Rodney: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance by Kathi Barton (books for new readers TXT) 📕

he hoped someday he had a kid that Grandda would take under his wing to show him how to con a collection of desserts from the cooks.

“It is an art form, I tell you.” They were both laughing when he handed a slice of the pecan pie to Harris. Apparently, he’d share, but only with the women in the family. “You have me a couple of grandkids, Heath, and I’ll make sure they know every trick I taught you when you were a little kid.”

“Deal. I just have to find me a mate, that’s all.”

The rest of the meeting was gone over. The amount of money they were spending on a few of the projects scared him enough that he wanted to back off. He spoke to Harris about it.

“You don’t have to worry about it, Heath. There is a great deal of money. And I’m good at investing as well. I want you all to know that even with all the projects we have going on and the ones that we’re starting, it won’t make a dent in what I’ve gotten. What we’ve gotten. Also, you’ll each receive another credit card today that you’re to use for something fun. I don’t know the vampires that left it to me, but I’m sure they’d be thrilled to know we all enjoyed their savings very much.” Heath asked her if she was going to do the same. “We are. We have, actually. Shep and I have ordered a motor home. One big enough that we can enjoy and have great vacations in. We’ve even gotten one big enough for our children that are coming, as well as Grandda, to come along with us. It’ll be something we can do forever, I’m hoping.”

He’d never been camping. Not even as a child. Of course, as his cat, he’d sleep out under the stars, but he didn’t think that was the same thing. Thinking about how much he might enjoy taking a trip like that, Heath decided he’d do something like that as well. Maybe, he thought until he figured out if he would like it, he’d go small.

Nah, he thought. Go big or go home, his mom used to tell him. Smiling, thinking about what he might want to do with a camper, he decided that until his mate came, and even after, he was going to take his grandda with him on each and every trip. He surely did love that old man.

~*~

Shannon knew there was some sort of upset going on in the hospital, but she wasn’t going to let it interfere with what she was doing there. Her momma was going to die. Every time she thought of that, her eyes would fill up, and she’d have to take long, deep breaths in and out until the hurt and pain of it moved to a place in her heart that she’d be able to let out later.

“What are you thinking about now?” Smiling at her momma, she told her she’d been thinking about the hospital. “Sure you were. And I’m a monkey’s aunt. Honey, we all die. I just got myself an earlier ticket than most would have.”

“Don’t make light of this.” She told her that if she didn’t, she’d be a puddle of tears. “I know, but I don’t want you to leave me. We had so many plans, you and I. I want those memories to have after you’re gone.”

“Let’s change the subject. Why are you thinking about this place? It’s been a nice hospital, don’t you think? I mean, I’ve not had one lick of trouble here.” She told her what she’d overheard in the cafeteria. “Oh. I’d not heard that. But then I don’t have a lot of friends coming here to visit me and bring gossip to me. What have you heard?”

“That there was a shakeup with one of the nurses. I’m not sure what it was about, but I guess they lost about ten of them in one mass firing. Doctors too. Do you remember when we first came here that people told us about the Marshall family? I think they had something to do with it.” Momma told her that the Marshall family was some sort of big deal. “Yes. I looked them up. They’re filthy rich. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but that’s what they’ve been called by a few of the nurses. Also, I guess there is some speculation that they’re shifters. Cats.”

“Filthy rich implies that a person’s wealth is offensive. I have no idea why someone would take exception to someone being wealthy, but that’s what it means. Thank goodness for crossword puzzles.” Her momma did love to do puzzles. Of any kind. It was something she did even now, but it took her longer because she was so weak. “You’re overthinking again.”

“I know. It’s just really painful to know you could have been doing puzzles at home. I feel like this trip out here might have made you worse.” Momma told her what her opinion of the trip was. “I guess that is one way to look at it. At least we were at a place to take you when you got ill. It came over you so quickly.”

“I know I’ve said this to you before, but it is what it is. I want you to realize something else, too. You’re here with me, Shannon. You could have been off to college or some job. But we had planned to spend some good time together, and we are. I will remember this when I’m looking down on you from Heaven, sweetie. You are my heart, my life.” Shannon didn’t even bother trying to hide the tears that fell this time. “If you continue to cry like that, I’m going to be all wet too.”

They were both crying when the nurse came in to take her momma’s blood pressure. When she left, Momma closed her eyes and said she needed a nap. Momma told her to go and