Mr. Mistake: A Fake Marriage Romance (Mr. Mistake Series Book 1)

by Karice Bolton

  Chapter Thirteen

  I’d somehow managed to fall asleep, and morning came far too quickly. I slowly turned over in the bed, halfway expecting to see Mr. Mistake staring back at me. I’d by lying if I didn’t admit that I was bummed to see nothing but an empty pillow.

  The smell of bacon and coffee drifted through the lodge, which immediately put a spring in my step. I glanced at a bear-shaped clock on the wall and decided to dash into the shower. He said to dress warmly, so I grabbed a pair of jeans and a form-fitting sweater I could pair over a T-shirt in case I got hot in the day.

  By the time I climbed out of the shower, dried off, and dressed, Maddox was knocking on the door, informing me that breakfast was ready. I drew in a deep breath and prayed I’d get through the day.

  All I could think about were Maddox’s words, and it was nearly impossible to stay focused.

  If merely his words left me unhinged, I couldn’t possibly imagine what sleeping with him would actually do.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  I took a deep breath and tried to get the flush out of my cheeks. Even though we hadn’t slept together, it certainly looked like we had. After a few more seconds, I realized it was a useless exercise and headed down the hall to see my family and friends huddled in the great room with their plates of food.

  “This is the best bacon in the world,” Winter hummed, taking a bite.

  “I’m glad you like it.” I grinned, glancing in Maddox’s direction.

  The moment our eyes connected, I felt the familiar heat race through my veins.

  Maddox was right. I wouldn’t have been alert. I’m hardly aware of my surroundings now.

  I walked over to the kitchen, where he handed me a plate of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and hash browns.

  “Eat up. You have a big day.”

  I smiled and glanced down at my pancake. “There’s coconut on it.”

  He kissed my forehead and whispered, “Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you.” Our eyes stayed connected for a beat too long, and the memory of last night’s kiss came washing in.

  ‘How’s our girl?” my dad called out. “Happy birthday, Tessa.”

  “Happy Birthday,” everyone sang in unison.

  “Thanks, guys.” I took a bite of bacon and glanced at Maddox. “Wow. This is the best bacon ever.”

  “Glad you approve. There’s more.”

  “I might just waddle over there to get some.”

  We all ate reasonably quickly, and I saw Maddox leave for a call before returning to round us up.

  “Just follow me. It’s about thirty minutes away.”

  “Wherever it is.” Arie laughed, grabbing her jacket.

  “No kidding. I don’t know whether to be excited or scared,” I teased as we all filed out the front door.

  Maddox grabbed my hand and tugged me in his direction, and I flashed him a grateful smile. He really was far better at pretending than I was since I was about to trundle off with my friends.

  He’d already pulled a Jeep out of his garage and we climbed in.

  “So, any clues?” I joked. “We’re all in separate cars, so I wouldn’t mess it up too badly.”

  “No clues.” He smiled.

  “Come on. One clue? A small clue?” I asked as we pulled onto the main road in the opposite direction we’d come from.

  “No.”

  “That’s all I get is no?”

  “Yup.” He laughed. “Just enjoy playing the part.”

  I shook my head and looked out the window, seeing the pine trees race by in a blur. “I don’t even know what part to play any longer.”

  “You’re the doting girlfriend who doesn’t know her boyfriend is about to pop the question on her thirtieth birthday.”

  “Within a week of knowing one another,” I joked.

  “In a week.” He shrugged. “Hey, love is love.”

  I laughed and gave him a sideways glance. “Do you think two people could actually fall in love that quickly?”

  “Your dad told me he knew within two weeks of spending time with your mom that she was the one.” He looked at me quickly before returning his gaze to the road. “And then he asked by week three, and they were married five weeks after knowing one another.”

  I turned in my seat. “How do you know all this?”

  “I don’t know. It just came up when I told him about my plan.”

  “Your plan? Don’t you mean our plan?” I teased.

  He reached over and squeezed my hand. “Our plan. But your question, do I think people could fall in love that quickly?”

  “Yeah. Deeply in love?” I asked.

  “I think the longer you love, the deeper it becomes.”

  “So, week one might be a surface-level love,” I teased, and he laughed.

  “I think it could happen. A seed of love can be planted.”

  I nodded and turned my attention to the road ahead when I saw a small airport with a huge banner advertising skydiving hanging on the chain-link fence.

  “Umm.” My heart started racing as we pulled into the small parking lot with a couple of small buildings. I spotted several hangars beyond, and my head began spinning.

  “I thought this might be a great way to kick off your thirtieth.” He grinned, turning off the engine and glancing over at me. “To new beginnings and challenges.”

  “Are you serious?” My eyes widened in surprise. “This is the perfect fearment situation.”

  “Fearment?” he asked as his blue eyes connected with mine.

  “Fear and excitement wrapped into one big ball of emotion.” I noticed my family and friends parking near us. “This is…” I looked at Maddox again. “No one has ever gone to this much trouble for me.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

  He shrugged. “Just enjoy it. You only turn thirty once.”

  I laughed. “If I survive, I can’t imagine how I’ll be able to top this on my fortieth.”

  He squeezed my hand. “I’m sure I can manage.”

  My gaze flashed to his and I tried to understand which Maddox this was, but seeing another car pull up two stalls over with his brother in the backseat broke my train of thought.

  “Oh, my gosh. My friends are going to get to meet your brother as an adult.” I smiled, noticing his mom and dad climbing out of the car. “Your parents haven’t aged a day.”

  “My mom will love you forever when I tell her you said that.” He drew a breath, and his hand slipped from mine. “You ready to jump out of a perfectly solid airplane?”

  I giggled and nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “They jump tandem with newbies.”

  “Well, that’s probably a wise idea.”

  “Safety first.” He climbed out of the driver’s seat, and even though I was beyond excited for what I was about to do, my knees were literally clanking together, and my hands were trembling.

  “That’s a good sign.” I slid my hands in the back pockets of my jeans to hide the fact that I was shaking as we walked over to his parents.

  “You must be Tessa Berry.” His mom smiled and reached out for a big hug, kissing each cheek as she went. “You’re even more gorgeous than Maddox described.”

  “Oh, thank you.” I shook my head, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. “Depends on the lighting.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, patting my shoulder. “Isn’t that the truth? Well, I’m Dorothy, and this is my husband, Joe. I don’t think we ever met back when you and Morgan were in school.”

  “No. I just lived in the neighborhood, but I never hung out with Morgan,” I explained.

  His mom smiled, looking relieved. I think she knew about her younger son’s high school escapades.

  “So, you’re a bit of a daredevil like Maddox, I hear.” His dad beamed and slapped Maddox on the shoulder. “He gets it from his old man.”

  I chuckled as my parents and friends wandered over. Surprise covered their features when they spotted Morgan McKenzie, an
d it honestly looked like my father wanted to kiss Maddox for being who he was.

  “S’up.” Morgan nodded toward my friends, whom I could tell were trying not to break into laughter.

  “Well, I hate to break up this nonreunion, but Tessa has a safety class to take before her first jump.”

  I swallowed down the mountain of fear that suddenly appeared and pointed my trembling finger toward the building with the skydiving banner on it. “That way?”

  Maddox laughed and wrapped his arm over my shoulders. “That’s the way, but if you don’t want to—”

  “Hogwash.” I laughed. “I’m not about to let a little case of nerves keep me from doing something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  “Kersplat,” Winter whispered behind me. “That’s the worst that could happen.”

  I turned my head and threw her a playful scowl. “You always know exactly what to say.”

  She laughed as Arie looped her arm through Winter’s. Samantha stood staring at the informational sign, reading it as if her own life depended on it.

  “There’s a coffeeshop over there in the other building.” Maddox pointed next door. “You guys can hang out while she goes through the class and then come onto the airfield when she’s about to go up.”

  My mom looked terrified, but she kept her chin up and her eyes anchored on my dad, who seemed proud of his girl.

  Jack came up behind me and gave me a big bear hug, teetering me off balance. “You do what they tell you.” He looked at Maddox. “And you make sure nothing happens to my sister, or I’ll find you.”

  “Loud and clear.” Maddox opened the door to the skydiving school and bent down, brushing a kiss on my lips as our friends and family dispersed into the next building over. I wasn’t sure if I was more excited that he kissed me in public or more excited about jumping out of the plane. Oddly, the thought of both made my stomach dip, twirl, and swirl.

  “You must be Tessa Berry.” A man came walking over to greet us, and I stuck out my trembling hand. “I’ll be one of your instructors this morning and your tandem partner. The name’s Jordan Baker.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I smiled, feeling the strength in his grip.

  I couldn’t imagine anything worse than signing up to jump out of a plane with a man who had a dead-fish handshake. When I thought of falling out of the sky, I pictured being paired up with someone who exuded strength, resolution, and confidence. Jordan and Maddox both demonstrated those qualities.

  “He’s also my best friend.” Maddox grinned. “Since college.”

  “Yup.” Jordan glanced at me and smiled. “And I remember him trying some funny things to get you to notice him.”

  I chuckled. “Very romantic, if I hadn’t been so oblivious. The white roses were—”

  “Oh, there were more things than just the weekly white rose.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprise replacing the fear in my veins.

  “Okay, so don’t we need to start the class or something?” Maddox laughed, waving his hand in front of his friend.

  “Right.” Jordan smirked as he motioned us to follow him.

  We walked by a classroom with rows of chairs, a chalkboard, a big screen, and demo equipment.

  “Maddox rented the place for the day, so it’s just us three.” He smiled, motioning for me to sit.

  He turned on the television. “Okay, so watch this video and pay careful attention. I’ll go over everything in greater detail, but the more times you hear and see it, the better. I’ll be back with some papers for you to sign.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, expecting Maddox to sit next to me, but instead, he followed his friend.

  I shook off my slight annoyance and began watching the video, mentally filing everything away and practicing the steps in my head. The instructor would be doing most everything during the fall, but in case something happened to him, I needed to know what to do as well.

  When the video ended, Jordan handed me some paperwork, which I dutifully filled out, including listing my weight. I figured under the circumstances, now wasn’t the time to fib on that topic.

  “Great.” Jordan scanned the paperwork and sat on the table as he began telling me about the equipment, showing me the harness, and discussing what will happen at various stages in the fall.

  Next, he took me over to an area where we practiced exiting from the plane, how to position my body for the free fall and during the parachute control, and the proper landing position so I didn’t break my legs. After practicing several times, my adrenaline was surging, and all I wanted was to get up in the plane.

  “You ready?” Jordan asked, and I eagerly nodded. I was itching to jump out of the plane and feel near weightlessness.

  I saw Maddox suiting up already, and my stomach knotted. “You’re not going tandem?”

  Maddox smiled and shook his head. “I’m certified. I’ve jumped over seventy times and counting.”

  “Really?” I asked as I pulled my suit up and buckled my helmet. Not that I was sure a helmet would be the thing to save me if the chute failed. It would be quite a bounce, but I was all for positive thinking.

  “Yup.” He winked at me, and I suddenly felt like I was in high school, about to be asked to my first prom.

  “Out to the plane.” Jordan pointed to the back doors leading to the runway where I saw our family and friends already congregating.

  “It’s happening,” I nearly hummed as we went outside and greeted my parents and brothers. They all gave me hugs and then my friends dove in.

  “This is amazing,” Winter exclaimed, clapping her hands. “What kind of man listens to a girlfriend this closely?”

  I glanced over at Maddox’s brother, who was staring at a rock near the café, and chuckled.

  “Not many.”

  They followed my gaze to Morgan and snickered.

  “Good luck.” Arie gave me one last squeeze. “I’d say break a leg, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Yeah. It sounded like it could happen if I landed wrong.” I giggled as my friends looked horrified.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” I waved at my parents and loaded the plane with Jordan. Maddox climbed on after us, and my heart skipped a beat.

  As the pilot and two other men climbed on, the plane began to roar to life and Maddox came over to squat next to me. Jordan clipped us into the plane, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

  Maddox slipped his gloved hand into mine. “You ready for this?” His eyes stayed fastened on me, and my stomach felt as if I’d already jumped out of the plane.

  “More than you know.” I smiled. “Thank you. Thanks for making my birthday special. I know this whole thing is weird and there’s no real line between fact and fiction, but—”

  He smiled and shook his head, yelling to fight over the noise of the engine and the wind blowing with the open door to below. “I’m just glad you’re happy. Remember, this fall has two speeds. There’s either fast or slow. There’s no in-between.”

  “Sounds like our life at the moment,” I shouted, and he nodded.

  We’d been in the air for about ten minutes when Jordan started shouting all the instructions again that we’d gone through on the ground. My hands were no longer trembling as Jordan and I readied ourselves for the jump. The harness keeping us together fit snugly, the belt digging into my skin as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Don’t do that when you jump, or you’ll miss the free fall,” Maddox boomed. “Keep your beautiful eyes open.”

  I blinked my eyes open and laughed. “Good point.”

  “We’re at altitude. You ready?” Jordan asked, and I nodded, feeling the excitement bubble over into terror as we moved so close to the open door. “Maddox is first.”

  “Okay,” I shouted, unsure if anyone heard me this close to the opening.

  And within a second, I watched Maddox exit the plane in perfect form, flying into the wind.

/>   Jordan scooted us forward. “Three…two…one.”

  On one, it was as if my entire body no longer existed in this world, and I tried to memorize every second of this feeling. Speeding through the air at 120 MPH was something I’d dreamed about since I was a little girl. I didn’t know how I’d get to this moment, but I knew I would someday. As I stared at everything below, I felt as if I were one with the world. The peaks of the mountains, the valleys below, all seemed to be within my grasp.

  In a blink of an eye, the chute opened, and my body thudded into slow motion as we drifted together over the valley. I felt Jordan’s arms moving as he controlled the parachute, and I watched Maddox glide with such ease. It was hard to believe that for thirty seconds, I’d been falling to the earth with such a wicked force, and now I was as light as air, sailing to the ground.

  And all of this was possible because of Maddox McKenzie, the best actor in the Western Hemisphere.

  As our canopy flight continued, I saw something below that caught my eye. As I squinted my eyes and wished I could adjust my goggles, I stared below at what looked like letters spelling something out.

  Jordan was very clearly heading in that direction, and it wasn’t until we got on top of it that I realized what it said.

  I glanced in Maddox’s direction, and my stomach knotted. My perfect, albeit phony, engagement was playing out in front of me, and I couldn’t help but get swept away as I read the message below:

  T, Will You Marry Me?

  Chapter Fourteen

  There are some things in life that are expected to bring happy tears.

  Births, engagements, weddings, and graduations, all tangible moments. Moments you’ll never get back, recreate, or lament for again. But phony happy tears? Impossible.

  Logically, I knew this was part of our plan. Part of my plan. I didn’t know this was how he was going to do it, but I knew an engagement was happening. I assumed over dinner.

  But with every girly bone in my body, the moment we touched down and Maddox came running over to me, chute detached from his body, goggles and helmets thrown off us both, I succumbed.