by Jessica Kate
Her face blurred in Natalie’s vision. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara. “Love you, Mom.”
Mom kissed her cheek, and Natalie caught the scent of her White Diamonds perfume. “Time to go get your man.” She offered her left elbow.
The music hit its cue. Natalie drew a deep breath and stepped through the door.
Candles lined the “aisle” down the center of the barn, and the massive double doors at the other end had been thrown open to display the rolling green hills of a Charlottesville spring.
Nick, John, and Mike stood together on the right side of the candlelit circle at the end of the barn. Steph, Lili, and Olly waited on the left. Natalie beamed at the group.
Despite tension between Steph and Mike—especially with the impending arrival of Trish and Mike’s son—the pair had put aside their differences for Nat and Jem’s special day. And Natalie was grateful, because somehow she and Jem were closer to both of them than ever.
Life hadn't been smooth for the pair—they'd both resigned from the church, and Mike moved into his old bedroom at John’s the day after they brought Lili home. Steph seemed to go into hibernation for a time, but she’d recently rejoined Asylum to lead the Love Thy Neighbor initiative. Lili had stayed with Jem over the past months, but after the wedding she planned to move back in with her mom.
And Lili and Nick . . . Well, the two made a team like Natalie hadn’t seen since her and Jem.
The six of them formed a V formation at the end of the barn with Sam, dapper in his black suit, standing in the center with his Bible in hand.
But they all faded away as Jem beamed at her, devastatingly handsome in his gray vest and open-collared white shirt.
She kept her gaze locked on his as she glided across the swept concrete floor, glad that the group of witnesses was small as tears puddled in the corners of her eyes. With limited funds, she and Jem had agreed an intimate ceremony was best.
After the vows, a decadent morning tea waited on lace-covered tables—complete with white chocolate M&M’s—and then she and Jem would spend their five-day honeymoon in the Shenandoah Valley. Mom couldn’t wait to bond with her new grandson as she cared for him during their absence.
Although she’d done plenty of bonding already as Olly’s new nanny. Mom had actually been the one to suggest the arrangement. After Dad passed in his sleep six months ago—a week after laughing his way through his Crocodile Dundee party—Olly had been the perfect distraction.
And the only person enjoying their new job more than Mom was Natalie. She’d taken the part-time wedding planner job she’d been offered just two weeks after she resigned from Wildfire. Turned out official ministry wasn’t the only place God could use her. One of her coworkers had already begun attending church with her, and she had a client who seemed to love asking questions about God as much as she loved changing her mind about table settings.
The Wildfire job had gone to Kimberly—much to Sam’s chagrin. He’d revealed to Natalie when she resigned that she’d been his first choice. Kimberly was brilliant but drove him nuts. But Wildfire seemed to be surging forward, so their partnership was obviously working somehow.
Natalie swept her eyes past the people she loved as she stepped up to Jem and took his hand.
There were no easy answers for any of them. Olly still had diabetes—always would. Dad wasn’t here. Lili’s half sibling would grow up with a splintered family, as would Lili.
But as Jem’s twinkling gaze swept down the length of her and back up again, one overwhelming truth filled her mind.
God was faithful.
She intertwined her fingers with Jem’s. Her cheeks heated under his appreciative observation.
Sam began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today . . .”
The words faded away as Jem squeezed her fingers.
She sent him a sultry wink and thanked God that, at the end of it all, love would win.
A Note from the Author
G’day!
Thanks for letting me share Natalie, Jem, and Lili’s story with you. This book is special to me—I wrote Natalie’s and Lili’s journeys of betrayal and healing as I experienced those emotions (though in far less dramatic circumstances) in my own life. Anything useful in these pages comes from the wisdom of parents and friends who helped me work through the questions that I think many people ask in their twenties—What do you do when someone you looked up to betrays what they said they believed? What if they had been an example of faith—how does that affect your relationship with God? With the church?
In the years after this experience, a friend told me about similar struggles. She prefaced the conversation with “you’re going to think I’m not even a Christian.” But I think these questions are both natural and common—it’s what you do with them that matters. And God is much bigger than the mistakes of His followers.
I hope you enjoyed this story, and can I just say that Nick is still my favorite character I’ve written to date? The boy loves Batman and Nirvana and knows how to hotwire a car. I just don’t know how I’m going to top that.
Hopefully you’ll join me back in Charlottesville AND in rural Australia (woot woot!) with my next book, A Girl’s Guide to the Outback.
Catch ya later!
Jess
Discussion Questions
When Lili found out about her father’s affair, she felt betrayed both as a daughter, and as someone who looked up to her father’s example of faith. Have you ever felt let down or betrayed by someone you looked up to? How did that affect you? How did it affect your relationship with God?
Natalie felt like her life wasn’t living up to her own expectations, her father’s, or God’s. Have disappointed expectations ever affected how you think God feels about you? Did your perception match how the Bible says God feels about you?
Natalie believed that both Sam and Steph were more fulfilled and pleasing to God than she was because of the work they did. How do you think Sam was really doing? How was Steph?
Have you ever felt envious of someone else’s life, only to realize that they had struggles just like you?
Jem felt he could never meet his father’s expectations and that reflected on his perception of God. Have your parents’ imperfections ever affected the way you view God?
Jem didn’t realize for a long time that his father’s attitude was an overcorrection from what he felt were past mistakes. Have your efforts to avoid your own or others’ past mistakes ever pushed you too far the other way?
How did Jem’s relationship with his father affect his relationships with others in his life?
How did Jem begin to establish healthier relationships?
Natalie’s identity was wrapped up in her career and service to God. How did that impact her emotional health and choices?
What did Natalie let go of, and what did she embrace, to become happier?
How did Nick’s sacrifice for Lili help her move past her father’s mistakes?
Acknowledgments
God. You give me the passion for stories, the ideas, and the energy to create them. Plus, there was the whole saving my soul and loving me for eternity thing. Thank You.
Mum, you are the person who picks up the phone when I’m at my most discouraged and listens every time. Thanks for always being there.
Dad, you taught me to work hard, not give up, and that only cleaning your office once a year was a good idea. I follow your example in all three.
Thanks to both Mum and Dad together for, knowing that I’m a “words person,” writing the beautiful letter you gave me when I moved out of home. It formed the basis for the letter Natalie got from her dad. I still reread it. It makes me cry every time. Thanks for being great parents.
Bek, Jake, Jack, and Abby. I am so lucky to have you as my siblings. Hanging out with you guys is my favorite thing to do.
To Mumma, my grandmother. When I was a broke boarding school supervisor you helped me buy a new computer because you believed in my writing. I
must’ve done at least three drafts of this book on that computer. Thank you.
My agent Chip MacGregor, you took a chance on a young Aussie and invested years into improving my work before we saw any pay-off. Thank you.
My mentor Rachel Hauck, your wisdom and time are deeply appreciated. Thank you.
My brainstorming partner and StoryNerds podcast cohost Hannah Davis: without your input my editing process would’ve been astronomically more difficult, and my upcoming book ideas not half as good. You’re a kindred spirit.
Grace Olsen, you dropped what you were doing to read my whole book and give me feedback in that last week of editing. It helped calm my first-time writer nerves so much. Thank you!
My editor Jocelyn Bailey, I had no idea until I received your notes just how much a fantastic editor can improve a book. You were spot-on, and you delivered them with such kindness to my fragile writer’s heart. It’s been a delight working with you.
Melissa Tagg, I vividly remember our first meeting because you encouraged me so much! Thank you for supporting this newbie writer.
All my critique partners over the years, especially Nico Bell and Iola Goulton. I owe you dozens of critiques. Thanks for all the encouragement.
To the friends and family who have taken time to pray for my writing. It blows me away that other people could care enough about my scribblings to take the time to pray for them. Thanks.
About the Author
© April Hildred - aprilphotography.studio
Australian Jessica Kate is a sassy inspirational romance author and screenwriting groupie, whose favorite place to be—apart from Mum and Dad’s back deck—is a theme park. She cohosts the StoryNerds podcast, travels North America and Australia, and samples her favorite pasta wherever she goes. But the best (so far) is still the place around the corner from her corporate day job as a training developer.
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Visit her online at jessicakatewriting.com
Instagram: jessicakatewriting
Facebook: jessicakatewriting
Twitter: @JessicaKate05
Praise for Jessica Kate
“This captivating tale from Kate explores a woman’s pain and hardship as she questions her faith . . . With believably flawed characters, this affecting tale of deceit and redemption, which questions what it means to forgive, will elicit strong reactions from Christian inspirational readers interested in stories with strong moral themes.”
—Publishers Weekly on Love and Other Mistakes
“A stunning debut. Clever and well written. I love how Jessica Kate breathes new life into romance. This tale of love and redemption will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. A must-read.”
—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, on Love and Other Mistakes
“Witty. Charming. Heartfelt. I could go on and on about Jessica Kate’s debut novel. From its highly relatable characters to its pitch-perfect dialogue, Love and Other Mistakes is a delightful, romantic read filled with just the right amount of sass. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud as I watched Natalie and Jem navigate their relationships, careers, and faith. Definitely one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read lately, and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Jessica Kate!”
—Melissa Tagg, Carol Award–winning author of Now and Then and Always and the Walker Family series
“Love and Other Mistakes wraps a poignant and warm look at relationships within a smart, sly, and knowing comedic voice. Readers of Sally Thorne and Bethany Turner will be immediately at home with Natalie: an all-too-real heroine who balances whip-smart agency with an endearing vulnerability and whose intersection with long-lost Jeremy helps her forge a path to confidence and discover the woman she was always meant to be. Kate’s unputdownable debut recognizes that all human relationships—familial, friendship, romantic—are worth the keen eye and clever insight of her talented pen.”
—Rachel McMillan, author of the Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries
“If you’re looking for a story with sass on top of style, or a fresh voice pumped full of fun, you need to read Love and Other Mistakes. Then after you’ve enjoyed this—and I’m confident you will—make a date with whatever this exciting new author writes next!”
—David Rawlings, author of The Baggage Handler
Copyright
Love and Other Mistakes
© 2019 by Jessica Kate Everingham
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, niv®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7852-2959-9 (e-book)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kate, Jessica, author.
Title: Love and other mistakes / Jessica Kate.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019000983 | ISBN 9780785229582 (paperback)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Love stories. | Christian fiction.
Classification: LCC PR9619.4.K366 L68 2019 | DDC 823/.92--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019000983
Printed in the United States of America
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