Page 34 of Mr. Big Mistake
She paused. “Five.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “You have five dating apps on your phone, and you haven’t found someone yet? How the hell is that possible?”
She giggled. “That’s what I’ve been telling everyone. I don’t get it.”
“I don't get it either, now.”
Our food came to the table, and things fell silent between us. I was much hungrier than I anticipated, and I practically wolfed down my food. Whereas Kelly was cutting things up with her fork and her knife before taking the smallest, cutest little bites I’d ever seen anyone take.
“Huh,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering about something.”
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I could’ve sworn this came with a cinnamon roll. I was going to split it with you.”
I stood from my seat. “One cinnamon roll coming up.”
“Oh, Brenden. You don’t have t--.”
I held out my hand. “What my bride wants, she gets. Give me five minutes.”
She smiled. “Okay. Sounds good.”
I walked my happy ass over to the waiter and tapped him on the shoulder. After offering up my grievance, he apologized profusely and went to go check the kitchen. But, when I turned back around to approach Kelly, I was hit with something I’d never felt before.
A wave washed over me, threatening to drag me under. Like a rip current with a small child in its grasp. I tried to fight it. I tried to stuff down the urge. But, when my eyes settled on Kelly in her short little shorts with her long legs dangling, and her oversized sweater falling off her shoulder with little wisps of hair tickling her eyes so much that she brushed them out of the way… I found myself entranced.
I’m in deep, deep, deep shit.
I strode to get back to the table. I carved out a pathway through the crowd to get back to Kelly. My bride. Well, not really my bride. But, for the next week, she was. And I wanted to treat her with all the honor and respect a wife should have from her husband. Someone cut me off, though. They slipped in front of me with a silver tray balanced on their fingertips with a white envelope gracing the top. The cut-off was enough to throw me off my rhythm, and I almost tripped over my own two feet.
Until I saw the man with the silver tray headed for Kelly.
Until I saw him usher the tray in front of her face.
Until I saw her eyes study the envelope before her face turned white.
And the panic in her eyes was enough to feed me with the strength I needed to get back to her.
9
Kelly
“Your wedding certificate, ma’am.”
I stared down at the silver tray holding the white envelope.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked.
“Your wedding certificate. I was instructed to make sure you obtained the certified copy sent to our front desk earlier this morning.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Th-th-th-th--the what?”
I looked up at the very confused man before he motioned with his head down to the envelope. I plucked it from the tray with my fingertips and held it in front of me. Mrs. Kelly Hearthstone. The damn envelope was addressed as ‘Mrs. Kelly Hearthstone’. And as my trembling fingertips pressed the golden seal upward, I felt my heart drop to my stomach.
