Read Online The Wedding Favor by Caroline Mickelson - Free Book Online Page B

yourself. You just hit a lull in the storm and got lucky that there were no major events scheduled in the next few weeks.” She stopped and thought for a moment. “You know, Ava, it’s not like you to take any time off at all. So why don’t we schedule you a proper vacation for later in the year while we’ve got our calendars open. Then we can just plan around it as we line up events for the rest of the year.”
    Ava bit her lip but didn’t answer. Agreeing to marry Mateo had turned her whole world upside down. Planning, something on which she used to thrive, now seemed virtually impossible when every day felt like a whirlwind. Eventually she was going to have to tell Marti the truth about her engagement to Mateo. Or if not the entire truth, at least she had to share the fact she was getting married. “I’m not sure about my plans-”
    Marti held up a hand. “Don’t give me the same old excuse that you don’t want to go away alone again, boss.”
    “It’s not that,” Ava protested.
    “Then your next objection is going to be that you don’t think we can handle things around here.”
    “Not what I was going to say, and for the record, I know you all can hold down the fort.”
    Marti smiled. “Good, then there’s not a single reason that I shouldn’t book you on a singles cruise to the Caribbean.”
    Ava’s eyes widened. “A singles cruise? Marti!”
    Her assistant rolled her eyes in mock frustration. “Yes, a cruise. You know, sun, sea, relaxation.”
    They both looked up at the sound of a knock on Ava’s office door. “A cruise? You’re planning the honeymoon already and I’ve only just heard about your engagement.” It was Jessie. “Can we back this train up so I can get on board? Because I’m lost.”
    Ava greeted her realtor and waved her in. “We haven’t quite gotten to the honeymoon planning phase yet.”
    Marti held up a hand. “Whoa, a honeymoon? For Ava?” She turned to Jessie. “Since you’re so much further ahead than I am, please fill me in. I haven’t heard a single word about any of this. Is this for real?” She looked at Ava’s left hand and her eyes widened. “Oh, wait, your ring. Oh, my God, Ava, how could you hold out on me like that?”
    Ava opened her mouth but Jessie spoke first. “I actually don’t think Ava’s been holding out on us, Marti. I think,” she snuck a quick glance at Ava, “that she’s been swept off her feet by a mystery man and is rushing to the altar.”
    Marti glanced back and forth between the two women before settling her gaze on her boss. “Is she serious, Ava? That’s so not you. You barely even date. You hardly ever-”
    It was Ava’s turn to interrupt. “Okay, if you two will let me get a word in edgewise, I’ll tell you what’s been going on.” At least some of it, she wasn’t about to tell them that her engagement to Mateo was nothing more than a favor to him. “First things first, Mateo is not a stranger. I’ve known him for years.”
    “Known him how?” Marti asked.
    Jessie laughed.
    “I grew up next to Mateo’s grandparents’ house. I’ve known the entire Ortega family forever.” She glanced down at her engagement ring and smiled at the memory of Beatriz Ortega’s kind smile and warm hugs. “So Mateo and I have known each other practically forever.”
    “But you haven’t been dating for a long time, have you?” Marti asked. “So how and when did you two reconnect?”
    Jessie spoke before Ava had a chance. “Mateo put an offer in on the house Ava recently listed,” she explained to Marti. She turned back to look at Ava. “So I assume you two are going to live there now? We should pull the listing then.”
    “Wait, I’m not sure what we’re doing.” Ava twisted the ring on her finger.
    Jessie and Marti exchanged puzzled glances.
    “About what?” Marti asked. “The house or the wedding?”
    All of it. But that was more than Ava wanted to share. “You two have to realize how fast this has all happened.