Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

Mason grinned, like the happy little boy he was. “I’ve been waiting so long to see you.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.” Simon looked up at me.

I nodded to let him know he was forgiven.

Mason stepped closer to Simon and pressed his little hands, with long fingers like his father’s on Simon’s face. Simon pulled Mason to him in a hug.

The room filled with an aww sound.

Someone started to say something mean, but apparently, another person jabbed him or stepped on his foot as he let out an oomph and then stayed quiet.

I looked up at Sinclair. “Excuse me for interrupting like this. Simon and his family are now going home. I wish you both luck.”

I urged Simon up. He stood holding Mason in one arm. I started to thread my arm through his other arm, but he leaned over and kissed me.

Simon and I, along with our son and my mother, walked out of the auditorium, together as a family.

13

Simon

I remember when I was a kid, my nanny reading me the story of Hansel and Gretel. I’d related to them because I also had unloving parents that would have been happy to have me wonder off and never return. And I’d run into my fair amount of witches as I grew up. I’d even envied Hansel because at least he had a sister to endure all the hardship with. I’d been alone. Until Leslie Erica Edmonds entered my life.

And then, it turned out I was the evil villain in the story. I’d kicked her out and let the darkness rule me.

I don’t remember the parents or witches or any evil characters being redeemed in the childhood fairy tales that had been read to me. Perhaps real life was stranger than fiction because Erica was walking alongside me and I was holding our son as we started out of the auditorium.

“Mr. Stark.”

I stopped short as I heard a male voice on the microphone.

“Don’t let the assholes get you down,” Erica said next to me.

“Uhm, you said a bad word mommy.”

I grinned, ridiculously pleased by this entire interaction.

I turned. “Mr. Mayor,” I said as I saw Mo Valentine at the microphone. I braced myself for what he might say.

“I want to officially welcome you, and your family,” he added with a nod to Erica, “to Salvation.”

I wasn’t sure what to say.

“And, I’d enjoy having you on my business council if you’d be interested as I’m sure you have experience and insight we could benefit from.”

Since he was leaving office in a few weeks, I knew it was a gesture of peace more than something that would come to fruition. Simon Stark of last week probably would have scoffed and turned it down as an empty token. But I’d listened to Erica and knew that if I was going to get what I wanted, I couldn’t force or coerce it.

“Thank you, Mayor Valentine. I’d be honored.”

“See, it’s not that hard,” Erica whispered next to me.

With a nod to him, I turned and led my family out of the building. I didn’t want to part from them, so we all climbed into the Audi, with me and Erica up front, and Mason in his booster car seat and his grandmother in the back. Marvin was left to drive home alone.

As we pulled up to the house, Mason made a “Whoa” sound in the back. “Is this a hotel?”

“No baby, this is where Si…your daddy lives,” Erica said.

I watched him in the rearview mirror.