore. The fire. The debt. Scratching to pay the bills and keep food on the table.” She put her hands over her face. “He offered me a way out and I took it.” Her chin dropped onto her chest, her eyes downcast. “I was wrong. I know it now. I should never have left Cindy. I’m not proud of myself.” She sighed. “I’ve left Charlie. Go ahead and say
I told you so.
Now, I want my little girl back.” She lifted her head and looked into John’s eyes.

His face turned bright red. He took a step toward her and raised his hand. “You abandoned her a year ago, and
now
you want her? Well, too bad. The court gave me full custody and I don’t plan to give her up now. And, as for my financial problems, don’t worry. It’s none of your concern.”

“John. Let me take her.” The mama’s voice softened. She laid her hand on his arm. “It’s not right, her being alone all day while you’re out cutting wood and tending the vineyard. She must be lonely and it’s not safe. Something terrible could happen. I’m scared. Let me take her, at least for the rest of the summer until school starts.”

John jerked his arm away and turned his back. “I think you better go. You’ve done enough harm today. You’ve already broken her heart when you took her cat. You’re not getting Cindy this summer or ever!”

He took her arm and propelled her toward the door, reached over and turned the knob.

“You haven’t heard the last of this.” The mama knotted her hands into fists, again, her voice rose to a screech. “I’ll go to court if I have to. I’ll see you rot in jail. I’ll…” She stepped out onto the front porch, took a deep breath. Her chest heaved. She lowered her head. Her voice was so quiet now, it was hard to hear. “Tell Cindy I didn’t mean to hurt her. The cat’s not at the pound. When I stopped for gas and opened the door, she got away from me.” The mama grabbed the doorknob on her car.

“Which gas station?” John stepped off the porch onto the pine covered pathway.

Cindy’s mama slammed the car door. Her car careened down the driveway, pitching gravel as it raced toward the road.

Black Cat’s head went up. His bleak world brightened for a moment and then went dark again as the full extent of her words struck home. Angel wasn’t at the pound. She’d escaped. She was out there somewhere, lost and alone…hungry and pregnant. He wasn’t sure which was worse. Captured at the pound or free and lost. At least at the animal shelter, she would have had food and shelter until…

The mama’s engine roared as her car sped away down the country road.

John went to Cindy’s bedroom and knocked. “Sweetheart? You can come out now. She’s gone. I’m sorry you had to hear all that. It’s rotten, isn’t it, having your mom and dad quarrel. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but we never learned how to disagree without quarreling. Mama wants you to live with her and I want you to live with me. We’ll just have to work it out, won’t we?”