Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) (21 page)

“I have a right to see my daughter. Come here, Cindy, and give me a hug.”

The front door slammed.

“Where’s Angel and Black Cat? What have you done with my kitties?” Cindy’s wails grew to hysterical shrieks. “Daddy, she’s taken my kitties again.”

Poor kid. I should let her know we’re okay.
He almost felt sorry enough to go back into the living room…almost, but not quite.

“Oh, stop! I haven’t touched your stupid cats,” the mama snapped. Chairs scraped across the floor. “I didn’t see any cats when I came in. So, the cat found her way back? I thought maybe you’d come to your senses and gotten rid of them.”

John’s voice took on a quieter tone. “Don’t cry, honey. They’re around here somewhere. Angel’s probably moved her babies. Cats do that sometimes. Go look in your bedroom.”

Cindy hurried to her room.

Black Cat stepped out from under the bed.
We’re here, Cindy. Don’t worry. Angel’s under the bed with the kids.

Cindy knelt and lifted the coverlet.

Angel and the babies huddled against the far corner.

Cindy put her finger to her lips. “Good. Stay there until she leaves and be still.”

Carolyn’s voice rose again. “I heard about someone running off your hens. What are you thinking, John? Our child shouldn’t be left out here alone. Whatever you’re mixed up in is going to get someone hurt. Why are you putting Cindy in the middle of this?”

“Cindy is just fine. Remember? She’s my concern, not yours. You gave up that right long ago. Just stay out of it.”

“That’s easy for you to say. Cindy’s not safe here and you know it! Someone’s trying to run you off the ranch. I heard somebody took a shot at you in the vineyard. Sounds to me like you’re involved in something illegal. Are you growing marijuana? Is that it?”

John snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course not! Just where do you get all this information? Nobody knows about the shooting incident except the sheriff. I haven’t told anyone—”

“I…I…guess I heard it somewhere.”

Black Cat pulled his ears down. The shooting incident would be particularly worrisome to a mother…even a bad one. How would she feel if she knew about the old man and the headless doll on the porch?

John mumbled something and closed Cindy’s door.

“Don’t worry, Black Cat.” Cindy leaned over and peeked under the bed again. “Daddy won’t let Mama take Angel or the babies. You’re safe.”

Angel scooted further toward the head of the bed.

“You stay right there, sweetheart,” Black Cat hissed. “Better safe than sorry. I’ll sit with Cindy.” He sprang onto the bed.

Cindy opened a book and propped a pillow behind her head. She patted the bedspread beside her.

Black Cat flopped against her hip. Before long, his head drooped and he fell into a semi-doze, the kind where his mind wandered and thoughts rushed around inside his head, flitting from one topic to another, willy-nilly, without much direction.

He tried again to force some kind of memory of his former life. He concentrated on the scattered images he had remembered. The little girl with the bouncing curls and the horse ranch. Then another memory played out in living color.

A black and white streak raced across the lawn beside the lake. A golden puppy raced behind in hot pursuit, yapping and barking. The cat headed for the nearest tree and in one leap, scrambled up the trunk and onto the safety of the lowest branch, spitting and hissing at the exuberant puppy. Black and white fur puffed up, until the cat was three times his normal size.

Black Cat sat up and stared across the room.
That was me. I’m the black and white cat!
The lake…the lodge next door…the house with the purple flowers across the porch! I remember! He jumped down and crawled under the bed. “Angel. Wait until you hear. I remember my family. Our home is at the lake.”

She blinked. Her eyes opened wide. She trembled.

“Why, what’s the matter? John won’t let Mama come and take you. Don’t worry.”

“It’s not that. I’m not worried about the mama. It’s just…your memory. You’re beginning to remember…”

She gazed at Rambo, Faith and Muffins, curled up in little furry balls. “The babies are born and old enough to find homes…and now, you’re getting your memory back. I…I thought I’d have more time…” She stood, turned her back to him, and lay down again.

“Why, what difference does it make if I…what’s this all about? I thought you wanted me to get my memory back.” The more he learned about Angel, the less he understood.
More time? More time for what?

She tipped her head slightly toward him. “It’s not that. It’s a good thing…your memory. But, I thought… I can’t explain.” She whipped her head around. “Do you remember
me
?”

He ducked his head. If he were human, he would have blushed, but having only black fur on his face, with a smudge of white over his mouth…

“I have a memory of you beside a water fountain, but I don’t think it’s at the house by the lake. I really don’t remember how we met or…how you came to be my soul-mate.”

He licked her shoulder. “But, I’m glad you are. I’m sure of that. I love you and our children. My hope for them is to find good homes where they’ll be loved. And, I want us to find our real home.”

“What about Cindy and John? Don’t you care about them?”

“I…I…do love them, but I think I love my
persons
, too. And, I want to be with you. Oh, Angel, I’m all mixed up. What are we going to do?”

“Some things are within our control and some things aren’t. You can’t go back to your
persons
at the lake unless someone takes you there… You don’t even know where
there
is. So, in the meantime, I guess you’ll have to stay with Cindy and John and…with me.”

“I’m happy to be with you for as long as I live.”

Angel half-closed her eyes and turned her head away. “Then, what is the point of this conversation? Learn to appreciate the time we have together and…and…stop worrying about…about the future.”

“Angel?” He nudged her shoulder. She buried her face deeper among the kittens. As much as he hated her silence, he tried to understand. She was worried about something. Her feelings were hurt because he still didn’t remember her. If it was fate that they would stay with John and Cindy for the rest of their lives, that would be okay, too. A shiver started from the tip of his tail and worked its way up his back, clear to his ears. They did have the rest of their lives to be together…didn’t they?

The front door slammed. Cindy jumped off the bed and peeked out her bedroom door. “Mama’s gone. You guys can come out now.”

It took an hour or so, but eventually, Angel brought the kittens back to the blanket by the stove.

Rain pattered against the window all afternoon and spattered across the roof, a surprise summer storm, gaining in momentum as the wind rose and whipped the branches over the cabin.
Good napping weather, if I do say so myself.

John poked up the fire in the pot belly stove and put a movie in the VCR to pass the time.

After supper, Rambo discovered the joys of a pipe cleaner. Muffins and Faith each played with an aluminum ball, but Rambo preferred his
snake
.

“Isn’t he cute?” Cindy dragged the pipe cleaner under Rambo’s nose. He swatted it with both little, white feet. “I wish we could keep him.”

“My child and I used to play with a pipe cleaner.” Black Cat peered into Angel’s eyes. “Her name is Amanda? You remember Amanda…” Was there any sign of recognition? Of course she must remember Amanda.

Angel turned her had away. She didn’t answer.

“You better get to bed pretty soon, Cindy. We have to get up early in the morning. I’m taking the chicks to the airport.” John stood and tossed his newspaper on the sofa.

Cindy dropped Rambo’s pipe cleaner and sat up straight. “Can I come?”

“Not this time, sweetie. The chicks have to be there by noon. I’m just making a quick trip over and back. It wouldn’t be any fun for you. I’ll be back before you know it. I’ve asked Gus if you can stay with him down at the little store. I’ll bet he’ll let you dust the shelves.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

U
p ahead, the red SUV crept forward in front of John’s pick-up. A flagman flipped his sign from SLOW to STOP. John stomped his brakes. The four Emu carriers in the truck bed shifted with a squeak. John glanced at his watch for the third time since he’d left the house. 9:23 A.M.

Eleven Emu chicks in the four carriers were scheduled for a 12:30 P.M. flight to four different states.

What’s with this roadwork?
Sure didn’t expect this.
Should have checked road conditions or gone through Auburn instead of taking Hwy 20.
Am I going to make it?
Another road sign. Reno—62 miles. Did that mean sixty-two miles of roadwork?
God help us
.

A rush of adrenaline shot through his chest. Why hadn’t he left home sooner? He was no stranger to unexpected delays along the rural mountain highway. Just coming into view, another Caltrans sign.
Expect Delays.
Really? Should have read,
What do you expect? No delays?

He glanced through the rear view mirror at the Emu carriers in the back. Finally, the ad he ran on the Internet for several months had had results. With the Utah farmer who’d ordered four chicks, the three going to Wyoming and four to Nevada, he had only sixteen chicks from the current hatchlings left to sell. $4,400 for the eleven chicks sold so far.
Thank you, God.
Things were finally coming together.

Now, if only the remaining chicks could sell within the next two weeks… Timing was so crucial. If they didn’t sell, he’d deal with it. They’d grow and add to his flock next year. The females would lay eggs and the papas would take care of the rest. God bless papa Emus. If worse came to worse, there was always the freezer! That is, if he had the heart to butcher them.

If the ads kept running, the next batch might sell even before they hatched; if he could afford to keep paying for the ads. Thanks to his efforts to fend off the bank, keep a roof over Cindy’s head and pay for high priced bird food, all he had left in his pockets was lint.

None of that belly-aching.
Time to take himself in hand and concentrate on
faith
again.

9:40 A.M. Almost three hours to his deadline. Reno—58 miles. Traffic crept forward. Another flagman! Of all days, why did they have to work on the road today?

A blood vessel throbbed in his forehead. The chicks had to be at the airport an hour before the flight. If not, they’d make him reschedule. The buyers were most likely already on their way to meet the plane on their end. If the chicks missed their flight, what could he say to his buyers?
“So sorry. Yeah! I’m so irresponsible, I missed the flight and, oh, by the way, you’ll have to come back again tomorrow.”
No surprise if they canceled the sale and bought from another breeder.

He felt like a man on a tightrope. What if? Missed flight? Buyer cancels. No money to feed the birds. Have to cancel the ads. No more potential buyers. Ranch repossessed. Like a row of dominoes, a missed flight could put every bad thing in motion. Everything could tumble, his dreams, his family legacy, custody of Cindy…

Keep it all together.
Surely his life wouldn’t go down the drain just because they decided to work on the blasted road today. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead.

John whacked the steering wheel. “Come on, already! Let’s go.” The effort was so pointless and futile, his face warmed with embarrassment.
Get a grip, John!

Another logging truck swooshed past, headed the opposite direction, rocking the pick-up truck. At least they were opening the road in the opposite direction. Their side should be moving soon. His truck hit a pothole, jounced and shook the Emu carriers. John checked the rear-view mirror again.
Guess there’s a reason for everything, even when we don’t understand. I do have faith. Please Lord, I’m counting on You. Show me the way.
He sighed and a smile worked its way across his cheeks. Caltrans had to work on the road sometime. Why not today?

The long line of cars crawled forward. Up ahead, a man trudged along the road, his backpack bumping up and down with each step. Why on earth would someone be walking way out here? They must be thirty miles from a town in either direction.

From time to time, the hiker turned, glanced at the cars passing and turned back as though he wasn’t trying to hitch a ride, just checking traffic and enjoying the scenery. What a place to be on foot, miles from Nevada City and further from Truckee up ahead.

Another road worker waved his flag and traffic came to a stop.

Oh, sure.