Page 9 of One Night Bride
“Hello, Mr. Roth. I’m Melinda Carter.” She stuck her hand out, and I shook it, amused when she hesitated for a fraction of a second when I climbed out of the car. My size seemed to do that to most people, but I found myself impressed with her ability to keep trudging along like she hadn’t noticed I dwarfed her a couple times over.
“Very nice to meet you as well, Ms. Carter.” I took her hand and gave it a gentle shake.
“Melinda will do just fine,” she said with a smile.
Ms. Williams handed off a folder to Melinda and shook my hand. “I’m available anytime if you have questions or even change your mind and want to start your search over. Melinda will take care of the paperwork and I’ll be in touch the minute I hear back about your offer.”
I nodded and put a hand on Melinda’s back to guide her into the hotel. “Please tell me we can do the paperwork over lunch,” I asked her, my stomach rumbling to let me know the protein bar wasn’t nearly enough sustenance.
Her eyes lit up, and we both headed in the direction of the hotel restaurant. I avoided looking at the bar where I’d met Esme. And I definitely didn’t look at the door to the bathroom where we’d…well, never mind. I wasn’t thinking about that today. Today was about buying a house and putting my life’s plan in motion.
It took a couple hours of eating, talking, and finally going over the paperwork before everything was submitted, but Melinda was fun to talk to. If I didn’t already have a thing about mixing business with personal, I’d consider asking her to be my fake-but-kind-of-real wife. She was too young and inexperienced, though. Mom would never believe for a second that I’d fallen head over heels for someone like her.
By the time we said goodbye, I felt like I made a new friend in Lake Tahoe. Heading back to my room, I figured I’d get to work on the website changes my webmaster had asked me about yesterday. The door to my hotel room clicked softly behind me and I resisted the urge to fall facedown on the crisp white comforter the maids had tidied up. While I didn’t feel like a toddler was playing whack-a-mole on my skull any longer, I still hadn’t recovered from the night before. Thank God Ruger wasn’t here to give me shit about getting older. With thirty staring me down, I didn’t need that kind of negativity.
A piece of paper on the desk caught my attention. I’d put all my things away yesterday in my bag before heading to dinner, as I didn’t want my private business plans out in case the staff came by the room. I walked over and picked it up, frowning at the words my eyes were seeing, but my brain couldn’t seem to comprehend.
It was a marriage license from the state of Nevada.
And my fucking name was on it.
“Oh shit…” I muttered, reading further down to see Esme’s name too.
I scrubbed a hand over my face, the words blurring. My ass hit the bed, and I bounced, the paper shaking in my hand. Yesterday’s date clearly stamped in black and white. Signed by a guy I didn’t know from a place called Keep Tahoe Married Wedding Chapel.
Shock was a funny thing. It took away your reasonable thoughts and left you with the one piece of information not pertinent to the matter at hand.
“Well. I guess I found a wife.”
The room didn’t answer. Neither did my wife. Because she was gone. And I had no way to find her.
I flopped back on the bed and read through the license again, making sure I read each and every word, even though there wasn’t much on there to read.
Remington Roth.
Esme Waldo.
You had to be kidding me. That was her last name? I barked out a laugh, knowing I sounded a bit crazed. I was about to embark on a Where’s Waldo adventure I could never have imagined as a kid when I searched those stupid puzzle books.
I sat straight up with the intent to do an internet search on my phone. It was sitting on the desk where I’d left it after I found the marriage license. My legs shook as I walked over to the desk, both shocked and elated I’d married someone. I mean, I hadn’t meant to marry Esme, but it was what I’d set out to do, after all.
Plopping down on the desk chair, I grabbed the phone and noticed a second sheet of paper that must have been under the marriage license. It had a photocopy of my driver’s license, along with Esme’s right below. There was her beautiful smiling face, just like I’d remembered her.
2479 E. Ocean Drive, Auburn Hill, CA 95762
Well, holy shit. I’d already found her. She lived in a place called Auburn Hill. All I had to do was fly out there, make sure she knew about us getting married, and convince her to stay married to me for a little longer. Just long enough for my parents to be convinced it was for real.
A bubble of excitement took over as the shock left. I hopped up, folding the license and the photocopy carefully and putting it in my pocket for safe keeping. Now in a rush, I grabbed all my clothes and threw them in my suitcase, already pulling up Wayne’s contact on my phone.
I hadn’t meant to get drunk, sleep with a stranger, and then marry her when I was so drunk I didn’t remember doing it, but it all might work out. My brain spun, and the more I thought it through, the happier I got. I might even have time to stop by a jeweler before they closed tonight and pick up some gold wedding bands to make things real.
Then a thought had me pausing. What if Esme didn’t want to be married? Even just temporarily?
Instantly, I batted the idea away. Surely I could throw some money at the situation and make it all better. If I offered enough, I was confident she’d agree to a short marriage. She didn’t seem like the difficult type. She’d taken her stilettos off at some point last night, not bothered at all to walk around outside barefoot. I could just see the way she’d tossed her head back and laughed when I made a joke. She seemed fun. She’d probably think accidentally getting married was a hilarious joke.
“Yes, Mr. Roth?” Wayne’s voice broke through my racing thoughts.
“Hey, Wayne. Change of plans. I’m headed to Auburn Hill, California, first thing in the morning.”
