Free A Bride for the Bear (Bear Creek Clan 6) by Harmony Raines

Let’s have a girlie afternoon and find something to fit you.”
    “I’m a little curvier than I should be for my age.”
    “Perfect. We can find something that makes you look grown up. Come on, please.”
    “I don’t know. I can’t afford your dresses, Alli.”
    “My treat,” she said. When she saw Melanie’s face, she added, “I insist.”
    “OK,” Melanie said, allowing herself to enter into the excitement.
    “Great!” Alli went to the racks at the back of the shop and began to pull out some of the dresses, inspecting them and then putting them on a pile if she thought they might be suitable. A rather nervous Melanie came to watch, but soon she was pulling dresses out too.
    “This is so much fun,” Alli said.
    “Ohh, look at this one, it would suit you,” Melanie said, handing an off-white dress to Alli. “Try it on.”
    Giggling, that was just what she did. It was the first time Alli had ever tried on any of the dresses. Before, she had always thought it would jinx her chances of finding a husband, but now she had. Well, why not?
     

Chapter Sixteen – Kian
    Kian hammered in the last of the nails, standing back to admire his handiwork. Over the last two days, he had worked like a demon to get the farmhouse protected from the elements. His muscles ached, but he was happy. Of course, that happiness was magnified by finding his mate. When he wasn’t thinking about what he needed to do next, he was thinking about Alli.
    A sound behind him made him turn. There was a car coming up the track. A big, expensive car, the same one he had seen outside of Graham’s house when he had gone to rescue Alli. Kian walked to the middle of the track, the hammer still in his hand. What did this man want? It took some nerve to come up here on his own.
    Whatever it was, Kian didn’t want to hear it. From what he had learned over the last couple of days, Graham had a way of poisoning everything he touched. Kian didn’t need anything from the man and so he said, “Turn around and go back the way you came.”
    Graham stopped his car and opened the door to get out. “I came with a proposition.”
    “You have nothing I want.”
    “Really.” Graham got out, although he looked nervous, especially when he took his sunglasses off and put them on top of his head. Kian was sure he could see the whites of his eyes. Undeterred, he said, “I thought we might come to some arrangement. I was interested in buying this farm and the couple next to it. As I told Alli, I want to build some houses here. But you own the land I need.”
    “Bad news for you then, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, you could look at it that way. But I thought I might make you an offer. You see, I spoke to Alli today.” He paused to let that bit of information sink in. “And she was concerned about how you two were going to afford all the work that needs doing here. I know she’s eager for you to get married. But really,” he gave a little derisory laugh, “You can’t expect her to live here with you. Not until this house has some mod cons. She’s not cut from the same cloth as you and your sister.”
    “Leave.” Kian clasped the hammer tighter in his hand.
    “So I thought I would offer you enough money to buy a nice little house in town where you two will be cosy.”
    “Leave!” Kian shouted, the hammer now raised above his head.
    As Kian took one step towards Graham, he scuttled back to his car, got in, and disappeared down the track. Kian would have found it funny, but Graham’s words rang in his ears. How was he going to pay for all of the repairs? Without Alli’s money, he didn’t know. And he wanted it finished so desperately, so they could be here together.
     

Chapter Seventeen – Alli
    “Don’t you scrub up well,” Alli said.
    Kian looked down at the suit he was wearing and adjusted the collar. “Not exactly work clothes.”
    “Good, because this is our day off, and I want to spend every minute with you.” She wrapped her arms around