Authors: Caroline Mickelson
Flustered, Ava glanced at her companions, both of whom were smiling broadly. She could feel a blush on her cheeks. How ridiculous was that? She needed to get ahold of herself and stop reacting this way to her pretend fiancé. “We’re just about through actually. Marti and I have cleared our calendar for a few days, like we talked about.”
Mateo smiled. “Excellent. We’re on track.”
“What month are you thinking of?” Marti asked. “I can start looking up some preliminary information on venues if you’re interested. The best places can fill up about a year in advance.”
Ava glanced at Mateo. He wore an amused expression. He nodded at her, which she took as an indication that it was okay to share the news that they would be married within days, not months. She turned to her assistant and smiled. “Thank you, Marti. You are always so quick to offer to help and I probably don’t tell you often enough how much I appreciate that about you.” She paused for a moment and then decided to just plunge in. “The thing is…we were thinking…” but her voice trailed off. Why was this so hard? Probably because none of it felt real.
“Ava and I are going to be married the day after tomorrow,” Mateo said.
This elicited precisely the response that Ava thought it would. They sat as if stunned. Ava certainly understood, she was still getting used to the idea herself.
“I’d love it if you both would come,” she said. “Although I know its last minute.”
“No, no, of course not,” Jessie corrected her. “I’d love to come.”
“Me as well,” Marti added. “Are you kidding? There’s no way I’d miss your wedding.” She glanced toward the open office door. “Shall I keep this quiet or are you planning on telling the team?”
Ava took a deep breath. She needed the extra oxygen to clear her thoughts. Her world felt like a merry go round that was picking up speed. It felt insane to invite her staff to a wedding that didn’t feel real but she wasn’t about to take the chance of hurting anyone’s feelings by not inviting them all. “Of course, everyone is invited. Marti, can you please spread the word and I’ll get the details to everyone by the end of the day?”
Her assistant nodded. “Absolutely. What else can I do?”
Much to Ava’s relief, Mateo stepped in. “I think my family’s got almost everything covered but thank you for the offer. Jessie, we’ll talk to you soon about the house, if that’s okay. I just don’t want to rush Ava into making a choice about where we’ll live.”
Ava smiled up at him, grateful he’d answered Jessie’s unspoken question with such finesse. He laid his hand on her shoulder and kept it there while he made small talk with Marti and Jessie. His touch was warm and comforting.
She glanced at her watch and then at Mateo. “I think we’d better get started on our list if we’re going to try to achieve the impossible today.” Her friends wore identical confused expressions so she hastened to add, “We’re going to try to find a wedding dress.” She made a face. “Wish me luck.”
Mateo laughed. “You’ll look beautiful in anything.” He took ahold of her hand and drew her to her feet. “The trouble is going to be narrowing it down to the one you like the best.”
“Aww…this is so romantic,” Marti said. “Totally unexpected and a huge surprise, but so romantic.”
Romantic. Ava could see how it would appear that way from the outside looking in. She suddenly had a handsome, attentive and devoted fiancé who wanted to marry her as soon as possible. It would be incredibly romantic, if only any of it were real.
**
Mateo sat perched on the edge of a dainty pink satin chair that he doubted would hold a man of his size much longer. He glanced up at the crystal chandelier that hung overhead. Opulent was the best word to describe it, and it suited the tiny bridal boutique perfectly. He just hoped it was as well secured as it was polished. He felt like a caged animal but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to even pace, while he waited for Ava.
Maricela’s Bridal Boutique had been his younger sister’s recommendation. She knew the owner and had assured him that given Ava’s petite frame, Maricela would be able to find a dress in stock that fit her. Obviously his sister had phoned ahead because when he’d ushered Ava into the salon, Maricela had greeted them with enthusiasm. But enthusiasm was hardly the word to describe Ava’s reaction to the plethora of wedding gowns hanging from every wall. He could tell by the look on her face that she agreed with him the bridal salon looked like a jungle of satin, silk, crystals and pearls.
“Is something this formal really necessary?” Ava had whispered just before Maricela whisked her behind the red velvet curtain. “I would be fine wearing a simple dress or suit off the rack. But if you want me to wear a wedding gown I will.”
Mateo had smiled his thanks, unable to think of a way to adequately express his gratitude. He felt guilty as well as grateful. Before this was all over, before he said good-bye to Ava, he’d need to find a way to adequately express his heartfelt gratitude that she was willing to go along with this charade just to make his grandfather’s last days happy. But how could he thank her for such kindness and sacrifice?
Whoever the man was that would one day capture Ava’s heart, he was going to be fortunate beyond words to call her his wife. Mateo stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. He glanced at the velvet curtain. Exactly how long did it take to pick out a dress?
A moment later Maricela pulled back the curtain. “She’s found the one.”
Mateo glanced down at this watch. Half an hour. It could have been worse. His sisters would have taken days. “Wonderful. Send her out.”
The proprietress smiled. “Oh, no, young man, no chance I’ll let that happen. First of all, we need to make just a few alterations so you sit tight.” She smiled broadly. “And furthermore, it’s taboo to see your bride in her dress before the wedding. Bad luck is no way to start your new life together.”
Ava appeared behind Maricela’s shoulder. “We aren’t worried about bad luck, are we Mateo?” Without waiting for him to answer, she neatly sidestepped the bridal shop owner and came into the small boutique showroom.
Mateo stared at her, unable to speak. He couldn’t find the words to describe what a vision of loveliness his bride-to-be was. He’d always thought of her as attractive, but now that Ava stood before him, he knew he’d never seen, nor would ever again see, a more beautiful woman. He let his eyes travel over her from head to toe. Magically, the dress she’d chosen fit perfectly. He felt as if he were staring at royalty. “Ava,” was all he managed to say. He hoped she could see his appreciation in his eyes. Her smile assured him that she had an inkling of how he felt.
“I love this dress,” she said. She went to stand on a platform in front of a set of three mirrors. She turned sideways and smoothed the front of the dress down. “What do you think? Is that what you had in mind or is it too formal?”
“Too formal? No, Ava. It’s perfect.” Mateo marveled at how it looked as if it had been especially designed and sewn just for her. “You look incredible.” Unable to take his eyes off of her, Mateo took a step toward her, suddenly wanting nothing more in the world than to hold her close to him.
Maricela, who had witnessed the conversation with a soft smile on her face, stepped between them. “Okay, you can save whatever you have to say for your wedding day, Mateo.” She guided Ava back to the dressing area, sparing him a quick look back. “Remember you two have a lifetime together.”
Mateo sat back down, suddenly feeling forlorn. What at first had seemed like the perfect solution to his problems suddenly made him feel empty. And alone.
Chapter Nine
Once the decision was made about her wedding dress, Ava was stunned at how quickly everything else fell into place. It helped inordinately that Mateo had a contact through his family for everything else they needed. His cousin’s best friend ran a floral shop and she was generous enough to help Ava pick out a simple yet elegant bouquet of cream and lavender roses. Another cousin who was a stay-at-home mom ran a small wedding cake business out of her home. How she managed to create such incredibly gorgeous cakes in between chasing after twin toddlers, Ava couldn’t imagine. But the sample they’d tasted had been heavenly and the designs were almost too elegant to consider eating. A brother-in-law of a cousin who was an ordained minister had agreed to officiate. The music for the ceremony and reception was safely in the hands of the Ortega family as well, Mateo assured her. So there was truly nothing else practical to concern herself with, Ava realized, except finding a way to convince Mateo that she was willing and able to pay for half of everything.
“Considering that it’s my wedding, I feel it’s only fair I pay half of every bill,” Ava said. They’d just finished meeting with a photographer, also an Ortega family friend, who assured them that he’d be delighted to capture their happy day for posterity. The mention of which made both of them very uneasy but, like keepers of a shared secret, they’d thanked him for his willingness to squeeze them into his schedule. Ava pulled her sunglasses out of her handbag and looked up at Mateo.
“It’s my wedding too,” Mateo answered, his smile was a tiny bit challenging and quite a bit charming.
Although they stood near his car in a public parking lot, Ava suddenly felt they were all alone in the world. Increasingly her fiancé was having that effect on her. Which made her all the more determined to remain independent. It would be too easy to lose herself in Mateo’s world. In Mateo himself. She forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. “That isn’t a winning argument, Mateo.”
His smile was gentle. “Ava, I completely respect how well you’ve done for yourself. But this isn’t about money. I know you can afford these expenses but we also both know that this isn’t a normal situation.” He leaned against his car. “This whole wedding is a favor to me, to my family, and you’ve given more than enough already. There’s no way I’m taking your money. That’s my final word on the subject.”
Ava’s eyebrows rose.
His expression was sheepish. “Okay, well, I guess that isn’t a very respectful way for a husband to talk to his wife, huh? Let me rephrase. Can you please agree that it’s really only appropriate I fund this whole thing?” He reached out for her hand and pulled her closer. “Fair enough?”
She could only nod. She didn’t trust her voice not to betray her desire for him. Being this close had a most profound effect on her.
“So that leaves the honeymoon,” Mateo said. He squeezed her hand. “Any thoughts on that subject?”
None that she’d confess to. She cleared her throat. “What did you have in mind?”
“Sedona?”
Ava smiled. Sedona, a town north of Phoenix famous for its red rock canyons and breathtaking scenery, sounded perfect. Except that she didn’t think a honeymoon was necessary and she told Mateo so.
“Of course it is,” he countered. “Don’t you think after the craziness that is my family en masse that we might enjoy getting away for a few days to someplace quiet?”
“We could have peace and quiet staying in our respective homes.” Housing was a whole other matter they needed to address. Were they going to live together? Or was it better if they each stayed in their own home, all the while letting Mateo’s family only think they were living together? Should she continue to keep her mother’s house listed or take it off the market for a few months more?
Mateo reached down and soothed the skin between her eyes. “Tell me what has you frowning like that and I’ll help you find a solution.”
“There are just so many decisions to make and I don’t want to make the wrong one.”
In answer, Mateo reached out and drew her into his arms. Ava rested her head against his chest, knowing that letting him hold her was playing with fire. But she didn’t want to move. There would be time enough in the months ahead that she would be alone.
“I think,” he murmured into her hair, “that we should move in together. Tomorrow would be the ideal time to pack up before the rehearsal. What do you say?”
She drew back and looked up into his eyes. “Let’s move into my mother’s house.” It wasn’t what she’d been planning this morning, and she surprised herself to no end by saying it, but somehow it felt right. For what little time they had together, she wanted to experience as much of Mateo as possible.
Mateo put his forefinger under her chin and tilted her face up. “You’re sure?”
She nodded, her eyes intent on his lips. A warm, happy feeling spread through her as Mateo lowered his lips to hers and brushed a soft kiss against them.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice husky.
Ava smiled. “None of this feels real.”
“I know, it’ll be like playing house.” He grinned. “Maybe we should start packing today then.”
The truth of Mateo’s words struck home. Ava knew she was playing. With fire. Because, despite what Mateo said, this was more than playing house. It was playing with her heart. Every bit of reason she had left in her was warning her to be careful. But between the pull of Mateo’s warm smile and good heart, between her strong desire to make Joaquin Ortega’s last days happy and her desire to be a part of the Ortega family even for a short while, she couldn’t back out. She didn’t want to back out of their agreement, whatever the cost was going to be once the whole charade was over.
“What do you say we head over to my apartment and pick out a few pieces of furniture to move into your house?” Mateo asked.
Ava smiled up at him. “I’m in.”
**
Although she probably shouldn’t have been, Ava was surprised by the condition of Mateo’s apartment. It was neat and tidy but sparsely decorated. Only a few family photos were displayed on a shelf. Several bookshelves brimmed with books but otherwise his quarters gave the appearance of a place he ate, slept, and did a bit of work on the evenings.
“Have you lived here long?” Ava asked as Mateo was making them both a cup of coffee.
He shrugged. “Awhile.” He handed her a cup, which she gratefully accepted. “My sisters are constantly offering to do something with the place.” He smiled ruefully. “And while I appreciate their offers, I have to turn them down because I don’t know what the heck they’re referring to.”