Mail-Order Brides For Christmas - Frankie Love Page 0,41
Something I don’t know.”
She looks up at the ceiling and back at me. “Uh, I own a winery.”
“What?” I ask her, surprised. “You own a winery?”
“Well, yes. When my parents passed, it was left to me, but I haven’t been there since their death. I haven’t been able to bring myself to go there.” A sadness overcomes her face, and I rub my thumb across her cheek as if I could smooth out her worry lines. “I have people in place to run it, but maybe one day you would want to go there with me?” she asks me hopefully.
“Sure, absolutely.” I think about the fact that she has an income, she’s beautiful and smart, she’s everything. Why did she agree to this marriage? I can’t figure it out. “Why did you agree to an arranged marriage, Mia?” I ask her, thinking her answer will be what keeps me from tipping over the edge.
She starts to talk about her parents. And instead of the sadness when she brought them up before, her face is filled with hope. Her hand goes to my face, tracing the scar on my cheek, and then she leans in and kisses the puckered skin there softly before pulling back. “My parents had an arranged marriage. Neither one of them wanted to go through with it, but as soon as they saw each other, they agreed to it.” She shrugs her shoulders. “It was love at first sight. It was fate. I know that’s what it was. And I don’t know, but when I talked to your mom, I couldn’t not do it. It weighed on me so heavily, I knew I was going to do it.” She takes a deep breath and pulls back her shoulders, looking me straight in the eye as if daring me to disagree with her. “I believe it’s fate that brought us together.”
I brush the hair off her face and don’t even try to look away from her. It hits me hard how fucking fearless this little half pint of a woman is about being all in at the chance of true love. Looking at her, I know she deserves to receive nothing less.
We stare at each other so long I can see every emotion filter across her face. I wrap my hand around the base of her neck. “I’m all in, my fearless Mia.”
I seal my lips to hers, wanting her to know exactly what I’m feeling.
Mia
Nestled in Mason’s arms, I feel so close to him.
I could stay right here, just like this for eternity and know I’ll never want another thing.
Cuddled against him, tracing patterns on his chest, I ask him, “Do you think your family is going to like me?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” he starts.
I gasp and look up into his face, and he’s smiling wickedly at me. “Oh, you,” I say, playfully slapping him on the chest.
Finally he says, “They’ll love you. Not as much as I do, but yeah.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, planting a big kiss on his lips. “I love you, too. Now take me to bed, Mr. Mistletoe.”
He stands up. “As you wish, wife.” And carries me to the bedroom after making all my dreams come true.
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Chapter One
Nate
It’s insanity.
My mom has come up with a few schemes in her day, but this one may take the cake, and by the looks of it, she wants it to be a wedding cake. Six of them. Or would we each get a slice from the same one? I’m not even sure.
I pick up the brochure for the Mail-Order Brides For Christmas service and step out onto my back porch. My ass drops down into a chair as I light a cigarette and start flipping through the pages.
Yep. Insanity, just like I thought.
I love my mom. I really do. I would do anything for that woman, but this isn’t some simple request. This is a lifelong commitment. This is marriage.
This may be the one time I have to put my foot down and say no.
The day my mom caught me smoking was the day she thought