by Lola Kidd
“You should mention her on all the interviews you do,” Owen suggested. “Maybe she’ll come forward.”
“Nope.” Frank vetoed the idea immediately. “That kind of thing only works in the movies. I’ll go and look around town. It’s as small as Sunset Falls. It can’t be that hard to find someone. I’ll hang out at all the bakeries until I see her or her sister.”
The guys argued with Frank about his plan until they headed for bed, but he wouldn’t be moved. This was it. He’d wait her out. As soon as he got home, he would find her.
Seven
Amy faked another smile for the camera. Karen had dragged her to the Falls for the day. Amy hadn’t wanted to go, but Karen thought it would be a nice outing for the baby. Their mother had been pestering them about it for months. They had all gone to the Falls when they were babies, and she had to get a picture of her only grandson at the Falls as a baby too.
It wasn’t so bad, but Karen was acting strangely the whole time. She kept looking over her shoulder and checking her phone. It was unnerving.
“We should go get a souvenir,” their mother suggested.
“Yes!” Karen looked at the map for half a second and took off.
“Slow down,” Amy complained. Her sixty-year-old mother had no trouble keeping up, but Amy was dragging ass. She wasn’t in the mood to be at the Falls. It reminded her of Frank. The only reason she’d come was Max. She didn’t want to miss his first Falls trip because of some stupid guy.
A stupid guy she couldn’t stop thinking about. She was going to have to pick up her phone eventually. She didn’t want to go her whole life being bitter about this one man. She would let him know what happened and why she was upset. Maybe he would have a really great explanation for why he didn’t want to get matched anymore. She had to be sure. Just in case.
Karen kept up her brisk pace with the stroller and Amy walked faster to keep up. They passed one stand with shirts and mugs.
“You passed it,” Amy said. Karen didn’t slow down. “Karen. Mom. Hello?”
“I want a funnel cake,” Karen declared when their mom started to slow down.
“That sounds good.” Their mom looked back at Amy. “I know you want one too.”
“Maybe.” Amy walked a little faster. A funnel cake did sound really good. She hadn’t stepped foot in a bakery since she’d been home. She’d had Karen make deliveries for her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to go inside a bakery again for a very long time.
As soon as they got close to the treat-selling kiosk, Amy stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Stop,” she hissed at Karen. “Stop right now.”
Karen kept going. “Come on, Amy. We’re almost there.”
Amy couldn’t move. Frank Franklin was hard to miss in any crowd. Even without the giant bouquet of roses, he would have been a very impressive figure. Women kept giving him lingering looks as they passed. Amy understood. He looked great, and anyone who was meeting him was a lucky woman. She didn’t want to be there when Frank’s date showed up.
“Karen. It’s Frank,” Amy said a little louder.
Her sister turned around. “What?”
Their mother looked confused when Karen slowed just a little but didn’t stop. “Who’s Frank?”
“No one,” Amy said quickly. “I don’t want a funnel cake anymore. I think I’m sick. I’m going back to the car.”
Amy turned and fled while her sister called her name. Only when she got near the exit from the park did she realize her mistake. She didn’t have the keys. Now that she was away from Frank, she felt foolish. What if he had seen her running away? He would know how heartbroken she was. It was so embarrassing.
Amy slowly walked to one of the less popular waterfalls. It was smaller than the big attractions but still pretty. There were almost no other tourists when she got to her favorite spot. She sat on a rock and got comfortable before texting Karen. She apologized for running off and told Karen to let her know when she and their mother were going back to the car.
The falling water relaxed Amy. She was going to have to explain to her mother who Frank was now that she had run off. She pulled up his number on her phone. She’d give him a ring tomorrow, she decided. Just get it over with and have closure once and for all. She couldn’t believe her luck that she would run into him today of all days.
“Amy.”
She almost slipped off the rock when she heard the rumbling voice behind her. She scrambled to get down. Frank was standing a few feet behind her, looking nervous. He held the roses out toward her. “I wanted to apologize to you and ask you for another chance.”
Amy’s mouth dropped open. “What is this?”
“Hold on and let me explain, okay?” Frank took a cautious step forward. “Last time you ran off before we could talk.”
Amy didn’t take the flowers. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t want to talk with you.”
“This is all a big misunderstanding,” Frank said, coming a step closer. “You won’t believe how crazy this is, but I lied to Olivia.”
“Why are you mentioning Olivia?” When she said the agent’s name, a light bulb went on in Amy’s heard. Everything clicked. Karen had to be behind this. The way she had run toward the kiosk. Her younger sister liked to meander whenever they were out. Usually, they spent a whole day at the Falls and only saw one actual waterfall. Today, they had already seen three and Karen was moving faster than ever. Her little sister just couldn’t stop her meddling.
“I talked with Karen. I know you think I want to run around and date other people, but that isn’t true.”
“How can I know that?” Amy said harshly. She wanted to believe him. Looking at him in person made her heart melt a little. His eyes were so sincere. Amy remembered when she had first looked at his picture. He had looked so kind.
“You were my match. I spoke with Karen and Olivia. I know everything.” Frank held the flowers out to her again. “I’m glad I don’t have to confess to being a bear-shifter too.”
Amy took the flowers reluctantly. “Why did you lie to Olivia?”
“I know this might sound crazy to you, but I knew I didn’t need to be matched anymore once I saw you.” Frank took a deep breath. “I knew you were my mate. My bear wouldn’t leave me alone until I talked to you. When we kissed, I knew for sure. You’re my mate, Amy. Once I had you, I didn’t need to meet the woman Olivia had found for me anymore.”
Amy’s eyes filled with tears. It sounded like music to her ears. His mate. Was it really that easy? It couldn’t be. She’d searched her whole life for her one true love. Now, a man had just announced to her that it was all over. She didn’t have to look anymore. She wanted to believe him. God, did she want it to be true.
Frank took her hand. “I know you’ve been through a lot and it’s going to take some time for you to trust me. But, Amy, I’ve never lied to you. I know this all seems too good to be true, but it’s not. I felt the same way when I first saw you. I’ve spent my whole life looking for a mate and then you just waltzed into my life unannounced.”
“How did you know?” Amy asked. “How can you be so sure?”
“Don’t you feel it?” He put his massive hand over her heart. “My bear guides me. Your heart has to be telling you something. Listen to what your instincts are telling you, Amy. Even if you can’t trust me, you have to trust yourself.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know, Frank. I’ve been wrong before. So many times.”
“This is different,” he said gently. “This is real. If you give me another chance, I’ll prove it to you.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Amy dropped the roses and put her arms around him. She pulled him close and kissed him harder. His mate. It sounded nice to her. She’d been miserable this entire time without him. Was that the universe’s way of telling her she was making a mistake? It had been so long since she’d listened to the signs put in place for her to read. If sh
e was honest, none of her other relationships had felt like this.
Frank put his hands in the back pockets of her jeans as they kissed. Amy felt giddy, like a teenager. She was going to give him another shot. This could be it. No more bad dates. No more nights alone. And all the sweet treats she could eat. She was going to have to pace herself.
She ran her hands up and down Frank’s body as they kissed. She wanted him. She had made a very stupid mistake and had wasted time, and she didn’t want to waste another second. She put her hand on the front of his jeans and felt his very hard cock. She gave him her best bedroom eyes.
Frank looked around to see if they were alone. “Normally, I would say we shouldn’t. Or we should take it slow. But I can’t wait anymore. My bear would tear me to shreds if I didn’t do this right now.”
He picked Amy up and tossed her over his shoulder. He took her deeper into the tress and laid her on the grass before stepping out of his clothes. He was standing in front of her naked in all his glory. Amy gulped. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man and none of them could compare to Frank. He looked like a Greek god.
Amy was suddenly very shy about taking off her own clothes. She wasn’t in nearly as good shape as he was.
Frank reached to pull her shirt off and she stiffened.
“What’s wrong?” He rubbed her arm. “If you want to stop, it’s okay. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”
“No. I want you to, Frank. I just…I’m a little softer than I used to be.”
Frank seemed to get her meaning and reached for her shirt again. “Don’t be crazy, Amy. You’re smoking hot. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in my whole life.”
Amy let him take her shirt off. The way he looked at her, she knew he wasn’t lying. He stripped her of all her clothes and then sat back on his heels to admire her in the evening light.
He pulled her toward him and pulled her legs apart. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
He settled between her legs and Amy wasn’t feeling nervous anymore. She was sure his tongue was a gift from the heavens. He lapped at her clit while stroking her thigh with one hand. Amy’s hands found their way to his close-cut hair. His beard was softer against her skin than she thought was possible. As he worked his magic, she began to moan.
When he put one thick finger inside her, it was too much for her. She shuddered and came hard. Frank came up smiling. “Good thing there’s nobody around. I’m going to make you scream.”
He sat up and put one of her legs over his shoulder before plunging into her. Amy cried out at the hard intrusion but not in pain. He filled her completely to the brim. Her body stretched to fit him but the angle made it easy for him to thrust deeply. Frank pulled her close and growled as he claimed her as his own.
Amy could barely breathe, it felt so good. She understood why there were so many rumors about shifters. Frank was amazing. He kissed her over and over as he stroked deep inside of her. Before long she was clenching around him again. She put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out loud.
“I said I wanted to hear you,” Frank growled, taking her hand off her mouth. He put her other leg over his shoulder and picked up the pace. Amy couldn’t hold on for long. She closed her eyes and let out a yell as she came again. Vaguely, she knew she should be quieter but she couldn’t hold back.
Frank made her cry out three more times before digging his claws into her hips and coming himself. He lay down on top of her, still inside her.
Amy couldn’t believe it. If this was sex, what the hell had she been doing all these years? It had never been like that with anyone before. She didn’t even know she could have an orgasm from sex without the help of a toy. Amy finally understood why her girlfriends couldn’t shut up about sex. She wondered if it was so good because Frank was her mate or if he was just that damn good in bed. Looking at his massive body and bulging muscles, she had a feeling it was the latter. He’d paid attention to her and not been all about his own release.
Amy snapped out her sex daze after looking up at the sky and realizing what time it was. “Oh, no!”
“What?” Frank asked, not moving.
“It’s almost dark. The park is going to close soon.”
“I can take you home. I already told Karen I would.” Frank kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you for giving me another chance.”
“Thank you,” Amy said. “I was so stupid.”
“As long as you don’t go anywhere again.”
“That doesn’t need to be said.”
Frank grabbed her ass once before she pulled on her jeans again. He shook his head. “Sorry. I had to do that one more time. I swear you’re just too good to be true.”
Amy laughed. She knew the feeling.
Eight
The room erupted in cheers and whoops and Frank beamed. The viewing party was a blast. There were people everywhere. So many people had shown up that they had to turn people away. There were viewing parties all over town for the people who couldn’t get into Two Wolves.
“Congratulations, brother.” Dom handed Frank another glass of champagne. “You’ve really helped us all out doing this special. The whole town owes you.”
Amy hugged Frank around his waist. “Yes, we do. I bet this is going to help put Sunset Falls on the map. You’re going to be a tourist attraction for sure now.”
“I don’t know how he can get any busier,” Molly said. “Seriously, I can never get a table after school anymore.”
Business was booming. In earlier days, he would have been opening early and baking more to make up for the extra demand. Not anymore. If people didn’t get their pies or holiday cookies, oh, well. He loved spending time with Amy and it was more important than making a little more money. No one in Sunset Falls was going to begrudge him spending time with his new mate.
Amy was slowly starting to trust him more and more. The afternoon at the Falls had been wonderful but Frank wasn’t a fool. He knew it would take time for her to really believe that he wouldn’t hurt her. The constant great sex seemed to be helping. She couldn’t get enough of him. Frank was more than happy to oblige that request. He’d met the rest of her family and everyone loved him. He owed Karen big time and didn’t know how he was going to repay her.
If she hadn’t believed him, none of his good fortune could have happened. She’d believed he was telling the truth and was a good man the day he’d showed up on her doorstep. It was an insane chance he’d taken but it had paid off spectacularly.
“As long as we get our apple pie at Thanksgiving next year, I don’t care how much of a diva you become, Frank.” Kellan laughed. “I’m giving you my order for next year right now.”
“You have a standing order,” Frank assured him.
“Amy?” Olivia Grey looked at his mate, unsure.
“It sure is,” Frank said proudly.
“I wanted to apologize in person.” Olivia looked distressed. “This is the first time I’ve almost ruined a match.”
Amy smiled. “No need to apologize. We were all acting pigheaded. All that matters is that Frank and I are together now.”
“Speaking of together.” Dom waved to Matt and Mark. The twins took their cue and brought Frank and Amy a tower of red and green frosted cupcakes from the back.
“What is this?” Amy asked.
Frank mouthed “thank you” to Dom before getting down on one knee. He had asked his friend to cue the twins when the special was ending.
“Amy Alma, will you marry me?”
The twins set the tower of cupcakes next to Amy on a table. At the top of the pink-iced treats, there was a ring.
“Yes! Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
The crowd cheered even harder than they had when the viewing had finished.
Frank stood up and took the ring off the cupcakes. He slipped it onto Amy’s finger and kissed her again. “I love you, Amy.”
“I love you too, Frank.”
&
nbsp; His mother, and Amy’s sister and mother joined the group around Frank and Amy. Everyone was crying and talking excitedly. Frank just took it all in. He wasn’t Amy’s first husband, but he was going to be her last. He wasn’t afraid of moving too fast or freaking her out anymore. She was his mate and he would never be able to scare her off. He was going to spend a lifetime loving her and keeping her safe.
This was the best night of his life. His national television special had just aired and he was going to marry the love of his life. Things were definitely going old Frank’s way.
~~~~~~~~*
Thank you so much for reading The Bear’s Bride. If you enjoyed the story and have time, I would really appreciate if you left a review for the story.--L.
Coming Soon
Taming the Tiger
Gwen Johnson is losing her mind. She’s watched three of her friends find love with LK Brides. Yet, her profile goes unmatched in the database. She’s ready to leave Sunset Falls and find the love of her life. If only she’d be matched already!
Dominic Cates knows Gwen is the love of his life and his mate. Too bad she doesn’t believe it. They dated once before and Gwen won’t give him another chance at dating. Can the tiger convince the stubborn tigress that he’s chanced? Find out in book four of the Mail-Order Mates series.
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A Note from Lola
Thank you so much for reading The Bear’s 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 private new release mailing list. I won’t spam you’re inbox or share your email address with anyone and you’ll get an email whenever I have a new release. You can also friend me on Facebook. ---Lola
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