Middlemarch Shifters Box Set 4--6 by Shelley Munro

Author:Shelley Munro [Munro, Shelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: paranormal shapeshifter romance
Publisher: Shelley Munro
Published: 2016-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Three days later, Caroline settled James and Ricky at the kitchen table with paper and crayons. She gave her youngest son a stern glance. “No drawing on the table. If I see one little drawing not on your paper, I won’t give you any cake or cookies for ten days. That’s one day for every finger,” she added when he opened his mouth. “Do you understand?”

He nodded vigorously, dark curls falling over his eyes. She hadn’t considered haircuts. Someone on the station must cut hair or maybe somewhere in Twizel. Marsh had promised them a trip to see Mount Cook this coming weekend.

A weekend. She was trying not to get too excited, but it was such a treat to go somewhere as a family.

“Should I make Shepherd’s Pie or do a roast dinner tonight?”

“Roast,” James said.

She ruffled his hair as he looked up from his drawing. Another leopard. “Do you like leopards?”

He nodded, his black curls as long as his brother’s.

“They come with spots too.”

He cocked his head and considered his picture. Two large leopards lounged on rocks while two smaller leopards played below. All leopards were soot black while the background in his drawing resembled the station scenery. As she watched, James sketched a figure—a woman. “Why is there a lady in your picture?”

James glanced up at her and shrugged. “Just is.”

She smoothed a rebellious curl. “I think you will look after us in our old age with the proceeds from your wonderful drawings.” He’d drawn a lady in his other big cat drawings too even though she’d told him that his big cats might eat the lady.

Satisfied the boys were occupied, she turned her mind to the coming meals. The packed lunches were ready for the men who were working away from the homestead today, and someone would collect them soon. Six of the men were coming for lunch and she’d have the full contingent for dinner because the mustering team had arrived back from the far hut. Vegetables. She could do them now and parboil them.

Caroline got to work on potatoes, pumpkin and kumara, peeling the vegetables, washing and tossing them in one of Maria’s huge pots.

A scratching noise at the outer door had her head lifting. An instant later the door sprang open and something big, something black, burst inside. Caroline let out an eep of surprise then screamed as she realized a humongous leopard had entered her kitchen. She grabbed the kitchen knife.

“Don’t move,” she ordered the boys, her voice holding a distinct tremor.

The black leopard skidded to a stop and stared at her with intense green eyes.

Caroline stayed rooted in place, knife held in front of her as she stared back. “Shoo! Get out of my kitchen.” She waved the knife, glanced at her two boys. Thankfully, they weren’t doing anything to attract the animal’s attention.

The leopard prowled closer.

“Out!” Caroline screeched. Her heart tried to claw its way up her throat. “Get out!”

Outside, she heard running feet. Marsh appeared in the doorway.

“What’s wrong? I’ve come to—” He spotted the leopard.

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