Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Snow Valley means so much to our community and my family, and I know there’s no way I can let the Titan Corporation come in and buy it. We don’t want a tourist town. We like our town the way it is. My brothers and I are prepared to buy it, but the city bylaws say that the town’s owners have to be married. I think it’s a bunch of hogwash, but there’s no way I’m telling my mother no. I won’t be the one to let my family down, not when my five brothers all agreed to do this. Plus, I’m not so worried about the idea that I would stay married if it turns out really badly. If it comes down to it, I’ll figure out a loophole of selling my shares of the town or something. As long as the majority stays in the Mistletoe family, I won’t need to be an owner.
Marriage really isn’t for me anyway. I don’t believe in happily every afters. My buddies in the service would agree with me. My best friend’s wife left him while he was serving overseas. Another friend’s wife divorced him because she fell in love with someone else. Another friend’s wife left him because she couldn’t handle him being gone all the time. Yeah, I’m not a betting man anyway, but if I was, I definitely wouldn’t be betting on the success of these arranged marriages. But there’s no way I could turn my mom down. Not on this. I know how much this town means to her, and there’s no way I’m going to stand in the way of it being kept to its current standards. Snow Valley is a special place, and it means a lot to all of us. It’s where our family is from, it’s where we grew up, and it’s where we plan to stay. We definitely need to preserve the town. For us and for all the townspeople.
So once the decision was made, I just had to go through with it. Honestly, I’m glad Mom had a plan for the arranged marriage. The only prospects I would have had in this town that would even consider marrying the likes of me is Jessica, one of my tattoo artists at the shop. She’s nice enough, but marrying her would be a huge mistake. She’s already following me around like a lost puppy; she probably would get the wrong idea and think it was a real marriage.
Nope, I don’t need that drama. I need a professional. I mean, what kind of woman would be a mail order bride? She obviously knows what’s up. I shake my head at the thought. My mom told me she talked to Mia, the woman I’m planning to marry, but I didn’t get much more than that. Mom has romanticized all of this, thinking it’s going to be six successful marriages. All I can do is promise her I’ll do my best. I know it’s not going to be some big love match, but we can at least attempt contentment and hopefully just a hint of happiness.
I finish signing and wait for Mr. Davis to give me a copy before giving him a thumbs-up on my way out of the office. I’ve already arranged for a licensed minister to officiate the marriage, paid for witnesses to be there, and by greasing a few palms even got the marriage license rushed through to be ready on time.
It’s all working out. I now only have to pick up my bride-to-be, one Mia Devin, at the airport, and we’ll get married right there. It will be nice and legal once we consummate the marriage. I don’t want this lady getting the marriage annulled as a sham. Not sure what the lawyer would say, but I want it to be legally binding.
I can’t stop the shake of my hand just thinking about it. Intimacy and I are strangers. Once I got back from the service, having received my purple heart and bronze star, I was too occupied with rehab and trying to heal. My hand instantly goes to my face and the puckered skin on the side of my cheek. Luckily the wound has healed, but it’s still ugly. There’s no other way to say it. I can’t help but wonder if my mother informed the matchmakers or Mia about my face.
I just shake my head, trying to shove my insecurities away. This is happening, and I’m going to make the best of it.
It’s a means to an end, just business.
Chapter 2
Mia
The man that was sitting across from me at the airport is now sitting beside me on the plane, and I’ve learned his name is Serge. He’s a handsome guy and very charming. At least he’s trying to be. We talk most of the way to Snow Valley. Him about the Fortune 500 company he works for, and because I know he doesn’t want to hear about my life as a cashier, I tell him about my family’s winery.