Ava's Blessing In Disguise: Short Story (The Blushing Brides Book 7) Read online

  Ava’s Blessing in Disguise

  A Blushing Brides Short Story

  Lorana Hoopes

  Copyright © 2019 by Lorana Hoopes

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Note from the Author

  I have been so blessed to meet amazing authors in my journey, and I am excited to be joining with a few of them to bring you The Blushing Brides Christian Romance Series.

  This book took on a life of its own when my readers told me they wanted a look at Justin and Ava in the future. I wondered what to write about, but after I suffered a medical scare, I figured my story would make a good story for Ava. If you would like to know more of my story, be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end.

  I hope you love this story of Justin and Ava. If you do, please leave a review at your retailer. It really does make a difference because it lets people make an informed decision about books.

  The other books in the Blushing Bride series:

  The Cowboy’s Reality Bride

  The Reality Bride’s Baby

  The Producer’s Unlikely Bride

  The Cop’s Fiery Bride

  The Soldier’s Stalwart Bride

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  8. Author’s Note

  9. Not ready to say Goodbye yet?

  10. A Free Story For You

  11. Once Upon a Star Preview

  The Story Doesn’t End!

  Would you leave a review?

  About The Author

  Chapter 1

  Ava rubbed the right side of her neck as she glanced over at her daughter spread eagle in the bed next to her. At four years of age, Kylie normally slept the entire night in her own bed, but for some reason, every night this week she had woken up screaming between three thirty and four thirty. Ava had dutifully walked down the hall and brought the girl back to her bed. Kylie wasn’t the easiest person to sleep with as she tended to kick and punch, but Ava got more sleep that way than if she tried to stretch out in the recliner in Kylie’s room.

  “I sure wish I knew why she keeps waking up,” Justin said rubbing his eyes. His voice was heavy with sleep. “I could use some decent sleep.”

  “Me too. I pray every night for her to sleep through the night.” Ava brushed blond curls from Kylie’s forehead. “It must be a phase though.”

  As she rolled over, her hand stole back to her neck and rubbed the aching part again. She must have slept on it funny. Oh well, she’d call her massage therapist later. He was always telling her to come in more often anyway.

  * * *

  “Whoa, what happened to you?” Heidi, her friend and nanny, asked as Ava dropped Kylie off that morning. She’d met Heidi at the day care center she and Justin had chosen three years ago when Ava had decided to go back to writing full time. She loved spending time with Kylie at home, but she’d quickly realized she got no writing done when she had the baby all day, so they had agreed to put Kylie in a center for a few hours so Ava could get work done.

  The center had been wonderful, but Heidi had been her favorite employee and when she decided to leave to start her own home center, Ava had willingly followed. Now, she was more like Kylie’s aunt and a member of Ava’s family than a nanny.

  Ava’s face scrunched in discomfort and her hand massaged her neck again. “I think I slept on it wrong. When Kylie woke me up this morning – early again,” she shot her daughter a pointed look, “I noticed it when I tried to go back to sleep.”

  Heidi nodded as she pulled a tray of blueberry muffins from the oven. “She took a long nap yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know why she’s been waking up in the middle of the night, but it’s making for a long week.” Ava yawned and covered her mouth.

  “Well, I hope you get some work done today. Kylie give mommy a hug before she has to go.”

  “Bye Mommy,” Kylie said as she wrapped her little arms around Ava’s neck.

  “Bye Baby. Be good for Heidi.” Ava placed a kiss on her daughter’s cheek before heading back to her car. As she climbed inside, a sharp pain shot down her neck. She punched in James’s number and put the phone on speaker as she backed out of Heidi’s driveway.

  “Hey Ava, what can I do for you?” James had been her massage therapist for the last few years. Ava had never realized how much stress she carried in her shoulders until her pregnancy with Kylie. When she’d began suffering from headaches, her doctors had finally told her it was due to the stress in her shoulders. They had referred her to a massage therapist, and she had seen James once a month since then.

  “James, I know it’s a little early for my regular appointment, but I seemed to have tweaked my neck in my sleep. Is there any chance you have an opening today?”

  “I don’t think I have anything until after five, but let me check.” Ava heard the clacking of computer keys before James came back on the line. “Sorry, Ava. Five pm is my first opening today.”

  “Okay thanks for checking.” Five wouldn’t work. Justin was filming today, so she’d have Kylie after three and Kylie would not sit through an hour-long massage. The girl was well-behaved but not that well-behaved. Surely, if she had Gen massage it a little bit, the pain would go away. She’d better stop and get Gen a coffee then. Butter her up a bit.

  “To what do I owe this?” Gen asked as Ava placed the tall Caramel Macchiato on her desk.

  Ava flashed her most charming, hopeful smile. “I was hoping you would massage my neck a little. I woke up with this slight stiffness and James can’t get me in today.”

  Gen smiled and picked up the cup. “I would have done it for free, but thanks for the coffee.” She took a sip before motioning Ava to sit at her desk. “What did you do?” she asked as her hands pressed on Ava’s neck.

  “I don’t know. Slept on it wrong maybe. Kylie was up early again this morning and I noticed it when I tried to go back to sleep.” Ava winced as Gen’s fingers found the tender spot.

  “You should go see Chris. I bet he could adjust you and get this taken care of.” Chris was Gen’s boyfriend who just happened to be a chiropractor.

  “That’s a good idea.”

  “Let me get you his number. I don’t mind continuing to work on you, but I’d feel better if a professional looked at you.” Gen grabbed a sticky note off Ava’s deskpad and scribbled a number on it. “Call Chris.”

  “Okay, I will.” Ava stuck the note on the side of her monitor. She didn’t mind chiropractors – she’d been once or twice before – but she wasn’t convinced that what they did helped. Maybe if she just tried writing, the pain would disappear and she could avoid going.

  She pulled up her current work in progress and read over what she had typed the day before. It was so tempting to work at home, but she’d promised herself when Kylie came along that she would be present when she was home, so she kept her writing mainly for at the office and the occasional evening when she was awake after Kylie went to bed. That wasn’t too many nights.

  A rambunctious four-year-old not only kept Ava on her toes but wore her out, so that by the time Kylie was lying down, Ava was too exhausted to open her computer. The effect had been that her books took a
little longer to release, but it had also forced her to plan them out better so that she didn’t waste any writing time.

  After she finished reading her words from yesterday, she glanced over her plot line. Ah, yes, that’s where she was planning to go next. Her fingers stroked the keys and then the rhythmic tapping began. She grew so focused on the story that the pain in her neck lessened to a dull ache at least until she hit her first wall.

  When she removed her fingers and leaned back, the pain reared its ugly head. It was worse than before, and now in addition to the pain, her neck felt stiff. Ava turned it to the right surprised to feel a sharp pain. She tried the left but got the same result. Okay, she might have to give Chris a call after all.

  Chapter 2

  Ava pulled into the small parking lot of Chris’s chiropractic office and parked the car. He had agreed to squeeze her in just before lunch, and she’d taken the appointment. A pain in the neck was one thing, but a stiff neck made her job so much harder.

  “Welcome to Caring Chiropractic,” the woman behind the desk said as Ava entered. “I’m Virginia.”

  “Ava Miller. I called ahead to see Chris er Dr. Gibson.”

  Virginia smiled. “Ah, yes. I have you on the books. Since it’s your first time seeing us, I will need you to fill out some paperwork though.”

  “Of course.” Ava had expected nothing less. Everyone wanted forms filled out nowadays, but she supposed she couldn’t blame them. With all the lawsuits in the world, it was especially important to have bases covered if you were in the medical profession.

  She took the clipboard and the forms to one of the chairs in the small waiting room and began answering the questions. No, she wasn’t injured on the job. At least she didn’t think she had been. Yes, the pain was severe. No, it wasn’t traveling down her arms or legs. Yes, it was hindering movement. No, she’d had no recent surgeries. In fact, the last time she had been in the hospital was Kylie’s birth. No, she had not been in an accident. She circled the area on the diagram that corresponded with her pain and flipped the form over. After reading the legalese, she signed her name consenting to treatment and then returned the clipboard to the desk.

  “Ava, if you want to follow me, I’ll do a quick consultation before Dr. Gibson sees you.”

  Ava followed the petite blond woman down the hall to a small room. It held only the adjusting table, a stool, and one chair. Virginia sat down in the stool and motioned for Ava to take the chair. “You drove yourself, right?”

  “Yes, though I’m not sure I should have. I had motion this morning, but now my neck is so stiff I can barely turn it.” Ava attempted to demonstrate but the pain kept her from turning very much.

  “That’s fine. I just see that your insurance company requires in house x-rays and Dr. Gibson will want some before he treats you. Do you think you could drive to their clinic and then back here?”

  The thought sounded as appealing as getting a root canal, but if it would stop the pain, Ava would do it. “I don’t think it’s very safe for me to be driving far, but as it’s right down the road, I could probably do it.”

  “Is there someone who could drive you?”

  “Yeah, maybe Genevieve. I’ll call her and see if she can meet me here.”

  “Great. I’ll put in the order and we’ll get you taken care of.”

  Ava followed Virginia back to the front and while she placed the order, Ava shot off a text to Gen. A few minutes later, Gen entered the office, a harried frown on her face.

  “Why didn’t you tell me it had gotten worse?” Gen asked as she helped Ava into her Range Rover.

  “It came on kinda suddenly. I was working on the book and when I stopped typing, I realized my neck had stiffened.” Ava let out a groan as Gen hit a bump in the road.

  “Sorry, I’ll slow it down and watch for bumps.”

  Ava closed her eyes and sent a prayer up as Gen continued to drive. ‘Lord, please take this pain away. Let it be nothing major and give the doctors the wisdom to fix it.’

  “We’re here,” Gen said a moment later and Ava eased herself out of the car.

  Radiology was on the first floor of the clinic and it took only a few minutes to get checked in, but by the time they sat down, Ava’s head felt as if it weighed an extra fifty pounds. She leaned over, letting it rest lightly on her hands. It wasn’t extremely comfortable, but it eased a little of the burden from her neck.

  “Ava Miller?”

  “Here.” Ava said the word without looking up. That would follow but slowly. “Guess I’ll be right back,” she said to Gen before following the woman into the bowels of radiology.

  “Okay, it looks like we’re taking three cervical x-rays today, so I need you to remove your shirt, bra, and any jewelry on your neck or ears.” The woman pointed to a folded piece of fabric on a stool. “There’s a gown here. Go ahead and put it on but don’t worry about tying it. I’ll help you with that.”

  Ava chuckled. She couldn’t have tied anything behind her back at the moment if she tried. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to get her shirt and necklace off, but she’d deal with that if it happened.

  The woman pulled the curtain closed behind her and Ava took a deep breath before peeling her shirt off. The necklace was a little easier as she was able to turn the clasp to the front of her neck and not have to reach so far, but she wasn’t sure she would bother putting it back on. However, she held the golden cross for a moment and whispered another prayer for healing and knowledge before laying it on her shirt. Then she slid her bra off, added it to the pile, and put on the gown.

  “Ready?” the technician asked as Ava pulled open the curtain.

  “I think so.” Ava turned so the woman could tie the back and then she followed the woman into the darkened room just ahead.

  “Okay, can you put your left shoulder against this and then hold still?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem since I can barely move,” Ava said with a small smile.

  “I’m so sorry. Hopefully we can figure out what’s going on and get you fixed up.” The woman moved another piece of the x-ray machine closer to Ava’s right side and then disappeared into a small room. Ava heard a hum followed by a beep and then the woman reappeared. “Okay, now if you can put your back against this.”

  Ava did as she was told but she couldn’t get the back of her head completely against the piece the technician pointed to. “Here let me help.” The woman pushed gently on Ava’s forehead until it rested against the back part. Ava grimaced only slightly and tried not to let the fear overtake her. What was wrong with her?

  “Hold there.” The woman disappeared again. Another hum, beep, and the woman appeared again. “Okay, last one. It’s going to sound weird, but I need you to open your mouth.”

  Ava had no idea what that position helped them see, but she complied and then the experience was over.

  “You need to take these back, correct?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Great. Go ahead and get dressed and head back to the lobby. I’ll get them copied to a disk and should have it ready in about five minutes.”

  “Thank you.” Ava stepped back into the small room that held her clothing and redressed placing her necklace in her pocket. Then she headed back to the lobby. As soon as she reached the chair next to Gen, she once again let her head rest on her hands. It felt so heavy and stiff.

  Gen placed a hand on her shoulder but said nothing. Ava didn’t mind. The gesture alone brought a comfort that words couldn’t have anyway.

  “Here you are,” the technician said a few minutes later and handed Ava an envelope.

  Ava tucked it in her purse and thanked the technician before following Gen back to her car.

  “Will you be okay if I drop you off?” Gen asked as she fastened her seatbelt. “I need to run some errands.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll probably go home after this and it isn’t far.” Ava had no idea how the adjustment would go, but it had to be better
than what she was feeling now. She rested her head against the headrest in the car and prayed they wouldn’t hit any bumps.

  When they arrived back at the chiropractor’s, Gen helped Ava out of the car. “Be sure to let me know how it goes,” she said as she opened the front door for Ava.

  “I will, thank you.” Ava waved to her friend and then stepped up to the front desk. She handed the envelope to Virginia and then took a seat again.

  “Let me just get these loaded up, Ava, and I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be here,” Ava said but she didn’t lift her head. It felt better if she could just let her hands hold the weight up.

  Virginia disappeared down the hallway, but a moment later she was back again muttering under her breath. “I can’t believe they did that. Angela, can you get Radiology on the line for me?”

  Uh oh, this didn’t sound good. Ava hoped they didn’t want her to drive back because she didn’t think she would be able to.

  “Hi, this is Virginia over at Caring Chiropractic. I just sent a patient over for x-rays. She brought back the film but it’s encrypted. I tried her date of birth but that isn’t opening it... No, I can’t open any part of it… I don’t know what to tell you, it says it’s encrypted… Okay, well, thank you.”

  “What’s the problem?” Chris’s voice joined the conversation.

  “They sent the films but they’re encrypted. The guy at Ava’s clinic just told me that they don’t do that. He refused to help me.”

  “Let’s just do the x-rays in house free of charge. If we don’t charge for them, we aren’t breaking the insurance company’s rules.”