Free Surrendering to the Stag (BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance) (Mail-Order Mates Book 6) by Lola Kidd

One
    “They’re sending a small group here in one month!” Owen Brooks said. He handed Clint Preacher his morning coffee. “I can’t believe it. I really thought it would take us years to get to this point.”
    “Don’t get too excited,” Clint cautioned. “It’s great they’re sending people out so early. That doesn’t mean we’ll get it.”
    Owen nodded. “I know, but this is huge, man. I wonder if we can have the greenhouse up by next week. I’d love to have the thing filled with flowers by the time they come.”
    “I’ve rushed the orders already.” Clint knew his friend too well. Owen wasn’t a very patient alpha. Once he got an idea, he had to start on it right away. As soon as he’d heard about plans for a greenhouse at Brooks Farm, Clint had started researching. Naturally, he’d lend a hand to the Pride. He was the best handyman in all of Sunset Falls. Even though he’d owned his own hardware store for the last fifteen years, he still liked to do a few jobs a year. They kept him feeling fresh and in touch with his customers.
    “Thanks, Clint.” Owen’s phone buzzed. He finished his coffee and ran for the door. “Call me as soon as that stuff comes in. I’ll have Steve and Rusty come and pick it all up.”
    Clint chuckled as Owen ran out of the store. He had a new cub at home and was eager to be home most of his time. His sisters and mother had complained that they never got to hold the new cub, because Owen was a total baby hog. He would hold his new son all day and all night given the chance. Now that the baby was a month old, his wife Erin had started making Owen leave the house for one hour each day. So now, Clint and Owen had a standing coffee date three mornings a week.
    Clint could only imagine the lion shifter’s joy. The stag wasn’t a father himself, and he dreamed of the day he too could start a family.
    Owen had found his bride through a mail-order bride company that catered to shifters, Lovely and Kind Brides. Like most of the single men in town, Clint had signed up with the service after seeing many of the men in town find mates. There had been a rash of weddings lately. Five members of the Lunar Pack had found mates the month before and had had a group wedding.
    Even though he hadn’t been matched yet, Clint was happy that the town was finally starting to see a turnaround. It had all started with Owen wanting to get a spot on a national shifter magazine’s list of the best small towns in America. Honestly, Clint had expected it to take at least five years before Sunset Falls could even think about making the list. Lo and behold, after Owen got the idea in his head, the town was getting a chance at the list only eight months later. It was pretty incredible.
    Clint had been largely supporting the town from the sidelines. He’d gotten an idea while he was closing the store two weeks earlier. He had a lot of time on his hands and wanted something to keep him busy. There were many nice houses in town, but there were also houses that needed a little TLC. Clint had come up with an idea that would give him something to do, help improve the town, and might help them get on that American Shifters Weekly list.
    After he finished his coffee, he left his cashier in charge of the store and went to the mayor’s office. James Durant was a good mayor, but he didn’t have many innovative ideas for the town. They’d only gotten a slick website thanks to Owen’s wife. Clint wanted to run his idea by James before he went full steam ahead.
    “Afternoon, Clint.” James shook his hand. “Please sit down.”
    “Thanks.” Clint took a seat on one of the old chairs. The mayor’s office was really only two rooms in the small city hall. The décor looked like it hadn’t been updated since the late seventies. If Clint noticed, it had to be bad. He hadn’t bought new furniture himself since the early nineties.
    “What can I do for you?” the mayor asked.
    “I have an idea to fix up the