Accidentally Married on Purpose

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other Books by Rachel Harris

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Her Secret, His Surprise Making Waves Taming the Country Star Love for Beginners Wild About Her Wingman Fiance by Fate
One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what happens in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE

A LOVE AND GAMES NOVEL

RACHEL HARRIS

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 by Rachel Harris. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at
www.entangledpublishing.com
.

Bliss is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/bliss

Edited by Stacy Abrams

Cover design by Jessica Cantor

ISBN 978-1-62266-786-4

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition July 2014

For Ashley Bodette, whose insight, humor, and eagle eye helped shape this book. Ashley, you’ve been my sanity this past year, and your friendship is such a blessing. Believing huge things for you, girl.

Also for my husband, Gregg, for the inspiration. You are my fairy tale.

Chapter One

Sad eyes tracked Sherry’s movements as she said good-bye to the man in her life.

Their relationship was new, only a few months old, but their bond had been immediate and profound. It hurt leaving him now, knowing that he didn’t understand. But Sherry needed a break. Not from him. From life. From her sister’s luminous honeymoon glow and her brother’s new sappy love. From the constant internal question of when it would be
her
turn to be just as luminously sappy.

When an out-of-town catering gig for their restaurant’s biggest client yet suddenly presented itself, she’d practically tackled Colby for the opportunity. Sherry loved adventure—she craved it—and the star-studded getaway provided the perfect out from her sucky role as the Robicheaux family fifth wheel. Even if it did involve country music.

The hard part, of course, was explaining her desertion to Elvis.

“It’s just for the weekend, buddy,” she promised, smiling first at Elvis, then at the cute boy behind the counter of Tootsie’s Pampered Poodle Day Spa and Boarding. A stinging mix of bleach and
eau de wet dog
permeated the air—certainly unlike any day spa Sherry had ever been in—but it was homey. Cheerful. The perfect place to leave her baby. Pressing her face against her Shih Tzu’s cool, damp nose, she vowed, “You won’t even know I’m gone. I’ve heard there’s a hot Maltese here, too. Right up your alley.” Scratching behind her puppy’s fluffy ears, she leaned back with a sigh. “At least one of us should get our freak on.”

She glanced up when the cutie waiting to take Elvis’s leopard-print leash made a choking sound under his breath. Shrugging, she pushed to her feet and turned to the woman standing beside him. “My return flight arrives late,” she told the doggie spa’s namesake. “So Angelle’s gonna pick him up once she gets back from Bon Terre.”

Yet another reason Sherry was glad to leave town for the holiday. Cane and Angie were headed to Cajun country, and Colby and Jason were doing the family thing with Emma. If Sherry had stayed in town, she’d likely be ringing in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest on the TV and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in her belly.

That truth was more depressing than an eight-pound canine being the man in her life.

Tootsie fluffed her gray hair and pressed her ample bosom against the counter with a grin. “Vegas for New Year’s Eve. Goodness, to be young again. Flirting my ass off, getting into mischief.” She gave her a knowing wink. “I expect a full report when you come home.”

Sherry snorted. “The only mischief I’ll see is if I accidentally put the wrong label on a heating tray.” The spa owner raised an eyebrow, and Sherry explained. “We’re catering the green room for a concert tomorrow night. A big new casino client we want to impress, so I’m going in to supervise.”

“Concert, huh?” She bumped the file cabinet closed with her hip. “Anyone I might know?”

Sherry scrunched her nose. “Some country group called Blue?”

The name rang a slight bell, but she wasn’t that up-to-date on the country music scene. Her style was more pop and dance, music she could shake her booty to at a club. Part of her felt guilty for not doing more research on her client, but really, she had a handle on the important things, like the number of people she was serving and if anyone had food allergies. As for the rest, she’d wing it. People and events like this were her specialty.

Too bad that doesn’t transfer over to my love life.

Apparently, the name of the group more than rang a bell for Tootsie, as her big brown eyes grew even wider. “Blue? As in the ACM’s Entertainer of the Year?” Sherry shrugged, her guess being yes, and the woman surged forward. “As in one of
People
’s Sexiest Men Alive? Seriously, how can you not know who he is?”

“His name sounds sorta familiar,” she mumbled, a prick of unease tensing her stomach. Sexiest man alive?
Awesome
. Blue sounded just like the kind of guy she normally fell for. Hot, brooding, confident…and more than likely a man whore.

“You’ve
gotta
hit on him,” Tootsie ordered, her enthusiasm raising her voice to wince-worthy decibels. The cutie on dog patrol shook his head and took Elvis’s leash, smirking as he strolled toward the kennel door. Sherry blew her baby a good-bye kiss.

“If anyone has a shot with him, it’s you,” Tootsie continued. “You’re gorgeous and confident. Fun and spontaneous. Shoot, you’ll have him eating out of your hand! Just think…” Her eyes got a faraway look in them. “You’ll smile. He’ll come over. You’ll kiss at midnight, and then fall blissfully in love. The two of you will live happily ever after.” The woman giggled as a pinkish glow bloomed on her cheeks. “I read about that very thing in one of my romance novels.”

Sherry sighed. She had too, and it was shortly after
the end
that she’d concluded happily ever afters belonged exactly there—in her beloved smut. They didn’t exist in real life. At least not for her. Sure, her siblings were rocking it in the love department, but her luck flat-out sucked. That was where her New Year’s resolution came into play.

“Not interested,” she declared, shoving a thick section of purple hair behind her ear. “Celebrities are notorious players, and I’ve had enough of that nonsense for two lifetimes.” She thought about it and then added, “But a little hot roadie action could be in the cards.”

She wiggled her eyebrows with a grin, and Tootsie chortled. “Now there’s the wild child of Magnolia Springs I know and love!”

Sherry fought to maintain her smile. Wild child, addicted to love, crazy chica—all names that fit her pretty damn perfectly…and traits that led to her current love
less
state. Always the fling, never the forever, but she had a new game plan to change that status going forward.

Of course, not before one last weekend to sow her
wild
oats.

Waving good-bye, Sherry donned her dark sunglasses and took a deep breath of fresh, crisp, pine-scented air. She had yet to share her New Year’s resolution with her sister or best friend, and she doubted she ever would. Knowing them, they’d just try to talk her out of it. Or worse, give her pointers. She didn’t need them to say her love life was a train wreck. She’d already diagnosed that particular problem and found herself a cure.

Fall for someone boring.

It was the solution to her heartache. Her desire to feel wooed and loved meant she always went for the exciting, mysterious types—only to find out later that those guys were mysterious for a reason. They were hiding another woman. Nope, it was high time she settled down with someone stable. A man who wouldn’t cheat or charm her with a quick smile and swoony line only to turn around and charm someone else. She was through with being swept off her feet. Forevermore (or at least after this weekend was over), Sherry’s feet would remain firmly on the ground.

Come Monday morning, her sights would be set on a guy like her brother-in-law. Jason Landry was the captain of the fire department and owned his own business. He was solid, dependable, hardworking, and loved her sister to distraction. Even Sherry’s brother was an example. Sure, Cane liked to think he was big and bad with his tats and motorcycle, but inside he was just one big teddy bear. And that’s what she needed. A
good
guy.

Someone like the nice, safe, dry-as-day-old-toast accountant who’d recently set up shop across from Robicheaux’s.

Sure, Will Trahan wasn’t her usual type—both conversations they’d had thus far somehow led to them discussing Roth IRAs—but then that was the point. Any man more interested in the health of her investment portfolio than the size of her rack had to be good people.

Sherry threw her car into gear and turned the radio dial, blasting Rihanna as she reversed out of the parking lot. Gravel crunched under her wheels as she nodded with conviction at the reflection in her rearview mirror. Yep, next year she’d be a changed woman. No longer would she be the sister always getting in scrapes or making a mess of her life. The pathetic, relationship-disaster of the Robicheaux clan would be a thing of the past. A brand-spanking-new Sherry was emerging—one with her head on straight and her heart safe and secure.

But first, one last adventure.

One fun weekend in Sin City to live in the moment, embrace her unfortunate fling status, and store up exciting memories for the dull years to come.

Then, bring on Mr. Boring.

…

Tyler’s calloused fingertips brushed against the thin piece of paper in his jeans pocket. He grinned as his publicist fought to stay in stride beside him, her click-clacking heels half drowning out her rant about the latest
development
, and began soundlessly mouthing the words he’d written only a half hour ago. He’d finally nailed it.

Catching sight of his bass player in the crowded hallway, Tyler cut short Arianne’s monologue. “Hey, man.” Charlie raised his head, and Tyler withdrew the sticky note, wielding it as if it were a winning lottery ticket. “Got that last lyric.”

His best friend immediately snatched the paper, and Arianne shot him an irritated smile. Oh, he’d pay for cutting her off. There’d be no escaping whatever had her bug-eyed and high strung—well, more high strung than normal. But for now, he’d gotten a reprieve. That damn line had been driving Tyler mad for a week, and Blue had an album to finish. Even the great Arianne Cruz, bulldog publicist to the stars, couldn’t fault him that.

Charlie read the line and handed it back with a smile. “Hell yeah. That’s it.”

“Never doubt the power of a Post-it note, my friend.” Tyler carefully placed the three-by-three square in the center of his wallet—that thing was pure gold—and blew out a relieved breath. “Back in the studio on Monday.”