Not Quite Sheer Happiness (Event to Remember Series Book 3)

by Melissa Baldwin

  “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you and Ace decided to marry finally,” she says, changing the subject already. I guess she has a lot to say because we’ve discussed quite a few topics already.

  “My son is very enraptured by you; he has been since the moment he met you.” She continues, “He’s only had a few relationships in the last few years. In case you didn’t know, he really is very sensitive. Don’t let that strong exterior fool you. He has had his heart broken just like the rest of us.”

  Now this could get interesting. Learning about my man from someone who probably knows him better than anyone else.

  “Oh, I know,” I say. “Despite how hardworking and tough he is in business, he’s really very sweet.”

  She pats my arm. “Good girl. I’m sure some day he will tell you about his heartbreak. Everyone goes through them, even men like my son.”

  Hmmm . . . she must be talking about Lisa. Do I ask her about Lisa or not? I promised Ace I wouldn’t put any more energy into worrying about her, but this is not worrying exactly. It’s building a relationship with Maureen, and that’s important. We’re just having an innocent conversation about Ace, and he’s the reason we are now connected so there’s nothing wrong with learning more about him. Okay, I think I’ve convinced myself.

  “Are you referring to Lisa?” I ask curiously.

  I take my eyes off the road for a minute and notice her staring at me.

  “Well, I’m glad he told you about Lisa,” she says, sounding relieved.

  I should tell her that I knew about Lisa long before Ace and I were together but that would force me to go into a conversation about Luke and I’d rather not hash it all out. I know Ace is very open with her, but I’m not sure he gave her the full version of how we met each other.

  “Yes, he did tell me about Lisa and I’ve actually had the, um . . . pleasure of meeting her.” I hesitate. Pleasure is hardly the word I should use to describe my feelings, but I’m sure she can detect my sarcasm. At least, I think so?

  Silence. This is actually the first time since picking her up that she’s quiet. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s staring straight ahead at the windshield.

  “How on earth did you meet her?” she asks a few seconds later.

  I give her the full story about Craig meeting Lisa and us taking over her event. Maureen seems very interested in my story. Luckily, we arrive at Ace’s condo just in time, and I’m hoping that will change her focus.

  “Here we are,” I announce excitedly.

  She eagerly gets out of the car. It must be a cool experience to see your child grow and become so successful. Although I’m sure this isn’t the first time she has seen Ace’s success come to life.

  *~*~*

  “I’m impressed,” she says after she takes the tour. “Not that I’m surprised. But my son did a good job on this place, although a woman’s touch might add a little something extra. Will you be moving in?”

  I nod my head. “That’s the plan unless we decide to find a new place. My best friend would love us to move closer to her, but we haven’t gotten that far yet. Anyway, did you want to lie down for a while? I imagine you’re tired from your trip.”

  She throws her head back to laugh. “Did my son tell you that I would need a nap? I’m sure he gave strict instructions for this old lady.”

  I giggle. “Not exactly. But, he did say you might be tired.”

  She smirks. “Of course, he did.”

  Maureen excuses herself to freshen up, and I sit down on the couch. I let out a deep sigh, the ice is broken and I’m feeling really good so far. She’s so nice and down to earth. I made a list of ideas I could use to try to impress her but I don’t think I have to force anything. Ace has checked in a few times by sending text messages. He may never admit it but I think he was a tiny bit nervous about our blind date, too.

  “My nap is over,” Maureen says from behind me. She’s changed her clothes and looks more comfortable. She sits on the couch next to me.

  “I know my son asked you to babysit me today, but I promise you that I will get on just fine,” she says sarcastically. “You don’t have to stay around if you have something to do.”

  I fold my arms. “Believe it or not, he didn’t ask me to babysit you. He just wanted us to spend time getting to know each other. And I didn’t help the situation after I threw a tantrum.”

  She tries to hide her excitement at my admission, and maybe I’m crazy for admitting this, but I feel very comfortable with her.

  “A tantrum? That sounds rather interesting,” she says.

  I can’t believe how comfortable I feel already; it almost feels like I’m chatting with one of my friends.

  “Yes. I basically threw a tantrum when I found out that Lisa had met you.” I hesitate. “She rubbed it in my face and it bothered me that I hadn’t met the woman who helped to make Ace the man he is.”

  At least I can admit this now. Maybe I’m growing up. I really have been acting like a jealous girlfriend over an old girlfriend from a decade ago.

  She pulls her legs up onto the couch. “I’m sure this hasn’t been easy for you, with their history and everything,” she says sympathetically.

  I shift uncomfortably. “No, it hasn’t been easy at all. But that’s no excuse for me to act like a jealous girlfriend. It’s been years since things ended between them and everyone has a past. I don’t think it would bother me so much if she hadn’t been the one who got away.”

  Maureen gives me a funny look. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, it’s a very natural thing to feel threatened by an old flame.”

  I groan. “I suppose it is. Thankfully, Ace has been patient with me. I know he’s frustrated.”

  She turns her body to face me. “Not a chance. My son is very patient and understanding. I’m sure he expected you to have some difficulty when the girl he almost married suddenly falls into your life.”

  What is she talking about? Almost married?

  “Excuse me,” I exclaim. “What do you mean almost married?”

  Her face turns pale. “Oh dear. You said Ace told you about Lisa? Uhhh . . . I’m afraid I’m confused.”

  “You’re confused?” I yell louder than I intend to. “Ace told me that he and Lisa were serious but she broke up with him. He didn’t say a word about marriage.”

  Maureen looks like she’s about to cry. “Just settle down for a moment,” she says softly. “I think you missed a bit of the story.”

  “Obviously,” I snap.

  Shit, I have to calm down. Being rude to Maureen isn’t going to help anything. I’m just so frustrated that I still haven’t gotten the entire story. I don’t mean to take it out on her.

  She must see the distress on my face. “Let me explain,” she says calmly. “As you know, Ace and Lisa met abroad. They became serious rather quickly, much to my disapproval. When the summer ended, Ace came home but he was making arrangements to make the move to be with Lisa in America. He was very committed to her, so much that he was going to propose to her. He purchased an engagement ring but she has no idea about it. That’s when she ended the relationship and he was heartbroken.”

  Okay, so it’s not as bad as I thought it was. Maureen exaggerated that they almost married, but Ace did leave out the part about purchasing an engagement ring. There has to be a good reason he didn’t tell me about that. I’m sure he was trying to protect me but it doesn’t help my insecurities.

  “I’m sorry, Maureen. I didn’t mean to snap at you, as soon as you mentioned marriage, my head started to spin.”

  She pats my arm. “That was my fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned the word marriage. Lisa broke things off before he even left home. He exchanged the ring and then buried himself in his studies.” She pauses. “And I’m glad he did because look at him now—he has his career and he has you.”

  I rub my temples. There’s still something that has been nagging at me about this story—if Ace was so in love with her, why didn’t he hop
on a plane and try to convince her to give their relationship another chance? It seems like he would have fought for her a little harder. It’s not like Ace to give up on something so easily. Maureen must sense my uneasiness.

  “Is there something else?” she asks.

  I nod slowly. “Did Ace ever try to change Lisa’s mind? I mean, he went as far as getting her a ring. It seems unlike him to just give up.”

  Maureen cocks her head to the side. “Good question. You’re a smart girl.”

  I shrug my shoulders.

  “To answer your question . . . he thought about it. I think he would have gone if he hadn’t been so devastated. I don’t think he wanted to take a chance of it happening again.”

  Wow. I’m still taking everything in and, surprisingly, I feel okay. I’m not happy that Ace didn’t tell me about the ring but I think I can understand. He knows me well enough to know how I would take it. It’s nice to hear this from his mom because she was with him through the whole thing. Now I just need to figure out how to bring it up to Ace.

  “Thank you for explaining,” I tell her. “You probably think I’m silly, more than ten years has gone by.”

  “Not at all,” she insists. “Now I have a few questions for you . . .”

  Okay, I deserve this. I’ve certainly asked my share of questions.

  “Ace tells me that you’ve been stalling on the wedding arrangements. Is there a reason for this?”

  Ugh. That was the one thing I was hoping she wouldn’t ask about.

  “I don’t have a good reason, other than being scared,” I admit. “I’m just scared.”

  I don’t expect her to laugh but she does. She must find this very funny because she’s practically hysterical.

  “Please don’t take offense to this, but you’re not the first soon-to-be bride to be scared,” she says through her tears.

  “I know,” I say defensively. “We’ve set a date and I found my dress, so it’s not like I haven’t done any planning.”

  She takes a Kleenex out of her bag and dabs the corners of her eyes. “Sienna, do you want to marry my son?”

  “Of course,” I exclaim.

  “Then do it. Why not hop on a plane and go get married someplace exotic? Somewhere with no pressure or plan?”

  Now it’s my turn to laugh hysterically. I know we just met each other and she doesn’t know me that well. I don’t do anything without a plan, especially not a wedding . . . my wedding.

  “You mean elope?” I ask her. “I don’t think so.”

  She gives me a curious look. “Why not? There’s no stress doing it that way.”

  There most certainly is stress, I think to myself. Everyone is expecting me to plan the wedding of the century and I finally get the chance to plan my own day.

  “I think everyone is expecting an exquisite celebration. Our families and friends would want to share in our day,” I tell her. “Don’t you want to see your son get married?”

  As close as they are, I would think she would want to be a part of this day.

  “Of course,” she insists. “But, this isn’t about me or your friends and family. This day is about you and Ace.”

  She’s 100% right. I can’t even count the times I’ve said the same things to one of my brides. But it’s always easier to give others advice than follow it yourself. I admit I’m surprised by her reaction. Instead of getting into another deep discussion, I suggest we go out to lunch and some shopping. The remainder of our day together goes very smoothly. Actually, better than smoothly, I feel really close to Maureen in a very short time and this is more than I could have hoped for.

  Chapter 17

  What a day? When I finally lie down in Ace’s bed, I feel like I could sleep for weeks. Maureen is happily tucked in and we ended up having a great day in spite of our earlier conversation. Ace will be home tomorrow, and as Maureen says, I will be relieved of my babysitting duties. She has a really funny sense of humor, and it was obvious that she was going out of her way to take my mind off the ring reveal.

  Ace called earlier and I told him that everything was fine. I didn’t mention anything about talking to his mum about Lisa or what she told me. I figure some things are probably better to discuss in person. I’ve been thinking a lot about this new tidbit of information and how to handle it. Even though I wish Ace had been the one to tell me about it, I’m not as upset as I normally would be. I’m especially glad Ace didn’t chase after her after she rejected him. I’ve also been thinking about Maureen’s suggestion that we should elope. This is absolutely insane, especially for me. I’ve wanted my dream wedding since I was a little girl and it’s one of the reasons I became an event planner. It’s not that I’m considering the idea, but what a crazy suggestion from Ace’s mother. I’m wondering if there is a chance Ace mentioned this to her. Maybe he wants to skip the hassle of a big wedding. There’s just so much to think about . . . at least I’ve finally met Ace’s mom and we got along really well; so, on the whole, I consider today a success.

  *~*~*

  When I open my eyes, the sun is streaming in the room. Where am I? I’m definitely not in my tiny bedroom in my apartment. I look over to see Ace fast asleep next to me. Wow, I feel like I’m in a scene from a soap opera, complete with the sun streaming in, the big white fluffy duvet, and a man who likes like a Greek god lying in the bed.

  I thought he was coming home later today but it must have been sometime in the middle of the night. I guess I was in such a deep sleep that I didn’t hear him, that’s a good thing considering my sleep habits are all mixed up.

  I stare at him for a while, wondering how I got so lucky. Sometimes I forget how absolutely gorgeous he is. I know you’re supposed to think that way about the person you love, but in Ace’s case, it could be the truth. I will never forget when I laid eyes on him for the first time. Looking back now, I finally don’t feel guilty admitting that we had an instant connection. But no matter how strong that connection was I never broke my commitment to Luke. We both fought our attraction to each other for a long time until I was single. Even after that, I continued to fight my feelings for him. I was so afraid of getting hurt, and I guess in some ways I still am. I want to be Ace’s wife more than anything . . . if only I could get over my fears. I roll over as quietly as I can.

  “Good morning, love.”

  I roll back over to see Ace smiling at me.

  “I’m sorry I woke you,” I whisper. “I was trying to be quiet.”

  He slides over and wraps his arms around me. “I don’t mind,” he says as he nuzzles in my neck. He starts kissing me and I totally ignore the fact that I haven’t brushed my teeth. I guess I better get used to it . . . I can’t exactly rush to the bathroom every morning before my husband tries to kiss me. And this is definitely the best way to wake up, being in Ace’s arms.

  I’m definitely not mentally prepared when Maureen interrupts us.

  “Sienna, I wanted to thank you for yesterday, so I made you break . . . oh.”

  Ace practically jumps out of bed, and I throw the covers over my head. This is absolutely mortifying. I can cross this off my bucket list of greatest fears coming true, right under getting stuck in an elevator. Yep, that happened to me also.

  “Mum,” Ace shouts excitedly. He throws his arms around her.

  “My boy,” she says equally as excited. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I didn’t realize you would be home already.”

  They give each other a big hug like nothing is happening, meanwhile I’m dying of shame under the covers.

  “Oh, come out from there, my dear. There is nothing to be ashamed of; I may be old but I’m not stupid,” she says with a giggle.

  I slowly pull the covers down. “Good morning, Maureen.”

  Both her and Ace have big smiles on their faces. I’m going to kill him.

  “I will let you two get back to your welcome home party,” she says sarcastically. “Breakfast is waiting for you when you are done.”

  She leaves and Ace gives
me a funny look. “Are you really embarrassed? We were only kissing.”

  I throw a pillow at him. “Of course, I’m embarrassed. Your mom just walked in on us. I feel like I’m in high school and was just caught by my parents.”

  Ace jumps on the bed next to me. He runs his hand through my hair. “You don’t need to worry about it, Mum doesn’t care. Not to mention, we aren’t exactly kids.”

  I get up and put my robe on. “I know. But I still want to be respectful.”

  He lays his head back against the pillows. “I understand. But since she already walked in, you should come back here,” he says flirtatiously.

  “Ace, come on,” I plead. “She made us breakfast and she’s here to spend time with you, so get up.”

  He groans. “Okay, but fair warning, Mum’s not the best cook. She’s a wonderful mother but never mastered the kitchen.”

  I smile. “Thanks for the heads up.” I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

  *~*~*

  After breakfast, I leave Ace and Maureen and head to the office. I never had a chance to ask Ace about the ring he bought for Lisa. It was such a perfect morning with the exception of Maureen walking in on Ace and me. Not only did I not get the chance, I didn’t want to make things awkward for Maureen. I’m sure Ace will find out soon enough. Oh, and he was right about his mother’s cooking, not so great.

  As soon as I walk into the office I can see that Nicole is upset about something. I immediately get a sick feeling in my stomach.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  She looks like a deer caught in headlights. “Um . . . I hate to tell you this but Carrie was just here.”

  My heart sinks. “Carrie was here, in my office? What did she say?”

  Nicole lets out a deep breath. “She was looking for you. The strangest part was that she was very complimentary of the office and she was . . . nice. I don’t really know how to describe it; it was so surreal.” She hesitates. “She even asked me about my family. I don’t remember her ever asking me anything about my personal life in the year I worked for her. What’s her story?”