Buck Me... For Christmas: BBW Mail-Order Bride Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Shifter Grove Brides Book 7)

by Anya Nowlan

  “Nonsense, you’re not imposing, I invited you here because I want you here. I can’t believe that Josh, you know. Okay, cheating, fine, men are jerks –”

  “Hey!” Cooper protested with a smirk.

  “Not you, baby,” Claire snorted, shooing him away as he tried to steal a strip of ham from the charcuterie board Claire was preparing. “But stealing the gift money? Can you imagine those sad little faces around Georgia right now? Breaks my heart.”

  Riley nodded sourly. She hadn’t been in touch with the charity for two days now, but with the money all gone, there wasn’t much to talk about anyway.

  “Did you get your mystery man’s phone number, by the way?”

  “Blitz’s? No. I mean, why would I? He’s all over the world all the time and we made it pretty clear to one another that we’re not ready for any kind of relationship, especially a long-distance one,” Riley said, snatching up the same piece of ham Cooper had been denied.

  She popped it in her mouth and, as expected, it didn’t taste anywhere near as juicy and delicious as she’d hoped it would.

  “I think you’re being a downer about this, hun. You don’t know, things can work out. Tell you what, we’ll find his number. Argo probably knows the guy. Argo?”

  “Hmm?” the big, wide-shouldered wolf shifter asked, looking up from the book he was reading at the breakfast table.

  “Blitz Frost. Does the name tell you anything?”

  Both Riley and Claire turned to look at Argo, who glanced between the two of them as if they’d been huffing paint while he hadn’t been looking.

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Why?” Riley asked, her face falling. “Is there something wrong with the Frosts?”

  That’s exactly what I need. To find out that I’ve actually been spending my time with someone with a past!

  Argo grinned wolfishly, shaking his head. “Oh, I know who the Frosts are. But I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into with them.”

  “What do you mean?” Claire asked just as her cell phone rang. “Who could this be on Christmas morning?”

  She picked up the phone and frowned for a moment before her expression cleared and she handed the phone to an equally confused Riley, still mulling over Argo’s reluctance to tell her about Blitz’s family.

  “It’s for you, hun.”

  “Hello?” Riley said dubiously.

  “Oh my god, Riley! You won’t believe what just happened!” a breathless Erica said on the other line, her voice giddy with excitement.

  “Erica? How’d you get this number? I mean, what happened?”

  “I asked your mother and heard you were at Claire’s. Say hello for me, by the way. Anyway, it’s a damn Christmas miracle if there’s ever been one! These guys just showed up at my place. They’d found my address somehow… But that’s not important. Riley, they brought gifts! Hundreds and thousands of great gifts! All wrapped and ready to go, with little notes saying what’s in them. They’re absolutely wonderful!”

  Erica was on the verge of tears as she spoke, and Riley leaned against the kitchen counter, reeling. How could that be? Josh had made off with all the money and they’d cancelled all their gift orders, which meant that there was no reason for any gifts to show up at the charity at all.

  “Is it some kind of a mistake? Why did they bring them now?” Riley asked, confused and more than a bit excited.

  “No, it’s not a mistake! It’s a donation! They said they heard about what had happened and didn’t want any kids to have a miserable Christmas! They said that they couldn’t make the drop-off yesterday because of their schedules, but they hope we can give the gifts out now! I’ve already called everyone; we’re going to be hauling these things across Georgia for a couple of days. There are just so many!”

  “Wait, who are ‘they’? Who brought the gifts?” Riley asked, her heart beating fast and a wide smile on her lips. A Christmas miracle, alright!

  “I don’t know, they didn’t tell me their names. But there were two of them, two guys, and oh my god, you wouldn’t believe how hot they were! Just, wow! But, that’s not important. Well, it is, but you get what I mean. Could you come back? I can’t co-ordinate all of this on my own!” Erica chittered like an excitable bird and Riley could imagine the way she was rushing around madly, trying to get everything done.

  Handing out the presents would have been a big operation even if they’d done it the way they had planned, but now, last minute? And with more gifts than anticipated? It was going to be a real mess – a happy one, but still.

  “I’ll get there as soon as I can!” Riley promised, her mind running rampant, trying to figure out how she was going to get home without a credit card or an ID. Minor problems, obviously.

  “See you! And Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas, Erica!” Riley said, tears in her eyes from the impact of the news.

  “What’s happening?” Cooper asked, finally having managed to steal a cut from the board.

  “I need to get back to Georgia! Someone donated a bunch of presents to the charity and Erica can’t handle it all on her own!” Riley said, bouncing up and down with a wide smile on her face.

  “That’s wonderful!” Claire cooed, beaming. “I’ll pack you some food to go. Argo, could you check if Slate can fly today? I know it’s the holidays, but the way he is with kids, I think he’d make an exception.”

  “On it,” Argo said, grabbing his phone as Riley rushed out of the kitchen to get ready, her head spinning.

  Even with that news, Blitz was on the forefront of her mind, gobbling up mental real estate. That man had really gotten under her skin and she wasn’t sure how she was going to shake him, but a whole lot of distraction was the first step to overcoming any heartache, right?

  An hour or so later, Cooper and Riley were rushing through the snow at breakneck speeds. Cooper used to be a race car driver and it really showed – a nearly manic smile on his lips and snow flying every which way as he piled through it with his big truck. Riley clung to her seatbelt but she was too excited to be afraid.

  “So Slate’s going to take me to Idaho Falls, right?” Riley asked, having missed the conversation between Argo and the pilot and opting to go for the truck as soon as she’d had her teary-eyed goodbyes with Claire.

  “Not quite. But there’s supposed to be another airplane waiting for you to take you… somewhere. It’s all been taken care of, don’t worry about it,” Cooper said with a playful grin.

  Any other time, Riley would have figured that the man was hiding something from her, but right then, she was too preoccupied with the thoughts rushing through her head to really concentrate on reading people. Between Blitz, her accident, and the sudden windfall of Christmas presents, she had plenty on her mind and not enough time to deal with any of it. So when an absolutely humongous red and white and green airplane came into view on the airport servicing Shifter Grove, Riley was completely unprepared for it.

  It was the biggest plane she’d ever seen. It even dwarfed the Air Force’s strategic airlifter and could barely fit on the tarmac. There was no way it could have landed there like a regular airplane.

  “Um… is that for me?” Riley asked with a small voice, staring at the hulking red thing.

  “Yup, so I hear. So, don’t be a stranger, okay? Though I get the feeling we might be seeing a lot more of you in the near future,” Cooper said with a chuckle, jumping out of the truck and running to the other side to open the door for Riley.

  She slipped out, completely dazed and almost missing Cooper’s words as she hugged him. She didn’t have the time to figure out what he had meant as he gently nudged her forward, pointing at the open door and stairs leading up into the football-field-sized airplane.

  “Go on. Georgia’s waiting for you!”

  With that, Cooper got back in the truck and peeled off, while Riley walked up to the airplane. On the tail of the plane, she spotted a big green and swirly word, but she couldn’t
really make it out from the angle she was viewing it from. Climbing the stairs, her heart thudded loudly, and when she saw who was waiting for her at the door, it just about stopped.

  I can’t believe this is happening!

  “Blitz!” she squealed, freezing in place.

  “Riley,” he noted with his usual dryness, though there was a fire burning in his eyes that should have melted the snow all around them in an instant.

  Speaking of which, at that very moment, snow suddenly started falling all around them and if she hadn’t known better, she would have blamed Blitz for it.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked breathlessly when she regained her composure, almost running up the stairs with a wide smile on her lips.

  Blitz’s arms were around her immediately, crushing her body against his. Her hands landed on his wide chest and she couldn’t silence the slight whimper that escaped her lips when he cuddled her close.

  “I heard you needed to get to Georgia. Figured I could give you a ride.”

  “To Georgia?”

  “You heard me.”

  “But… I don’t understand.” She stuttered and paused, her green eyes going as wide as saucers. Was this really happening? “Did… did you have something to do with the presents? The donation? Was that you!?”

  Blitz nodded with a chuckle, nuzzling his nose against Riley’s as she pushed herself as close to him as she could, reveling in his warmth.

  “My brothers. Don and Pran were in the area and they made the run for me.”

  “I can’t believe you’d do that for me,” Riley said, looking up at Blitz’s handsome features and trying her hardest not to get completely lost in him. Then again, it was a fight she didn’t mind losing.

  “I hate the thought of kids with shitty Christmases as much as you do,” he said, shrugging.

  Her hands fisted in the lapels of his jacket and she tugged him lower almost forcefully.

  “And is that why you came to pick me up, too?”

  “Maybe,” he said, smirking. “Can you think of another reason?” he asked.

  “A few,” she admitted, grinning.

  “Me too,” he said, and then he kissed her.

  Sparks flew. It’s a clichéd saying, but Riley definitely felt tingles of light and electricity running through her as their lips met and his strong arms flexed around her, cradling her as they kissed with all the breathless enthusiasm of lovers reunited. When they drew apart, Riley’s lips were red and aching for more. Snowflakes fluttered around them. It was perfect.

  “Riley, I know this would be tough. Believe me, with my schedule, I wouldn’t blame you if you said no to this, but hear me out. I haven’t felt like this for anyone, ever. This is not me making a big speech; this is me telling you what I know. I’ve never met a woman who makes me feel so… much. And if you’d let me, I’d like to show you exactly how much it means to me. We’re both crazy about our work, but I think we could make time for one another. I would like to try. I really would.”

  There was no sign of that smartass smirk of his, and Riley’s breath was thoroughly taken. She listened to his words, but halfway through his speech, she wanted nothing more than to scream yes so loudly that the mountains around them quaked. It might have been foolhardy to get into something so quickly after her good-for-nothing ex, but in her heart, Riley knew that Blitz was different. With him, everything would be different.

  “I would like that too,” she said with a smile, kissing him gently. “I want to give this a chance, Blitz.”

  Blitz smiled wider than she’d ever seen him. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly and his stoic demeanor was swept away, replaced with that of a man bursting with joy.

  “You won’t regret this,” he whispered.

  “I don’t think I could regret anything to do with you, Blitz,” she said, biting her lower lip.

  They stood there for at least a minute, holding each other, their foreheads touching and shudders running through their bodies. Finally, reluctantly, Blitz eased his grip on Riley and she opened her eyes again.

  “I’m still on the clock, so how about we get you to Georgia, hmm?”

  “As long as you’re driving,” Riley laughed as Blitz took her hand and led her into the plane. She got the feeling she was in for a wild ride, but she’d enjoy every second of it with her buck by her side.

  EPILOGUE

  Blitz

  Corralling eight best men was not an easy task.

  Getting those eight best men, and himself, to stand still was even harder. Dressed in almost matching suits, the Frost brothers cut a dapper picture, but that didn’t stop Blitz’s nerves from bouncing all over the place.

  It was a beautiful day in a field close to Shifter Grove. A summer wedding had been in the cards from the moment Blitz Frost and Riley Seston met. After all, they both worked a hell of a lot during winter and so did most of their guests. Getting all of these people together had been a feat in itself, especially with Nick Frost himself having a first-row seat.

  “I can’t believe you got Nick to come down here again,” Vix commented with a smirk, leaning on Blitz’s shoulder with his elbow.

  “Yeah, well, after I gently reminded him that he owed me for that 2013 debacle, he thought it best to show up for the first wedding of his brother’s kids,” Blitz said with a chuckle, shaking his head a little. “Surprising what a bit of memory jogging can do for a man.”

  “So, nervous?” Dan queried, giving Blitz a careful once-over. Someone had to make sure that the groom was presentable, after all.

  “More than ever,” Blitz confessed.

  And it was no lie. He’d done dozens of runs in his life, saved more Christmases than anyone (that cargo doesn’t haul itself, after all) and lived his life on the edge of a knife, and loved every second of it. But now, preparing to make Riley his wife, he’d never been more wrecked. He wanted everything to be perfect, for her. Just having Riley as his wife was all the prize he ever needed.

  The music started and everybody shuffled to their seats. Some Shifter Grove locals were there, Claire’s husbands notably, as well as a few of the other older families that had ties to the Frosts – Sear Hassleback and Battle, for example. Most of the guests were out-of-towners and relatives, though. It seemed that Warren Sawtooth was always the guy to conduct the ceremony in Shifter Grove, and this time was no different.

  Blitz’s brothers took their places by his side, from oldest to youngest, and Blitz turned to face the aisle. When Riley came into view, his heart thudded like it had suddenly come out of hibernation. She was the perfect image of a bride in white, with a frosted veil and a beaded dress that hugged her curves tightly, sprawling out in a long train that looked as if it were dotted with snowflakes. She was breathtaking, but then again, she always was.

  Blitz’s heart swelled with every step she took closer to him. He could hardly believe that this woman would deem him worthy of being her husband, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to wait until she changed her mind. Together, they could change the world, and he was fully intending to do so. He lifted her veil and took her hands as Riley gave away her bouquet.

  “You look stunning, beautiful,” he murmured, leaning in close to her.

  “You’re not too bad yourself,” she said with a giggle, still as mischievous as when they’d met.

  Well, more now, because they hadn’t made any attempts to drown recently, and that could work wonders on one’s mood. Blitz had to resist scooping her up in his arms and making off with her right then and there, keeping her to himself in all her beauty. How’d he gotten so lucky to land a woman as perfect as Riley?

  Must have been one of those Christmas miracles that he’d been hearing so much about. He figured everybody was supposed to get one and Riley was his. He’d probably have to ask uncle Nick about it. He’d know.

  Don’t miss the excerpt of Anya’s next book, Bear the Burn, on the next page! It is out now!

  Bear the Burn

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  Did you miss the first books in the Shifter Grove Brides series?

  Make Him Purr

  Billionbears’ New Honey

  Light His Fire

  Bear My Love

  Waiting For Wolves

  One Last Prowl

  BEAR THE BURN EXCERPT

  He ripped the passenger side door open and jumped inside exactly when she managed to get the engine running. With one smooth move, he grabbed the keys, twisted them and plucked them out of the ignition.

  “Hey! The hell do you think you’re doing! Give those back!” she demanded, trying to grab for the keys and only managing to lean into Royce’s still-damp body and make his convictions on not letting her go all the more strong.

  He could see that she was trying to avoid his gaze, her brown eyes looking anywhere but straight at him. She still had hints of that scarlet blush that had tinted her chest, neck and cheeks when she’d run out of the bathroom like an Olympic athlete. Royce had to admit, she could have had a career as a runner if she could move that fast when faced with one little uncomfortable situation.

  “I’m not giving those back before you calm the hell down and talk to me, girl,” he said, cringing at his choice of words. Still, he had to roll with it. Keeping his expression stern, he looked at her expectantly. “You want to explain to me where you were running off to?” he asked, his thick Boston accent laying in hard now that his heart was beating fast and adrenaline was coursing through his veins.

  “I… It was a mistake, okay? I don’t belong here. This is ridiculous! We don’t know each other. I can’t marry you! It’s fraud! I have a business in Dallas that needs me and I’m here, straight across the country, playing house with a guy who could be a damn psycho for all I know!” she rattled off, every excuse making Royce grin wider.