CHAPTER 12
HANNAH~
The cat is all bones and warm fur against my chest. I run my hand down its back and it leans into the touch like it’s been waiting for someone to do exactly that. I look around the restaurant. No one is claiming it. A couple of tables glance over, then go back to their food.
“Rosa,” I say, still stroking the cat. “Who owns this one?”
Rosa comes closer, wiping her hands on her apron. She studies the orange tabby for a second. “No one. It’s been showing up the last two days. Sits by the back door, waits for scraps. Mario tried to chase it off yesterday. Didn’t work. The other alley cats don’t let it eat either. They run it off the second anything hits the ground.”
I look down at the cat. It’s purring now, a rusty little sound. One ear is nicked. Its ribs show when I s
