Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) by Elaine Faber

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