The Leopard in Love (BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance) (Mail-Order Mates Book 8) by Lola Kidd

One
    Kai looked around the busy airport. He was supposed to pick up two passengers in front of the gift shop at four o’clock. It was now four fifteen and neither woman was in sight. He began to pace. His leopard hated being in crowds. It was one of the reasons he’d pursued starting his own private flight business instead of commercial flying.
    When another fifteen minutes had passed he went to check the flight boards. Of course, both flights were running late. He bought himself a magazine and settled in for a long wait. He’d bought another two magazines by the time his first passenger showed up.
    “Sorry I’m late.” Olivia Grey looked a little more harried than normal. “I still need to get my bags. I’m so sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
    Kai nodded. “I have, but it’s part of the job. No way I could come back to town without you, anyway. You’re the guest of honor.”
    “Thank you for being so understanding. Where’s the other woman?”
    “Her flight is late too. Come on, I’ll help you get your bags.”
    Kai and Olivia navigated their way across the airport and then went to wait in front of the other woman’s gate. No point in making her walk across the airport when they could go to her. Olivia picked up a salad to eat while they waited.
    “How have things been in Sunset Falls?” She opened her salad and splashed a few drops of ranch dressing on it.
    “Things have been great. I have to thank you for bringing me more business than I know what to do with. I’m considering bringing on a second pilot and buying another plane.”
    “That busy?”
    “You have no idea. I’m out of the house four days a week now. I’m trying to cut back now that the holidays are coming, but the money is too good.”
    “You have a son, right?”
    “Yes, KJ. He’s in middle school and can take care of himself well enough. I’ll have to make a decision pretty soon. I don’t want to be gone this much in the summer when he’ll be home alone all day.”
    “I guess that means our ad campaign has been a success for both of us. I was going to wait to tell people, but I love sharing.” She put down her fork and paused dramatically. “I’m writing a book! A publisher approached me and I had to scramble to get an agent to negotiate foreign rights but it’s all very exciting.”
    “Congratulations! I’m guessing it’s going to be a dating book?”
    Olivia nodded. “Specifically for women looking to date shifters. I’m going to suggest they use LK Brides to find the lucky man. My guide will also help human women navigate the pitfalls of dating one of you wild men.”
    Kai laughed and then sighed. “I think you’re going to do very well with that guide. It can be hard for a human woman to date a shifter. I’m an example of that.”
    “You lost a few human women, huh?”
    He smiled wistfully. “You could say that. KJ’s mom ran off the minute she found out I was a shifter. She gave birth and left the hospital without saying a word to me.”
    “Oh, no! That’s so sad. Have you ever heard from her again?”
    “No. I don’t think I’d want to at this point. She wasn’t my mate, and it would only complicate our lives. It was just as much my fault. I should have been honest with her from the start. She only found out because I put my shifter status on the birth certificate.”
    “You could have handled that a lot better, but it doesn’t make what she did any better.” Olivia picked up her fork again and looked at Kai thoughtfully. “Can I ask you a question, since we’re getting randomly personal?”
    “Sure, ask away.”
    “Why didn’t you sign up with the service when everyone in town was getting matched?”
    Kai was stumped. That wasn’t the question he was expecting. “I never thought about it. Wasn’t even on my radar. I mean, you did a great job, but it isn’t something I’m interested in.”
    “Even after seeing all the happy couples?” she prodded.
    He thought about all the men in