Lucky Lion (Shifter Mail Order Bride Holiday Romance) (Holiday Mail Order Mates Book 2) Read Free

her phone over her head. She was smiling ear to ear.
    Cindy and Patty high-fived and then came to hug Emma.
    “How much are we going to get?” Emma asked.
    “All of it. Whatever we need,” Danielle said. “Apparently, I picked a good plan. It was all luck. I was going to cheap out, but the woman talked me into the bigger policy. I thought she was just upselling me, but apparently it was fate.”
    “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