Abuelo.” He cleared his throat against the emotion that made his voice thick. “For everything.”
Joaquin Ortega smiled and touched his heart. “You are welcome, mi hijo, but I should thank you. No man could have a more wonderful family than your Abuela and I have had, and you have always been a special treasure to us. You’ve made us proud, my grandson.”
A light knock at the door interrupted Mateo’s next words. It was his Tia Sylvia. “Mateo, where is your bride?” A slight frown marred her normally placid face.
Mateo’s stomach dropped but he kept his face composed. “With Claudia and the girls I assumed.” He shot a quick look at the grandfather before shrugging. “I haven’t seen her today.”
“You’ve at least spoken with her, right?”
He’d tried. Heaven knew he’d tried to get ahold of her but she hadn’t answered his calls or texts. “No, Tia, I haven’t.”
“Why is she alone? Who is picking her up?” she asked. She shook her head. “It’s almost four o’clock. She should be here. What are you going to do about finding Ava?”
Her father waved his hand. “Leave the poor girl alone, Sylvia. She probably just wants a moment to herself before she joins this crazy family.” His smile belied his sharp words. “She’s a wonderful lady, Mateo. You’ve done a fine job choosing a life partner.”
Mateo stared at him. Perhaps to his grandfather it seemed that way but Mateo knew the truth. He’d done nothing but mess everything up from the moment he’d hatched this ridiculous charade. He’d lied not only to his grandfather, but to his entire family. He’d lost his heart to Ava McKenna and, worst of all, he’d apparently upset her so badly that she’d disappeared.
“I can’t do this anymore.” The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he had said. His aunt pounced on his choice of words.
“What can’t you do, Mateo?” She looked between the two men. “What does he mean, Papa?”
“He’s fine, Sylvia, just go.” He motioned toward the door. “The boy has a bit of nerves like any rational man would on his wedding day. He’s fine. Ava’s fine. Just give us a minute.”
After she’d reluctantly left the room, Mateo blew out his breath. “Abuelo, what I meant was-” but he got no further before he was interrupted.
“I know what you meant, Mateo. And I know what’s wrong.”
Mateo’s eyes widened. “You do?”
His grandfather nodded sagely. “You’re afraid you’re making a mistake. You’re afraid Ava doesn’t know what she wants. And you’re being foolish on both counts.”
This wasn’t what Mateo expected to hear.
“Foolish,” his grandfather continued, “because you’re not giving yourself enough credit. More than foolish because you’re not giving Ava credit either. She knows her own mind. You couldn’t make her marry you if she didn’t want to. Just trust that it’s meant to be. Faith, mi hijo, have faith. Your bride will show up.”
**
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
Ava looked from the man in front of her down to her cell phone and then back at him again. She had to think for a moment to remember his name. Joe. “No, Joe, I’m not.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned his attention back to the keys in his hand but only for a second. “It’s been ringing like crazy. Aren’t you curious who is trying to get ahold of you?”
Ava shook her head. “Something’s wrong with it. When I answer the line goes dead. And I can’t read my texts, all I can do is hear the alert that someone is trying to get through. It’s been like that all day.” She powered it off. “So what do you think?”
“About what?”
Ava schooled her features, refusing to let her frustration show. It wasn’t either the time or place to lose her temper. “About the car. What are we going to do?”
He shrugged. Again.
Ava bit the inside of her cheek. Marti had called her at the condo and said that everyone at the office
Joaquin Ortega smiled and touched his heart. “You are welcome, mi hijo, but I should thank you. No man could have a more wonderful family than your Abuela and I have had, and you have always been a special treasure to us. You’ve made us proud, my grandson.”
A light knock at the door interrupted Mateo’s next words. It was his Tia Sylvia. “Mateo, where is your bride?” A slight frown marred her normally placid face.
Mateo’s stomach dropped but he kept his face composed. “With Claudia and the girls I assumed.” He shot a quick look at the grandfather before shrugging. “I haven’t seen her today.”
“You’ve at least spoken with her, right?”
He’d tried. Heaven knew he’d tried to get ahold of her but she hadn’t answered his calls or texts. “No, Tia, I haven’t.”
“Why is she alone? Who is picking her up?” she asked. She shook her head. “It’s almost four o’clock. She should be here. What are you going to do about finding Ava?”
Her father waved his hand. “Leave the poor girl alone, Sylvia. She probably just wants a moment to herself before she joins this crazy family.” His smile belied his sharp words. “She’s a wonderful lady, Mateo. You’ve done a fine job choosing a life partner.”
Mateo stared at him. Perhaps to his grandfather it seemed that way but Mateo knew the truth. He’d done nothing but mess everything up from the moment he’d hatched this ridiculous charade. He’d lied not only to his grandfather, but to his entire family. He’d lost his heart to Ava McKenna and, worst of all, he’d apparently upset her so badly that she’d disappeared.
“I can’t do this anymore.” The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he had said. His aunt pounced on his choice of words.
“What can’t you do, Mateo?” She looked between the two men. “What does he mean, Papa?”
“He’s fine, Sylvia, just go.” He motioned toward the door. “The boy has a bit of nerves like any rational man would on his wedding day. He’s fine. Ava’s fine. Just give us a minute.”
After she’d reluctantly left the room, Mateo blew out his breath. “Abuelo, what I meant was-” but he got no further before he was interrupted.
“I know what you meant, Mateo. And I know what’s wrong.”
Mateo’s eyes widened. “You do?”
His grandfather nodded sagely. “You’re afraid you’re making a mistake. You’re afraid Ava doesn’t know what she wants. And you’re being foolish on both counts.”
This wasn’t what Mateo expected to hear.
“Foolish,” his grandfather continued, “because you’re not giving yourself enough credit. More than foolish because you’re not giving Ava credit either. She knows her own mind. You couldn’t make her marry you if she didn’t want to. Just trust that it’s meant to be. Faith, mi hijo, have faith. Your bride will show up.”
**
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
Ava looked from the man in front of her down to her cell phone and then back at him again. She had to think for a moment to remember his name. Joe. “No, Joe, I’m not.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned his attention back to the keys in his hand but only for a second. “It’s been ringing like crazy. Aren’t you curious who is trying to get ahold of you?”
Ava shook her head. “Something’s wrong with it. When I answer the line goes dead. And I can’t read my texts, all I can do is hear the alert that someone is trying to get through. It’s been like that all day.” She powered it off. “So what do you think?”
“About what?”
Ava schooled her features, refusing to let her frustration show. It wasn’t either the time or place to lose her temper. “About the car. What are we going to do?”
He shrugged. Again.
Ava bit the inside of her cheek. Marti had called her at the condo and said that everyone at the office
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