Marrying Mr. Right Read Online Free

the shelf and began circling places that Cara hadn’t listed. There were five possibilities, so she got right to work. Forty minutes later, Ann walked into the backroom and offered a mug of hot coffee.
    Missy held the mug in her hands and inhaled the tantalizing aroma of almond biscotti. “Thanks, I need this.”
    “What’s wrong?” She plopped into the oversized chair opposite the desk.
    Missy took another sip from the mug before leaning back in her desk chair. “I can’t find a place to hold the wedding reception. Every hall I’ve called is booked into next year.”
    Ann quickly spouted the names of half a dozen locations.
    Missy shook her head. “I called all of them.”
    “What will you do?”
    “I’ll have to talk to Cara tomorrow before we go shopping for wedding gowns. Maybe we can come up with an alternative venue.”
    Ann picked up the photo of Cara from her senior prom that Missy kept on her desk. “They grow up so fast.”
    Missy sighed. “My baby buying a wedding gown. It’s hard to digest.”
    Ann turned to leave after the bell above the door rang. “Just make sure you bring lots of tissues.”
    Missy sipped her coffee. Tissues. Right. One more thing she needed to think about: bawling like a baby.
    ****
    The next morning, Missy climbed the four flights of stairs to her daughter’s apartment in Manhattan. Blaring televisions, crying babies, and people yelling at each other seeped from under doorways. With the hallway reeking of cat urine, she inhaled only when necessary and, after reaching the top, paused to catch her breath.
    Cara claimed the rent for their two bedroom was cheap, but Missy had to think even the bargain of the century wasn’t worth watery eyes and holding your breath for four flights every single day. She rang the bell. Flushed and out of breath, she ran her hands down her linen pants, which had become incredibly wrinkled after the two hour train ride into the city.
    “Hi, Mom. Come in.”
    Missy relished her daughter’s hard hug and returned it ten times over. Why was she so emotional? It really wasn’t like her and it had to stop before she collapsed into a puddle. “Don’t we have to get going?”
    “We have a few minutes. Can I get you something to drink?”
    “No, I’m fine.” She followed her daughter down the long hall into the bright and sparsely decorated living room. She and Dan were into that whole “less is more” trend. Missy thought it just made the apartment look cold and empty, but hell, she didn’t have to live there.
    “You look like a deer in the headlights, Miss.”
    Vinnie. She hadn’t seen him in nine months and wasn’t prepared for him now. The news that he’d been dating upset her more than she liked to admit. She assumed she still had a few weeks to compartmentalize the information, to place him in a part of her brain where he no longer affected her before they saw each other at the wedding. She’d prayed time apart would expedite this. No such luck.
    Seeing him now brought all of their years together rushing back. Why he still affected her, she wasn’t sure, but damn, she hated that these feelings for him still existed. How far down would she have to push her emotions for this man before they stayed buried?
    But there he stood, hands shoved into the pockets of stone-washed jeans that fit much too well, a blue pullover shirt and matching sports jacket and black shoes. She didn’t recognize his finished look—and hell if the look wasn’t magic. Damn him.
    To make matters worse, a large smile was plastered on his face as he walked over and hugged her. “Missy. You look wonderful.”
    The delicious, woodsy aftershave weakened her knees. Curse him.
    She pulled away and croaked a thank you. Then, brushing her hands on her slacks, she shot Cara a, why didn’t you tell me he’d be here? glance.
    “What a nice surprise,” Missy lied and felt particularly uncomfortable as her daughter rung her hands and bit her bottom lip; two sure signs