Free Beary And Bright (Fire Bear Shifters 6) by Sloane Meyers

ceremony site, the parking lot was already packed. Mindy had been a nurse at Red Valley’s largest hospital for several years, and she had several friends and acquaintances who wanted to attend her wedding. Usually, lifemate ceremonies were small affairs, limited only to shifters and those humans who already knew that shifters existed. No one wanted their wedding ruined by humans asking questions about the strange traditions being observed, or, worse, realizing in horror that shifters existed. But Mindy had insisted that she wanted a larger wedding and she didn’t want to exclude any of her many friends. The ceremony would thus be toned down, and any references to shifting or lifemates would be couched in terms that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows among the fully human members of the audience.
    Clara was looking forward to attending a wedding that was closer to the kind of celebration to which many full humans were accustomed. She had never been to a wedding that wasn’t a full-fledged lifemate ceremony, so this would be a different, exciting experience for her.
    Clara followed Hunter and Riley into the beautiful church where the ceremony would be held. The windows were all stained glass, and the pews were made of rich, ornately carved wood. The church wasn’t large, but nearly all of the seats were filled already. The mood was upbeat, and Clara smiled as she looked around, trying to see if she recognized any of the faces. She saw a few people she recognized as regulars at the pie shop, waving in recognition when her gaze passed over theirs. Clara had just about settled in to her seat next to Riley when she glanced back toward the entrance and did a double take. Carter had just walked in, looking nervous but handsome as ever in a charcoal gray suit. He quickly took a seat in the back row, his eyes darting around over the crowd of people. Clara quickly turned around in her seat and stared straight ahead. She didn’t want to be caught watching him yet again. And she didn’t want to acknowledge the way her heart beat faster at the sight of him.
    If only he were the one sending her all those flowers, Clara thought dreamily. She’d be excited about the over the top romantic gesture if the bouquets came from him. She almost laughed at the thought. Carter seemed like a tough guy. The kind of man who was a little rough around the edges and didn’t have time for silly, superfluous activities like sending flowers and writing love notes. He seemed nice enough, but he was a big, muscular construction worker. He liked to be outdoors and work with his hands. Nothing about his profile fit a man who would send off bouquets as a secret admirer.
    Clara turned her attention to admiring the lavish decorations at the altar, where in just about fifteen minutes Mindy and Zach would stand to say their vows. Mindy had wanted a holiday themed wedding, and she had gone all out with giant arrangements of poinsettias accented by glittering gold ribbons. A wooden arch, decorated with mistletoe, had been placed near the altar. Clara admired the decorations, then frowned as she realized that she had let her own resolve to decorate the hangar slip away into the busyness of life. She decided that she would make getting a Christmas tree a priority once Monday came along and she had a day off.
    The music that had been playing in the background suddenly changed and grew louder, signaling that the ceremony was starting. Zach took his place near the altar. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a bright poinsettia bloom serving as his boutonniere. Clara turned to watch as Bailey and Ian walked down the aisle. Despite Mindy’s desire to have a big wedding and invite as many guests as possible, she kept the bridal party simple. Bailey was Mindy’s best friend among the crew, and so she was serving as the maid of honor. And Ian, the alpha of the crew, was Zach’s best friend. He was serving as both the best man and officiator of the ceremony. An odd combination,