by Heidi McVay
Mistakes Were Made
Heidi McVay
Dearest Reader,
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Copyright ©2020 Heidi McVay
Cover: Heidi McVay
Photo Editing: Jamie Cox
Cover Model: Saudiq Parker
Photo by Saudiq Parker
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Author’s Note
This book began as a challenge to myself and is the second release of my 12 in 12 challenge. It’s rare that a book comes to life in such a fantastic way for a writer as this one did for me. It was a privilege to write something new and out of my usual genre. Careless in Calabasas is a new kind of romance series that defies the genre stereotypes of what hero and heroine should be. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Dedications
For my mom, who never laughs at me, even when I deserve it.
Saudiq Parker who was kind enough to allow me to talk him into being my cover model.
Yvonne Churley who gives me unending support.
Jamie Cox who isn’t afraid to tell me like it is, the good and the bad.
And for Patrice Bass, a woman who has become a sister to me in more ways than I can imagine, for being a part of my world and letting me be a part of your family.
Most especially to my readers, your patronage humbles me. I will be forever grateful.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
“I can’t believe you convinced her to get married in your mother’s backyard.” Scarlett couldn’t keep the laughter from her voice as she stood on the covered deck of Sylvia McCall’s home. In the large yard, workers were laboring under the hot July sun to arrange chairs, tables, and tents for the wedding that would take place the following day. “How the hell did you convince her to do that?”
Beside her, her best friend slanted a grin down at her. “She’s a really great girl. You’ll love her.” Zarek McCall was smirking in the same way she’d seen so many times as they’d been growing up. He’d had that same smirk on his face the day that Scarlett’s family had moved in next door to his when she was seven years old. “Besides, it’s the Garden District. It’s not exactly an average backyard wedding.”
Scarlett turned to lean on the deck railing as she lifted her beer, taking a long sip. “I’m sure she’s great.”
She watched as Zarek’s eyes, the color of molten steel exactly like his mother’s, softened at her words. His own beer bottle dangled loosely from his fingers. “Tatiana is amazing, Scar. She’s smart, she’s kind, she’s sexy as hell. I’d be an idiot not to marry her.”
Scarlett’s heart ached at those words, just as they’d ached every time she’d seen him with another female since her thirteenth birthday when he’d shyly given her the first real fumbling kiss of her life at her request. It had been right here on this very deck, after the surprise party his mother had hosted at Zarek’s insistence. Since the day that he’d shown up in the kitchen of the house they’d moved into, two years older and seeming very grown-up, to introduce himself, Scarlett’s world had been defined by her friendship with Zarek.
Now, he was smiling at her as he had since they were children, and yet again, Scarlett’s stomach was doing flip flops. She’d known this day would come since the first time she’d seen the paparazzi pictures of Zarek and Tatiana Landais pop up in her social media feeds six months before. She’d known the second she had zoomed into the first picture and seen the expression on his face. With an aching heart, she’d recognized the soft way his eyes crinkled at the corners as he did when he was genuinely happy. She knew the way that his ever-present boyish smirk changed to a gentle smile. With every fiber of her body, Scarlett knew that the way he angled his head down to close the distance between himself and Tatiana, his forehead pressed against hers as he listened to something the woman was saying, was the posture of her best friend at his happiest. The only real surprise about this wedding was that it was taking place so damn quickly. Too quickly.
Scarlett occupied herself with a drink of ice-cold beer as she struggled with the words. Finally, she just chose blunt. Zarek would forgive her nearly anything and was used to her clumsiness with words. “You did have her sign a prenup, right?”
Zarek froze, his beer hovering in the air near his lips for a moment.
Without taking a drink, he lowered it and narrowed his eyes on her.
“Why?”
Scarlett pressed her lips into a thin line as she fought for words. How could she tell him that she was worried about his future when he seemed so completely unconcerned? She spoke slowly, doing her best to choose neutral words, but as usual, failing completely. “Your last movie made nearly a hundred million in the opening weekend alone. You made nearly twenty million last year, Z. You have to prot-”
She watched as his impossibly handsome face twisted, and he interrupted her with an impatient slash of his hand. “We had this conversation already last year when I was dating Maria. I told you then, just because you read something on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true.”
Scarlett straightened and opened her mouth to speak once more, only to find him daring to point a finger in her direction. “I get paid in lots of digits, yes, but that’s not what I actually make. People read the numbers online and suddenly think I’m rolling in cash. Scar, you know damn well there’s a reason why I still keep Buttercup in my garage.
Buttercup was Zarek’s first car. It had been a piece of shit when he’d bought it off his grandfather when he’d gotten his license at sixteen. He’d sunk more money than Scarlett made in a year into restoring the crusty old car, turning it into a pristine piece of shit. No matter how much he spent on the old El Camino, it was still a fucking El Camino. She sighed heavily. He was right. They’d had this exact conversation the first time he’d called her in shock when he realized just how much a multi-million dollar studio contract actually cost him in take-home pay. His net worth was still quite good, but Scarlett did know there was a reason why his first purchase with his first solid paycheck had been a used Range Rover to replace Buttercup as a daily driver.
She drew in a deep breath and lifted a hand in surrender. “I know, Z. But to some people, it’s a lot of money. Single-digit millions is still more than most people ever see in their lives. You’ve worked so hard, and I guess I just want to make sure that you’re protected.”
That handsome jaw clenched for a moment before she heard him release a breath, low and long, in that way when he was forcing himself to be patient with her. “She doesn
’t need my money. Her family has more than I’ll ever see. Her dad owns like a dozen casinos. Tati doesn’t need anything from me. I promise you.”
“So, no prenup.” The words were out before she could stop herself, and she saw Zarek’s jaw tighten again.
He shook his head, and she heard a very clear note of warning in his voice. “Scar. Stay out of it.”
Scarlett raised her hands, still gripping the nearly empty beer in one hand, fingers spreading once more in an age-old gesture as she gave in to Zarek without another word. She smiled her most earnest smile and straightened, moving toward him. As always, his face softened, and he relaxed, his smile returning to impossibly gorgeous features. Never was she so aware that her friend was a giant than when he stood within arm’s reach of her. Zarek’s massive six foot five frame was that of a mountain that had been given breath and turned into a muscled wall of giant male.
Stuck perpetually at five feet and one entire inch, Scarlett had felt every inch between them acutely since the first time she’d gotten her little Smart car. Zarek had gritted his teeth and smiled, tucking his lanky teenage frame into it for the obligatory first spin around the block.
Scarlett could still recall the ridiculous picture he’d made with his knees crammed into the dashboard and head tipped ever so slightly to avoid the roof of, what had seemed to her, a perfectly reasonable amount of cabin space.
She set the beer bottle on the deck railing and rose on her toes, giving in to the urge to slide her arms around his neck. He returned the hug without hesitation, his arms going around her tightly. Dear God, he smelled good. Scarlett squeezed him as she murmured the words softly.
“I just want you to be happy.” With that, she brushed a kiss over his bearded face.
As she stepped back, he released her, and in his gray eyes, she read open contentment. His smile was soft once more, but this time, it wasn’t for her. “I am Scar. I promise. And it’s only going to get better.”
Those words sent her heart into overdrive. She smiled again, the same expression that she’d been using to cover her aching heart since she’d realized she was in love with him when she’d been off to college, and he’d turned up in her driveway in that busted up old El Camino. He’d driven from LA, spending two days in a car without air-conditioning, just to help her make the trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Two days of driving to help move her and her things an entire hour and a half north.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Okay, McCall, stop rubbing it in. No one needs to hear about how disgustingly happy you are with your supermodel bride. ”
He chuckled a low rumble that vibrated from his chest, his lips parting to show off perfectly even teeth his dad’s money had paid for during his last two years of high school, when he’d been all nose, legs, and had tried so damn hard to convince himself and her that three chin hairs made a beard. “Tati’s pregnant.” He concluded.
Scarlett’s heart stopped beating. Dread crept into her chest, tightening around her lungs and robbing her of breath. Her stomach was somewhere around her knees as her mouth worked soundlessly. Any delusional fantasies she’d harbored about him realizing an undying love for her were immediately and completely shredded by this harsh dose of reality. The one reason she’d never told him of her feelings was the one thing this woman was already going to give him. Zarek wanted to be a father; she’d known it for years. He’d always mentioned it as a “someday”, a part of his plans for his future. Scarlett swallowed hard and fought back the tightness in her chest to summon a bright smile.
“Pregnant.”
He stared at her for a moment, seeing right past that fake smile. This man really did know her too well. “Shit. Scar. I’m sorry. I didn’t think-”
“No!” She rushed to reassure him, then dropped the smile. “I’m just surprised! Zarek, that’s so great!” Stunned was easy enough; that shit was genuine. Whatever he saw in her eyes, Scarlett couldn’t let him think, even for a moment, that her heart was breaking as it had been the moment she’d gotten the call from him the week before, announcing his upcoming marriage to a fucking supermodel. Scarlett released a rarely-heard girly squeal and launched herself at him, more to hide her face from his too-intense gaze than because she wanted to touch him again. “You’re going to be a daddy! That’s so great, Z. Really. I’m just… that’s amazing.”
His arms tightened around her for a moment, and she felt the tears coming. The grief that crashed into her was both unexpected and overwhelming. Scarlett could feel the world blurring, going off-kilter. A sob was wrenched from her despite her best efforts, and a moment later, Zarek’s arms loosened, and he was gripping her by the shoulders. “Scar? I’m sorry. I should have been gen-”
Scarlett sniffled and forced a smile. “Happy tears. Girls do that.”
Zarek’s expression was still skeptical, and more than a little cautious. “Happy tears? No bullshit?”
She balled up a fist and sent it into his stomach lightly. “When have I ever held back anything I was feeling from you?” All the time. Every goddamn day. Every text message. Every email. Every fucking phone call for years. She dabbed at her eyes, grateful that she wasn’t wearing makeup that could make her look even worse and cleared her throat. “A dad. That’s so great, Z.”
Zarek relaxed and pulled her forward, pressing a light kiss to her forehead before releasing her. “Thanks, Scar. I know it’s gotta be hard-”
“Oh, would you shut up?” It was a conversation they’d had before, but never when it came to him. She took everything she’d ever said to one of her close friends, every single time one of them got pregnant, which was more and more often these days, and aimed them squarely at Zarek’s conscience. “You’re allowed to be happy, and I’m allowed to be happy for you. This is a good thing. A baby is wonderful. Oh lord, your mom must be so thrilled.”
Her friend gave a sheepish smile and then nodded. “She’s not happy about the order of things, said I was on the brink of repeating history, but I did point out that I was marrying the woman I knocked up. Mom didn’t appreciate my choice of words, but by the end of the conversation, she at least understood why I was doing it.”
Scarlett knew without having to ask exactly what he was referring to. Sylvia McCall’s decade of world travel and free love before she’d discovered Buddhism in her mid-thirties had given her two things. Zarek and generous child-support payments from the man she’d spent months shacked up with in Cairo, Zarek’s father. According to Sylvia, the two had been madly in love, but she wasn’t what his conservative parents had in mind for a bride. When she’d gotten pregnant, Abasi El Masry had been thrilled. His parents, however, had been livid. They’d made life such hell for Sylvia that she’d finally called it done and left Cairo, arriving back home to her family in New Orleans mere weeks before Zarek had been born.
Scarlett had first met Abasi when he’d come to the States for, of all things, Zarek’s fourteenth birthday party. She’d been surprised to find the man was quite nice. Even at twelve, she’d recognized the longing on his face as he’d watched his son during the party Sylvia had thrown. Scarlett frowned faintly as she realized something. It was something that didn’t sit well with her. “What did your dad say?”
Zarek drew in a breath, clearly hesitating for a moment. Finally, he straightened and set his empty bottle on the railing beside hers and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Stubborn old goat. He said he wished me well, but he didn’t care for Tati. Just like Mom. They’ve both been warning me off her for a while now.”
Probably with good reason. Sylvia was known for her gut reactions, usually dramatic and over the top, but the woman didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Abasi was just as nice, but far more stern, a personality trait that Zarek shared on a bone-deep level that proved just how deep genetics went. Abasi was just as tall, just as innately alpha male, but even more concerned with his son’s well-being than he had any right to be. If there was such a thing as international helicopter parenting, Abasi El Masry would
be the textbook example.
Zarek was staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to take his side, as she always did. Despite her best intentions, her mouth twisted, and she drew in a breath, releasing it slowly. “We don’t know her yet.” She allowed softly. “I’m sure your dad is just concerned. You know how much he loves you.”
“And how damn bossy he is.” Zarek interjected without compunction.
“Just like you.” She shot back without missing a beat. “You’ve been bossing me around since the day you wandered into my kitchen before the moving truck even left.”
Zarek snorted as they revisited their oldest argument. “Oh, I have not.”
Scarlett shook her head. “Oh, really? The first thing you ever said to me wasn’t ‘Hi, I’m your neighbor.’ it was ‘Get your bike. I’m gonna show you the neighborhood’. You didn't even give me a choice. You just told me. And you’ve been telling me ever since.”
His full lips twitched as he opened his mouth to deny it. “I’m not that bad!”
“Really? Just last month, you were trying to talk me into moving to LA and getting a job with some tech company you’d heard about. Face it. You’re the bossiest person we both know.” She knew the moment she had him when he broke into a shit-eating grin.
It was the same grin that had been melting her heart since she’d realized her heart had begun to beat a little faster when he was near, somewhere along the time that he’d taught her how to drive in the El Camino.
“But you love me anyway. Deep down, you wish I’d boss you more often. You think it’s hot.”
“Oh, shut up.” She reached for their empty beer bottles and took a step back. “I don’t have time for this. I have to go to the mall to find a wedding gift. I was gonna give you new seat covers for the El Camino, but apparently, now I need to class it up.”
Zarek shook his head in disapproval. “I will never turn down seat covers for Buttercup.” Only Zarek would name his yellow piece of shit El Camino after a flower. She waved and headed for the stairs, tossing the bottles into the recycling bin as she went. She heard his bellowed words after her. “Yellow seat covers!”