by Lola Kidd
“Can we hire the cleaners now?” Cindy asked.
Danielle laughed. “Not so fast. We don’t have the money yet.”
“So, what, the check’s in the mail?” Patty asked. “Or will they be direct-depositing it?”
“Not exactly. This is the bad news. We’re going to have to wait for the adjustor to come out and take a look at the place.”
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “How long is that going to take?”
“It should be before the end of the week,” Danielle said. “They’re sending out a whole team to do Burton and the towns around us.”
“Who knew wind could cause so much trouble?” Patty said. “Can we take a break now? I’m hungry.”
Emma nodded. “We should go get a pizza. This is good news.”
Cindy’s mouth dropped open. “Pizza! You want to go out for lunch with us?”
“It really is a special occasion,” Danielle quipped.
Emma shook her head and smiled. “Don’t make a big deal out of it. It won’t be a habit.”
“Serious question. What are you going to do with your sandwich?” Patty asked.
“I’ll have it for dinner, of course,” Emma deadpanned.
Cindy giggled. “Come on. We need to get out of here before she changes her mind.”
She didn’t mind her coworkers teasing. She was a cheapskate with a purpose: she was pinching every penny she had to save for a down payment on a house. Working for the Center was a dream come true, but the paycheck wasn’t. If she ate out every day with the ladies or had cable TV at home, it would be decades before she had a home of her own. Not to mention being able to afford a family. Emma had a plan. If she stuck to it, she would have enough for a down payment in less than five years.
The women drove to Lino’s Pizza in Danielle’s SUV. It was the best pizza place in town. Emma didn’t eat out often, but when she did splurge, Lino’s was the only place she got her pizza from. She was delighted to see that they were running a storm special: two slices of pizza and a drink for four dollars. It was a good thing she’d suggested going out to eat. She would have hated to miss a deal like this.
“How’s the husband search going?” Danielle asked when they were sitting in a booth with their food.
Emma blushed. She didn’t mind talking about her dating efforts with her coworkers. They were her closest friends, after all. But she had actual news to share today.
“I think I may have met someone,” Emma said. “Well, I mean, I’m going to meet someone.”
“What does that mean?” Cindy asked skeptically. “Did you talk to a psychic or something?”
Emma shook her head. “Have you ever heard of Lovely and Kind Brides?”
“The shifter mail-order bride agency?” Danielle asked, surprised. “Who hasn’t heard of them? They had a commercial during the Super Bowl again this year.”
“It was so cute,” Cindy said. “They had a bunch of wolf pups and their parents who met on their site. I almost signed up myself after that cuteness overload.”
“Well, I did sign up,” Emma said. “And I got a match last weekend.”
“You didn’t!” Cindy said. “So fast? I can’t believe it. What’s he like?”
“I don’t know,” Emma said. “I didn’t email him until this morning.”
Patty almost spit her drink out. “You didn’t email him right away? What’s wrong with this guy?”
“Nothing,” Emma assured her. “He seems like a really nice man, but I was nervous. I’ve never dated a shifter before. They mate for life, you know.”
“Isn’t that part of the charm?” Danielle asked. “Once you’ve got him, he’s yours forever. He isn’t going to cheat or leave you for a younger model in a few years.”
Cindy nodded. “It’s so romantic. I’ve dated a few shifters and they were all great guys. Very family-oriented, too.”
“So, what was the holdup?” Patty asked again.
“I don’t know.” Emma shifted in her seat. “What if we meet and he likes me, but I don’t like him? Or what if he wants to get married on the first date and I’m not ready for that yet?”
Danielle laughed. “You signed up to be a mail-order bride. I think marriage is a big part of it.”
“Don’t you want to get married?” Cindy asked.
“I do,” Emma said. “I’m not really sure why I’ve waited so long. I guess I was scared of the seriousness of the situation.”
Patty nodded. “I understand. If you’re this guy’s mate, you could be married as soon as this summer. I hear that most couples who meet on the site marry pretty quickly.”
“You could have the wedding at the Center,” Cindy said excitedly. “Well, if it gets fixed in time.”
“The Center would be delighted to host your wedding,” Danielle said. “So, tell us about the guy, already.”
“He’s a lion shifter,” Emma said, thinking back to his profile. “He lives one state over and he works at a furniture store. He’s almost thirty. He’s tall and has shaggy brown hair.”
“What about his body?” Cindy asked, leaning forward.
Emma laughed. “He didn’t provide any pictures with his shirt off.”
“What do you think his body looks like, then?” Cindy asked.
“This is a work lunch, ladies,” Danielle joked. “I don’t think we need to make her guess about his body. He sounds nice.”
“He looks nice. LK has a good reputation for picking stellar men,” Emma said.
“If this guy turns out to be your soulmate, we’re all signing up for this thing,” Patty said.
Cindy nodded. “Yup. I’m going to look at the website as soon as I get home.”
“How far away is he, again?” Danielle asked.
“I think it’s two hours,” Emma said.
Danielle frowned. “That’s a very long commute.”
Emma didn’t say anything. She had thought about the long commute. Aaron the lion lived in Indiana, which wasn’t close to the Irish Center. She loved her job, but she wasn’t attached to the city. Aaron worked at a furniture store. She wondered how attached to his job he was. It didn’t sound like anything he couldn’t find in Burton.
“We’ll cross that bridge if we have to,” Emma said.
Cindy and Patty exchanged glances, but said nothing. Emma didn’t want to let it spoil her excitement about emailing and possibly meeting Aaron, but it was hard to put out of her head. Would she find love only to lose a job she loved so much?
Three
Aaron was wearing his nicest jeans and t-shirt. He was meeting his match from LK Brides at a coffee shop in town. It had only been a week since he’d signed up with the service and he was already going on a date. The time had gone by so fast, his head was still spinning.
He’d been matched almost immediately after he’d signed up, but the woman had taken five days to get back to him. Things had gone pretty fast after that. Once they’d agreed to meet in person, she had said she wanted to see his town. Aaron had been reluctant to agree, but Emma was persistent. He didn’t want to make her angry before they’d even met. He agreed to meet her at a coffee shop. It was the perfect place for a daytime date.
The shop was small and cozy and had the best pastries in town. Whenever he had the chance, Aaron loved stopping by for a bite. It also had a great clientele. He was sure he wouldn’t run into any nosy busybodies. He still hadn’t told his friends about his match. They didn’t even know he’d signed up with LK Brides. Even though his friend Cade had found his mate, Aaron was still unsure. He knew that Cade had had a match go wrong before meeting his fiancée.
He’d arrived for the date twenty minutes early so he could pick a good table. He’d already drunk one cup of coffee and gone back for a latte. He was going to pace himself for this one. He didn’t want to be all jacked up on caffeine for his date. Every time the door opened, his heart skipped a beat. He’d memorized her picture so he’d know her when she got there. She’d told him that she would be weari
ng a red scarf, but he would know her without it.
She had long, strawberry-blond hair and big green eyes. Her face was covered in freckles and she had a dimple in one cheek when she smiled. Her body was soft and curvy, just what his lion liked. He and his animal were both very excited to meet this woman.
Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, she walked in. She was wearing the red scarf, just like she had said, and a white top. It was cut low so he could just see the top of her tantalizing curves. Her eyes moved across the room looking for him. Aaron stood up so she could see where he was and waved.
Emma smiled and came over. “You must be Aaron.”
“Emma?”
He didn’t have to ask; he would know her anywhere. He felt as if he had been hit by a two-by-four. His lion went crazy, and Aaron had to push the animal to the back of his mind. Even with all that effort, his lion was barely tamed. This woman was special. His animal had never reacted like that before.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
Finally, his animal reared back up. He hoped the lion would cooperate for the whole date. He couldn’t believe how it was acting.
“It’s great to meet you too. Would you like something to drink?”
She looked at the handwritten menu next to the register. “What do you recommend?”
“Everything. If you like espresso, they make a great latte. If you prefer something a little lighter, try their white mochas. They also have great Danishes here.”
“I think I’ll get a white mocha and a blueberry Danish.”
Aaron pulled out her chair. “Have a seat. I’ll bring it to the table for you.”
Emma nodded and started taking off her coat as he went to the register.
Aaron took the time alone to get his lion in check. He understood what the animal’s problem was: it thought she was his mate. They had barely even spoken, but the animal wouldn’t shut up about her. Aaron acknowledged that maybe she was his mate, but he needed to be in control for this. His lion seemed to take the direction and stopped trying to push its way forward and let Aaron breathe. He was nervous enough already. At least Emma wouldn’t have to worry about his lion coming out in the middle of a coffee shop.
He set the drink and pastry down in front of Emma. “How was the drive?”
“It was nice. I can’t believe the weather we’re having. Did you guys have a storm here too last week?”
Aaron shook his head. “It barely rained. You guys get hit?”
“Unfortunately, yes. My house was fine, but the place where I work took a pounding. The roof came off and part of the building was destroyed.”
“That’s terrible. How long will it take to fix the damage?”
Emma took a sip of her drink. “Longer than I’d like. They had a big event coming up that looks like it’s not going to happen. We probably won’t be able to have another event until next spring.”
“I’m sorry. You work at a dance center, right?”
Emma nodded. “That’s part of it. I do work mostly with the dancers, but it’s a place to learn about the contributions Irish people have made in America.”
Aaron tilted his head. He had no idea what that was. He’d thought she said she worked with Irish dancers.
Emma giggled. “I know it’s a strange job. We have a large Irish population in Burton. The Center’s been around for over fifty years. We do so many events in the community. One of the big ones was just coming up. My dancers also do stuff for other Irish festivals around the country.”
She described all the different places she’d been. Aaron was impressed. She had been way more places than he had even thought about visiting.
“Do you like traveling for work?” he asked her.
“I don’t mind it. It’s nice to get to show off my work and I get to see new cities. Do you travel?”
“Well, I travel around the area a lot,” Aaron joked. “Besides that, not much. I can’t remember the last time I went on a vacation.”
“Would you like to travel?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it much. Maybe? I mean, I won’t know until I try, I guess.”
The chime dinged as the door opened. Two women with strollers came in. Aaron recognized them. They’d gone to school with him. He hadn’t been friends with them, but they had a few classes together over the years. He shifted in his seat, his eyes darting over to them.
“Traveling isn’t for everyone. It can be tiring,” Emma said. “You should try an easy trip first. Maybe a weekend trip to a big city like New York or Las Vegas.”
“I would definitely love to go to Vegas.” He glanced at the counter. One woman was ordering and the other was looking at the tables. Her eyes kept drifting to the big table next to them.
“Of course, gambling and clubs, right?” Emma said with chagrin.
“The Cirque de Soleil shifter show. I’ve seen some video online and they look awesome. All the acrobatics and stuff.”
Aaron glanced over again. The second woman was pointing to the table next to them now. Shit. He didn’t want to talk to any old classmates right now. The women were going to sit down next to him and would probably say hello. Everyone in town was friendly. He couldn’t risk them making a joke about his infamy. Emma was taking the last bite of her Danish but still had her mocha to drink.
“Those do look interesting,” Emma said. “I saw one of their shows when they were touring. The music one. It was fantastic.”
The women were wheeling their strollers over. They were going to sit at the booth right next to him and Emma. For crying out loud! The place was almost empty and they picked the spot right next to him.
“Want to get out of here?” Aaron blurted.
Emma looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”
He felt like an ass. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to that, but that’s not what I meant.”
He tilted his head slightly towards the table next to them. Emma’s brow furrowed and she looked to her left.
“I think it’s going to get a little noisy in here,” he explained. “I think we should go somewhere a little quieter so we can keep talking.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“We’re only a block from my favorite bar. I know it will be dead right now.”
Emma looked skeptical. “If you say so.”
They put on their jackets and hats. Aaron led her outside.
“I don’t have any problem with kids,” he said when they were outside. “I just wasn’t in the mood for crying right now.”
“I agree.” Emma laughed. “I didn’t want to seem like a bad person. I just don’t like eating around children.”
“This place is the best,” Aaron said as he opened the door for her. “I’m here with my friends every week. The bartenders are the greatest if you ever want to come in here for drinks.”
“Keep that in mind.”
The Brazen Bull was one of Aaron’s favorite places in town. He was happy to see that his favor bartender Jack Keller was working. Jack was the owner of the bar and a bull shifter.
“What can I get you two?” Jack asked.
Aaron took a seat at the bar. “Just water for me, please.”
“Can I get a Shirley Temple?” Emma asked. She took off her coat and looked around the place. “There’s nobody here.”
“You hit that sweet spot between when the morning drunks leave and the after-work drunks get here,” Jack joked. He set their drinks down in front of them.
“Jack, this is my…friend, Emma Plenty,” Aaron stumbled over his introduction. He wasn’t sure what to call Emma yet.
Emma put out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Any friend of Aaron’s is a friend of mine.” Jack shook her hand. “I haven’t seen you around. Are you a teetotaler or not from Maple Creek?”
“Not from here. I’m from Burton, Illinois.”
Jack made a face. “Illinois, yuck. You’re a long way from home. Let me g
uess, you heard about my amazing Shirley Temples and had to come?”
Emma giggled and shook her head. “Nope. We’re on a date.”
Jack shook his head ruefully. “Dammit, Aaron. You just let me make a fool of myself. Alright, I’ll leave you kids alone.”
He walked to the other end of the bar and pretended to be very into wiping the bar down. “See, I’m all the way over here now. I can’t even hear a thing you guys are saying.”
Aaron took a peanut from the bowl on the bar and threw it at Jack. “Go clean the backroom. If anyone comes in, I’ll yell for you.”
“Alright, alright. Don’t let him steal any beer while I’m gone.” Jack winked at Emma.
“Is he a shifter too?” Emma asked after Jack had left.
Aaron nodded. “Bull shifter. This is his bar.”
“Of course. It’s a nice place.”
Aaron looked around. It was a local hangout to him, but Jack’s bar was very nice. It was all rich mahogany and shiny brass. The booths were big and comfy and there were two that could fit eight people.
“It is. I love it here.”
“So you’re an after-work drunk, then?” Emma joked.
Aaron laughed. “You work in an Irish center. I thought you’d like coming to a bar.”
Emma threw her head back. “I hear that all the time! It is so offensive. That is why I have a job. Ireland has a rich culture that is more than having a few pints.”
“And leprechauns,” Aaron said. “Never forget the leprechauns and pots of gold.”
“You should come to the Center. I think you could learn a lot.”
“Sounds good. I’ll drive down next weekend.”
“I don’t usually work on weekends, but I think I can arrange to give you a private tour,” Emma said slyly.
“I would very much like that,” Aaron said. This was his moment. He could read her body language. She wanted him to kiss her. He leaned forward to kiss Emma and there was a noise behind them.
Jack cleared his throat. “Uh, I think I need to go back here for a bit longer.”
His face was bright red as he turned and went back to the storage room. Aaron laughed and leaned forward a little more until his lips connected with Emma’s. Her lips were soft and she tasted like cherries.
