Read Online Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) by Elaine Faber - Free Book Online
Authors: Elaine Faber
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all. I’m not stepping one paw off this ranch until I’m sure John and Cindy are alright.”
Now, what in the world could she mean by assignment ? She made it sound like a secret mission. Black Cat rolled his eyes. Big-hearted intentions were always a stumbling block in the face of logic. “We’ll give it a few days and see what happens. Then we have to leave. That’s it, my final word on the subject.”
“Who died and made you King?” Angel huffed down the path.
“Just sayin’…” He lowered his ears and hurried after her, stepping carefully over the stickers.
The trail beyond the bird enclosure moved past a group of trees. Blue jays, robins and brown sparrows with red heads twittered and hopped through cedars, pines, and oak trees—behaving like real birds , unlike John’s creatures in the enclosure.
Just past the trees, immature grape vines came into view. Rows of wires crawled along the ground covered by young plants—shades of green and yellow against a backdrop of tall pine trees in the distance. At the end of each row, stacks of blackened stumps reached jagged fingers skyward.
“Look there. That’s all that’s left of John’s father’s vineyard.” Angel stopped to stare.
“Spooky looking, isn’t it?”
At the edge of the closest row of grapes, a ground squirrel popped from a hole and streaked toward the tree line. “Squirrel! Catch it!” Black Cat raced past the wires, ducked between the poles and the vines, hopped over rocks and through thickets of grass. He skidded to a stop as the squirrel plunged into its hole. He flopped onto the grass, breathing hard, his sides heaving.
Angel sauntered up to him. “I hope you did that for the exercise. They never run like that unless there’s a hole near enough to jump into. Back on the ranch, we couldn’t ever—”
“There! You said it again. Is that where we lived? On a ranch?”
Angel ducked her head. “ Um … Do you remember a ranch?” She tipped her head and swished her tail.
“I remember a little girl and a pretty lady and a house with purple flowers on the porch. At least, I think I remember, or maybe I dreamed it. Was it real? The house on the ranch?”
She turned away, avoiding his eyes.
“Why won’t you tell me, Angel? Tell me my name and where we come from.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I made a promise. Please don’t ask me. If I tell…” She touched him with her paw and licked the top of his head.
He had so many questions and she had all the answers. A lump the size of coal lodged in his throat. He swallowed and then ducked his head. “Why shouldn’t you tell? It doesn’t make sense. Are my persons dead? Is that it? We can’t ever go home again, can we?”
She shook her head. “Perhaps, one day we can. I wasn’t told. But, it’s really nice here.” She looked up at the trees and then toward the vineyard. “Would it be so bad, living here with Cindy and John?”
He sighed. He couldn’t make her tell her secrets. He had to trust her. “It is nice, but how long will it last? If John loses the ranch and has to move away, I doubt he could take us with him.”
She shrugged. “There, see? You agree. It’s in our own best interest to help John find a way to keep the ranch.”
Wasn’t that just like feminine logic? If circumstances get in the way of your goal, change the goal. “Just how are we supposed to do that? Hello! We’re cats!”
“I’m not sure right now. I have a feeling we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. If I’m right, we will find a way… Listen.” She cocked her head. “I hear water. There’s a creek back in those trees. Race you…”
She took off running.
He raced along behind. What a pretty picture they made—a splash of gold, and a black and white streak sprinting through the green grass. Insects and birds fell silent as they bounded across the field. The chase ended at a creek rushing down the hillside. Water, fed from some mountain stream high in the
Now, what in the world could she mean by assignment ? She made it sound like a secret mission. Black Cat rolled his eyes. Big-hearted intentions were always a stumbling block in the face of logic. “We’ll give it a few days and see what happens. Then we have to leave. That’s it, my final word on the subject.”
“Who died and made you King?” Angel huffed down the path.
“Just sayin’…” He lowered his ears and hurried after her, stepping carefully over the stickers.
The trail beyond the bird enclosure moved past a group of trees. Blue jays, robins and brown sparrows with red heads twittered and hopped through cedars, pines, and oak trees—behaving like real birds , unlike John’s creatures in the enclosure.
Just past the trees, immature grape vines came into view. Rows of wires crawled along the ground covered by young plants—shades of green and yellow against a backdrop of tall pine trees in the distance. At the end of each row, stacks of blackened stumps reached jagged fingers skyward.
“Look there. That’s all that’s left of John’s father’s vineyard.” Angel stopped to stare.
“Spooky looking, isn’t it?”
At the edge of the closest row of grapes, a ground squirrel popped from a hole and streaked toward the tree line. “Squirrel! Catch it!” Black Cat raced past the wires, ducked between the poles and the vines, hopped over rocks and through thickets of grass. He skidded to a stop as the squirrel plunged into its hole. He flopped onto the grass, breathing hard, his sides heaving.
Angel sauntered up to him. “I hope you did that for the exercise. They never run like that unless there’s a hole near enough to jump into. Back on the ranch, we couldn’t ever—”
“There! You said it again. Is that where we lived? On a ranch?”
Angel ducked her head. “ Um … Do you remember a ranch?” She tipped her head and swished her tail.
“I remember a little girl and a pretty lady and a house with purple flowers on the porch. At least, I think I remember, or maybe I dreamed it. Was it real? The house on the ranch?”
She turned away, avoiding his eyes.
“Why won’t you tell me, Angel? Tell me my name and where we come from.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I made a promise. Please don’t ask me. If I tell…” She touched him with her paw and licked the top of his head.
He had so many questions and she had all the answers. A lump the size of coal lodged in his throat. He swallowed and then ducked his head. “Why shouldn’t you tell? It doesn’t make sense. Are my persons dead? Is that it? We can’t ever go home again, can we?”
She shook her head. “Perhaps, one day we can. I wasn’t told. But, it’s really nice here.” She looked up at the trees and then toward the vineyard. “Would it be so bad, living here with Cindy and John?”
He sighed. He couldn’t make her tell her secrets. He had to trust her. “It is nice, but how long will it last? If John loses the ranch and has to move away, I doubt he could take us with him.”
She shrugged. “There, see? You agree. It’s in our own best interest to help John find a way to keep the ranch.”
Wasn’t that just like feminine logic? If circumstances get in the way of your goal, change the goal. “Just how are we supposed to do that? Hello! We’re cats!”
“I’m not sure right now. I have a feeling we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. If I’m right, we will find a way… Listen.” She cocked her head. “I hear water. There’s a creek back in those trees. Race you…”
She took off running.
He raced along behind. What a pretty picture they made—a splash of gold, and a black and white streak sprinting through the green grass. Insects and birds fell silent as they bounded across the field. The chase ended at a creek rushing down the hillside. Water, fed from some mountain stream high in the
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