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

by Karice Bolton

  It didn’t matter what kind of games life played on us. We still made it through to the right side.

  I looked at my ring and then at Maddox. “You just made my fantasies a reality, you know.”

  “I was your fantasy?”

  “More than you know.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Wildflowers dripped from the pergola and were draped with the cake table displayed inside. Tables dotted along the park had vivid bluebells, hot pink fireweed, yellow columbines, and white daisies in the center. Our friends and family had gathered for our celebration.

  A real celebration of love.

  And life.

  Maddox walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, helping me out. I wasn’t wearing my wedding dress because…well, this wasn’t a wedding. Instead, I found a bright turquoise dress that matched the way I felt inside.

  Alive and ready to conquer what life had in store for me, for us.

  “You ready for this?” Maddox asked, squeezing my hand.

  I smiled and pressed my lips against his, feeling his smile through our kiss.

  “More than ever.” I smiled as he led me into the party.

  “You made it,” Arie yelled, hopping up from the table where my friends sat.

  “Of course, we made it.” I laughed.

  “You don’t think I’d let a little something like a stabbing stop me from declaring my love for the woman of my dreams.” He squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek.

  Winter dashed over to us and spun around. “I hope you don’t mind. I still wore my bridesmaid dress.”

  “And it looks gorgeous.” I grinned, taking my friend in.

  “Besides, it would be too cold for you to wear it at the wedding.” Maddox glanced in my direction, and I nodded.

  “Yes. Not quite the right look for a winter wedding.”

  Winter squealed in delight and clasped her hands together. “When’s the big date?”

  “December,” I said, trading a glance with Maddox who was beaming.

  Arie and Samantha came over to join us.

  “You’re getting married in December?” Arie hugged me.

  “We are.” I was smiling so much my face hurt, but it was a good pain.

  “And…” Maddox began.

  “You’re pregnant,” Winter squealed, and I laughed, shaking my head.

  She would never learn, and I no longer wanted to teach her a thing.

  “No.” I was quick to dispel that myth. “But you should have your Mr. Wrong by then. Right?”

  “Well, um. I mean, I can’t say for sure, but…” Winter cleared her throat. “Just because it worked out for you doesn’t mean it will work for me, and I can’t—”

  I turned to look at Samantha. “And you. You have until February, right?”

  “Umm.” Samantha shook her head. “I’m not going to commit to anything.”

  “Sorry, girls. That’s not the answer I was looking for.” I grinned.

  “We all agreed to the challenge, and I actually made it happen.” A tiny bit of guilt sprang up, but I tamped it right back down.

  Maddox looped his arm around my waist and brought me in. “She did, indeed. It’s only fair that you three find some unassuming—”

  Winter narrowed her eyes on me and then Maddox. “How do we know it’s real?”

  Dorothy and my mom wandered over to us, overhearing the last little bit, and I froze. Would they tell our secret?

  “Oh, honey.” Dorothy tapped Winter’s shoulder. “If you can’t tell these two are in love then—”

  Winter laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no. We all see it.”

  “But sometimes, I feel like Tessa just wants to teach us a lesson for trying to date Mr. Wrong,” Samantha added.

  “Well, first of all…” I grinned and stood on my toes to kiss Maddox. “He’s not my Mr. Wrong. He’s my Mr. Mistake.”

  “Mr. Right,” my mom corrected.

  “Exactly.” I smiled. “And second of all, do you think I’d go to this much trouble to prove my point? Jumping out of a plane? Come on…”

  Winter, Arie, and Samantha all nodded, and I started laughing.

  “But we’re just happy you found Mr. Right.” Winter hugged me. “No matter how it happened.”

  “We should probably say hello to the other guests.” I smiled, and my mom and Dorothy nodded.

  “You look beautiful.” My mom squeezed me tightly and let go as my brothers came forward.

  “Hey, there.” Brendan greeted Samantha before even looking in my direction, and I froze.

  Winter eyed me, and I shrugged, shaking my head.

  “We’re so happy for you, Sis.” Jack took me into a giant bear hug and rocked me back and forth. “Maddox is a great guy.”

  “He is, isn’t he?” I laughed as Jack broke free.

  “I knew this would happen.” Jack wiggled his brows, and I rolled my eyes at my brother.

  “Sure, you did.”

  I spotted Jordan in the crowd and waved. Since Brendan seemed preoccupied with Samantha, Maddox and I walked over to his friend.

  “Hey, Tessa.” Jordan gave me a hug. “It’s so good to see you again.”

  “You too.” I couldn’t stop beaming.

  Another man walked up and smiled.

  “And this is Terry. The other would-have-been groomsman today.”

  “But in December, right?” The man laughed. “I’ve got it on my calendar.”

  “Perfect.” Maddox smiled.

  “How are you feeling?” Jordan asked, glancing at where the wounds were.

  “Muscles are a little sore.” Maddox grimaced. “But I’m sure we’ll be jumping out of planes in no time.”

  I chuckled and hugged Maddox. “For sure.”

  “I see you eyeing that cake.” Maddox laughed. “You want to go check it out?”

  I nodded, and we walked over to the pergola. Most of the guests were getting drinks or at the buffet table, so it was an excellent time to be alone.

  As he walked me up the steps and under the beautiful flowers, my heart fluttered as if butterflies were dueling.

  Even though we weren’t saying our vows, everything felt right today.

  I had the love of my life standing by my side, and I knew our happily-ever-after was only just beginning.

  “Do you know how hard it is not to swipe some of that frosting while no one is looking?” I teased, staring at our cake.

  “I somehow think you agreed to all of this just so you wouldn’t miss out on your cake.” He laughed as we walked over to the edge of the cliff. A ferry chugged off in the distance, and the water was peaceful, glistening with only the slightest ripple.

  Magnificent,” he said, slowly wrapping his arms around my waist. “Almost as magnificent as you.”

  “You’re just saying that to get the girl,” I teased.

  He brought his lips close to my ear. “I thought I already had her.”

  I chuckled and looked into his beautiful blue eyes, and my world melted into his.

  The way it had the first time I met him and everything else around us had just faded into oblivion. That was when the first seed of love had been planted.

  “I’ll always love you, Tessa Berry.” Maddox lifted my face slowly, our gazes meeting. “You’re like an addiction I didn’t know I needed a fix for.”

  I giggled and cupped my palms around his face. “And you’re my happy mistake I didn’t know I needed.”

  Maddox’s gaze turned heated as his lips met mine. My hand caressed the back of his head and his kisses deepened. His lips parted once more, and I tasted the Maddox I’d been craving from the moment we’d met.

  My Maddox.

  His mouth pressed harder against mine, and I let out a little moan of anticipation as everything we’d been holding in for the last month was finally crashing down around us.

  Careful not to hurt him, I ran my fingers along his side and nibbled his bottom lip briefly before our lips parted.

/>   The kiss was so intimate and revealing that I knew the charade was over.

  “I love you, Maddox McKenzie.

  “I love you more.” He rested his forehead against mine, and I felt like the luckiest woman alive.

  Maybe my friends were right about this silly little game, but I’d never admit it to them.

  “I can’t wait for you to be my Mrs. McKenzie.” He smiled. “And I can’t wait to live on Fireweed.”

  My heart skipped a beat. We hadn’t even talked about where we’d be living.

  “Really? Fireweed?” I asked, his gaze locked on mine. “You’d do that for me?”

  He let out a low laugh and shook his head. “Well, after this week, it seems like the right thing to do.” Maddox playfully touched his chest and grinned.

  “Good call, Mr. McKenzie.”

  He drew me in closer and his lips touched down to mine stirring all of the emotions I’d been avoiding for so long.

  What we had might have started as a seed of something, but it had sprouted into a deep love that I knew would only grow with time. There was nothing that made me happier than to have my Mr. Mistake become my Mr. Right, now and forever.

  Our love was real. What we shared was real, as real as it got.

  Even though I’d wanted to teach my friends a lesson, I leaned the biggest one of all.

  Love didn’t hold back, but it was certainly full of surprises.

  THE END

  Want to find out when Mr. Accident and Mr. Wrong are available? Sign up here and receive an email on release day from Karice! Both books coming Summer 2019!!! Or preorder them today!

  Mr. Accident

  Mr. Wrong

  Read the Island County Series, Beyond Love Series, and Silver Ridge Series to find out more about Tori, Gabby, and the crew.

  Keep turning the pages for a sneak peek at Tori’s story in FINDING LOVE (now available!)

  Finding Love Excerpt

  Chapter One

  The last of the students shuffled out of the room, and I leaned against my desk wondering what in the world I’d signed up for. The silence wrapped around me and so did the dawning realization that I’d be stuck on the island all summer. It seemed like a good idea a few weeks ago, but once I arrived, I started having immediate doubts. Maybe teaching tenth grade summer school wasn’t the best idea to keep busy. I had more than enough to occupy myself with managing my dad’s affairs and getting his house ready to sell, but it was too late now. I’d signed a contract, and I needed to make the best of the situation. It was very clear none of the students wanted to be here and I didn’t blame them. Who would want to spend a summer indoors on the island? I needed to come up with a plan to get them interested and keep myself focused along the way.

  Easier said than done.

  I looked around the dull and dingy classroom and eyed the yellowed Shakespeare poster that been on the wall since I’d attended school here, and I didn’t need to count the years to know that had been a very long time ago. The beige walls were spotty from years of touch-up paint, and the only improvement I’d noticed was that the individual scarred wooden desks had been replaced with long, plastic tables. This space was dismal. I totally grasped why the kids wouldn’t want to be stuck inside this room all summer while their friends got to run around the island.

  I’d always loved summers on the island, but that was before my family splintered apart with never the hope of coming back together again.

  I kept in a sigh and began organizing the students’ papers in a folder. So much of this place had stayed the same. It was like going back in time and the only thing that had managed to age during the process was me. Not a very amusing thought since there were moments l still felt like a teenager inside.

  A breeze swept through an open window in the classroom lifting up one of the loose papers from the desk. I reached over and snatched the sheet out of the air and plunked it back down, anchoring it with my empty coffee mug. The sound of a metal ladder clanging along the side of the brick building caught my attention, and I glanced out the window to see the most well-defined stomach peeking out from under some guy’s shirt as he climbed up the ladder. My eyes were glued to his abdomen as he reached up to work on whatever it was he was doing, and it appeared I really had been flung back into high school.

  I needed to get out more.

  Instead of turning my attention away, however, I kept staring at this small gift from above and trundled over to the window as he worked his way up the ladder. Complete disappointment washed over me when his shirt fell to cover his stomach, but I still stood at complete attention hoping for one last glimpse. It wasn’t until I heard a woman clearing her throat behind me that I realized how close I’d gotten to the window and the man outside it. I had no idea what had come over me.

  I spun around, and my eyes met with the woman who’d hired me and two other female teachers who I’d seen around the campus.

  Such was my luck.

  As the embarrassment slowly permeated every ounce of my body, I noticed all of the women displayed a sort of knowing smile, but none of them said a word so I stood in place, cheeks flaming. My mind raced in every different direction to come up with a clever comeback, and of course, nothing of the sort came to mind.

  “I was just checking to see what all of that ruckus was about outside,” I stuttered, knowing my fair complexion gave me away. One of the many gifts about being a redhead—I lit up like a Christmas tree. “You know…in case he was in danger or the ladder wasn’t steady. I thought I should get a closer look. It sounded pretty dire.”

  “Indeed. I can understand that,” Rosa replied, still grinning. She was the principal and the woman behind getting me onboard for summer school. Her dark hair was trimmed short, and despite the warmth of summer, she wore a cream linen suit. Most teaching positions went to locals, but she had known my father and understood my situation and for that I was grateful. “We wanted to stop by and see how your first day went. You didn’t run screaming out the doors, which I take as a good sign.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Nope. Not gonna run. I’m hoping I can get the students interested in history before the summer is over. I only had a couple of texters, and I can’t say I blame them. The weather is beautiful, and I couldn’t imagine being stuck in school all summer at that age.” I smiled and heard the clank of the ladder again as it got moved along the building, but I stayed put, staring directly in front of me. I wasn’t going to fall for that trap twice, but I noticed one of the teachers looked out the window, and it was difficult not to follow her gaze.

  “As the summer goes on, their attention span gets worse,” the other teacher said, stepping out from behind Rosa. She reached out her hand and I shook it. “I’m Samantha. If you need anything, I’m only two doors down.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” I nodded. “What’s your subject?”

  “This summer I’m teaching biology,” Samantha replied.

  The other teacher ripped her gaze away from the peep show outside and brought her eyes to mine. “I’m Tessa and I’m four doors down, across the hall. I teach math.”

  Tessa was in a pair of black capri leggings and an oversized pink shirt. Her hair was in a bouncy ponytail, and her smile made me feel as if I’d known her for years. Samantha, not so much. Samantha followed Rosa’s lead and wore a white tailored suit, and I had the distinct feeling it would only be to my detriment if I asked her for any help or advice. I sensed she was a woman with an agenda and any questions would be a sign of weakness.

  “Well, I hope to be able to get the kids outside,” I started.

  “Off school property? That’s always a hassle and never worth the headache,” Samantha spouted.

  Tessa opened her mouth as if she was going to object, but shut it quickly, locking eyes with me.

  “Stop by the office on the way out, and Martha will get you all the necessary paperwork you need ahead of time if you decide to do that. I think any method that encourages the students to learn is a
plus,” Rosa replied, giving me a wry smile.

  Samantha looked agitated and flashed me a cold stare, and it was hard not to chuckle as Tessa rolled her eyes at Samantha’s agitation. The island dynamics were already at play.

  “Well, thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to teach this summer,” I said, hoping to tidy up the classroom quickly and get to the house that had so much left to do. Every second I devoted to the home was a second closer to getting off the island.

  “Don’t forget, we have an opening for full-time status this fall,” Rosa reminded me.

  My stomach clenched at the thought of having to stay around any longer than the end of August. It wasn’t that I didn’t have good memories being back here, but there were also plenty of sad ones, and I doubted I was ready to relive any of them, good or bad. The sooner I could get off the island, the better.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I think this assignment fits me perfectly.”

  Rosa nodded, and I smiled as I watched all three women walk out. Only a few seconds passed before Tessa reappeared.

  “Just ignore Samantha. That’s what we all do. She knows Rosa is going to be retiring in a few years and has decided to make it her mission to be the next principal. Not gonna happen if you ask me, which you didn’t.” Her grin widened, and I noticed what a pretty plum color her lips were naturally. In order to get anyone to see mine, I had to paint several coats of gloss on top and hope that I didn’t lick it all off before the morning was over.

  “I figured something had to be going on.” I glanced out the window without even thinking and saw that the ladder had been moved but was still in view.

  “It’s always a treat when he shows up,” Tessa chuckled.

  “How often does he show up?” I asked.

  “Not often enough.”

  I laughed and reached up to close the window as the mystery man began stepping down the ladder. My fingers fumbled as I dropped the blinds right before his face appeared in the window. I could shut the window later.