Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2) Read Free Page A

back and forth in the bottom. “Oh well, it was worth checking.” She handed it back to Julianna who quickly dropped it in the trash before she slid into a chair at the kitchen table.
    Vivi opened the fridge, hoping she’d find an extra carton of milk, so Julianna could have her cereal, and she could have a dash of milk in her coffee. No such luck. She tended to live day to day when it came to shopping and anything that cost money. She wouldn’t trade her life for anything, but being a single mother meant money was tight all the time. When she got pregnant with Julianna, her landscaping business had been in full swing. It was a small business, but it paid the bills and she loved it. Once she had Julianna, she quickly realized her money didn’t stretch as far. Her business kept her afloat and a few shifts a week at Quinn’s filled the gaps.
    Back before Julianna came along, she’d fancied herself in love with Chris Barnett, a shifter who she’d met when he spent a summer in Painter. Chris had been fun and showered her with attention, up until the day she told him about her unexpected pregnancy. Before she’d even had a chance to consider what she wanted to do, he made it clear he expected her to not have the baby. He’d also turned cold and distant.
    To this day, she didn’t know if her choice to have Julianna had been spurred by his arrogant assumption she wouldn’t have her. It didn’t matter because Vivi loved Julianna to pieces and wouldn’t have changed the course of events even if she could’ve. It would have been nice for Julianna to have a father who was a part of her life, but if Vivi had learned one thing, it was that learning to be at peace with circumstances beyond her control made life a lot easier.
    For now, she grabbed a yogurt and a banana. Moments later, she set the bowl down in front of Julianna. “Maple yogurt with bananas!” she announced with a mock bow. “Breakfast of the champions.”
    Julianna giggled and immediately lifted her spoon to start eating. A while later, Vivi watched the bus drive away, bright yellow in the misty gray rain of the morning. She sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. By some small miracle, there were only a few dishes piled up by the sink. Her eyes traveled around the kitchen. Her house was a small bungalow, like many of the homes in her neighborhood. The kitchen had counters with cabinets above lining two walls with the refrigerator tucked into a corner. The sink was situated in the center of one wall and a stove on the other. There was just enough room for a small round table by the archway that led into the living room. On a clear day, the windows let sun in that streamed all the way into the kitchen. With today being rainy, the light was dim inside.
    She pushed her chair back and strode into the living room. The mountains loomed in the distance, partially obscured by the clouds. Painter was nestled high in the mountains of Colorado. Vivi loved it here. The shifter side of her only felt at home in the mountains and skirting the edge of wilderness. She loved where her house was because she could see the mountains everyday, her best friend lived a few houses down the street, and downtown Painter was within walking distance.
    Her eyes landed on one of the ferns hanging in the window. She quickly snagged the watering can off the table by the wall and filled it. After she watered her plants, she tossed her raincoat on and grabbed her purse before heading out the door. She jogged down the porch stairs and stopped by her car, considering for a second whether to drive. She quickly decided against it and headed for a walk through the drizzle.
    As she turned onto Main Street and saw the bright red lettering for Mile High Grounds, her favorite coffee shop, which happened to be owned by her best friend, Heath strolled through her thoughts for the hundredth time since last night’s unexpected kiss. She found herself constantly batting the thoughts away—it was