Catch as Cat Can by Claire Donally Read Free Book Online Page B

for him.” Abby glanced over at Sunny and Will. “And I guess you’ll be setting up housekeeping here when your father goes to live with my mom?”
    Helena and Mike looked like a pair of teenagers caught making out on the couch. Mrs. M. sputtered for a moment. “Abigail Martinson,” she finally managed to say. “What are you suggesting?”
    â€œCome on, Mom. When I get you on the phone, all you do is talk about Mr. Coolidge there.”
    â€œMike,” Sunny’s dad said in a faint voice.
    â€œI mean, it’s obvious you have a relationship, and I’m glad for that—honestly.”
    Mrs. M. stared, and so did Mike. “You are?”
    â€œWell, sure. You ought to have someone in your life, and I have no problem with that. But . . .” Abby bit her lip, trying to find words. “When Dad got sick, you took care of him, and I know that was very tough on you.” She glanced at Mike. “Are you ready to do that again with Mr. Coolidge?”
    Mike and Helena shared a look—and a different kind of shock. They’d been enjoying one another’s company, but that didn’t mean they’d immediately started on long-range life plans.
    Sunny decided it was time for her to speak up. “You know, I’ve been taking care of my dad.”
    â€œFrom before or after you lost your job in New York?” Abby smiled at the look on Sunny’s face. “It’s amazing, the resources a law firm offers if you want to check into people.”
    â€œWow, you’re a one-woman intervention.” Will shook his head in wonder. “Come here to save your mom from our clutches.”
    â€œBut I think you’ve been in California too long.” Sunnystruggled to keep her voice level. “I lost my job
because
I came up here to help Dad out. But that’s what we do here. We look out for our own. I help my dad. Helena helps folks who can’t put food on the table. And if she needs a hand, I’m happy to offer one.”
    Abby looked as if she’d been slapped. “Maybe I have spent too much time in Cali.” She looked down at her hands. “You see a lot of bad stuff there, greed, pretense, back-stabbing. But I worried about you, Mom.” She reached over to take Helena’s hand. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”
    That was the moment Shadow chose to make his entrance. He veered a little to rub beside Sunny’s leg, but then he headed boldly to Abby, staring up at her.
    She smiled and leaned forward. “Well, hello there, cutey. Who are you?”
    *
    Shadow hung back, watching as the two visitors arrived. One he recognized, the Old One’s She. The other was another two-leggity female, younger. Shadow wasn’t sure that was good. Some places he’d been, when there was an extra She, fights began. If Sunny’s He got too interested, that might happen here.
    That wouldn’t be good.
    As they sat down to eat, it seemed as though he was right to be worried. Shadow could feel the tension in the air, and it seemed to center around the strange new female. The Old One and his She seemed almost frightened, giving the newcomer hard looks. Shadow thought Sunny might fly from her chair, even though she didn’t have much in the way of teeth and claws.
    He did, though. And if this strange She started making trouble, she’d have him to deal with.
    Sunny spoke sharply, and Shadow got ready to jump into battle. But then the mood suddenly changed. The strange She spoke softly, taking the older female’s hand.
    Maybe there won’t be a fight after all,
Shadow thought, padding forward. He stopped to mark Sunny—and to remind her that he was on her side. Then he walked up to the stranger.
    She showed teeth in that odd way humans had and bent forward, extending a hand. But she wasn’t grabby like some two-legs. She politely held it down so he could give it a sniff. Unlike the older