Lucky Lion (Shifter Mail Order Bride Holiday Romance) (Holiday Mail Order Mates Book 2) (3 page)

Emma heard footsteps approaching and quickly minimized her browser window. She shuffled the papers on her desk and tried to hide the real estate book. Cindy and Patty came into the office laughing. When they saw her surprised face and hands spread across her desk, they stopped laughing.

“What are you hiding?” Patty asked.

“You are the worst at hiding things, seriously, Emma,” Cindy said.

“I’m not hiding anything,” Emma said. Her voice was high-pitched even to her own ears. She sounded like she had inhaled a whole tank of helium.

“Uh-huh,” Cindy said. She came around the desk and pulled Emma’s hands away from the books. “What’s this?”

“Nothing,” Emma said, trying to snatch the book back. “Give it back.”

“Real estate?” Cindy handed the book to Patty. “You’re still looking for places to buy? I thought you decided to wait until you could save an entire down payment.”

“This is a book of houses in Maple Creek, Indiana,” Patty said accusingly. “You can’t leave us already. You said you were going to take it slow.”

Emma sighed. “I’m just looking. Nothing is definite.”

Cindy and Patty sat down in the chairs across from her desk. They looked through the magazine taking extra time on the pictures she had circled.

“These are all really pretty houses,” Cindy said. “Much nicer than anything we have around here for that price. I can see why you would think about moving.”

“You guys have been dating for less than a month,” Patty said. “Must really like this guy to be looking at homes.”

Emma smiled and ducked her head. “I think it’s going well.”

“And what does he think?” Cindy pried.

“I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m his mate.” Emma laughed. “Isn’t it insane? I’ve been looking for a boyfriend for more than a year, and after one day this man thinks I’m meant to be his wife.”

“I can’t tell if you’re happy about that or not,” Cindy said, perplexed. “He’s a pretty good-looking guy and you want to move in with him. Why not? Aren’t you happy with him?”

“If you aren’t, you can just say,” Patty said quickly. “You really shouldn’t rush into anything. I know it’s a mail-order bride site, but that doesn’t mean you have to get married right away.”

“I’m not rushing anything,” Emma assured them. “And I’m very happy with Aaron. I just can’t believe it was so easy. Fill out a form, answer an email, go on one date, and then it’s done.”

“Has he said you are his mate?” Cindy asked.

Emma shook her head. “He hasn’t, but he’s talked about mates many times. I know he’s hinting at it. I’ve been too chicken to come out and ask him about it.”

“That’s incredible,” Cindy said in awe. “I still haven’t gotten a match yet.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll happen,” Emma said confidently. “I’m a total convert now. I don’t know why I waited so long.”

The two of them looked at Patty. Ever since Cindy had signed up, she and Emma were trying to convince Danielle and Patty to sign up too. Emma knew they wouldn’t end up with matches in Maple Creek, but she wanted to see her friends happy. Even if they all left the Center, it would still make her excited to know that she helped her friends find love. Not that she wanted everyone to leave the Center. She was only looking at homes. She still wasn’t sure she was going to move. It was part of the reason why she wouldn’t question Aaron on her mate status.

“No, thanks,” Patty said. “No offense, Emma, but I can’t meet people from the Internet. I’ve watched one too many episodes of
Dateline
. I don’t want to be their next story.”

Emma laughed. “No offense taken. I understand it’s not for everybody. But I’m always going to tell you what a great idea it is to use them. LK’s never had a bad story printed about them. They’re really aboveboard.”

Patty rolled her eyes. “Of course you would say that. Now that you’re falling in love with Lion Man, your opinion is compromised.”

“I’m really gonna miss you, Emma,” Cindy said. “I’m going to have to ask Danielle to add a new question to the application. ‘Are you a hopeless romantic?’ I need another sister in love here.”

“Aww, thank you,” Emma said. “But I haven’t said I’m leaving yet. Just looking at houses.”

“But you’re already thinking about it,” Patty said. “You’re as good as gone. I really wish you would reconsider. There is a lot of stuff to do in town. We have a good school system too. And most importantly, your job is here.”

“She can teach anywhere,” Cindy said. “I think she can make a decision rationally. She knows what she’s doing.”

“And I haven’t said I’m leaving yet,” Emma said more forcefully. “Nothing has been discussed yet. Nobody is moving anywhere yet. I’m just looking at houses, guys. You know I love to look at house porn.”

“But you said you thought you were his mate,” Patty said. “That doesn’t sound like just looking at some nice homes.”

“I like to be prepared,” Emma said. She checked her watch. “We need to get ready for the tour this afternoon. Enough with the mate talk.”

Patty nodded. “We’re on it. But don’t think this is the end of the mate talk. Keep us in the loop. If you’re going to leave, we’re going to have a killer party to plan for you.”

Emma nodded. “Will do. I’ll be out to help you guys in a minute.”

She closed her browser completely before she left her office. She really was just looking. She wouldn’t be able to make any decisions until she talked with Aaron more. At the rate they were going, it would be a while before they had any serious discussions. Which was fine by her. She still had no idea what she wanted to do. She liked Aaron a lot. She was pretty sure she was going to marry him, but it was better to give it time. They could decide where they would live later. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the relationship.

***

“I have a surprise,” Aaron told Emma as soon as he opened the door.

“What kind of surprise?” Emma asked, suspicious.

“The good kind,” Aaron reassured her. “It’s more of a surprise from my mom, actually, but she couldn’t be here to show you.”

Emma nodded. “Okay. What is it?”

Aaron grabbed his keys. “Not here. We have to go for a drive.”

This was one of the weekends Emma came to visit. They had been dating for three weeks and it was going great. Better then Aaron had ever expected. He was sure that she was his mate. His lion never stopped reminding him of that whenever he saw her. She was perfect in every way. His parents adored her too. He couldn’t wait to show her what his mom had found for her.

“It’s not very far,” Aaron said as they drove. “How was your work week?”

Emma shook her head. “Not great. St. Patrick’s Day is next week and we have nothing planned. The kids are all disappointed. The only other auditorium in town is being used that weekend. It really sucks.”

“I’m sorry.” Aaron squeezed her hand. “I know you were looking forward to it. You could come here again next week. The scouts have teamed up and are doing a little parade.”

“I guess it’s better than us sitting at my place moping all weekend.”

“We can go to the Brazen Bull after the parade. They’re doing green beer all day. I know my friends will be there.”

“Okay. Sounds good. But then you have to come to Burton two weeks in a row.”

“Deal.” Aaron turned into an empty parking lot. “This is it.”

Emma looked around the empty strip mall. “Uh, there’s nothing here.”

“Nothing yet.” Aaron pointed to an empty storefront. “You’re looking at the future home of Emma’s Dance Studio.”

He watched her face for any reaction, but she turned her face away from him to look around the parking lot. She got out of the truck and went to the glass. She cupped her hands and looked inside. Aaron got out of the truck and stood a few feet behind her. She didn’t smell angry, but she still wasn’t saying anything.

“How’d you hear about this place?” she asked finally.

“My mom heard someone talking about all the open strip malls and she thought of you. There are a lot of kids in the area and not very many activities for them to do.”

“Dance studios are a big gamble in towns like this,” she said.

“I know, but it’s worth trying. You don’t have to buy the place. You could just rent it. You don’t need many supplies to start up a studio, do you?”

“No, but you usually have to sign a twelve-month lease,” Emma said matter-of-factly. “That’s a big commitment when you have no money coming in. I would have to pay the rent and utilities before I had any clients. It would be very hard.”

Aaron shrugged. “It’s just a suggestion. You don’t have to do it. I’m just throwing it out there.”

They got back in the car. Neither said anything as they drove back to his place.

“Want some coffee?” he asked. “I’m going to run though the drive-thru up here.”

Emma shook her head. “I’m okay.”

The wait at the drive-thru seemed an eternity as they waited in silence. Once he’d gotten his order, Aaron decided to be direct.

“Are you mad at me?”

She didn’t say anything but looked out the window. “I’m not mad. I’m not sure what you want me to say. This space is nice. Tell your mom I said thanks. But you know that I love my job at the Center.”

Aaron nodded. “I know. Like I said, just throwing it out there. You don’t have to say anything. I’m not expecting a big reaction.”

That had been his best-case scenario. He knew it was very unlikely, but he’d hoped that maybe after seeing the space, Emma would be able to picture herself in Maple Creek. He wasn’t opposed to moving to Illinois, but Maple Creek was a much better fit for a young family. Still, he didn’t want to make her choose between her job and an imaginary family they hadn’t built yet.

“We just need to run by the store before heading back home.” He turned into the small general store. “I need to get some charcoal.”

Emma nodded. “No problem. Can I wait in the car?”

“Sure.”

Aaron had never been sadder picking up a bag of charcoal.

“Are you planning on burning down the trailer?”

Aaron looked up to see the smiling face of his buddy Cade.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. That thing is terrible.” He made a face. “But you should tell Wyatt first. He might be sleeping in a closet or something.”

Aaron laughed and got in the checkout line behind Cade. “I’m grilling for Emma tonight.”

Cade nodded. “I’d be sad too. It’s way too cold to grill, man. You want to lose a finger?”

“I’ll be fine. If I need to warm up, I’ll shift and run around while I’m cooking. My lion loves the chill.”

“You sure everything is okay? I don’t want to hear about your feelings or anything, but I don’t want you doing anything stupid.”

Aaron sighed. “Still having trouble seeing where Emma and I are going.”

“I thought you said she was your mate.”

“She is, but I don’t know how it’s going to work. She doesn’t want to leave her job, but her town is very expensive. We’d have to save for years to have a house there. We could buy a house tomorrow in Maple Creek.”

Cade put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “I’m about to give you the secret to relationships. This is a powerful tool, so be sure to use it wisely. You ready to hear it?”

Aaron almost laughed but nodded his head instead. “I’m ready, oh knowledgeable one.”

“You need to talk to her,” Cade said solemnly. “If something is bothering you this much, you need to talk to her. Even if it’s something that might hurt her feelings or make her mad. Talk to her!”

“Easier said than done,” Aaron muttered.

“This woman is your mate. You want to be with her for the rest of your life. You need to be able to talk with her if you want it to last that long.”

Aaron nodded. “Good advice. I’ll try.”

“Don’t try,” Cade said. “Just do it. You’ll feel much better once you talk it all out.”

It sounded so easy. Aaron wanted to believe that by talking they could solve their problem, but he didn’t see how. They both wanted what they wanted. It was better if he came to terms with it himself. He was going to have to move. There was no way he’d be able to have a conversation about it with Emma. Like she said, she loved her job. She wasn’t about to move to Maple Creek anytime soon.

“This is so good,” Emma said. She savored the last bite of her Cuban.

They were at Aaron’s house for dinner. His roommate had kindly left the house for the night, and Aaron had made grilled sandwiches and homemade french fries. It was a simple meal, but it was delicious.

They had been dating for three weeks. Three weeks and it was going better than Emma could have ever hoped. He was the sweetest man she’d ever met, and the most handsome.

He was also the man she was going to marry. She was sure of it. She could feel it deep down in her soul. It sounded so cheesy, but he was her soul mate. There wasn’t another man in the whole world she wanted to be with. They were bound to have issues at some point down the road, but she wanted to figure them out with Aaron. Even the tough ones, like where they were going to live. She could see that it was going to be a problem for them.

They had talked about where they would live and how it all would work one time, but hadn’t come to a decision. They hadn’t sat down to discuss the issue again, but they would have to soon. Obviously, Aaron wanted to stay in his hometown and she had looked at homes online. If only it was so simple as picking the most logical choice.

Emma loved her job too much to give it up. Yes, she could teach dance anywhere, but she would miss her coworkers. But she also loved Maple Creek and Aaron’s parents. The town had grown on her quickly. Having lunch at the Brazen Bull had become one of her favorite weekend afternoon activities. Aaron’s friends were so nice and easy to get along with. She and Cade’s fiancée Kira had become fast friends and had even gone out for coffee one weekend. The town was so welcoming and it was easy to envision her life here. Except for one thing, work!

She didn’t have any ties to Burton; her parents lived in Arizona. Her only tie was her job. Why couldn’t the Center be closer! It was the perfect job for her and she was so invested in it. It was difficult to envision running her own studio being more fulfilling than her current job. She did so much more than just teach at the Center. That would all go away if she moved.

It made her so anxious to think about it. She was going to push that out of her mind for the evening. She had been thinking about her conundrum for the last few weeks. Tonight, she was going to focus on Aaron. The handsome shifter deserved her full attention.

“I’m glad you liked it. I was worried it wasn’t fancy enough,” Aaron said with a proud smile.

Emma laughed. “I don’t need fancy things. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”

“Good.” Aaron got up to take her empty plate and kissed her. “I like spending time with you, but I’m not good at being fancy.”

She watched from the table as he loaded all the dishes into the dishwasher. He could be so strange. After he’d seen her place in Burton he wouldn’t stop teasing about not being fancy enough for her. Yes, she liked decorating and keeping her house tidy, but that didn’t mean she was fancy. She liked spending time at the trailer with him and Wyatt. His little home was cozy even if it wasn’t as nicely decorated as hers.

Once he’d finished, he turned around. “Want to watch a movie? I have a pretty impressive collection.”

“I was thinking of something else.” Emma stood up and wrapped her arms around Aaron’s waist. She pulled him in for a kiss and ran her hands along the top of his jeans.

“Oh,” Aaron said gruffly. “I guess we could do that too.”

He picked her up and sat her on the kitchen counter. Emma wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. As they kissed, she clung to him. He growled as she ground against him. She could feel his erection through his jeans. Emma shivered and ground harder.

Panting, Aaron pulled away to rip her jeans off. He unbuttoned his pants and took off his boxers before burying his face between her legs. Emma gasped as his tongue found her core. He licked until she was trembling, ready to come. Then he stood up and pushed the tip of his erection inside of her. Emma gasped again.

“I love you, Emma,” Aaron growled. “You’re my mate, and I don’t want to ever be without you again.”

“I love you too,” Emma said breathlessly. They had never said that before. It was out in the open. He’d talked about her being his mate before but he’d never said he’d loved her. She could get used to hearing that every day.

Aaron groaned as he sank into her wetness. Emma clung to him as he hammered away at her. All the muscles in her body clenched rhythmically as she rose higher and higher. The pleasure was overwhelming.

“I’m going to come,” Aaron said hotly in her ear.

He tried to pull away, but Emma held him close. “Come inside of me.”

Aaron bit her neck softly and pushed in all the way. He groaned loudly and then stilled. Emma could feel him empty himself deep inside of her.

He kissed behind her ear. “That was hot.”

“It was,” Emma agreed. She got off the counter gingerly and went to lie on the couch.

Aaron joined her after retrieving a blanket from the closet. “Want to watch that movie?”

“Sure,” Emma said.

Aaron turned on the TV and began searching his collection for something to watch. Emma ran her fingers over his arm. This was a great way to start the weekend—and she could get very used to it. Maybe living in Maple Creek wouldn’t be so bad. A dance studio would take a lot of work. She would have to run the numbers and talk to people before she said anything to Aaron. If she could figure out a solution to their dilemma on her own, it would be much better than having a messy conversation.

*

“Got any plans for this weekend?” Cindy asked Emma as she sat down in a chair in her office.

It had been a week since they’d made love in his kitchen. It was his turn to come to Burton. Emma had been doing some research but wasn’t ready to talk with him about it yet. So far, it was promising. She had talked to two dance colleagues who’d started their own studios. They had only had nice things to say about the experience. Neither of their studios had made it past the five-year mark, but that hadn’t soured their experience.

Emma didn’t relish the idea of starting her own business and failing. Yet, it could still be a positive experience. Even if she only made it five years, who knows where she would be in that time? If she stayed at the Irish Center that long, she would likely be looking for a new career too.

That was the biggest takeaway from her research. Pick a lifestyle first. Once you figure out how you want your life to look, look for a career to match it. It was radical thinking for Emma. She had always based her life around where she was working or wanted to work. But her life was more than her career. Her favorite thing about her job was her coworkers and students. She could still keep in touch with them if she moved. She wanted to talk with Aaron about that idea. It would be her way of testing the water for the discussion next week of where they would live.

“Nothing exciting. I think we’re going to check out the art fair,” Emma said.

“If you’re trying to get him to move here, you’re going to have to do better than the art fair,” Cindy joked.

“I’m actually thinking about moving to live with him.”

Cindy’s eyebrows almost touched her hairline. “Really? I thought you were going to convince him to come live here. His kind of work is so much easier to find.”

“I was.” Emma smiled. “I just really like his town, and his parents live there. I think it would mean a lot to him to stay close. The place has really grown on me.”

Patty came into the office. “What’s going on?”

“Emma is leaving us,” Cindy said glumly.

“Oh, no.” Patty sat in one of the chairs in the office. “Did something happen?”

“I think I’m going to move in with Aaron. I mean, he hasn’t asked me yet, but I’d thought I’d suggest it.”

“I didn’t realize things were getting so serious,” Patty said. “You guys have only been dating for a few weeks.”

“I know.” Emma smiled. “I didn’t expect this either. Everything they say about LK Brides is true. They really know how to find soulmates.”

Patty frowned. “I have something to show you.” She took her phone out of her pocket. “I think you should see this. I’d feel terrible if I saw it and never said a word.”

Emma took the phone from her. There were pictures of Aaron on the screen, but he looked very young. “What is this?”

Patty looked embarrassed. “I found this when I Googled him. I know, I’m a terrible busybody. I do it to everyone. It seems that when he was younger, he threw a party where people were in blackface.”

Cindy gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Patty blushed.

“He was young,” Emma said hollowly. “I’m sure he’s outgrown it.”

Patty nodded. “I’m sure. I just wanted to let you know. Like I said, I would feel bad if you found out later.”

“This had to be a long time ago, right?” Cindy took the phone. “He’s still friends with these guys! Have you heard anything about this?”

Emma shook her head. “Nothing. Those are his cousins, I think. I think he sees them once a decade. Some kind of falling out with them and his parents.”

“That explains it.” Cindy wrinkled her nose. “I was getting worried for you. I mean, who hangs out with people who act like that?”

“It’s probably not even that big a deal,” Patty said. “So you want to move to Maple Creek.”

“I do,” Emma said. “Or I’m thinking about it, at least.”

“Have you told Danielle?” Patty asked.

“I haven’t even told Aaron yet,” Emma said. “After we talk about it, I’ll talk to Danielle.”

“Keep us posted,” Patty said, standing up.

“And ask him about that blackface thing.” Cindy’s face brightened. “You should bring him here! We need to meet this guy before you move in with him.”

“I’ll be sure to introduce you guys soon,” Emma promised.

“I’m holding you to that,” Cindy said as she left the office.

As soon as Cindy and Patty left her office, Emma started doing Internet searches. Her entire body shook as she read the articles and social media posts. It had only been his cousins who had come in blackface. No one else at the party had done anything as bad, but they had trashed his parents’ house. It had been a scandalous event in town. Aaron didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d be okay with that kind of thing, but there were pictures. He was smiling next to his cousins with his arms around their necks. That was so wrong. There were also pictures of him laughing as someone peed into a vase. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked at the albums from the party.

Why hadn’t he told her about this? Emma tried to remember him mentioning anything even close to this. He had briefly mentioned that he wasn’t close to most of his family but hadn’t gone into much detail. She did remember his mother talking about doing an expensive house remodel. Mrs. Johnson’s face had been pained as she spoke about it. Emma assumed she’d been pained about the cost, but obviously it had been because of the party. His parents must have been humiliated.

Emma thought she was going to be sick. She was grateful to Patty for showing her the embarrassing images. Better her than some stranger. But she was disappointed Aaron had never brought it up. It had to be a huge event in his teenage years. From the comments on the pictures, the people in town hadn’t been very happy about it. It must have been hard for him to go in public for some time after this.

They had talked about their childhoods and teen years for hours one night. That would have been the perfect time to talk about this. She wondered what other secrets he was keeping. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself with this moving thing. She was getting ahead of herself because she felt so strongly for him. Emma vowed to lead with her head more. She couldn’t uproot her whole life for a man she barely knew if he wasn’t open and honest with her.