by Elena Aitken
Ian watched Gwen’s face register the shock and surprise when she heard her name. The crowd parted and opened around her, so everyone at the festival was either watching the stage or Gwen’s reaction to what was about to happen.
Slade started the count in and then he was singing.
It was a brand-new song, being debuted to the public that night, but that wasn’t what made it special. What made it special was that just as Slade told his fans, there was a special verse that Ian helped write. Just for Gwen.
Ian forced himself to concentrate. In his head, he counted himself in and joined in with Slade just as they’d rehearsed.
*
When I took the time,
I saw you there.
Your eyes, your smile, your hair.
Baby, I wish you were mine.
*
Ian looked out across the crowd and his eyes locked with Gwen’s. She was frozen to the spot. Her expression impossible to read, but she was still there. That’s what mattered. The chorus came and Ian sang it directly to her.
*
Just one moment
Was all it took.
Your love, your touch,
I can’t live without it,
Not even for a moment.
Baby, please.
Love me in a moment.
*
She didn’t look away from him and when he saw the tear slip down her cheek, his stomach flipped. What did that mean? He couldn’t think about it; it was time for his verse. Ian slipped the microphone from the stand and stood as he waited for his cue to sing.
*
I didn’t know what I had,
But that was then.
Now I see,
My eyes are open, and Gwen,
Please love me in this moment.
*
His voice shook as he sang, but it didn’t matter, because the song was only for her. He made the small jump off the stage and crossed the floor to her. Tears flowed freely down her cheek and her hand came to her mouth. Behind him, Slade took up the song and continued into the guitar solo. Ian took Gwen’s hand and pressed it to his lips. Still using the microphone, he asked, “Gwen, I’ve been waiting for a very long time to ask you this. May I have this dance?”
*
A sob escaped her lips, but she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He handed Mitch the microphone and the next thing Gwen knew, she was in Ian’s arms. He held her tight with one hand on her waist, the other entwined in her fingers as he began to lead her on the dance floor.
They’d danced together before. In Ian’s living room, but this was different. It was more. So much more.
The feelings were flowing through her so quickly she couldn’t process anything. When she looked into his eyes, it was just as it had been. Gone was the anger and the hurt. There was nothing reflected back at her except for love.
Love from Ian. Did that mean he forgave her? Were they okay? Was she okay? Too many questions.
It was too intense. Gwen closed her eyes, needing a reprieve from the feelings that wouldn’t settle down.
“Look at me.” Ian’s voice was soft, but firm. “Please, Gwen.”
Her eyelids fluttered open, but his face was blurry as she looked through a veil of tears.
“Baby, I’m sorry.” The words couldn’t have shocked her more.
“You’re sorry? Ian, I was so far out of line. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me? I didn’t mean to…I shouldn’t have…I’m…I’m so sorry.”
“I know and I’m sorry, too. I should have listened to you.” He kissed her forehead tenderly and moved her easily around the floor. “I read your last post. No, that’s not true.” He laughed. “I read all your posts.”
“All of them?”
He nodded.
“Like, all three hundred and five of them?”
“You know how many posts you’ve made?”
It was her turn to laugh. “Of course.” The laughter died. “Except that’s not true. I’ve made three hundred and six posts.”
“That one doesn’t count.” He knew exactly what she was talking about.
“But it—”
He silenced her with a tender kiss. “It doesn’t count,” he said again when he pulled back. “The only thing that counts now is the future.”
Gwen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had to be dreaming. “The future?”
Ian stopped dancing and put his hands on her bare arms. He nodded. “Tell me you want a future with me, Gwen. Tell me that you feel the same way about me that I do about you.” He paused a beat. “Not meeting you for that dance ten years ago was a mistake, but I can’t change the past now. And I don’t think I would even if I could because I believe things happen in the moment they’re meant to. Do you believe that?”
She nodded.
“This is our moment now,” Ian continued. “From the moment I saw you at the bus depot, I knew you were special and not because of how gorgeous you are. But because of who you are. I love you, Gwen. But it’s more than that. I’m desperately, completely, madly in love with you and this is our moment.”
Moment. He was right. Life was all about moments and this one was theirs. Before she could tell him so, Ian dropped to one knee and held her hand in his.
“What are you…Ian. What are—”
“I didn’t plan on doing this tonight. Not like this.” He glanced around. “But I can’t think of a better time.” He dipped his head for a moment before he looked up into her eyes. “Gwen, there is no doubt in my mind that you are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love everything about you. Would you do me the very distinct pleasure of being my wife?”
Gwen didn’t hesitate. She was nodding before he’d even finished talking. She dropped to her knees in front of him. “Yes. A million times yes.” He let out a whoop and wrapped his arms around her. Ian stood and lifted her with him before kissing her thoroughly. He kissed her as if his very life depended on it. And when he was finished, they were both left breathless.
“She said yes!” He shouted needlessly to the crowd who was still watching them. A cheer rose up and up on the stage, Slade started playing one of his hits. Everyone started dancing, and Gwen took the chance to pull Ian to the side of the dance floor where they could have a moment of privacy.
“Don’t tell me you already changed your mind,” he said as soon as they were alone.
“No.” She shook her head. That was the last thing she was going to do. It was sudden and totally unexpected, certainly. But she’d never felt so good about any decision in her entire life. She just needed to be sure of one thing. “I just want to make sure that we’re good,” she said. “With what I wrote, I mean. And the whole Mr. Summer thing. I was out of line and I never meant to hurt you. It all—”
“I know.” He held a finger to her lips. “I know and I don’t care, babe. I told you, I read all of your posts and more than that…I know you, Gwen. And everything about you, I love. Now can we please go get a drink to celebrate?”
She could think of another way she’d like to celebrate with him, but that would have to wait until later. For the moment, her heart was content just being with him. Everything else could wait.
*
Chelsea stood by the bar, waiting for them. The minute she saw him, she pulled Ian into a hug.
“Congratulations, big brother. I didn’t know you were going to do that.” She pulled back and smacked him on the arm. “You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t know.” He rubbed his arm. “It was kind of spontaneous.” So spontaneous that he hadn’t thought about any of the details. Like a ring. “Hey.” He looked over his shoulder to see if Gwen was listening, but she was being hugged by Deanna. “Do you happen to have a ring or anything I can borrow?”
Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Well, I just thought that—”
“You didn’t get her a ring?”
“I didn’t think I was going to be doing th
is tonight,” he answered honestly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get her a ring right away. Hell, I’ll take her ring shopping tomorrow.”
“You’ll figure it out.” Mitch appeared beside them and slapped him on his back. “I guess congratulations are in order?”
“They absolutely are.”
“I agree.” Mitch smiled. “Let’s toast.” As if she’d known it was going to happen, Samantha appeared with a tray of champagne flutes that she quickly handed out to the small group that had assembled. Bottles were produced and poured from and finally Mitch raised his glass.
“To my brother and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, both inside and out.” He winked at Gwen, who blushed next to him. “You both deserve all the happiness in the world. Congratulations.”
A chorus of “hear, hear” and “To Gwen and Ian” went around the group. Glasses were clinked and everyone drank to the newly engaged couple. Ian kissed his fiancée again, the sweet taste of champagne bubbles on her tongue. He could have happily kissed her all night, but a voice he didn’t recognize interrupted them.
“Congratulations, Gwen.” Ian reluctantly pulled away from Gwen and turned to see the woman who’d interrupted them. “And you must be Ian.”
The same dark-haired woman who he’d seen talking to Gwen earlier extended her perfectly manicured hand to him. He took her hand with a smile. “I am. And you are?”
“This is Jade,” Gwen said.
“Jade Johnson.” She flashed a perfect set of white teeth at him. “I’m Gwen’s agent.”
“Former agent.” Gwen stiffened next to him, so he squeezed her closer.
“I think you’ll want to change your mind when you see this.” She held out a small stack of papers. “Gwen. Trust me. Have I ever—never mind.” She smiled again at Ian, and suddenly he realized that Mr. Summer might not have been all Gwen’s doing after all. “But this is different,” Jade continued. “You’re really going to want to see it. Maybe both of you.”
Gwen shook her head. “I don’t want to read anything you have. Jade, I told you. It’s over. I just got him back. I don’t want to—”
“You never lost me, babe.” He pulled her close for another kiss. “Don’t ever think you did.”
“Aww. You guys really are the sweetest.” Jade smiled at them. “And I don’t want to ruin your evening, so I’ll be quick.”
Ian had dealt with people like Jade before and he knew enough to know they wouldn’t get a moment’s peace until they heard whatever it was that she had to say.
“Five minutes,” he told her.
“I won’t even need that long.” Jade grinned. “It’s simple. The producers I told you about earlier, the ones who liked the whole idea of pulling one over on Mr. Summer—sorry, Ian.” She shrugged apologetically at Ian, who nodded. “Well, I assumed you’d lost their interest when you published that really heartfelt and honest post the other night.”
“Right,” Gwen said. “I don’t care.”
“But you didn’t,” Jade continued, ignoring Gwen. “And, not only did you not lose their interest, you got even more.”
“What?”
“They loved it, Gwen. They loved the raw honesty of it. They called right away and wanted to offer you a contract if you’d keep going with the ‘real you.’” She used air quotes and Ian had to bite back a laugh. “They said that their viewers were looking for more relatable people that they could really get invested in and they think you’re the next big thing.”
“Jade, I don’t know. I really just want to focus on this right now.” Gwen squeezed his hand, but he could see the question in her eyes.
“Wait a minute,” he jumped in. “I know this isn’t really my business. But it kind of is because…well, you wrote about me.” He winked at Gwen. “It might not be a bad thing. Maybe it’s worth checking out. After all, if you can just be you and you don’t have to try and be someone you’re not just to get them interested, I think that’s pretty incredible.”
“Exactly.” Jade’s smile got bigger, if that was even possible. “I like him, Gwen. He’s smart.”
“Yes, he is.” She snuggled closer to him. “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll look at them. But in the morning. Tonight I want to enjoy the festival and my fiancé.”
He liked the sound of that. He liked it a lot.
“I can agree to that.”
Mitch, who’d been standing close enough to keep an eye on things—or more specifically, Ian suspected, Jade—chose that moment to sweep in. “Now that business is done for the night, maybe you should have a drink and loosen up, Jade?”
She looked startled, but pulled herself back together so quickly no one likely noticed. “I hardly think I need to loosen up.”
“Oh baby, you got a stick up that—”
“Okay, I think that’s our cue.” Ian wheeled Gwen away from the scene that was about to play out and back onto the dance floor. “When Mitch has had a few drinks, his easy-going school teacher demeanor gives way to his old playboy ways,” Ian explained. “And I have the feeling that Jade might not be the easy prey he’s used to.”
Gwen laughed. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
He twirled her around and led her around the dance floor for another round. “I’m sure they will and baby, the only thing I want to figure out right now is how I can get you alone.”
Epilogue
The town of Cedar Springs didn’t even wait for all the festival decorations to be taken down before they kicked summer into high gear, which meant that Ian was only afforded a half a day to enjoy his new fiancée’s company before being forced to get back to work. A good problem to have because the Dockside was busier than he could have imagined. The boats were rented out every weekend into July and the weekday bookings were starting to come as well. It had only been a few days, but Ian was already thinking of adding a third boat to the fleet and with any luck, the jet skis he’d ordered would be there by the first week of July. It was a financial risk to invest more so early on, but it could be an investment that paid off.
“Hey baby.”
Ian looked up from his computer and a smile immediately replaced the frown of concentration when he saw Gwen.
“Hey.” He greeted her with a kiss. “I didn’t expect to see you here until later. But I’m sure happy you’re here,” he added quickly.
Gwen laughed. “I know. Don’t worry. I didn’t expect to see you until later either. But I wanted to show you something.”
“Oh?” He wiggled his eyebrows, and she smacked him lightly in response.
“Not like that.”
“But later?”
“Maybe,” she relented. “But first…have you read my blog today?”
Ian shook his head. He’d checked in the few days since the festival, but Gwen hadn’t posted anything new.
“You should.”
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went back to his computer. He closed the spreadsheet he’d been staring at and clicked over to her blog.
*
Dear Reader,
Before I catch you up on what’s been happening with me, I first want to thank you. The last week has not been an easy one. I made some bad decisions. Decisions that almost cost me everything. And you stood by me. Thank you all for your kind comments. It means the world to me that you forgive me for my poor judgment.
But I guess that’s what being human is all about. At times we make poor choices and it’s not those mistakes that define us, but the way we handle them and recover from them.
I’m still recovering, but so far, I have to tell you…it’s going pretty well.
It wasn’t long ago that I didn’t even believe in love. I mean, I believed in love in the general sense, but not in the “it could happen to me” sense. I just didn’t think it would ever happen for me, and I think on some level I was okay with that.
And then the craziest thing happened…I fell in love. And not just with the idea of love, but I actually fell in love with Mr. Summer. I c
an’t even explain how it feels. It’s kind of like a warm hug on the inside, while at the same time you’re overheating all over and can’t stop smiling.
Not long ago, I wrote about how Mr. Summer was in love with me. I was afraid to admit it then, but I’m happy to scream it out from the rooftops now….I’m in love with him, too. I think I’ve always been in love with him and even though I almost blew it…I’m happy to report that we’re both very happy and looking forward to the future when we can…set our wedding date!
That’s right. I wanted you all to be the first to know that Mr. Summer asked me to marry him, and I very happily said yes. We have a lot of details to work out still, but the most important one is this…look for your moment because sometimes, even when you don’t expect it…you’ll find love in the moment.
*
Ian finished reading and he looked up to see Gwen smiling at him. “You used the song.”
She nodded. “I did. It’s kind of our thing now.”
“It is.” He closed the computer and went to give her a kiss.
“You liked the post?”
“I loved it.” He kissed her again. “And I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She reached her arms up and around his neck before she kissed him thoroughly.
It was a kiss that could have very easily have led to more if he wasn’t standing in his place of business, but even that was negotiable until he heard the voice he was coming to associate with awkward disruptions.
“Oh good, you told him already.”
He looked up and to Jade Johnson, who stood in the doorway, a leather portfolio in her hand. “Told him what?”
“You didn’t tell him.”
“I didn’t really have a chance yet.” Gwen slipped away from him with a giggle. “I was just getting to that when we got distracted.”
“Tell him what?” He repeated himself.