The Mountain Lion's Valentine: BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance (Holiday Mail Order Mates Book 1)

by Lola Kidd

  “But it isn’t snowing,” Cade said.

  “I’m guessing you’ve been spending all your time thinking about Kira and not watching the news,” Ray teased.

  “Or listening to the talk at work,” Wyatt said. “The blizzard is all people have been talking about this week.”

  Cade groaned. “Kira told me I would have to spend the weekend at her house, but I thought she was being sexy.”

  “No, man, she was being practical.” Ray laughed. “If you go out tonight, you aren’t coming home until Monday.”

  “Tuesday,” Aaron corrected. “They won’t have the roads plowed for three days once this thing hits.”

  “How much snow are we getting?” Cade asked.

  “More than two feet, it looks like,” Ray said. “What about a scavenger hunt?”

  Leo yawned. “Played out. If you’re going to go cliché, I think you should cook a romantic meal and do an indoor picnic. Then have her cat run out with the ring on its back.”

  “I would have an easier time attaching bells to wasps than getting anything on Scrooge’s back,” Cade said. “The cat likes me. Let’s not ruin that.”

  “I think I have an idea,” Wyatt said. “What about ice sculptures?”

  Everyone at the bar was quiet. No one wanted to laugh at Wyatt’s suggestion, but it was ridiculous.

  “Yeah, probably not, man, but good idea,” Aaron said. “What about a drive-in movie?”

  “Wrong time of year, idiot,” Ray said.

  “No, seriously,” Wyatt said. “Ice sculptures. It’ll be romantic and it’s something for the whole town.”

  Jack nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. I think you might have it, Wy.”

  Wyatt smiled and hung his head. “The talk of the blizzard reminded me of it. No big deal.”

  Leo looked from Wy to the bartender. “Could someone clue me in? It’s like an inside joke over here.”

  Cade finally understood. It was like a lightbulb went off over his head. “Oh God! The ice sculpture competition. It was supposed to be last month, but we had that unseasonably warm week. They had to cancel.”

  “Oh,” Leo said.

  Aaron raised his mug to Wy. “Sorry, I didn’t listen. You got it. That’s it. This is the winning idea.”

  “But will everyone be able to get together with such short notice?” Cade asked.

  Jack took his phone out from under the counter. “I know the guys who put it all together and some of the people who were competing. A lot of those guys are retirees. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

  “That wolf shifter Tanner and his buddy Peyton were the organizers, right?” Aaron asked.

  “Peyton is the wolf shifter. Tanner’s a buck,” Jack corrected. “But, yeah, they were the ones.”

  Jack’s phone rang a few moments later. Cade was on pins and needles waiting for Jack to finish his conversation. He could only make out every few words but it sounded good. He just wanted to be sure before he invited Kira. She still hadn’t been to Maple Creek. It was a long overdue visit. His mom and Blanche bugged him about it every weekend at the home.

  “We’re on!” Jack came back with a big smile on his face. “The boys were already planning to get everything together for next weekend. I’m going to do the advertising for them. I’ve got a radio interview tomorrow and I’ll talk up the competition.”

  “I think Abe knows one of the girls who was doing refreshments,” Ray said. “I’ll see if he can hook me up with her info. I’ll ask her to do Valentine-themed stuff.”

  “I bet we could decorate everything real cheap,” Leo said. “They got a dollar store in Rock Falls. We’ll clean them out.”

  Cade got up. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be right back.”

  He couldn’t wait to tell Kira. He’d never been this excited about Valentine’s Day before. All these years he’d grudgingly celebrated the day if he had a girlfriend. If he didn’t, it was just like any other day to him. But this year he finally understood the appeal. He was going to enjoy planning something romantic for his mate.

  Eight

  “Done,” Ray said. He looked back at Cade. “This good for you?”

  Cade nodded. He felt like he was going to be sick. His nerves were starting to get the best of him.

  “You’re going to do great,” Wyatt assured him. “We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  “I think you’ll need this before we go.” His mom handed him the ring. “Good thing you gave this to me to hold on to.” She kissed Cade on his cheek before he left with Ray, Wyatt, Leo, and Aaron. They were all going to the spot where the ice-sculpting competition was taking place.

  Cade was grateful that he’d given the ring to her. He’d been scatterbrained all afternoon. He would have lost his head if it weren’t attached to him. Even his animal wasn’t helping today. It was Valentine’s Day and Kira would be there any minute. He was going to ask her to marry him as soon as she arrived at the gazebo.

  He was sure she would say yes, but it was still nerve-wracking. It had been a long journey to this moment. He knew she was going to be surprised when she got there. She’d texted him ten minutes earlier that she was getting off the highway and would be at the park soon. He told her they were going to watch the ice-sculpting competition and then go to dinner after. Dinner would have been the obvious time for a proposal. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw the gazebo.

  It had been his mother’s idea to use the gazebo as the proposal spot. He’d loved playing there as a child and it was a special place for them both. He was happy to be able to include her in the whole thing. Kira had finally met her and Blanche earlier in the week. They had gotten along like old friends. Kira had listened to his mother go through her entire LK Brides scrapbook collection and hadn’t yawned once. His mother had appreciated it and had fallen in love with his mate too.

  That had been the only time he’d seen her all week. Kira had had the whole week off work because of the blizzard. It had been hard for Cade to keep her away the whole time. He knew if she’d stayed at his house, he would have given away the surprise. He knew it had bothered her that they’d only spent a day together in Maple Creek, but she’d understand when she saw the surprise.

  Cade could hear footsteps before he saw her. His heart fluttered against his rib cage.

  “What’s this?” Kira asked, coming down the trail. She had been scowling as she approached, but now her eyes were open wide and she was smiling. She looked so beautiful in her pink peacoat, rainbow hat, and gloves.

  Cade got down on one knee and held out the ring box. “Kira Temple, would you marry me?”

  She began to cry. “Oh, Cade. Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He took off her glove, kissed her hand, and slid the ring onto her finger.

  She kissed him again and laughed. “This is why you wouldn’t let me stay at your house.”

  He nodded. “It’s been so hard to keep this secret. I’ve wanted to tell you every time we’ve talked. That day at the nursing home was so hard.”

  She looked at the ring. “I love it. Did you pick this out yourself?”

  “It’s a family ring. I didn’t even have to get it resized. It was meant to be on your finger.”

  “This is all so beautiful.” Kira looked at the streamers and heart-shaped banners strung along the top of the gazebo and the confetti strewn across the floor. “You did it all yourself?”

  “All the guys and Mom helped too.”

  Kira looked around. “Are they here?”

  “We’ll see them in a minute. They’re saving us space at the competition.” He kissed her again. “I love you so much, Kira.”

  “I love you too. I can’t wait to be your wife. Maybe we could even get married here?” She touched the railing of the gazebo. “This place must be gorgeous in the spring and summer.”

  Cade grinned from ear to ear. He didn’t think he could love her any more than he already did. She was the perfect partner for him. With Kira by his
side, he knew he would find a way to bring prosperity to Maple Creek. This was only the start. Their love was going to revitalize the town. He could feel it in his bones. Good things were going to come to Maple Creek, and Kira was only the first of all the blessings that were coming their way.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Thank you for reading The Mountain Lion’s Valentine! If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. Thank you :)

  Up Next:

  Holiday Mail-Order Mates: St Patrick’s Day

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  A Note from Lola

  Thank you so much for reading The Mountain Lion’s Valentine. 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

  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: The Complete Collection

  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.

  Other books in the series:

  Captured by the Shifters: The Complete Collection

  The Shifter’s Wife

  The Shifter’s Surprise

  The Shifter’s Choice

  Witch and Wolf Universe

  The Witch and the Wolf: The Complete Collection

  Aurora Silver has a werewolf problem. Cross Hemlock won’t stop begging her for a date. If only the handsome man wasn’t only a werewolf, Rory would agree to a date in a heartbeat. Too bad witches and wolves don’t mix. When Rory’s life is in danger, Cross jumps at the chance to protect the young witch.

  Cross will protect Rory no matter the cost to himself. He knows the witch is the one for him. Now all he’s got to do is keep her alive and convince her to give a wolf a chance.

  This book also contains the short story, A Very Witchy Wedding.

  Other books in the series:

  The Vampire and the Bear

  The Lost Tribe: Complete Collection