by R. E. Butler
“You stay, I’ll get yours,” Barron said, standing and giving Mercy a kiss on top of the head.
“Aw, thanks.”
“Are you totally unpacked?” Donnie asked.
“Mostly. I’ve got one box of kitchen stuff I have no place to put anywhere, and I’m waiting for him to finish installing some extra shelves in the pantry.”
Donnie reached his hand across the table and patted hers. “I’m so glad you two found each other. You’ve made my grandson very happy.”
“He makes me happy, too.”
Barron appeared balancing three plates, with a young lion following behind with drinks. “Thanks, Faulk,” Barron said to the boy.
The boy set the drinks down and smiled at Mercy before darting away to help someone else. Mercy’s plate was piled high with different foods.
“Thank you,” Mercy said. “You gave me so much food!”
“I’ll eat what you don’t,” Barron promised. “I got you extra mac and cheese on my plate, too, since you said you were craving it.”
“You’re the best mate ever,” she said.
“Damn straight.”
After the meal was finished, the tables were pushed to the side and a portable dance floor was laid on the ground. Speakers pumped out dance music, and Barron offered her his hand and drew her to her feet. “Can I have this dance?”
“Of course,” she said, walking with him to the floor, her heels clicking on the faux wood.
Although the music was fast, she and Barron danced slowly in one corner of the floor. “I have something to tell you,” she said, her hands trembling a little where they rested on his shoulders.
“You can tell me anything.”
“I know.” She smiled at him and cleared her throat. “I’m pregnant.”
He stopped swaying, freezing in place as he stared down at her, his eyes wide and his mouth open.
She held her breath.
Then he lifted his head and let out a glorious roar. The music stopped and everyone looked at them in surprise.
“My heart-match is having my baby!” he shouted, cupping her face and kissing her.
The pride cheered and Mercy laughed as Barron lifted her into the air and smiled. “I’m the happiest male on the planet!”
Her eyes stung with happy tears as he lowered her to the ground, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m happy, too.”
Pride members congratulated them on the wonderful news.
“Is the baby why you’re craving mac and cheese?” he asked when they were alone once more.
“I’m only three weeks along, so I think it’s too early for that. I was just hungry for it.”
“Gotcha.”
She pressed her palm to his cheek, smiling at how golden his eyes were. “Barron, I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re my mate.”
“I love you, too, Mercy. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. In fact…” He slipped from her embrace and dropped to one knee, pulling a square box out of his pocket. “I was going to do this later, baby, but I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our good news by adding some more to it.” He opened the box and a diamond solitaire winked in the overhead lights.
“Oh, Barron,” she said, her eyes stinging with more tears.
“I had a speech,” he said, taking out the ring and shoving the box back into his pocket, “but I think I’ll just tell you what’s on my heart. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life being the best mate and husband to you, the best father to our kids. Will you marry me?”
“Of course!”
He pushed the ring onto her finger and stood, giving her a hug and lifting her off her feet. The nearby pride members who had witnessed the proposal cheered, and the news quickly spread throughout the pride. Barron and Mercy stepped off the dance floor and found themselves getting hugged by Duke and Ree.
“I’m going to be an aunt!” Ree said. “How far along are you?”
“Just three weeks.”
“I can’t wait to be the best aunt in the world to your little one.”
“Congratulations to both of you,” Duke said. “We’ll have to have a pride hunt for the baby shower.”
“A what?” Mercy asked.
“The males like to hunt to celebrate a baby,” Barron said. “The females all get together for a shower and the males go hunting.”
“As long as I don’t have to hunt, too,” Mercy said.
After stopping to see Donnie and getting congratulatory hugs, they left the celebration to do some celebrating of their own.
“When did you find out?” Barron asked as they walked home along a well-worn path through the woods.
“This morning. I realized my period was late yesterday, but because of the birth control shot, I didn’t think it was late for any reason other than stress. I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it wasn’t anything. I picked up some tests on the way home yesterday and took them this morning.”
“I wouldn’t have been disappointed. I knew it would happen when the time was right for us.”
“You’re not mad I didn’t share it right away?”
“I liked being surprised. Trust me, sweetheart, with this kind of news you can feel free to surprise me anytime.”
“You’re the best mate in the world.”
“And fiancé,” he added.
“Definitely.”
“When do you want to get married?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Before the baby comes, which I think will be in March. I want us to have the same last name.”
“Absolutely. And we should go on a honeymoon someplace fun. Where have you always wanted to go?”
“The beach. As long as I can have the sun, sand, and you, I’ll be happy.”
“Sounds perfect.”
When he didn’t walk up the front porch, but started toward the back of the house, she asked, “Where are you going?”
“I have a surprise of my own.”
“But you already asked me to marry you.”
“This is part two.”
“Oh.” She giggled in curiosity and walked with him around the side of the house, where he’d recently mulched flowerbeds she’d get to fill in the spring. A sheet was hanging from a tree in their backyard as if it were covering something.
Barron stopped a few feet away from the sheet and faced her.
“A while back, we were talking about our future. Where you’d work, where we’d live, what our lives might be like. It got me to thinking, that I wanted to make a place for you to do what you love. I wanted it to be a surprise, so I built it at Hemi’s house, and he and a few other males brought it here while we were dancing and set it up.”
“You built what?” she asked, eyeing the sheet.
He reached over and grasped the edge of the sheet, holding it toward her. “Give it a tug, sweetheart. You’ll see.”
She looked up at the top of the sheet that had been attached to a rope strung between two trees. It took only a quick tug and the sheet fell to the ground. Barron pressed something on his phone and the area was lit with lamps that surrounded the small building.
It was a bright yellow shed with a white door and shutters. A sign hanging over the door read, “Mercy’s Salon.”
She took a step forward, her vision blurring a little with fresh tears as she realized what Barron had done. She turned her head and looked at him. “You built me a salon?”
He nodded with a smile. “Of course, sweetheart. Didn’t I tell you that I’d do anything to make you happy?”
“Well yeah, but I kind of thought at the time you were talking about sex.”
He barked out a laugh. “I will always, always strive to make you happy in bed, baby, but this is about our future. You said you’d love to have a place of your own someday, and the pride doesn’t have a salon anywhere nearby. Open the door.”
She twisted the handle and pushed the door open. Barron reached in and flicked a light switch. Overhead lights
illuminated the interior space. The floor was black-and-white tile, and a single salon chair sat in front of an ornate mirror, with a supply cabinet underneath. A curtained area held a sink and chair, and three yellow cushioned chairs sat at the front of the space by a coffee table spread with hairstyle magazines.
Mercy turned in a slow circle to take it all in.
She was overwhelmed.
She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms with tears and laughter. “Thank you! No one’s ever done something so nice for me!”
“You like it?” He smiled down at her, brushing the tears from her cheeks.
“I love it.”
He blew out an exaggerated breath. “I’m so glad.”
“It’s perfect.” She laughed. “I can’t believe I’m actually excited about quitting my job!”
“Just promise you’ll let me be your first customer.”
“And most important.” She brushed her lips over his and his lion let out a gruff purr. “Thank you so much. This has been the best day.”
He lifted her into his arms. “Day’s not over yet.”
“Do tell, sexy.”
“Well, we have a lot to celebrate.”
“Indeed.”
He carried her to the house, stopping only long enough to turn off the lights inside and outside of the little salon. She peeked over his shoulder at her little building and couldn’t hold back the happy smile.
Her life had changed so much in the last month. She’d never thought that going to a bar on a Friday night would make such a difference. She’d gone to Tails to have a good time and had come out on the other side happily mated to an amazing man who did amazing things like build her a salon in their backyard. He loved her, fought for her, and took care of her on a hundred different levels.
She had everything she’d ever wanted, and things she hadn’t even known she’d adore.
All courtesy of the sexiest lion on the planet – the man of her dreams.
Coming March 9, 2020 from R. E. Butler
Emberly (Tails Book Three)
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Also from R. E. Butler
Arctic Shifters
Blitzen’s Fated Mate
Dasher’s Fated Mate
Prancer’s Fated Mate
Vixen’s Fated Mate
Cupid’s Fated Mate
Dancer’s Fated Mate
Donner’s Fated Mate
Comet’s Fated Mate
Ashland Pride Series
Seducing Samantha
Loving Lachlyn
Marking Melody
Redeeming Rue
Saving Scarlett
Chasing Cristabel
Jilly’s Wyked Fate
Embracing Ehrin
Holding Honor
Tempting Treasure
Having Hope
Hyena Heat Series
Every Night Forever
Every Dawn Forever
Every Sunset Forever
Every Blissful Moment
Every Heavenly Moment
Every Miraculous Moment
Every Angelic Moment
The Necklace Chronicles
The Tribe’s Bride
The Gigolo’s Bride
The Tiger’s Bride
The Alpha Wolf’s Mate
The Jaguar’s Bride
Norlanian Brides Series
Paoli’s Bride
Warrick’s Bride
Dex’s Bride
Norlanian Brides Volume One
Villi’s Bride
Dero’s Bride
Saber Chronicles Series
Saber Chronicles Volume One (Books One - Four)
Tails Series
Memory
Mercy
Emberly (Coming Soon)
Uncontrollable Shift
The Alpha’s Christmas Mate
The Dragon’s Treasured Mate
The Bear’s Reluctant Mate
Vampire Beloved Series
Want
Need
Ache (Coming 2020)
Were Zoo Series
Zane
Jupiter
Win
Justus
Devlin
Kelley
Auden
Tayme
Joss (Coming 2020)
Wiccan-Were-Bear Novella Series
A Curve of Claw
A Flash of Fang
A Price for a Princess
A Bond of Brothers
A Bead of Blood
A Twitch of Tail
A Promise on White Wings
A Slash of Savagery
Awaken a Wolf
Daeton’s Journey
A Dragon for December
A Muse for Mishka
The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume One
The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Two
The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three
A Wish for Their Woman
Wilde Creek Series
Volume One (Books 1 and 2)
Volume Two (Books 3 and 4)
Volume Three (Books 5 and 6)
The Hunter’s Heart (Book Seven)
The Beta’s Heart (Book Eight)
The Wolf’s Mate Series
The Wolf’s Mate Book 1: Jason & Cadence
The Wolf’s Mate Book 2: Linus & The Angel
The Wolf’s Mate Book 3: Callie & The Cats
The Wolf’s Mate Book 4: Michael & Shyne
The Wolf’s Mate Book 5: Bo & Reika
The Wolf’s Mate Book 6: Logan & Jenna
The Wolf’s Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen
Stand Alone Stories
Purred Promises
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Coming March 9, 2020: Emberly (Tails Book Three)
Lion shifter Diesel Cowan thought the worst thing he ever dealt with in his life was the fall from a tree as a teen that gave him a very noticeable limp. But that terrible day is trumped in spades when he asks the pride match-maker to find him a suitable mate. When he meets the female, she takes one look at his busted leg and declares he’s not worthy of having a mate. Devastated, Diesel wonders if he’ll be alone forever.
Emberly Greer loves two things: her family and coffee. Working days at her parents’ coffee shop, the most exciting thing that ever happened to her was when the local tv weatherman came in for a latte. When her friend Chloe’s bachelorette party ends up at a shifter bar, Em finds herself drawn to something.
When Diesel walks into Tails after his break, he feels a tug from his lion and realizes his heart-match – the one perfect female on the planet – is in the bar. Finding Emberly is the easy part, but revealing his flawed leg fills him with dread. If he can’t convince his beautiful mate that he’s worth loving, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Happiness with Em comes at a high price when the lioness who rejected him demands that the pride alpha enforce the mating contract and kick Em to the curb. Can Diesel keep Emberly by his side forever?
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