The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) by J.H. Croix

Author:J.H. Croix [Croix, J.H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-07-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Daniel followed Sophia into her parents’ home. After he’d dropped her off at work this morning, she’d texted him to ask if he wanted to talk with her mother this afternoon. He paused on the porch of the farmhouse and turned to look out over the small valley nearby. The sun glinted off a small stream winding through the corner of the valley. A mountain ridge rose tall on the far side, shading a cluster of aspen. A magpie burst out of the trees at the side of the house and swooped to land on the porch railing within arms length of Daniel. He heard the door opening and turned to face it. The woman who must be Sophia’s mother gave Sophia a quick hug and stepped to Daniel, her smile beaming. She had dark hair streaked with silver and warm brown eyes. She wore a flowing skirt of gauzy green fabric that twirled around her ankles. She’d paired the skirt with a loose white blouse. Hammered silver hoops swung at her ears, and silver bracelets jangled as she reached for his hands and squeezed them.

“You must be Daniel. I’m Lila Ashworth, Sophia’s mother. It’s so good to have you here in Painter.” Her eyes were warm. Daniel felt as if she could see right through him.

“It’s good to be here. Thank you for having me.”

Lila loosened her hands when the magpie on the railing started chattering. It appeared as if the bird was speaking to her. She released Daniels’ hands entirely and put her hands on her hips, eyeing the magpie. “Oh really? I already gave you one snack today.”

Daniel glanced to Sophia who grinned and shrugged. The magpie chattered again and pecked at the railing. Lila stepped to the door beside which there was a decorative copper bucket with a lid. She reached inside and came out with a handful of cracked corn. She proceeded to feed the magpie who pecked daintily from her hand.

Lila glanced to Daniel and chuckled. “This is my friend Nina. She’s been hanging around our house for the last few years.”

Sophia caught his eye. “My mother feeds any animal that shows up. I hope you’re hungry because I’m sure she’s got something ready for us too.”

Lila sprinkled the remaining cracked corn on the railing and gestured for them to follow her inside. Daniel looked around once he was seated at the table by the windows. The kitchen was warm and inviting with plants hanging in the windows, the scent of fresh baked bread, and Lila’s warm presence as she puttered around getting a tray of sandwiches ready for them, along with making a fresh pot of coffee. She swatted Sophia away when she offered to help. Sophia sat down across from him and shrugged. “My mother’s kind of bossy when it comes to her kitchen.”

He grinned. “My mother was the same way.” Lila stepped into the pantry, and he took that moment to reach across the table and tuck a loose lock of hair behind Sophia’s ear.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.