The Right Mr. Wrong

Chapter 1

one

a small request

A crime scene from a B movie—that’s what the kitchen looked like, with red sauce, chunks of meat, and wavy noodles everywhere.

Tears welled in Elissa’s eyes as she wondered what exactly she’d done wrong.

The only thing she wanted this New Year’s Day was to enjoy the meal she’d prepared with love for her parents and her brother and sister.

That was it, a small request of the fates after the worst year she’d ever endured.

She’d spent half the day following her mother’s lasagna recipe, the same recipe that had graced the Wrights’ table on special occasions for Elissa’s entire life.

Homemade sauce, premium cheeses, the perfect mix of ground beef and Italian sausage, an offering to whatever god or gods might be watching.

Something to guarantee her family better luck in the year to come than in the one past. But the fates deemed it too big a favor, and the remains of the lasagna spread across the kitchen floor, a murder committed on the hopes of her future.

“Elissa, is everything okay?” Her mother poked her head into the kitchen, and her eyes widened as she took in the disaster. “Oh, dear.”

Dana’s understatement of the year—the lowest of bars, since it was the first day—released the sob that had stuck in Elissa’s chest the instant the pan slipped out of the oven mitts.

Nothing seemed to go her way lately. This was merely the latest in a long line of misadventures that had started nearly a year ago, with her mother’s cancer diagnosis.

Elissa’s sobs only grew when her mother pulled her in for a hug. Mom’s shushing noises did nothing to soothe Elissa.

They were alone for the moment. Her sister would show whenever it suited her.

Dad was out on a walk, but her mom had been too tired to join him.

Even now, the dark circles under her eyes sent pangs of guilt through Elissa.

Fortunately, her brother was fast asleep.

Leo had been the only member of the family to make it to midnight and ring in the New Year last night.

“What happened?” her mother asked when the sobbing finally quieted a few minutes later.

Elissa pulled off the oven mitts and tossed them onto the kitchen counter. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and surveyed the damage.

“It just slipped. I’m sorry, Mom.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Accidents happen.” She rubbed Elissa’s back. At least the strength in her hands had returned to normal. “I’ll get the dustpan and mop.”

“No, I made the mess. I’ll clean it up.”

“I guess that lesson sunk in deeper than I intended. This is too big. You need an extra pair of hands.”

Knowing it would be impossible to convince her mother otherwise, Elissa merely nodded.

Her mother went to the utility closet and pulled out the dustpan, the mop, and a bucket.

Elissa carefully picked up the remnants of the glass pan.

She let out a sigh, grateful her brat of a sister wasn’t here to tease her relentlessly, as she always did whenever Elissa made a mistake.

Since that rarely happened, Ami never missed an opportunity.

Her mom pulled out her phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“I’m texting your dad so he can go for pizza. It’ll be fine, Elissa.”

Elissa scooped most of the mess with the dustpan while her mom went back and forth with her dad for a few minutes. Mom filled the bucket when she was done. She took out the trash and Elissa finished the job. Soon enough, the kitchen was nearly back to its normal, sparkling state.

“Come on. Let me pour you a glass of wine,” her mom said with a final swipe of the counters to remove the splattered sauce.

Elissa trudged behind her mother to the festive table, candles lit and light sparkling off their best crystal wine glasses.

They were supposed to be celebrating a return to normal after the incredibly crappy year they’d just finished.

Perhaps it hadn’t gone exactly according to plan, but soon everyone would gather around this table. Together.

That was a good thing, maybe the only good thing to happen in the last year. For a while there, Elissa wasn’t sure it would happen.

Mom poured the wine, a little more than what Elissa usually drank and definitely more than the doctor suggested her mother could have.

As if she could read Elissa’s mind, her mother said, “Don’t start. It’s New Year’s and an extra-large glass after that mess won’t kill me.”

“Mom! Don’t even joke about it.”

Her mother heaved a sigh and ran a hand over her too-short graying hair, newly grown since her last treatment. “I don’t know how else to handle it, Lissa. I’m not a crier, and I’m certainly not going to lash out at you for an accident. So, gallows humor it is.”

Silence descended as they examined their glasses.

On top of her mother’s diagnosis, her sister was on academic suspension at the university, her brother had been in the hospital twice in the last year because of his asthma, and Elissa had broken up with her long-term boyfriend.

Her father had been the only member of the family not directly touched by their string of bad luck, but he had been run ragged dealing with everyone else’s crap.

“Then, to new beginnings.” Elissa raised her glass, though she doubted they’d get what they wanted.

They clinked their glasses and sipped at the red wine.

“I appreciate all the trouble you went through today. You didn’t need to.” Mom put her glass on the table and rotated it slowly, watching the light play off the wine and the crystal.

Of course Elissa had to go through all the trouble. The mandate her mother had handed her when diagnosed with cancer almost a year ago declared everything should remain as normal as possible.

Her mom’s exact words at the family meeting had been, “I don’t want anything to change.”

As the eldest daughter, “normal” fell primarily on Elissa’s shoulders. Ensuring everyone had everything they needed, keeping traditions, updating extended family, even getting the Christmas cards out on time. Things she’d usually helped with but had taken over completely this past year.

And “normal” also meant lasagna for New Year’s Day, as it had always been. Her mom was too tired to cook, and Elissa stepped in. She’d asked her useless teenage brother to help, but he’d fallen asleep.

Elissa put down her wine, too. The complex flavors turned to dust in her mouth, and she couldn’t swallow. They still had one more hurdle before her father could sound the all-clear. One more follow-up with the oncologist to see if Mom was in remission. Only then would Elissa breathe easy.

“Elissa, now that my chemo is done, you should really consider getting on with your life. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, for this family over the last year, but you’re twenty-five. It’s time for you to live your own life and not worry about us.”

Here we go again.

Since her last treatment a few weeks ago, she’d been meddling. When was Elissa going to move out? Had she been on any dates recently? Shouldn’t she be looking into getting a newer car?

“Let’s see what the doctor has to say, Mom.” Elissa wasn’t yet ready to trust in her mom’s progress. If she did, and the cancer wasn’t gone…

“I’m fine. I feel pretty good, actually, and the doctor has always said the chances for remission were high. We caught the cancer early. You need to move on.”

“We’ve talked about this. I want to make sure you’re okay before I move out. Anyway, tax season is about to start. I won’t have time to find an apartment, let alone move, before April.”

Elissa had chosen a practical career in accounting. Most of the year, her hours were normal and manageable. But from February until mid-April, she wouldn’t have time to do anything other than work, eat, and sleep.

“Fine. But would you please consider a small request before the IRS ends your social life for three months?”

How could she deny her mother anything? She’d raised three kids—one with a chronic health condition, one with a chronic attitude condition, and one with a chronic tendency for perfectionism—and seemed to have kicked cancer’s butt.

“Sure, Mom.”

“Go on a date. A friend of mine has a son about your age. He’s single. Give it a shot.”

Elissa didn’t hide her eye roll. Yet another bone of contention between the two was her complete lack of a dating life this past year.

She’d stayed in Tucson to take care of her family, and her live-in boyfriend hadn’t.

Good riddance and a sacrifice she’d make again.

Her mom didn’t need to worry about her dating life, too, not while waiting for the all-clear from the doc.

Life this past year had consisted of little besides work, chores around the house, toting her brother around town, and Mom’s appointments. It wasn’t much to brag about, and after all, it was a new year.

New beginnings, right?

“Fine. One date, but then you have to lay off. Once you have the all-clear and tax season is over, we can revisit this. Deal?”

“Deal!” Her mom beamed like she’d won an important victory.

Maybe she had.