Page 6 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

After we hung up, an invoice for a hundred thousand dollars appeared in my inbox. I transferred the funds immediately, then cuddled up with my girls and slept like the dead all the way to California. When we landed, there was a file in my email.

I ignored the document, wanting to get Emily situated and Maia introduced to Marisol and her new home before I dug into what Jonas sent. The moment the SUV rolled through my security gates and then up to our driveway in front of the house, Marisol was standing at the door waving with excitement. Two security guards were positioned a few feet away. I scanned the length of my property and saw several others walking the perimeter as my security advisor had instructed.

“Marisol!” Emily screamed through the car’s open window. When the SUV stopped, Emily bolted out and raced into Marisol’s arms.

The older woman rocked my daughter back and forth, thanking God while staring at the open sky. I’d had to tell Marisol what happened to Emily prior to our arrival. Since Marisol was like a grandmother to Em and had escaped her own version of hell back in Mexico, I knew she’d be another ideal person to help my daughter through her traumatic experience. Marisol placed her hands to the sides of Emily’s head and kissed her entire face.“¡Mi bebé! ¡Te extrañé mucho!”My baby. I missed you so much.

“I missed you too,abuela,” Emily gushed, tears in her eyes as she kept her arms wrapped around Marisol’s round waist. She rubbed her face against the ever-present apron Marisol wore. The woman was always cooking or organizing special things to make us feel loved. . She’d slowed down over the years as she was now in her late sixties, so I hired a few staff members for her to manage. They do the day-to-day cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and whatever else is needed. The transition to house manager was hard for her since she liked full control of everything, but she’d gotten the hang of it over time. Her once black hair was streaked with silvery white strands that accentuated her kind and pretty face. Still, the woman was a formidable force of good in the Davenport household, and I was thrilled to see her.

I folded out of the vehicle and held my hand out for Maia.

“Is Marisol Emily’s grandmother?” she whispered.

“By choice, yes. Though she has six children and a dozen or so grandchildren of her own. They are all living beautiful lives up and down California. Being a single woman in her sixties with grown children, she lives here and is paid to take care of us. A job she has perfected over the past thirteen years.”

“Wow, that’s awesome,” Maia breathed, her gaze taking in the surrounding area. “You have a big house. Kind of like a mansion.”

I chuckled and interlaced our fingers. “It’s not as big as it looks. Only seven bedrooms, thirteen bathrooms, and a guesthouse.”

Maia’s mouth dropped open in pure shock. “Holy shit.”

I lifted her hand and kissed the back. “Come, let’s meet Marisol,” I tugged on her hand until she jolted into action.

“Mari, I’d like you to meet someone. My fiancée, Maia. Maia, this is Marisol, a treasured member of our family. She takes care of me, Emily, and this home.”

“Hola, Maia. I am happy to meet you.Bienvenida.”Welcome,she made a sweeping gesture with her hand toward the entrance. The door was wide open.

“Gracias. I don’t know a lot of Spanish, but I’d love to learn more,” Maia shook Marisol’s hand.

Marisol gifted her a beaming smile. “I shall teach you all that I know!”

“Be careful Maia, pretty soon she’ll stop speaking English. One day in the future, when she thinks you know enough, she’ll put you to the test,” Emily shared.

“Shhh…don’t give away all my secrets just yet,mija,” Marisol winked at Em.

“Did you make lunch?” Emily hedged.

“¡Por supuesto!”Of course!She pretended to be offended in that endearing way Emily and I were used to. “I feed my family. Come!” She clapped her hands. “We eat, then I will unpack you,” she commanded, nudging Emily forward.

“Did you make beef enchiladas?” Emily pushed.

“Sí.” Marisol clipped. “I know what your favorites are,” she harrumphed, continuing the charade.

“And rice and beans…” Emily added, asking for what she already knew was there, just to get Marisol’s goat. It was playful and so normal my entire body started to relax, the tension andnerves about getting out of France and bringing my family home finally dissipating.

“Sí. It is not my first day as yourabuela. Now, go wash your hands!”

“Okay, okay!” Emily turned to leave then suddenly plastered herself to Marisol. “I love you, Mari.”

Marisol put one hand to the back of Emily’s head and the other around her shoulders hugging her once more. Then she dipped her head and whispered,“Te amo, mi preciosa.” I love you, my precious.“Now go clean those filthy hands. Airport muck, eeeeyyyyeeee!” She made a disgruntled sound.

Emily bolted down the hallway into one of the bathrooms.

“Mari, I’m going to take Maia on a tour of the house and show her our room. Did you have Esmerelda do her thing?” I asked, referring to Marisol’s eldest daughter, a fashion stylist to the stars.

“Sí. Everything is there. She left notes and said she’d make an appointment with Maia to get more specifics and learn her taste.”

“Specific taste about what?” Maia asked.

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