I nodded and pulled the blanket up to my chin. “I feel fine.”
“So, you’re well enough to get out of bed? Because we have plans. ”
I frowned. “We do? What kind of plans?”
“It’s a surprise.” He pulled the blanket off me and grinned. “As much as I like these cute pajamas, you need some real pants on.”
He dug through my closet and pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. Handing to me, he lightly kissed the corner of my mouth. “Put these on. Hurry. We’re going to be late.”
I got out of bed, but laughed. “I need a bra and panties.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “You sure?”
“Flynn…”
“Bra, or no bra? You’ve got thirty seconds.” I grabbed a bra and strapped myself into it while he watched and made growly sounds.
When we got outside, we climbed into his Mustang that was parked in the driveway. I was excited about whatever surprise he planned until he pulled out onto Main Street a few moments later and then turned right onto Palm Street.
My stomach sank as I realized where he was taking me. “Oh, Flynn. No. No, this is a bad idea. I wasn’t kidding when I told you that I freaked out on them. I took a flame shooter to this bridge. We can’t be here.”
He parked in front of my parents’ home and got out of the car before walking around to my side, opened my door, and staring down at me. “You getting out on your own, or am I carrying you?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
His brows shot up. He would.
“Why did you bring me here? Why would you want to come back? They were awful to you. They’re going to be even worse now. Let’s just go before they see us. Please.”
He bent down and scooped me out of the car. “It’s a family tradition. Come on.”
Only because I knew he’d throw me over his shoulder and carry me inside like a caveman, I agreed to traverse the front walkway on my own volition. Every single step felt like one step closer to World War III. I realized Flynn meant well and probably thought he was doing the right thing, but this was a bad plan. The worst.
The front door opened just as we got to the top of the stairs and Mom stepped out on the porch. I was shocked to see her wearing jeans and a blouse. She almost looked casual. With a forced smile on her face, she held out her arms to me.
I stared at her outstretched arms, transfixed. It was a gesture I hadn’t seen since I was in grade school. My hesitation didn’t deter Mom from stepping forward and wrapping her arms around me awkwardly. She patted my back and then stepped back again and looked to Flynn.
“Thank you for bringing her. Sunday dinner just wouldn’t be the same without her.”
I looked up at Flynn and frowned. Had we entered the twilight zone?
His palm pressed against my lower back, urging me inside. “Let’s go, sweetheart. We don’t want dinner getting cold.”
Mom made a choked sound, like she had started to speak then forced herself to cut off the words before they came out. She just waved us inside and led us through the house and out into the backyard. Backyard?
The all-weather outdoor table was smaller and much more informal than the dining table inside. Everyone was there, sitting around it, perched like they were waiting for lightning to strike at any moment. Mom sat next to Dad, leaving the head of the table and the seat next to it open for me and Flynn.
Flynn pulled out a seat for me and then sat beside me. “Smells great.”
I watched in absolute amazement as a bucket of fried chicken was passed around. Following that came mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and cornbread. I sat dumfounded as Flynn spooned a heaping mound of mashed potatoes onto my plate.
“That enough potatoes, or you want a little more?” He glanced around the table, his look daring anyone to comment.
I noticed the plates were paper. The utensils were plastic! “What the fuck is happening?”
“Language, Arden.” Dad cleared his throat and shook his head. “We’re attempting to make some changes—expand our horizons.”
“Changes? Horizons?” I felt like I’d died and was in some previously uncharted level of hell. “My family is eating outside—fried chicken on paper plates with plastic cutlery. What is going on? Where is the wine?”
Mom held up a plastic tumbler. “Oh, there’s wine. I just had to research which label went best with…a family size Cluckin’ Bucket.”
“Flynn brought to our attention that we’re a little stuck in our ways.” Dad waved his half eaten drumstick around as he talked. “Apparently you had some words with your mother and sisters. We all came to the conclusion that we could make an effort to be a little more flexible. Flynn gave us ideas and helped us orchestrate some changes.”
“So, we’re out here. In the yard. With the bugs. Eating food prepared in a communal tub of lard.” Mom sighed heavily. “We’re trying. You see that right, Arden? We’re trying.”
I sank back into my chair and studied my sisters. Chloe was frowning down at her plate. Hailie had a look of vulnerability as she just sighed and nodded.
“So, you’re all doing all of this for me?”
Flynn stroked his knuckle down my cheek. “They’re doing this all for you. Your family has a tradition. I’m not going to mess that up. No matter how stiff this place is, they’re your family and they matter to you. So, they matter to me.”
I blinked back tears and looked around at them. They were all such assholes. But I loved these assholes. They were my family. I loved them and desperately wanted to be enough for them, no matter how much they sucked at times. “Guys? I appreciate this. I want your acceptance and I want you to accept Flynn. But, this? This is fucking weird.”
Chloe groaned. “Thank heavens! That’s what I’ve been saying. We can pretend like we’re the Cleavers all we want, but Cluckin’ Bucket outside on paper plates is weird. I’m going to have to do two hours of extra Pilates classes to make up for this.”
Hailie shoved her plate away and looked down the table at me. “We love you, okay? You’re our little sister. Sorry you think we’re mean. Sorry that we said your ex-con boyfriend is a criminal, but this is too much.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, this is too much.”
Flynn laughed and gestured with his head toward the end of the table where Dad sat. “I don’t know. I think your dad likes the changes.”
Dad was dipping his chicken breast into the gravy carton with one hand and taking a long pull from a Sudz beer with the other. “A smart man you’ve got there, Arden.”
I stood up and pulled Flynn to his feet. “This was a nice gesture and I appreciate it, but I need to get out of here. We’ll be here next week. Thanks for dinner.”
Mom stood and cleared her throat. “We do love you, Arden.”
I nodded. “Me too, Mom.” Then pulled Flynn back through the house and out the other side.
Once we were safely inside his Mustang, I looked over at him and laughed. “Okay, I just need to know. How the hell did you turn my family from the biggest bunch of snobs this side of the Mississippi to castoffs from Hee Haw?”
He pulled out of the driveway then took my hand. “Turns out your dad invested heavily in Vincent’s chain of nightclubs. The two of them made a few bad decisions, inexperienced really, and were in danger of going belly up. With my expertise and connections from the distributorship, not to mention my hefty investment capital, I did what you might call a bailout. I’m now a non-silent partner and 51% shareholder.”
I leaned back in the seat and laughed. “No wonder Chloe was so tongue-tied today. So, I’m curious, do you have any other surprises up your sleeve for me, today?”
Flynn flashed his signature cocky grin. “Well, I thought maybe we could spend the rest of the day in bed.”
I grinned back, teasing. “You did, huh? What exactly did you think we’d do in bed?”
“Well, I figure you can read aloud from Loving in the Pale Moonlight. Then, if you want, I’ll just lay there and pretend to b
e in a coma while you have your way with me.” He burst out laughing.
“That is not funny!”
He pretended to stop laughing when I smacked him, but his shoulders were shaking.
Life with Flynn Bennett would never be boring, that was for sure. And my mom was wrong. Sometimes fairytales do come true.
THE END
NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES
Someone once said, “Opposites attract.”
(Clearly, they’d never met these two.)
Mariah comes from humble beginnings.
She’s worked her tail feathers off.
Her dream is now at her fingertips.
Her motto: Achieving goals requires sacrifice.
Patton works in the family construction business.
When he has to.
He’d rather hang out on his boat all day.
His motto: Life is meant to be enjoyed.
As shifters, they know instantly they’re mates.
That doesn’t mean they like it.
Or each other.
Someone also once said, “There's no escaping destiny.”
Get Changed Mate HERE
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P.O.L.A.R.
P.O.L.A.R. (Private Ops: League Arctic Rescue) is a specialized, private operations task force—a maritime unit of polar bear shifters. Part of a world-wide, clandestine army comprised of the best of the best shifters, P.O.L.A.R.’s home base is Siberia…until the team pisses somebody off and gets re-assigned to Sunkissed Key, Florida and these arctic shifters suddenly find themselves surrounded by sun, sand, flip-flops and palm trees.
Rescue Bear
Hero Bear
Covert Bear
Tactical Bear
Royal Bear
* * *
BEARS OF BURDEN
In the southwestern town of Burden, Texas, good ol’ bears Hawthorne, Wyatt, Hutch, Sterling, and Sam, and Matt are livin’ easy. Beer flows freely, and pretty women are abundant. The last thing the shifters of Burden are thinking about is finding a mate or settling down. But, fate has its own plan…
Thorn
Wyatt
Hutch
Sterling
Sam
Matt
* * *
SHIFTERS OF HELL’S CORNER
In the late 1800’s, on a homestead in New Mexico, a female shifter named Helen Cartwright, widowed under mysterious circumstances, knew there was power in the feminine bonds of sisterhood. She provided an oasis for those like herself, women who had been dealt the short end of the stick. Like magic, women have flocked to the tiny town of Helen’s Corner ever since. Although, nowadays, some call the town by another name, Hell’s Crazy Corner.
Wolf Boss
Wolf Detective
Wolf Soldier
Bear Outlaw
Wolf Purebred
* * *
DRAGONS OF THE BAYOU
Something’s lurking in the swamplands of the Deep South. Massive creatures exiled from their home. For each, his only salvation is to find his one true mate.
Fire Breathing Beast
Fire Breathing Cezar
Fire Breathing Blaise
Fire Breathing Remy
Fire Breathing Armand
Fire Breathing Ovide
* * *
RANCHER BEARS
When the patriarch of the Long family dies, he leaves a will that has each of his five son’s scrambling to find a mate. Underneath it all, they find that family is what matters most.
Rancher Bear’s Baby
Rancher Bear’s Mail Order Mate
Rancher Bear’s Surprise Package
Rancher Bear’s Secret
Rancher Bear’s Desire
Rancher Bears’ Merry Christmas
Rancher Bears Complete Box Set
* * *
KODIAK ISLAND SHIFTERS
On Port Ursa in Kodiak Island Alaska, the Sterling brothers are kind of a big deal.
They own a nationwide chain of outfitter retail stores that they grew from their father’s little backwoods camping supply shop.
The only thing missing from the hot bear shifters’ lives are mates! But, not for long…
Billionaire Bear’s Bride (COLTON)
The Bear’s Flamingo Bride (WYATT)
Military Bear’s Mate (TUCKER)
* * *
SHIFTERS OF DENVER
Nathan: Billionaire Bear- A matchmaker meets her match.
Byron: Heartbreaker Bear- A sexy heartbreaker with eyes for just one woman.
Xavier: Bad Bear - She’s a good girl. He’s a bad bear.
Nathan: Billionaire Bear
Byron: Heartbreaker Bear
Xavier: Bad Bear
Shifters of Denver Complete Box Set
Chased Mate: Cybermates Page 11