Read Online The Wedding Favor by Caroline Mickelson - Free Book Online
Authors: Caroline Mickelson
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quickly.”
Ava glanced down at her ring. “Tell me about it.”
He grinned. “I know, wild ride, right? And I’m more grateful to you than you could possibly imagine for agreeing to-” he broke off, not sure how quite to phrase their agreement.
“Marry you?” Ava supplied. “Or pretend to marry you. I’m not even sure we’ve finished working that out.”
He nodded. “I believe we left off talking about getting a divorce.”
They sat in silence for a long moment listening to the sound of the water splashing into the fountain. He glanced sideways at her. “Are you having second thoughts?”
When she turned to look up at him, Mateo once again marveled at how incredibly blue her eyes were, like the color of the sky on a perfect spring day. He doubted he’d ever grow tired of looking into them, or at her, but time wasn’t on their side.
“No Mateo, no second thoughts,” she said. “But I’ll admit to being confused about what we’re doing.” She took a sip of coffee. “We need to make a list.”
That made him smile. “Like a grocery list?”
She returned his smile. “More like a massive to-do list.” She stood. “Let’s go back to my condo and I’ll make you dinner. We can make a complete list and divvy up the ground work. Oh, unless you have something else to do this evening. I’m sorry, I should have asked.”
Mateo stood and put his hand on the small of her back. “Lead the way. I’m all yours.”
**
Having Mateo in her condo reminded Ava how small her living space was and just how rare it was for her to have visitors. As she tossed a Greek salad she realized that much of her life was going to change when she became an Ortega. Gone would be the quiet evenings and solitary weekends she was used to, at least if Mateo’s cell phone was any indication. From the moment they’d arrived at her place it hadn’t stopped buzzing, ringing or chirping.
“It’s okay, you can answer it,” Ava told him as she set the wooden salad bowl on the table. “I don’t mind.”
“But I do,” Mateo answered. “I’d turn it off but I don’t want to miss a call in case abuelo needs something.”
Ava slipped her hands into the oven mitts and pulled a loaf of sourdough bread from the oven. “You’re so good to your grandfather.”
“He’s been good to me. Anything I can do is a small repayment for a million kindnesses.” Mateo came around to take the bread from her. “Let me.”
Despite his size and the fact he filled up her tiny kitchen, Ava liked having Mateo so near. They finished setting the table and Ava uncorked a bottle of white wine. Once they were settled into chairs opposite each other, she handed him a glass of wine. She lifted her glass. “To Mr. O.”
Mateo gave a sad half smile as they clinked glasses. “To making his last days happy.”
They hadn’t taken more than a few bites of their meal before Ava’s cell phone rang. Intent on ignoring it, she let the call go to voice mail. But the phone rang again. Once she grabbed it from the counter she saw that it was her realtor. And Jessie, Ava knew from experience, was nothing if not persistent.
“So do we have a deal?” Jessie blurted out before Ava finished saying hello. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you Ava, but you haven’t been in touch. What’s going on? How was your dinner with the mystery man?”
Ava looked across the table at Mateo. The mystery man. “Actually, we’re engaged.”
Jessie’s shriek was loud enough for Mateo to hear. He grinned. Which made Ava smile. Again. She hadn’t smiled this much in forever. It felt good to be happy and it made it easy to pretend not to hear the little warning bells in her mind that wanted to remind her that all of this was temporary. Pretend. Not real.
She turned her attention back to her realtor. “I’m actually not kidding, Jessie. But it’s a long story and I’ll fill you in tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Like heck I’m going to wait. I’m coming over there
Ava glanced down at her ring. “Tell me about it.”
He grinned. “I know, wild ride, right? And I’m more grateful to you than you could possibly imagine for agreeing to-” he broke off, not sure how quite to phrase their agreement.
“Marry you?” Ava supplied. “Or pretend to marry you. I’m not even sure we’ve finished working that out.”
He nodded. “I believe we left off talking about getting a divorce.”
They sat in silence for a long moment listening to the sound of the water splashing into the fountain. He glanced sideways at her. “Are you having second thoughts?”
When she turned to look up at him, Mateo once again marveled at how incredibly blue her eyes were, like the color of the sky on a perfect spring day. He doubted he’d ever grow tired of looking into them, or at her, but time wasn’t on their side.
“No Mateo, no second thoughts,” she said. “But I’ll admit to being confused about what we’re doing.” She took a sip of coffee. “We need to make a list.”
That made him smile. “Like a grocery list?”
She returned his smile. “More like a massive to-do list.” She stood. “Let’s go back to my condo and I’ll make you dinner. We can make a complete list and divvy up the ground work. Oh, unless you have something else to do this evening. I’m sorry, I should have asked.”
Mateo stood and put his hand on the small of her back. “Lead the way. I’m all yours.”
**
Having Mateo in her condo reminded Ava how small her living space was and just how rare it was for her to have visitors. As she tossed a Greek salad she realized that much of her life was going to change when she became an Ortega. Gone would be the quiet evenings and solitary weekends she was used to, at least if Mateo’s cell phone was any indication. From the moment they’d arrived at her place it hadn’t stopped buzzing, ringing or chirping.
“It’s okay, you can answer it,” Ava told him as she set the wooden salad bowl on the table. “I don’t mind.”
“But I do,” Mateo answered. “I’d turn it off but I don’t want to miss a call in case abuelo needs something.”
Ava slipped her hands into the oven mitts and pulled a loaf of sourdough bread from the oven. “You’re so good to your grandfather.”
“He’s been good to me. Anything I can do is a small repayment for a million kindnesses.” Mateo came around to take the bread from her. “Let me.”
Despite his size and the fact he filled up her tiny kitchen, Ava liked having Mateo so near. They finished setting the table and Ava uncorked a bottle of white wine. Once they were settled into chairs opposite each other, she handed him a glass of wine. She lifted her glass. “To Mr. O.”
Mateo gave a sad half smile as they clinked glasses. “To making his last days happy.”
They hadn’t taken more than a few bites of their meal before Ava’s cell phone rang. Intent on ignoring it, she let the call go to voice mail. But the phone rang again. Once she grabbed it from the counter she saw that it was her realtor. And Jessie, Ava knew from experience, was nothing if not persistent.
“So do we have a deal?” Jessie blurted out before Ava finished saying hello. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you Ava, but you haven’t been in touch. What’s going on? How was your dinner with the mystery man?”
Ava looked across the table at Mateo. The mystery man. “Actually, we’re engaged.”
Jessie’s shriek was loud enough for Mateo to hear. He grinned. Which made Ava smile. Again. She hadn’t smiled this much in forever. It felt good to be happy and it made it easy to pretend not to hear the little warning bells in her mind that wanted to remind her that all of this was temporary. Pretend. Not real.
She turned her attention back to her realtor. “I’m actually not kidding, Jessie. But it’s a long story and I’ll fill you in tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Like heck I’m going to wait. I’m coming over there
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