Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1)

by Folsom, Rene

  “I could wear a tank top and take a hoodie with me, just in case I need it. Would you like me to wear my hair up?”

  “I love your hair down. No, leave it down. I’ll just brush it out of the way when I want to admire you,” he said with a sparkle of desire in his gray eyes.

  We both quickly got dressed and headed to his car.

  “Should we say goodbye to Tanya?” I asked. I didn’t want to be rude and just take off, especially after the wonderful meal she cooked for me last night.

  “She’s not home. She volunteers at the animal shelter every Saturday. She loves animals, but that was one of my limitations. I like animals too, especially cats, but unfortunately, I’m allergic to pet dander. So, she volunteers to help the shelter and get her animal fix since we can’t have any,” he explained.

  “Pet allergies. Anything else I should know?” I asked in a teasing tone.

  He chuckled and answered, “No, that’s about it, as far as I know. Oh, no, wait. I’m allergic to penicillin too. So, if I ever need to go on antibiotics, the docs take that into consideration.”

  “Well, that’s good to know,” I said rather seriously, imagining if there was ever an emergency and I had to answer questions. I shivered at the thought and quickly put it out of my mind.

  By this time, we were zipping through back roads in his little Miata. One thing I liked about being with Aiden was, he didn’t mind me lugging my camera everywhere, because he did the same.

  The sound of Coldplay softly filled the speakers as we flew down roads filled with spring blooms dangling from the trees.

  “Oh, Aiden. A question about you and Tanya popped into my head at dinner last night, but I didn’t feel comfortable asking you in front of her.”

  He just nodded for me to continue.

  “The contract… ahh… not the will, but the actual contract you have with her about your marriage. Is it legal? I mean, is it fraudulent to pay someone to marry you for X amount of years?”

  “Well, our contract reads more like a pre-nup. Basically, if I back out before the two years are up, I don’t get the money she promised. Even though the money is not my motivation, the pre-nup makes it legal. If I back out, she cannot take anything from me. Of course, if I decide I want a divorce, she won’t inherit her father’s money,” he explained while keeping his eyes on the road.

  “I talked to her about the possibility of her just saying screw it. Screw the money and attempting to live without. She came to terms with that as a possibility. She had a strong enough head on her shoulders to know that she could survive without it if she had to. That is when I decided to help her. I didn’t want this to become a wedge between our relationship.”

  I still had more questions, so I continued and asked, “What if she decides to back out?”

  “Then she doesn’t get her inheritance. According to the clause that her father wrote into the will, she has to be married to the same man for two consecutive years and if she divorces and remarries before those two years are completed, she does not get a second chance. The clause also stated that she must live with her husband for the full duration of their marriage and they must share money and assets. The thing is—she doesn’t want anyone to know she hired someone to marry her. The only people that know are my mom, Coda, Paul, her boyfriend, and now you. I don’t think it’s illegal per-se for her to hire someone to marry her. I honestly never asked. But, for appearance sake, the public eye knows us as a loving, married couple,” he explained.

  “I have one more question, if that’s okay,” I said, looking at him for approval.

  “Sure, Angel. Anything.”

  “Okay. What if, by the end of the two years, she decides not to give you the money she promised?”

  “Ahh. Good question. Don’t get mad at my answer now, okay?” he asked with skepticism in his voice.

  I just nodded, so he continued. “I would walk away. I could take her to court, since the pre-nup clearly states I’m entitled to it after two years. But, honestly? I don’t care. If she backs out on her word, I would probably be more upset she lied to me than anything else. I wouldn’t care about the money, only our friendship.”

  I just smiled as I stared at this wonderful man. Everything about him made me happy. Not only was he drop-dead gorgeous, but he had a heart of gold.

  He caught me staring and smiling like a fool.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re just magnificent, that’s all,” I said, grinning from ear to ear and reaching over to twine my fingers into the back of his hair.

  “I’m afraid you have that backwards, Julia. You’re the one that takes my breath away.”

  Chapter 35

  “The jig is up.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked, realizing we were heading out of town on the small back roads instead of the highway.

  “Taking the scenic route to Pat’s shop and then out to that property I told you about. Did you bring your film camera and some infrared?”

  I nodded, and then asked, “Why are we going to Pat’s? Not that I don’t absolutely adore the old lady, but are we just socializing or do you need something?”

  “After this morning, I feel the need to go and thank her personally for selling us that mirror,” he said with a huge grin and a sexy gleam in his eye.

  “Aiden, don’t you dare tell her how much we enjoyed it.” I scolded.

  He threw his head back and laughed hysterically, obviously finding humor in my embarrassment.

  “Calm down, Julia,” he chuckled. “I’m not going to give her details. I just figured you would want to thank her for selling it to us and also get the history on the piece. I told Pat you would want to talk to her personally about her documentation rather than have me relay it to you.”

  “Well, you’re just full of surprises. You’re totally right. I would love to talk to her about its history and origin. I’ve never been one for collecting antiques, but this particular one just touched my heart. Now, I have several wonderful reasons to love it even more than I did when I first saw it,” I admitted with a bashful smile.

  A few minutes later, we pulled up to Pat’s shop. As we got out of the car, Aiden reached over and held his hand out for me.

  “You don’t mind if she knows about us?” I asked, gesturing toward the front door of the shop.

  “Angel, I bought a $600 mirror for you. I think she already knows my dirty little secret,” he said as he winked and continued to extend his hand.

  “Well, I guess when you put it that way…” I said as I rolled my eyes and took his hand into mine. It felt good being able to hold onto any part of him.

  “Plus, I paid her husband to deliver and hang it in my bathroom, even though they both knew I bought it for you. So, the jig is up, love.”

  With a light tug on my hand, he brought me closer and placed a kiss on my forehead as we walked onto the porch of the shop.

  The little bells chimed as Aiden opened the door for me and, immediately, Pat came out of her hiding spot to greet us.

  “Oh, Juliana and Aiden! How wonderful to see you two. And together this time.” she exclaimed as she clapped her hands together once and came toward us.

  Aiden held his right hand out to shake Pat’s hand, but instead, brought her hand up to kiss her knuckles, making her blush as he said, “Pat, as always, it’s so lovely to see you.”

  She grabbed her chest with her other hand and said in my direction, “Oh, always such a charmer, he is.”

  I just nodded and politely replied, “Yes, always. It’s great to see you again so soon, Pat. I was pleasantly surprised with my gift from Aiden last night. I can’t tell you how much I love it.”

  “I’m so glad to see that piece find such a good home. It truly is a magnificent work of art,” she praised.

  “Pat, I was wondering if you could share some of the history and origins with Julia? I’m sure she would thoroughly enjoy learning more about it,” Aiden politely requested.

  “Of course. I hav
e the full history, or what was documented at least, in my files.” She gestured toward her office and said, “Come, my dear.”

  I smiled at Aiden, excitement bubbling through me, as he followed me back to Pat’s office. It only took her a few minutes to explain the mirror’s origins and give me a brief history lesson before she handed me the papers and told us both to go enjoy the garden.

  After putting the papers in the car and grabbing Aiden’s digital camera, we headed back to the beautiful butterfly garden on Pat’s property.

  Hand in hand, we walked through the garden, enjoying all the wildlife fluttering around us. As we rounded a corner that caused us to be hidden from the building, Aiden turned me in his arms and planted an adoring kiss on my lips.

  After he pulled away, it took me a moment to catch my breath. Letting out a quivering sigh, I opened my eyes to his adorable face.

  “Come here,” he said as he snaked his arm around my waist and turned me slightly so I was facing his camera.

  Putting our cheeks together, he said, “Smile.”

  I did as I was told, even though I was definitely not used to having my picture taken.

  Without turning my body, I tilted my head up and gave him a peck on the cheek. I heard the shutter of his camera click and I smiled. Hopefully, that one would come out nice.

  He met my smile with one of his own and offered me a gentle peck on the lips. Again, I heard the click of the camera and it made me giggle. He was being such a teenager. Taking kissy pics was usually not my style. But, since he was using his digital camera, no one else needed to see them anyway.

  Just as we kissed again, a gust of wind plastered most of my hair in his face. We both laughed and I had to turn and face the wind just to fix my errant curls.

  A little bit further down the pathway was a set of rocks big enough to sit on. They were positioned next to the pond so you could look down and see all the koi enjoying their home. The waterfall wasn’t too far away, which made the entire scene so peaceful.

  I sat on one of the rocks, propping myself up on one of my arms, and looked down into the water. Even though the waterfall agitated the pond slightly, the surface was still enough to see my reflection.

  Lost in my daydream, I didn’t realize Aiden was photographing me until it was too late.

  “Aiden, why are you taking pictures of me?” I asked.

  “Because you’re the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on,” he replied with absolutely no humor in his tone.

  “Oh, please. I’m so not used to being in front of the camera. Plus, there are so many more beautiful things around this garden…” His fingers cut off my disagreement.

  “Angel, you… You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I don’t care what anyone else has told you. You’re stunning. And I live my life capturing beauty,” he said as he held his camera up as evidence.

  “How about this? You just enjoy yourself, relax, and don’t pay any attention to me,” he attempted to compromise.

  “Aiden. I haven’t been able to NOT pay attention to you since I first saw you,” I admitted sheepishly, putting major emphasis on the word not.

  He just smiled and said, “I’m glad. Very glad. But, now, I just want you to relax and enjoy your surroundings.”

  “Okay, okay. But none of these better show up on the internet,” I scolded.

  He just laughed and walked a little further down the path. I was sure he was just trying to catch me off guard.

  I did as he suggested and it felt great. I turned my body to face the waterfall, and then laid back along the rocks, fanning my hair out behind me so the long curls dangled over the side.

  The sun warmed my skin as I lay there and enjoyed the sounds of nature. I was wearing shorts, so any small breeze felt good upon my sun-kissed skin.

  After about twenty minutes of pure bliss, I suddenly felt drops of water on my face. Thinking Aiden was playing with me, I sprang up and looked for him. I finally spotted him across the garden, smiling at something on his finger.

  Slowly, I got up and walked toward him. As he saw me, he held his finger out to show me the butterfly perched there.

  I just smiled at him and walked a little closer to take a look. The butterfly sensed my arrival and flew away.

  “Oh, Aiden. I’m sorry. I scared her,” I said apologetically.

  “It’s okay,” he shrugged. “I think it’s starting to rain anyway. We better get in the car before the sky starts to fall.”

  “Is that why I felt water splashing on my face? I thought you were fooling around until I sat up and saw you all the way over here,” I explained.

  He smiled and wrapped his arm around me as he said, “Nah. You looked way too peaceful. I would never disturb such a pretty sight.”

  His gentleness made me smile.

  As he walked me to the front parking lot, I suggested we peek our heads in the door and say goodbye to Pat.

  After saying our goodbyes, we managed to get in the car just in time for the downpour to begin.

  “Oh, damn. There goes our chances of checking out that other property you mentioned,” I pouted.

  “Nah, this might clear up in a bit. You know how fickle Florida rain showers are. Plus, if the sun comes back out, the moisture on the plants may make for some interesting shots,” he said cheerfully.

  “For now, let’s just go grab a bite to eat.”

  His cheerful attitude was infectious. “Sounds great!”

  Chapter 36

  “Do you not realize what an exquisite person you are?”

  Just around the corner from the antique shop was a cute little café tucked away in a slew of beautiful, old oak trees covered in spanish moss. Next door to the café was a stunning Victorian-style house turned into a stained-glass studio.

  “Oh, Aiden. There’s a stained-glass studio right next door and they have a ‘Lunch Café’ sign out front. Can we eat there?” I asked excitedly.

  “Of course, Angel. That sounds perfect. Anything you want.”

  “I took a stained-glass course last semester and was bummed to realize they only offered one class, so I couldn’t continue learning unless I took it upon myself. I haven’t really had the proper space to stay with it.”

  “Well, that’s why you need to keep going with those community art studio plans, Julia,” he said with a smile as he parked the car on the road.

  “Stay there, love. I’ll be right around,” he said as he grabbed his jacket from behind my seat and climbed out of the car.

  He gallantly came around the car and held the jacket out to shield me from the rain. We both huddled together and scuttled toward the stained-glass studio’s entrance.

  The entire studio had a wraparound porch on both the first and second floors. The lower porch had scattered patio furniture to sit, relax, and enjoy lunch.

  Hand in hand, we walked over to an open table and sat down. Even though it was lightly raining, the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.

  The entire front wall of the studio had several floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. Three sets of French doors were wide open, making the place feel inviting and friendly. On either side of the many doors were large windows completely decorated with stained glass. Under the eaves of the porch were more stained-glass designs and decor.

  It amazed me how this old-style white house was so colorful and inviting. I quickly realized that the upstairs area was actually sectioned-off apartments. How cool would that be to live above a stained-glass studio?

  “I love seeing you smile like this, Juliana,” Aiden said, bringing me out of my daydreams.

  “Well, you know how to treat a girl, Mr. Stone. How could I not smile when spending such a wonderful day with you?” I said in an attempt to flatter him.

  And it worked. He leaned over and gave me a tender peck on the cheek. I smiled and turned to meet his lips.

  Just as we pulled away from our PDA, a cute teenager came up and asked what we would like to drink.

  Lu
nch was excellent. We both ordered different deli-style sandwiches and split a piece of key lime pie, which was probably the best I’d ever had.

  By the time we were done eating, the rain slowed to a very gentle drizzle. It was possible most of the drops came from the surrounding moss-covered oak trees instead of the sky.

  “Aiden?”

  “Yes, love.”

  “Can we just sit here and relax for a bit? Just talk and enjoy this? I feel so at peace, so safe, here with you. I don’t think I’m ready to go back to the real world just yet,” I boldly admitted while I grabbed his hand on the table.

  “Of course, Julia. We can stay here as long as you’d like. I’m really enjoying having you all to myself. What time do you have to be at work?” he asked.

  “I don’t have to be through the doors until seven, but I do have to get ready, so we might want to be back at the house by six at the latest.”

  Then I thought of something.

  “Aiden, I don’t have my car. I’m not sure if the guys drove it back to my apartment or if it’s still at the club. I should probably call…” He cut me off by stilling my hand as I reached for my phone.

  “They already took it back to your apartment. I talked with Pete briefly about it yesterday. Which reminds me—I kept the key from under your mat. I actually didn’t mean to, but then thought you might not mind, especially with everything that is going on.”

  “No, I don’t mind. I think it’s a good idea you have a key,” I said bashfully.

  “So, if you need to take me back to my car, we might need to get back to your house a little earlier.”

  “I planned on driving you to work. Is that okay with you? I don’t want to smother you, but I also wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do everything in my power to protect you,” he said with a bit of remorse in his tone.

  I grabbed his face with my hands and held him gently as I looked into his eyes and said, “Thank you, my sweet Aiden. I don’t think I’ve ever been cared for so much and it makes me feel… special, cherished, loved. So, yes, I would love for you to take me to work as long as it doesn’t inconvenience you. I’d hate to be a burden.”