Free Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2) by J.H. Croix Page A

with Sophia, so don’t do it with yourself. It’s not like we barely know each other. If last year hadn’t been such a mess for me, I’d have let you know how I felt a hell of a lot sooner. I had to know I could be the man you deserved before I did that. Can we just enjoy that we had an amazing night and have some breakfast? I thought you needed to know how I felt, so you didn’t start wondering what I wanted. I can wait until you’re ready though.”
    His words hit her right in her center. He was so clear, so definite. While she was a muddle inside. Even though she knew she wanted him, she also knew it wouldn’t help to ruminate on her worries just now. She’d practice taking it one step at a time. She met his eyes and nodded. “How about we have breakfast here? I’ll cook.” At his grin, she kicked the covers free.

    ***
    Heath pushed through the door at the bank and walked briskly to his truck. He tossed the folder of papers on the seat and closed the door. He paused on the sidewalk and glanced around. Painter was nestled in a valley with mountains surrounding it. Main Street was picturesque with quaint, colorful storefronts. A gust of wind sent leaves spinning in a swirl. He stepped off the sidewalk and looked both ways before striding across the street to Mile High Grounds. The bell jangled above the door when he entered. It was late afternoon and the coffee shop was quieter than at most hours. A few college students were nursing coffees while they studied and there was a knitting group in the corner. His sister glanced up from the counter.
    “Hey Heath! How’s it going?”
    He reached the counter. “It’s going pretty damn good. Just got the bank loan approved to get my construction business started. I thought the paperwork would never end, but it’s official as of a few minutes ago.”
    Sophia squealed and clapped her hands. “Yippee! I know you wanted to get that taken care of. So what does it mean?”
    “It means I’ve got seed money to invest in the heavier equipment I need. I’ve already been picking up jobs, but I had to keep it small. Now, I can take on bigger jobs and hire a team when I’ve got enough work to make it worthwhile.”
    Sophia grinned and leaned a hip against the counter. “You can use my accountant if you want.”
    Heath chuckled and kicked his toe against the floor. “I’ll probably take you up on that.”
    “It’s Sara Willis. Her office is just a few doors down the street. She’s awesome and so picky it’s annoying. I figure picky’s good when it comes to accounting. Anyway, coffee?”
    “Of course. Just something dark today. Nothing sweet.”
    “Got it!” Tommy called out from behind the espresso machine.
    Heath glanced around the room, half hoping to see Vivi walk through the door. He’d barely been able to keep her out of his mind since last night and this morning. A few hours of hard work on a small decking job kept him from spinning circles inside. He’d been distracted at the bank meeting, but fortunately all the details had already been hammered out.
    “Looking for Vivi?”
    He whipped his head back to Sophia to find her grinning.
    “No, I…” He paused with a shake of his head. “Actually, yes. I thought she might be by this afternoon.”
    “Logical guess, seeing as she stops by here most afternoons.”
    Tommy stepped to the counter and slid Heath’s coffee across. He glanced between them. “Yeah, we both noticed you can hardly keep your eyes off Vivi lately.”
    Heath almost choked on his sip of coffee. Sophia started to laugh and immediately covered her mouth when he glared at her. Tommy turned away and headed to the back room, but not before tossing a sly grin over his shoulder. “Gotta play those cards closer to your chest if you don’t want anyone to notice.”
    When Tommy disappeared through the door into the back, Sophia’s expression sobered. “So, you and Vivi?”
    Heath wasn’t ready to tell his little sister about last night, but