Chapter 27
TESSA
Tessa sighed and looked down at the spring bouquet in her hands.
She thought back over the past couple of months and how she ended up here.
She couldn’t blame Nana; her intentions were good.
How was Nana to know that Tessa would make such a huge mess of everything?
Tessa steeled her spine and turned to face the mirror.
Her lacy, white gown shimmered. Her veil beautifully framed her face with her dark, red curls falling down her back.
Her green eyes glistened with tears. Nervous tears, but slightly happy tears.
It was her wedding day, but not the day she had ever expected, and definitely not the feelings she thought she would have.
She looked at herself in the mirror again. She had to admit the truth to herself. She was excited at the thought of marrying her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. She had fallen in love with Hayes. Which was exactly why she couldn’t marry him.
Tessa put the bouquet down on the table and removed her veil. Willow and her mother would be back with her water any second. Quickly, Tessa moved to the back door of the bridal cabin and ran to her jeep. Seconds later, she was speeding away from the cabin, speeding away from the wedding.
HAYES
Hayes paced nervously in the groom’s cabin. He knew he was in love with Tessa. There was no doubt. Over the past months, they had shared so much; he knew their friendship had deepened, and he thought Tessa felt the same way, but he was still unsure.
She must feel something for him. He didn’t think she was that good of an actress.
He heard a knock at the door, then Willow called out, “Hayes? Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he answered, heading to the door.
“Are you alone?” Willow asked as she entered the room, dressed in her flowing pink bridesmaid dress.
“Yes, Sawyer went out to grab some snacks,” Hayes answered, looking closely at her. “What’s wrong? You look worried.”
“Well, Mrs. Mary Kate and I left Tessa in the bridal cabin and went to get waters,” Willow started. “When we got back, Tessa was gone.”
“Gone?”
“You know all of this was starting to get to her,” Willow said. “The acting and all this wedding stuff, and Landry messing with her. I think she ran away.”
“Ran away? Did she say anything to anyone?” Hayes grabbed his keys and headed toward the door.
“No,” Willow said. “Where are you going?”
“I think I know where she is,” Hayes said as he left the cabin.
TESSA
Tessa sat on the dock, her feet swinging above the water. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. She loved her resort, her grandmother’s legacy, but she felt she had made a mess of the whole thing. She didn’t turn as she heard footsteps on the dock and felt someone sit next to her.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Tessa asked.
“This is your favorite place to think. No one bothers you here,” Hayes answered.
Tessa looked over at Hayes. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. She couldn’t believe she had put him through all of this. He was even going so far as to have another fake wedding with her. This time in front of their friends and families.
“Hayes, I’m so sorry, I have made such a mess of things,” Tessa said.
“No, you haven’t,” Hayes comforted her. “Remember, we agreed, we are in this together.”
“Yes, but why?” Tessa asked. “Why are we doing this? Why are we going this far?” She motioned to their formal wedding attire. “Why are we doing this, Hayes? Why are you?”
Hayes looked deep into Tessa’s eyes. “I think you know.”
“Do I?” Tessa asked. “Do I know what is going on? Do I know what is real and what is not? No. I do not!”
Hayes started to speak, but Tessa stopped him, “No, I want to say something first.”
Hayes nodded and Tessa took a deep breath. “Hayes, first, thank you for all you have done these past few months, and thank you for being a part of this crazy scheme, but I can’t do this anymore.”
Hayes opened his mouth to protest, but Tessa held up her hand.
“Please, let me finish,” Tessa took a deep breath and continued. “I can’t do this anymore because I am not acting anymore. I can’t be fake married to you because I am really in love with you.”
Hayes went to speak again, but again, Tessa stopped him. “I can’t go through with another fake wedding, Hayes.”
“Okay,” Hayes said.
“Okay?” Tessa asked. “What the heck kind of thing to say is that? Did you not hear the other part of what I said?”
“Yes, yes, I did,” Hayes answered with a smile. “And I am happy to hear you say that because I have been in love with you for a long time, Tessa. Being with you these past months have been some of the happiest months of my life.”
“What?” Tessa looked dumbfounded.
“I tried not to let my feelings get in the way of our fake marriage,” Hayes said. “Which I realize now sounds pretty stupid. The longer we faked being married, the more real it became for me.”
Tears streamed down Tessa’s face. “I feel the same way.”
“Well, how do you feel about going through with this wedding for real?” Hayes asked. “We’ve already gotten pretty good at faking it. How about trying it for real?”
“Well, we will never be able to call our relationship boring,” Tessa said. “I say yes!”
“One thing before we go back,” Hayes requested. “May I kiss you now when we both know it is for real?”
Tessa leaned toward Hayes, “I say yes to that, too.”
TESSA AND HAYES
Tessa and Hayes walked into the church, hand-in-hand. The scene they walked into was definitely not what they expected. Everyone was talking to each other very loudly, and Landry was standing at the front of the church looking very smug.
Tessa and Hayes exchanged a perplexed look. “What is going on?” Tessa asked.
“I have no idea,” Hayes said. “Everything was normal when I left.”
Hayes put his fingers in his mouth and let a loud whistle. The crowd immediately went silent.
“Tessa! Hayes!” Tessa’s mother exclaimed, walking toward them. “What is going on?”
“I don’t know, Mom,” Tessa replied. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“Landry stormed into the church to stop the wedding,” Mary Kate began.
“And I told everyone that your marriage to Hayes was a sham,” Landry finished for her as he strolled up to the couple. He clocked their hands, still clasped together. “What is going on here?”
“That seems to be the question of the day,” Willow remarked as she joined the group. “Landry here has informed the whole town about your grandmother’s letter and the original reason you and Hayes got married.”
“What?!” Tessa exclaimed. “How do you even know about that?”
“So, you admit it,” Landry said. “You and Hayes got married so you could keep your property.”
“Well, um, that was the first reason, yes,” Tessa stammered, then stood up straight with confidence. “What business is this of yours anyway? And how did you know about Nana’s letter?”
Landry reached into his suit pocket and pulled out the letter. He held it out to Tessa. “I found it in your office. I told you I wanted you back. I knew that you and Hayes weren’t real.”
“You wanted me back, so you thought you should rummage through my personal things, and then air my private business to the whole town?” Tessa said incredulously.
“Tessa, honey, let me explain,” Landry said, reaching for her smiling.
Mary Kate moved to stand in front of Tessa. “Landry, go sit down, and for the love of Pete, please shut up!”
Landry stood there for a minute, shocked to be put in his place, but then took a seat.
“All right,” Mary Kate said, turning to Tessa and Hayes. “There are a lot of accusations being flung around here today. Why don’t you two give us the truth?”
Tessa and Hayes looked at each other, then nodded. Hayes squeezed Tessa's hand, and they walked to the front of the church.
Tessa started at the beginning of the story when she first read Nana’s letter. She glanced over at her parents as she told the story and saw the shock on their faces.
“And while we are very sorry for deceiving all of you for these past months, I can’t honestly say I regret it,” Tessa said as she smiled at Hayes. “Because while this started as a friend helping another friend, it turns out that we fell in love.”
Hayes took that opportunity to embrace Tessa and kiss her soundly. There was silence for a moment, then a big cheer erupted in the church. Tessa and Hayes looked back at the town in confusion.
“Well, it’s about time!” someone called out.
“Tell us something we don’t know,” someone else shouted.
Tessa’s family and Hayes’s family stood to join them at the front.
Mary Kate took Tessa’s hand and Hayes’s hand.
“Tessa, I’m sorry you felt that you needed to lie to keep the resort.
We would have never let it be taken from you.
But I do agree with you, don’t regret it.
You and Hayes are meant to be together.”
The church was filled with clapping and congratulations.
Hayes turned to them and waved everyone quiet again.
“Thank you all for your understanding. We are sorry that we lied to you, but like Tessa said, I don’t regret it.
Now, I know that Tessa and I are already married, but I asked her just a little bit ago if she would marry me for real, and she said yes. ”
Another round of cheers filled the chapel. Tessa looped her arm through Hayes’s. “So, if you will just be patient for a moment, while we get ready again, there will be a wedding today!”
Hayes held Tessa close for a moment, then she went with her parents and bridesmaids to the front room of the church to freshen up. Minutes later, Hayes stood at the front of the church waiting for his bride. The doors opened, and Tessa appeared on her father’s arm, beaming.
Hayes smiled back and couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked down the aisle.
Her father gave her away, and the minister proceeded with the ceremony.
When he ended with, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Hayes gently lifted Tessa’s veil and gazed into her eyes.
Then he kissed her gently. He couldn’t believe she was really his. Their marriage was finally real.
As they broke apart, Tessa smiled up at him. “Well, now you are really stuck with me,” she teased.
“And you with me,” Hayes said, as they walked down the aisle as the real Mr. and Mrs. Adams. “I’m really glad your Nana wrote that letter.”
“She would be so happy to know that I did really fall in love and marry the one I am meant to be with.”