The Wedding Favor Read online

  Ava’s eyebrows rose. Jessie should have cleared that with her first. Surely it wasn’t standard practice to give prospective buyers the key to an empty property? Perhaps Jessie had fallen victim to Mateo Ortega’s charm and had made an exception for him. She’d ask later.

  “Have some juice.” Mateo poured orange juice into a red plastic cup and handed it to her. “Unless you’d prefer coffee?”

  Ava glanced down at the juice, her breakfast, then at the daisies and decided enough was enough. She stared straight into Mateo’s warm brown eyes. “What is it that you want?”

  He looked at her for a long moment before he spoke. “I just want you to hear me out.” He held up his hand when she started to speak. “Without interruption.”

  After a moment’s consideration, Ava nodded. Whatever it was, she’d hear him out. Mateo was an Ortega, and being back in the house reminded her of what an important part the entire Ortega family had played in her early life. She owed them. “I’m listening.”

  **

  Mateo felt surprisingly nervous now that he finally had Ava’s attention. In his mind, when he’d been thinking of just the right way to approach her, everything had seemed so much more straightforward. Now, not so much.

  “Mateo,” Ava said, “What is it that you really want from me?”

  “A favor.” He bit his lip. This wasn’t the time to turn back. “I want to get married.”

  Ava sat back in her folding chair. “Married? I guess congratulations are in order.”

  He ran his hands through his hair. “Not really. I mean, yes. Maybe after she agrees to marry me.”

  “So you wanted to see me about the house?”

  “This isn’t about the house, Ava. It’s about us.”

  Her eyes widened. Not a good sign. He spoke quickly to cut off the protest he knew she was about to make.

  “Ava, my abuelo is sick. He has cancer.”

  He watched her face transform from frustration to compassion as his words sunk in.

  “Oh, Mateo, I’m sorry. Truly I am. Last night you mentioned he hadn’t been well but I didn’t think you meant anything like this.”

  When she reached across the table and touched his hand, he felt a rush of warmth spread throughout him. The feeling gave him courage to forge ahead. “We are all heartsick. Ava, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when he’s gone.”

  She nodded. She knew. It was as if they were members of a painful club, those who had lost loved ones to cancer.

  He blew out the air in his lungs, trying to no avail to relieve the pain pressing on his heart. “The cancer is at a very advanced stage and Abuelo has only a few months to live, if that.”

  “Where is he?” Ava asked, her voice low and laced with compassion. “Has he been moved to hospice yet?”

  He shook his head. “No. He’s at home, next door with Tia Sylvia and her family. He insists he wants to stay at home as long as possible.”

  She nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. “Just like my mother.”

  They sat in silence for a moment. Mateo was grateful for Ava’s compassionate response to his news but he was unsure what to say next.

  “Mateo,” Ava said, “Listen, I know there isn’t much that matters that I can do but I think I see what you were asking. You and your fiancée want to move in here right away to be close to your grandfather. I completely understand.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. Let’s put a rush on the paperwork and in the meantime you two are welcome to move in as soon as you’d like.”

  Mateo smiled and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for understanding. I know Abuelo will be happy to have us close. You should have seen his face when I told him I was engaged. It’s impossible to put into words how thrilled he was, he said it was a dream come true.”

  Ava nodded. “I think it’s a wonderful way for him to spend his last days, watching you begin a new life with your new wife.”

  “I’m more grateful than I can say, Ava.” Mateo stood but didn’t release his hold on her hand. He liked the feel of it in his. “So I guess the next thing to do would be to tell my fiancée that we’ll be moving in.”

  “Seems like the next logical step,” she agreed. “I’ll just get out of your way so you can make the call.”

  “No, no need to go.” He drew Ava to her feet and took her hands in his. “Ava, we’re moving in.”

  Incredulous, she stared up at him for a moment. “What?”

  It was now or never. Mateo took a deep breath. “Ava, will you marry me?”

  Chapter Four

  Ava stared up at Mateo. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “That’s not the answer I was hoping for,” Mateo said. “Ava, I’m serious. I want you to agree to marry me.”

  “And I need you to snap back into reality.” Ava looked around the small kitchen, at the table with a carefully prepared breakfast, and then finally back at the man who stood before her for some clue as to what was happening. “What is going on?”

  In answer, Mateo released his hold on her hands and sunk onto one of the folding chairs. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands. “I’ve totally screwed up.”

  A rush of empathy washed over Ava. With any other man, in any other circumstances, she would have been edging carefully toward the door, eager to get away. But this wasn’t any other man. This was Mateo Ortega, a man she’d known and respected since she was a young girl. She’d bet her own life that he was as sane as men came. He was just overwhelmed with sadness about his grandfather’s illness. Understandably so, Joaquin Ortega was as good a man as God ever created.

  Ava drew a chair alongside Mateo’s. Tentatively she touched his shoulder and when he lifted his head and met her eyes she saw the ravages of grief. Her heart hurt for him. “Let’s start at the beginning. Your grandfather thinks you’re engaged.”

  Mateo straightened and turned toward her. She tried to ignore the effect his closeness had on her. It was like a magnetic pull to him. She’d felt it last night at the restaurant the moment she’d seen him.

  “Yes. He thinks I’m engaged. To you, Ava.”

  “To me? But how? Why?” She hardly knew how to articulate the questions racing around her mind. The rational part of her brain ordered her to just cut and run away from the quagmire this was surely going to turn into. But another part of her, touched by Mateo’s obvious sadness, urged her to stay and find out more. “How on earth did he get that idea?” She sat quietly for a moment. “We haven’t seen each other since we were practically kids. Who on earth would have told him something so absolutely crazy?”

  Mateo faced her. “That would be me.”

  Ava could only stare. She felt like she’d come into the middle of a zany movie and couldn’t make out the plot.

  “First let me apologize for handling this so poorly,” Mateo said.

  “Start at the beginning,” Ava urged him. She glanced down at her watch. “I’ve got a meeting in an hour that I absolutely have to make and I imagine you need to get to school. So just cut to the chase.”

  Mateo took a deep breath and exhaled. “Abuelo’s cancer hit us all hard, maybe it shouldn’t have given his age and all but it did. He’s the heart of our family, always has been.”

  Ava nodded. “Go on.”

  “So we’ve all been doing everything we can to make his last days with us as peaceful and happy as possible. Last week we celebrated my niece Alondra’s quinceanera, it was a great night and everyone was happy, Abuelo most of all. I was just shooting the breeze with Guillermo and I overheard Abuelo telling Tia Sylvia that he had one regret.” He paused and met her eyes. “Can you imagine? Living that long and only having one regret?”

  “And this regret is?” Ava prompted him, already knowing what the answer was going to be.

  Mateo stood and began to pace like a caged animal in the tiny kitchen. Finally he stopped and met Ava’s eyes. “His only regret was not living long
enough to see me happily married.”

  “Oh.” Ava didn’t know what else to say. She could only imagine Mateo’s desire to please his beloved grandfather. “But why me? We haven’t seen each other since-”

  “Since your mother passed away and you took off without a word to any of us.”

  “That’s unfair, Mateo, and you know it. After my mother died I wanted to get as far away from the memories of her being sick as I could.” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm. “I couldn’t stay here.”

  “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. We knew why you left. It was just hard not to have a chance to say goodbye.”

  Ava blew out a long breath. “Let’s get back to your grandfather.” She didn’t want to talk about the past. “What about the woman I saw you with at the restaurant last night? You two looked friendly.”

  Mateo shook his head. “Jill’s a professional colleague. There’s never been anything between us.”

  “Surely you’ve been dating all these years.” Ava tried to ignore her sense of relief that Jill wasn’t his girlfriend, current or former. It was none of her business. Mateo was none of her business. She felt a sudden urge to flee. “If you absolutely have to go through with this charade, and I really question that you do, there has to be someone else.”

  Mateo shook his head. “You’re the perfect choice. You’re not a stranger, despite being gone for so long. Grandpa knew and liked your mother, he knew you as a little girl and we all care about you.”

  Tears pricked the back of Ava’s eyes. Mateo was right. The entire Ortega family had always cared for her, they were such a loving family. Aside from her mother, they’d been the closest thing she’d had to a family. And they’d been so good to her mother when she was ill. Ava didn’t doubt that when her mother passed away, she did so with a sense of peace knowing that the Ortegas would be there for Ava if she ever needed them.

  Except now they needed her. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. Mateo’s family had given peace to her mother when she was dying. Was it her turn to do the same?

  No. The whole idea was crazy. Insane. How could she possibly put herself through something like this? She’d stayed away from her old neighborhood all these years to keep the pain and loneliness of her childhood at bay. Why would she willingly thrust herself into the middle of the Ortega family? Posing as Mateo’s wife-to-be of all things? No.

  Ava placed a hand on Mateo’s arm, surprised at the jolt of electricity that ran through her as she touched him. When he looked down, his eyes were so full of his feelings, so expressive, that she was caught off guard and couldn’t speak for a moment. But then the rational part of her brain ordered her to let him down gently. It wasn’t fair to let him have hope when she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she couldn’t pretend to be his fiancée.

  But he spoke before she had a chance. “Ava, I’m sorry.” He covered her hand with one of his own. “I don’t have any right to ask something like this of you.”

  Something about this man made her heart and mind want to do battle. His gentle touch, the sincerity in his voice, the warmth in his eyes…it all was too much. She needed to get away before she was drawn too far into his world. “Mateo, I understand why you’d want to do anything for your grandfather, I really do. He’s a wonderful man. But I-”

  Her next words were drowned out by a hearty knock on the front door and then the sound of two voices hailing her as the door swung open.

  “Ava! Mi hija!”

  Before Ava could register just who their visitors were, she was gathered into not one, but two sets of arms for a hearty and effusive hug. As the voices warmly welcomed her back home she recognized their voices. When they pulled back, kind smiles on their faces, she recognized Mateo’s Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Oscar. She returned their smiles, murmured how lovely it was to see them again as well, all the while feeling as if she was being drawn deeper into the unreal world Mateo wanted her to enter.

  “Okay, Tia, Tio,” Mateo broke in. “Let Ava catch her breath.”

  Ava tried to act nonchalant as Mateo draped a protective arm around her shoulders. Not an easy task. She’d do well to avoid any more physical contact than was necessary. Every instinct told her to go, to leave and put the Ortegas and the past behind her but instead she forced herself to smile at Mateo’s aunt and uncle. They’d never been anything but kind to her, and if they were under the misapprehension that she was soon to be family, that fault rested squarely on Mateo’s shoulders.

  She turned her attention to Sylvia. “I am so sorry to hear about your father’s illness. I don’t know what to say except that I hope he’s as comfortable as possible and not in too much pain.”

  “Thank you, dear,” Oscar said. He made an effort to smile but Ava saw the sadness in his eyes. “He’s actually resting peacefully right now, the pain medication keeps him somewhere between asleep and awake for much of the day.”

  “And we’re sorry to interrupt you two,” Sylvia chimed in, “but we thought we’d sneak over and say hello.” She reached over and squeezed Ava’s arm.

  Oscar smiled fondly at his wife. “What Sylvia means is that she’s afraid there will be so many people here tonight that she won’t have a moment alone with you both tonight.”

  Alarm bells went off in Ava’s head. “Tonight?” She glanced up to Mateo but a quick glance at his face told her that he had no more idea what they were talking about than she did.

  “What’s happening tonight?” Mateo asked.

  Mateo’s aunt and uncle exchanged pleased smiles.

  “Your engagement party,” Tia Sylvia said. Her smile was triumphant. “The whole family was on the phone all evening making plans. It’s going to be an amazing night.”

  “Our engagement party,” Ava repeated. Of course. This must have been how Alice felt once she’d gone down the rabbit hole. She hardly knew where to start protesting. She glanced back up at Mateo. “Did you know about this?”

  He shook his head. “Trust me, I’m completely caught off guard.” He turned to his aunt and uncle. “While I appreciate all the effort, why not wait until my parents get back from Mexico?”

  “Not to worry,” Sylvia assured him. “I’ve spoken with your mother and she thinks for Abuelo’s sake that we should celebrate immediately. I told her that they should stay, enjoy Cancun, and they can have a private celebration with you both when they get back.” Her smile was playful. “But Mateo, you have some explaining to do. Your mama was completely surprised to hear that you were engaged. She didn’t have a clue.”

  “I can imagine her surprise,” Ava said, but good manners and a true fondness for Sylvia and Oscar prevented her from her adding a few more choice words. She pointed to her watch. “I’m sorry but I have to dash. I have a meeting this morning that I absolutely have to make.”

  Oscar grinned. “No problem, Ava, now that you’re about to be one of the family we will have plenty of time together. Tonight’s celebration will be the first of many.”

  Ava forced herself to smile brightly as she made her goodbyes. She waved away Mateo’s offer to walk her to her car, and she tried not to appear overly startled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  “I’ll see you in a few hours, Ava,” he softly said.

  A few hours? She shook her head as she backed her convertible out of the driveway and headed toward her office. Oh, no. Mateo Ortega was delusional if he thought she was going to go along with his crazy charade.

  **

  Mateo hesitated outside of his grandfather’s bedroom. He’d left Ava’s house moments ago resolved to come clean about his sham engagement. The stunned look on Ava’s face as she’d left the house filled him with remorse. He had no right to drag her into his world. Or his problems. It had all seemed so much simpler in his mind, his imagination that is, before he’d seen her. But he’d been wrong and now he had to make it right.

  He knocked softly on the door and entered when his cousin Elena waved him in. After a quick hug, he glanced over a
nd saw that his grandfather was asleep. “Rough night?” he whispered.

  Elena nodded. “But his spirits are good. He’s looking forward to tonight.” She smiled. “We all are. Congratulations.”

  Mateo forced himself to smile. “Thank you.”

  Elena followed his gaze to their grandfather. She motioned for him to follow her into the hallway. “Mateo, listen, I know it’s painful to see Abuelo like this. It is for all of us. But, we want you and Ava to be happy. This is such a special time for you both, so it’s really okay to let that show. You look miserable, and that isn’t how a newly engaged man should look.”

  “I’m not miserable,” Mateo lied. He was. But his misery was of his own making. “I’m sad.”

  “We all are.” Elena slipped her arm through his. “But the blessing is that Abuelo is still here to witness your joy. So be joyous.”

  Mateo nodded but couldn’t speak. He knew what she was trying to say and he felt like a traitor to the family for setting up this whole farce.

  “Did you want me to give Abuelo a message when he wakes up?” Elena asked. “Or did you want to wait awhile until he wakes up to talk to him?”

  “No.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve got to get to school. Just let him know I was here.”

  “I’ll tell him that you and Ava will see him tonight,” Elena added.

  Mateo nodded. “Right.” Or wrong. That all depended on Ava.

  Chapter Five

  Ava’s meeting was successful. When she finally ushered her clients out of her office, she had a nice size retainer and profitable contract in hand. After the door closed behind her new clients, she slumped against the door frame. It was still only eleven in the morning but she was mentally wiped out.

  “Can I get you something, Ava?” her office manager asked. “I can make a caffeine run if it’ll help.”

  Ava smiled but shook her head. Coffee wouldn’t solve her problems. Or ease the guilt that threatened to overwhelm her. “I’m okay, Marti,” she said. “Thanks though.” She dropped the file she was holding on Marti’s desk. A small white box with her name on the outside caught her eye. “What’s this?”