Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2)

by J. H. Croix

  Vivi sighed and glanced around the room. She should feel elated, but she couldn’t feel anything other than worry and fear right now. If Heath wasn’t okay, Nelson’s arrest would mean they paid much too high of a price to bring him down. She idly traced the edge of the bandage on her palm and waited. She’d lost track of how long they’d been waiting when a nurse stepped into the room. Vivi leapt out of her chair, while the rest of the family circled the nurse.

  The nurse, a slender woman with warm blue eyes and short brown hair, smiled at them. “Well, I can see Mr. Ashworth has plenty of family concerned about him. You’ll be glad to know the surgery went well. He’s in the recovery room now and can have visitors shortly.”

  The nurse was bombarded with questions from the others, while Vivi leaned against the wall and put her hands over her face. She didn’t need to know anything other than that Heath was safe and okay. Immense relief swept through her. She felt a hand curl over her shoulder and glanced up to find Lila beside her.

  “Are you okay, dear?” Lila asked softly.

  Vivi nodded and swallowed through the tightness in her throat. “Uh huh. I’m just…” She paused and took a shaky breath. When she met Lila’s eyes again, the tears rolled down her cheeks. Vivi swiped at them. “You must think I’m an idiot. Here you are doing just fine and Heath’s your son. I’m, oh, I don’t know…”

  When her words trailed off, Lila slipped her arm across Vivi’s shoulders and tugged her into another hug. When she released her, Lila leaned against the wall beside Vivi. “Heath loves you. You know that, right?”

  Vivi bit her lip and rolled her head to the side to look at Lila. “I think so. I haven’t handled things all that well.”

  Lila smiled softly. “You’ve handled things just fine. I talked to Heath the other day and told him to give you some time. Julianna should be your priority. I never needed to sort through something like that, but every mother knows you don’t just bring a new man into your child’s life without finding a way to do it very carefully. I believe you probably love Heath too, but that still doesn’t mean you should rush things.”

  Somehow Lila’s way of framing the issue, without judgment and as if it made perfect sense, eased the knot of uncertainty and tension Vivi had been holding inside for weeks. Vivi took in a gulp of air and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she glanced to Lila. “I do love him. I just hope he understands I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

  Lila reached over and squeezed Vivi’s good hand. “He already understands. I’m not going to pretend he’s enjoyed the last few days, but he understands. If not, just give me a call and I’ll knock the sense back into him.”

  Vivi laughed softly, her tears still hot in her eyes. “I’ll do that.”

  A few minutes later, the doctor came to offer more of an update on Heath’s surgery and what to expect next. They were then allowed into the recovery room to visit him, only two at a time. Even though Vivi was desperate to see Heath, she felt his parents and Sophia needed to see him first, so she hung back and waited while they went in in pairs. When she was finally in the room beside him, the tears welled again. His eyes were closed when she approached the hospital bed. The recovery room didn’t offer much privacy. His bed was surrounded with a curtain, and she could hear the soft mumble of other voices nearby.

  She quietly sat down in the chair situated beside the bed. His breathing was slow and even. She didn’t want to disturb him, so she carefully slipped her hand onto the bed where his rested and eased hers over it. His breathing didn’t change, so she stayed like that, softly stroking her thumb over the back of his palm. After a few minutes, he rolled his head to the side and opened his eyes. For a second, they were unfocused. He blinked and then his dark green gaze held hers. He started to sit up, but fell back against the bed.

  “Don’t move!” she whispered fiercely, fighting against the tears welling inside.

  “I’m fine,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “You are not fine. You just had surgery,” she said, trying to inject some sternness in her tone.

  He somehow managed a small shrug with one shoulder, although he grimaced when he did. He turned his hand over and laced his fingers into hers. “I didn’t think I was in bad shape. Last thing I remember is Daniel telling me I collapsed when we got here.”

  Her heart felt sliced open. She tried and failed to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. His hand gripped hers tightly. “Please don’t cry, Vivi. It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  She nodded and dragged her forearm across her face, smearing her tears on her sleeve. “I know, I know. But you got hurt, and I got scared.” She paused and gulped in air. “Maybe now’s not the best time to talk, but I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I got all freaked out. Its just…it’s just you mean so much to me.”

  Heath again tried to sit up and fell back.

  “Stop it. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

  His mouth hooked in a half-smile. “Hard to get in worse shape than I was before the surgery.” His smile faded. “I love you, you know.”

  Her tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She squeezed his hand tightly and nodded. “I love you. I do, I really do. I just…ugh.” She paused for another breath of air. “I talked to Chris and it made me question everything. Not about you, but about me. I mean, he’s, well, he’s a complete loser and I was dumb enough to fall for him. Julianna has a fool for a father and I can’t do anything to change that. I want to make sure I do what’s right for her. Somehow I got that all mixed up into thinking I needed to keep you out of our lives.” She shook her head sharply. “But I love you and that isn’t going to change, so I figure it’s better if I find a way to deal with that instead of running away from it.”

  Heath’s eyes locked onto hers, his expression somber and soft at once. She felt held by his gaze alone. She could feel the beat of his pulse against her wrist. “My mom told me I needed to be patient, but I won’t pretend the last few days didn’t suck.” He cleared his throat. “I can’t do anything about Chris and how he’s treated Julianna, but I promise you I already love her as if she was mine. I don’t want to replace her father in her mind, but as far as I’m concerned, she’s my daughter. I know she comes first for you, and she’s first for me too. Okay?”

  She nodded, unable to speak a word with the flood of emotions coursing through her. At that moment, the distinct sound of the curtain sliding on its track came. Vivi glanced over her shoulder to see the nurse peeking around the edge of the curtain. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to check on a few things. Will that be okay?”

  Vivi started to stand, but the nurse shook her head. It was the same nurse who’d come to let them know Heath’s surgery went well. Her blue eyes coasted over Heath. “You’re looking quite well for what you’ve been through today, Mr. Ashworth,” the nurse offered with a soft smile.

  Heath held tight to Vivi’s hand and grinned. “I’ve been worse. What do you need to check on?”

  The nurse stepped to the far side of the bed and scanned the monitor positioned on that side. “Just making sure your vitals are still stable, which they are.” She reached up and checked the fluid in the IV bag hanging from its stand. “How’s your pain?” she asked as she turned to face the bed.

  Heath shrugged. “I can deal with it. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer you keep any doses of pain medication light.”

  The nurse arched a brow in question.

  “I was in a bad car accident over a year ago and had a rough time coming off the painkillers. I’d rather live with a little extra pain than go through that again,” Heath explained matter-of-factly.

  The nurse nodded firmly. “Understood. I’ll let the doctor know.” She turned to leave, but Heath spoke again.

  “Not to sound stupid, but do you mind telling me what the surgery was for? I don’t remember a damn thing after I got here except waking up briefly to hear my buddy tell me I passed out.”

  The nurse grinned. “You sure did. Fell in a
heap at his feet, as a matter of fact.” She sobered. “You sustained a nasty puncture wound on your neck and a deep scratch that ran down your neck and shoulder. Your friend said you fell while you guys were out hiking and caught your shoulder on a branch. That must’ve been one sharp branch because it did a bit of damage. The doctor took care of some other scratches and nicks, so you’ve got stitches in a few places. The other areas would probably heal up on their own, but since he was operating, we wanted to minimize chances of infection. You’ll need to stay for a few hours, but you can probably go home later tonight. No need for you to stay overnight.” At that, she glanced between them. “I’ll let you two have a few more minutes to yourselves. Visitors are only allowed in recovery for fifteen minutes at a time.” At that, the nurse slipped through the curtain. It fell behind her with a soft whoosh.

  Heath had never released Vivi’s hand, his grip surprisingly strong given his physical state. His eyes scanned Vivi’s face, warmth, affinity, love and a hint of fire held there.

  Epilogue

  Heath leaned over the kitchen table and stared at Julianna’s math worksheet. “Word problems,” he said, prompting a giggle from Julianna who sat beside him.

  He glanced to her. Her dark hair was braided into two long braids, its usual style. She was such an active girl that if her hair was left loose, it became a tangled mess quickly. One foot swung back and forth as she doodled in the margin of her worksheet. “How about I help you with the measurement stuff? That’s where I’m the expert. Word problems, not so much.”

  Julianna turned to him and wrinkled her nose, her brown eyes glinted with mirth. “I already did these. It’s your job to check them,” she said, a giggle escaping at the end.

  “Oh, right. Okay, hand it over.”

  “You didn’t even read far enough to see I already did them,” Julianna said with mock sternness as she slid the paper in front of him.

  “I’m reading them now,” he countered, eliciting another giggle from her.

  A few minutes later, he handed the worksheet back to her and proclaimed her homework done for the night. Julianna tucked the worksheet in her folder and slipped from her chair to return the folder to her backpack. Jax tackled her feet, a blur of black and white as he scampered away and dashed into the living room. Julianna chased after him, leaving Heath alone at the kitchen table.

  He glanced over at Vivi who slid a tray of Julianna’s beloved crunchy mac and cheese into the oven and closed it. She tossed the oven mitt on the counter and snagged a bottle of wine sitting on the counter, along with two glasses from the cabinet. She sat across from him and filled the glasses, holding hers up for a toast. “To homework!”

  The clink of their glasses was muted amidst the squeals of Julianna in the living room as she played with Jax. Heath looked over at Vivi, his heart clenching. His mind spun back to the night, over a year ago, when she insisted he come home with her after his altercation with Nelson and subsequent visit to the emergency room. In the time since, their lives had become stitched tightly together. He couldn’t conceive of life without her and Julianna.

  She set her wineglass on the table and he leaned across, nudging her chin up with his knuckles and catching her lips in a quick kiss. It didn’t matter the time or place, all he had to do was be near her and his body hummed. He leaned back in his chair and took a gulp of his wine. With Julianna nearby, he needed to keep his body on leash. Vivi’s cheeks were flushed. She set her wineglass down and rested her elbows on the table.

  “So, did you happen to hear from Roger today?”

  He nodded. “Oh yeah. He called me as soon as the trial was over. The prosecution got what they wanted for Nelson—minimum of twenty years behind bars. It’s a damn relief to have that over.”

  In the intervening time since Nelson had been caught, they’d both been tied up in some way or another with the legal proceedings. The shifter smuggling network had finally been extinguished in Painter. Heath was cynical enough to know something like it would probably resurface somehow someday, but what Nelson created had staggered and fallen once the police figured out how he was using the many old logging properties for storage and transfers.

  Vivi took a sip of wine and trailed her fingers along the stem of her glass. “I’ll say. Took too damn long, but he’ll be locked up for a good long time.” She lifted her eyes and scanned his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Her words came out raspy.

  He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Of course I am. Trust me, that last fight wasn’t so bad. It was the year before that nearly killed me,” he said, referencing his car accident and tumble into painkiller addiction. He didn’t talk about it much, but it had been a frightening time for him. He’d felt lost—as a man and as a lion. He recalled thinking he could never be the man and shifter Vivi deserved. He hadn’t thought of it at the time, but being part of finally bringing Nelson in had helped him find closure around the path he’d stumbled upon after his car accident. He felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing he’d helped end the scourge of what Nelson created.

  Vivi’s voice brought Heath back to the moment. “Maybe you thought it was not much, but it scared me to death.” Her eyes glistened, and she bit her lip. “I suppose the good thing is it made me get over myself.”

  At that moment, Julianna came skidding into the kitchen, dragging a tattered piece of yarn behind her on the floor. Jax was pouncing and hissing at the innocent yarn. Heath turned to look at Julianna, and his chest almost ached. Somehow he’d not only made it back to the man and shifter he once was, but he’d flat lucked out and stumbled into the love of his life with the blessing of her strong-willed joyous daughter along with her.

  A while later, crunchy mac and cheese long gone, Heath lay in bed and listened to the sound of Vivi’s breathing. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her leg thrown across both of his. Her lush curves were soft and warm against his side. He stroked a palm down her back and fell asleep to the rhythm of her breath.

  ***

  “Where are we going and why do I have to wear this?” Vivi asked, as she felt Heath tighten the cotton bandana around her head.

  He’d shown up at the door, waving the bandana and insisting she come with him on a drive, although he adamantly refused to tell her where they were going. He finished knotting the bandana. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” At that, he closed the truck door.

  Seconds later, she heard him get in on the driver’s side. She felt him turn onto Main Street, but after that she lost track of where he could be going. He drove roughly ten minutes before she felt another turn and the sound of gravel crunching under the tires. Moments later, he was opening the passenger door and helping her out. She tried to shake him off and reached to untie the bandana, but he caught her hands in his and firmly pulled her along with him.

  “Just let me surprise you, okay?” he asked, a low laugh escaping after his question.

  “Fine,” she huffed as she walked alongside him.

  They came to a stop. Without sight, her other senses were heightened. She heard the distant call of a crow and the sound of water running over rocks nearby. The air was woodsy. She surmised they were on the edge of the forest. After a moment of quiet, Heath moved to stand behind her and untied the bandana. When he slipped it away and she opened her eyes, a gorgeous cedar home stood before her, tucked into the edge of a slope. The slope leveled out behind the house into a small field through which a wide stream ran. Her eyes followed the stream up where it disappeared into the trees marching up the mountains in back of the home. The home was clearly new and the ground around it was still freshly turned. Puzzled, she turned to Heath who’d come to stand at her side.

  “Is this one of your latest projects? It’s beautiful. I’m sure the owners are happy with what you’ve done.”

  His green gaze caught hers, a slow smile spreading across his face. “You think it’s beautiful?”

  “Of course! Every house you design is beautiful. Mind telli
ng me why you brought me out here to see it? I don’t mind, but…”

  “It’s for us.”

  Her heart flew skyward inside and tears instantly pressed at the back of her eyes. She gasped and stared at him for a long moment before swinging to look at the house again. “For us? Really?”

  He stepped in front of her and reached for her hands, which were chilly in the late autumn air. The warmth of his touch radiated through her. “Really. I started planning it last winter and worked on it all summer. It’s ready to go. I, uh…” he paused and cleared his throat “wanted to make sure you knew without a doubt that I wanted our lives to be together.” She felt him trace the edge of the engagement ring he’d given her a few weeks prior. She’d thought he couldn’t do more to knot her heart with his, but he’d gone and done it. She thought back to the number of times she’d commented on her tiny house over the last few months and marveled at how well he’d kept this secret.

  She tipped her face up and freed her hands, bringing them up to cup his cheeks, the stubble rough under her touch. “You have no idea how much I love this. I can’t believe you went to all this work. Just for us…”

  Heath dipped his head and caught her lips in a fierce kiss. He pulled back only a fraction. She could feel his lips move against hers when he spoke. “The work was nothing. I’m just glad you love it. Come on, let’s go inside.”

  He turned and tugged for her to follow. The interior was as beautiful as the outside. The main living area was bright and filled with light. The living room stretched into a kitchen. The floors were polished hardwood with cedar ceilings above. The kitchen was modern and sleek, but had a warm feeling with soft green polished granite counters and birch cabinets. The living room faced the mountains with a massive stone fireplace occupying one wall. The home managed to feel spacious and cozy at once. Given that it was currently empty of furniture, Vivi marveled at how it felt inside. There were four bedrooms, including a large master suite with its own bathroom. Vivi considered how mornings went these days—a constant juggle of who needed the bathroom when. Heath had also created a playroom for Julianna.