The Tiger's Summer Bride (Holiday Mail-Order Mates Book 4)

by Lola Kidd

  Blair left the trailer and got in her car. She had to wipe her eyes a few times so she could drive. That was it. Their relationship was over. She was back on the market. She didn’t think she would be making an appearance at the bar that night either. It would be too humiliating. Her friends would try to cheer her up with drinks and tell her there were plenty of fish in the sea. She didn’t want to hear that tonight. Because it wasn’t true. She had already tried catching all the other fish and none of them were worth it. She had found her fish and somehow, she’d chased him away.

  Chapter 21

  “Where’s Blair?” Wy asked.

  Nate sighed. “She’s gone.”

  “Did she forget something at home? I thought she was leaving with us.”

  "She’s not going to leave with us and she isn’t coming back.”

  Nate got up to close the door to his bedroom. He didn’t feel like talking tonight. He didn’t want to talk ever again.

  This was it. He was never going to find a mate. If he couldn’t make it work with Blair, it was never going to work out. His tiger wanted her. He was sure that she was his mate but they’d just broken up. He was too boring for her. He’d done that stupid boxing match and made her think he was something he wasn’t.

  It had only been a matter of time before she figured out that he was just a boring loser. She’d been right all along. They were better off as co-workers. He shouldn’t have been so persistent. His actions had hurt them both. He was probably going to have to quit his job or move out of Maple Creek. He wasn’t going to be able to bear seeing her around town with someone else.

  Wy put his hand on the door. “Why doesn’t she doesn’t want to go out with us anymore? It was her idea.”

  “She doesn’t want to go out with me anymore,” Nate said angrily. He tried to force the door closed but Wy wouldn’t let him.

  “What like she broke up with you?”

  “Yeah, something like that. Could you leave me alone?”

  “Why would she break up with you? She came here to have dinner with us and go out. What did you say to her?”

  “Why are you assuming this is my fault?”

  “Because she was fine when I left.” He looked at Nate calmly. “We can figure this out. You two belong together. Even if you have to move out, I’m okay with it. I don’t want you guys to break up.”

  “I’m not moving out. I’m not getting back with her. It’s over,” Nate roared. He could feel himself begin to change. He couldn’t stop his tiger from leaping at Wy.

  Wyatt transformed into a gorilla and screamed at Nate loudly. He beat his hands on his chest and stared Nate down. Nate’s tiger stopped short and paced in his small room. It was enough of a shock to let Nate take back over.

  “I’m sorry Wyatt,” he said ashamed. “I’ve never lost control of my animal like that before.”

  “It’s ok,” Wy said after he transformed back. “Your mate just broke up with you. I’m sure your animal is freaking out.”

  “I am freaking out.” Nate sat on his bed. “I don’t know what happened. I don’t think we were ever supposed to be together. We’re just too different.”

  “What did she say exactly?”

  “I said I didn’t want to go out so much. She said I was boring. Then, she broke up with me.”

  “Because you didn’t want to go to the bar?”

  “Basically.”

  “That’s stupid. Blair isn’t stupid. You must have missed something or misunderstood.”

  “No buddy. She broke up with me after arguing with me about going out.”

  “Call her. Say you're sorry for whatever you did.” Wy grabbed Nate’s phone off his desk and threw it at him. “You can’t let your mate go over something so dumb.”

  “It isn’t dumb,” Nate argued. “I don’t like going out every night. She doesn’t want to go alone. That’s a pretty big mismatch. She was unreasonable. I gave her a compromise and she refused. We aren’t compatible.”

  “She won’t go out without you? What if you guys only went out once a weekend? Is that too much?”

  Nate nodded. “That’s too much for me. I don’t want to agree to go out drinking every single weekend.”

  “You can do more than drink. You guys could take weekend trips and go to museums or whatever. There’s more to do than drink.”

  “She doesn’t seem to think so,” Nate said bitterly. “She wouldn’t go for it. She only wants to drink with her stupid friends.”

  “You should ask her again,” Wy urged. “There’s a way around this. You need to meet her halfway. Give her a little. She’s a social girl but she likes you, man. All her friends like you. Her family likes you. This isn’t going to be the end for you two.”

  “I think it is,” Nate said with a sigh. “I don’t know how to convince her that I’m not boring and that we can do more than drink all the time.”

  “What if you throw a party?”

  Nate looked at his roommate dumbfound. “Are you kidding me? I just said I don’t want to party as much anymore.”

  “Not a drinking and dancing party,” Wy said. “How about a dinner party? That would be fun and you’d still be able to stay in. We could set up a table out back. It’ll be fun.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know if she’ll go for this. Let me think about it.”

  “I’ll start planning the menu.” Wy left the room.

  Nate didn’t know how much fun his party was going to be but he would try. Wy was right. There had to be a way to convince Blair to give him a second chance. If he had to throw a party, so be it. He was going to throw the best darn dinner party Maple Creek had ever seen.

  Chapter 22

  “Those fireworks were so pretty,” Nelly said. She looked over at Blair from the driver seat. She elbowed her little sister. “I said, those fireworks are so pretty. Now you say something.”

  “Those fireworks were so pretty,” Blair said. She didn’t have the energy to say anything else. She didn’t want to have to think of witty conversation right now. It had been a hellish two weeks. It was a miracle she had been able to get out of bed and get to the event. The only reason she hadn’t stayed at her apartment crying in bed was her niece and nephew. They had been looking forward to watching the fireworks as a family. She didn’t want to let them down.

  Nelly had picked her up and was driving her home. The fireworks for Fourth of July were usually at a park downtown near Blair’s apartment. This year they were expecting a huge turnout. To accommodate more people, they’d moved them to the fairgrounds on the outskirts of town. No one had complained since the show was going to be longer this year. The boxing match had raised so much money they’d been able to extend the show by ten minutes.

  Blair hadn’t volunteered to help with the event as she’d planned. She’d barely been making it to work. She spent a lot of time trying to avoid Nate. It was exhausting. She was thinking about quitting after the summer was over. She had enough money saved up to take care of her bills for a few months. It would be hard to leave the furniture store but she couldn’t take it anymore. It was physically painful to see Nate every day.

  It didn’t matter that he looked terrible and like he was having a rough time too. He hadn’t asked her to get back together. She’d been the one to break up. She couldn’t go and change her mind now. He obviously didn’t want to be back together. She had to preserve her dignity and not grovel.

  And she did want to grovel. She had been so stupid. After the big stink she made about going out, she hadn’t seen her friends in two weeks. They were sad for her. They’d been sending her texts and calling nonstop. They’d come over and said hello before the fireworks but hadn’t forced her to talk for long. That was a mercy. Blair didn’t want to cry in front of her niece and nephew. She would feel better eventually but it was still too soon.

  “Why are you going this way?” Blair asked her sister. They were heading away from downtown. It was a straight shot from the fairgrounds to her apartment. She was ready to take
off her makeup and get back in bed. She’d done her socialization for the week. Being out any longer was torture.

  “This is faster,” Nelly said.

  “No, it isn’t,” Blair complained. “Going this way will take us much longer. We’re going to get stuck in the traffic leaving the fairgrounds again.”

  “No, we won’t,” Nelly said as she made another right turn.

  “Nelly, you just took us back toward the fairgrounds.” Blair crossed her arms and slunk down in her seat. They were back in the traffic. It was going to take forever for her to get home. She knew Nelly was a bad navigator but this was bad even for her. She’d taken them all the way back to the fairgrounds.

  “Whoops,” Nelly said. “You were right. Let’s try that again. Sorry.”

  This time, when she left the fairgrounds she took a wrong turn out.

  “You’re going the wrong way,” Blair said gritting her teeth. She was going to kill her sister.

  “No. I know where I’m going now.”

  Blair sat up and looked around alarmed. “Why are we going this way?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I know you can hear me.”

  Nelly turned up the radio. Blair looked at the door handle and contemplated jumping. They weren’t going fast and she probably wouldn’t be hurt. Even if she broke her leg, it would be better than whatever it was that Nelly had planned.

  They were in the trailer park. Her sister didn’t know anyone who lived here and she sure wouldn’t come here after a big community event. It got wild out here during celebrations. The only reason she would come this way was to go to Nate’s.

  Her sister had been pestering her about the tiger shifter since their last wine-time. Nelly thought it was a mistake to break up with him. She wanted Blair to compromise. Easier said than done.

  Nelly didn’t go out ever. She was happy staying in with her husband and kids. That wasn’t what Blair wanted. Even when she had kids, she would take them out too. There were so many places to take kids. She wasn’t going to give that up that possibility to sit at home all the time.

  They pulled up to Nate and Wyatt’s trailer. Wy was outside.

  “I cannot believe you did this to me,” Blair said to her sister. She covered her face and put her head between her legs as Wy came to the car. He knocked on the window.

  “I know you can hear me, Blair. Come out. I want you to see something.”

  “No,” Blair said with her face still hidden.

  “Just go,” Nelly urged her. “If you don’t, he’s going to drag you out of the car and carry you in.”

  That was probably true. She debated trying to run. She didn’t remember if gorillas were fast or not.

  With a sigh, she opened her door and got out. Better to walk in with her head high. Whatever Wy had planned, he wouldn’t stop her from walking away once she saw it.

  He led her inside. “I think you’re going to like this.”

  The trailer was packed with people. Her friends waved to her from the couch. Wy took her to through the kitchen to the backyard and more people greeted her. All of their friends were there. That was why Nelly had stalled. She had given everyone time to get to the trailer.

  There were two tables set up in the backyard. Nate was waiting for her alone.

  “He has something to say.” Wy gave her a gentle push. “I’ll be right inside if you need anything.”

  She went out to meet Nate. “What is this?”

  “I wanted to apologize,” he said. “I was wrong. I’ll go out with you once a weekend or every night if that’s what you want. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me too.”

  She threw her arms around his neck crying. “I was wrong. I don’t care if you never want to go out. You’re more important to me than going out.”

  Nate kissed her neck. “We can compromise. I’ll go out at least once a weekend with you. I do like having friends and I like your friends. I should have talked to you about this sooner. It was just a little too much for me. I said some mean things and I’m sorry about all of it.”

  “I’m sorry too.” Blair sniffed back her tears. “I don’t think you’re boring. You’re perfect and I love you just the way you are.”

  “You love me?”

  She nodded. “I love you very much.”

  “Good because I love you too. And I have something to ask you.” He got down on one knee. “I don’t want to have another stupid fight with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and there’s nothing that we can’t work out together. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes. Yes, I will.”

  He put the ring on her finger and then got up to kiss her. “I’m so happy. Thank you, Blair.”

  “Thanks for putting all this together. It must have been difficult for you.”

  “Oh yeah, I guess we better go tell everyone. I’m sure they’re waiting on pins and needles in there.”

  “What if I had said no?” Blair smiled. “That would have been a pretty bad party.”

  Nate laughed. “Lucky for me you said yes then huh?”

  “Lucky for us both.” Blair kissed him again as people started filing out the trailer to congratulate them.

  She couldn’t wait to marry her tiger and throw a huge celebration. Then, they would have a long honeymoon somewhere quite. She could compromise after all. She was getting to spend the rest of her life with Nate and nothing else mattered.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Thank you for reading The Tiger’s Summer Bride! If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review :)

  Coming Fall 2016:

  The Jaguar’s Halloween Bride

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  A Note from Lola

  Thank you so much for reading The Tiger’s Summer Bride. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It really helps other readers decide to take a chance when looking for new authors to try out. I would really appreciate it if you have the time!

  If you’d like to keep in touch you can always join my new release mailing list. I won’t spam you’re inbox but you’ll get an email whenever I have a new release. You can also friend me on Facebook. ---Lola

  Other Series by Lola Kidd

  Holiday Mail-Order Mates

  The Mountain Lion’s Valentine (Book 1)

  Lucky Lion

  The Bull’s Bride Hunt

  Mail-Order Mates

  Loving the Lion (Book 1)

  Curvy Erin Numm is over dating. At the tender age of twenty-eight, she’s seen it all. A string of bad dates and heartbreak has left her ready to put herself on the sideline. Her plans are changed when she meets an agent from Lovely and Kind Brides. The mysterious woman tells Erin she has the PERFECT match for her. Curious, Erin decides to give love one last try and join the mail-order bride agency.

  Shifter Owen Brooks is a lion on a mission. He’s working on big plans but he’s having trouble crossing one special item off his to-do list; Find A Mate. A shifter isn’t complete until they find their mate and Owen’s had no luck in that department. After months of no matches, an LK Brides agent emails to let him know she has found his mate. The agent’s optimism is enough to give Owen hope that maybe his long search is over.

  Follow two strangers as they embark on a journey to find their one true love. This is the first book in the Mail-Order Mates series. It is a standalone novella with a HEA. No cliffhanger!

  Other books in the series:

  Wolf Seeks Wife (Book 2)

  The Bear’s Bride (Book 3)

  Taming the Tiger (Book 4)

  A Wife for the Wolves (Book 5)

  Surrendering to the Stag (Book 6)

  Pursuing the Panther (Book 7)

  The Leopard in Love (Book 8)

  Safari Shifter

  Rhino You Love Me (Book 1)

  Addison Little just got the chance of a lifetime. Her best friend won an all-expenses paid
trip to Safari Island and she’s asked Addison to join her. Addison’s always wanted to visit the shifter-run vacation spot but it’s always been out of reach financially. This post-college trip is the curvy girl’s last chance to have try and let loose and she’s determined to let her hair down and go wild.

  Chet Gallow is one of the best workers on Safari Island. He’s been driving tour buses since the island first opened and he loves his job. After eight years, he’s beginning to think it’s time for a change. He wants to settle down and is sure the best way to find his mate is by leaving the island. But there are always surprises on Safari Island.

  When he meets Addison, he knows she’s the one for him. The curvy girl isn’t so sure. Chet is brass and full of himself. There’s no way she wants anything to do with the egotistical rhino shifter even if he is drop dead gorgeous. But Chet won’t give up so easy. He’s found his mate and he’s going to do whatever it takes to win her over.

  This is the first book in the Safari Shifters series. This short novella contains a HEA. NO cliffhanger!

  Other books in the series:

  Between Two Crocs (Book 2)

  Elephants Never Forget (Book 3)

  Once a Cheetah (Book 4)

  Don’t Kiss and Gazelle (Book 5)

  Black Oak Shifters

  Taken by the Shifters

  Curvy Elle Quinn is beyond delighted to meet the man of her dreams on a lazy day at the farmer's market. Tall, dark and handsome Luke Rivers is equally smitten with Elle. The two can't keep their hands off each other from the minute they meet.

  Too bad their pleasure is cut short when a figure from Elle's past whisks her away from Luke. Elle is about to come face-to-face with a shocking revelation about her past. The most difficult part of all is that it doesn't just affect her but also her burgeoning relationship with Luke. Can their explosive connection survive the blast from her past or will the shocking news tear them apart?

  This is the first book in the Black Oak Shifter series. It is a standalone novel with a HEA ending.