“I am. I couldn’t have asked for a better grand opening.”
His eyes studied hers and she could tell he had much more to say. “Can you follow me somewhere?”
“It’s dark out,” she said with a laugh.
“You can’t walk outside in the dark?”
“It’s not that.” She glanced around her boutique to see how many people were left at the after-party. “How can I leave my own grand opening?”
“I’ll show you,” Aiden said, standing on a nearby chair. “Attention, family and friends,” he said, yelling over the music. “Would anyone mind if I steal Summer for a while?”
“Nope,” Winter yelled from the other side of the room. “Keep her for as long as you want.”
“I’ll lock up,” Danni yelled after.
“Great.” Aiden got down from the chair and extended his arm to her. “Care to join me now?”
She laughed at his bold antics. He was always doing things to surprise her. “Sure.”
As they walked to a destination that she wasn’t sure of, she tried to slow the butterflies in her stomach. She wasn’t even certain why she was nervous, but Aiden seemed to have that effect on her.
“Only you could make an announcement to my family that you needed to steal me away and get a response to keep me for as long as you wanted. I honestly think my family loves you more than me sometimes.”
“You’re just realizing that,” he said with a laugh. “I knew they wanted to replace you with me about two decades ago. You’re late.”
She punched him in the arm and he pretended that it hurt. They slowed their walk as they approached a building that was a couple of blocks from hers.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll see.” He led her into the darkened building and locked the front door.
“Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted to do with my career since I hadn’t taken that job, and I told you I wasn’t sure?”
“Of course I remember.”
“Well, I finally figured out what I wanted to do. And before you asked, no, I didn’t decide to stay at Palmer Lane.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. After everything that happened, I realized that I’d only remained at Palmer Lane for so long because I was comfortable there, and being employed at the company was the only consistent part of my life. So I thought long and hard about my next steps, daring myself to revisit my high school days when I’d had so many dreams about where I’d be by now.”
He walked her to a spot in the middle of the darkened room and asked her to stand there while he turned on the lights.
“After days of perfecting my business plan, I finally got all the puzzle pieces lined up in the correct places. Now all I need to do is put the pieces together and finalize the details. So tonight, I’d like to present to you Aiden Chase Artistry.”
The minute he turned on the lights, Summer gasped in surprise. Not only did she immediately notice that the photos and art on the walls were a combination of old and new pieces that Aiden had painted or photographed, but she noticed that every image and every painting had something to do with her.
She spun in a slow circle, noticing that even two of the images he’d taken that night in her boutique were on the wall, but they were beautiful shots with her back turned toward the camera. On one photo, the words dare to empower were in the bottom corner and the other was inscribed with beautiful liberation.
“You’re opening your own studio,” she said as a comment rather than a question.
“Yes, I am. I plan on having the grand opening at the beginning of March to give me time to iron out all the details. And I’m not just opening this studio to display my work. I’m also going to be giving photography and painting classes. I’m officially in business for myself, and with Dax’s help, I’ve already landed several large photo shoots in the US and overseas as an independent contractor.”
“That’s so great, Aiden. Is Dax still with Palmer Lane?”
“He is, but he refuses to work for Rogan Studios. Palmer Lane is a good company, and when Palmer heard about the ultimatum I was given, Dax ended up getting a similar promotion in the New York office. Palmer and Rogan still have the business venture in London, but this move is best for Dax. He’s happy and we’re still friends.”
She walked to the back of the studio, noticing that the images and paintings weren’t all recent work. Some of the photos of her dated back to childhood. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” He walked over to where she was standing and stopped right beside her. “Did I mention that I was in Chicago last week on an important visit with Malik and Micah, along with Micah’s business partner, Shawn Miles?”
“No one told me. Why were you there?” Her cousin Micah used to be a police officer, and now he co-owned M&M Security Firm in Chicago. Shawn and Malik had formerly worked in the FBI together, and now Malik was a private investigator and Micah had teamed up with Shawn to open the security firm.
“I reached out to them as soon as I learned Jake worked for Rogan Studios. I hadn’t done anything eight years ago, but I refused to let him get away with what I’d suspected he’d done to other women. I didn’t tell Malik or Micah why I needed them to find out info on Jake, but I did tell them it had something to do with you. It’s possible that they put two and two together, because last week, I flew down to meet them after they uncovered information.”
“What did they find out?”
“That you weren’t his only victim. There had been several cases thrown out when he was in high school. Seth Rogan had a lot of connections in law enforcement. There was also one case that Malik said Mr. Rogan had tried to have hidden, but he was able to uncover it. Apparently, three years ago Jake’s ex-girlfriend had reported that he not only sexually assaulted her while she was asleep, but she found DVDs of seven additional incidents. He must have been drugging her because she didn’t know. He slipped up the last time and didn’t give her as strong of a dosage. She reported it as soon as she figured it out, but the case went nowhere.”
Summer shut her eyes as she tried to keep her anger at bay. “I’ve never wished ill on anyone, but that man brings me to the brink of an anger I’ve never felt before. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that even when women do the right thing and report an assault, it’s still our word against his.”
“I know,” he said pulling her to him. “But now the right folks know what happened and his ex-girlfriend has been contacted. Nothing will probably happen to Seth Rogan for paying to have the cases covered up. Unfortunately, with men like that, those who do the dirty work are the ones who pay. However, Jake will pay for what he’s done. Law enforcement is already handling it, and if that wasn’t enough, your cousins and I may or may not have paid him a visit.”
“Did you threaten him?”
He gave her a sly smile. “Define threaten.”
“You know what threaten means.”
“Let’s just say I did something I should have done a long time ago.”
“Okay,” she said, knowing he probably wouldn’t tell her more than that. Her eyes widened in realization. “Now I understand why Malik and Micah have been randomly calling and texting me. You’re right, they must have put two and two together.”
“Probably.” Aiden began rubbing small circles along her spine with his thumb. She looked up at him before returning her attention to the images on the wall.
“Are you going to tell me why there are so many images of me in your studio?”
“I decided that I’ll change the exhibit every three months, with the exception of my favorite photos, which may be on permanent display. For my grand opening, I wanted it to be about me.”
She looked at him in confusion. “But every piece in here is me.”
“Exactly.” He leaned
in and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. “I’m displaying pieces that encourage and motivate me to be a better man. Pieces that, through every facet of my life, have helped me overcome some difficult obstacles and kept me company when I felt lonely.”
Her heartbeat quickened as Aiden led her to one of the first pictures he’d ever taken of her. She had to be no older than ten.
“This exhibit is about the very person who has impacted my life so profoundly that I can’t imagine what type of man I’d be if it weren’t for the inspiration she instills in me. Summer, for as long as I can remember, you have been the one piece in my puzzle that has always remained unchanging. Even when we took a break and didn’t communicate that often, you were always right were you belonged.” He took one of her hands and placed it over his chest. “You were always right there in my heart.”
His words touched her deep in her core, evoking emotions that only Aiden could induce.
“This exhibit is called There Are No Better Days than Summer Days because I would not be the man I am today if it weren’t for you. I truly believe that. And what I’ve realized over the past couple of months is that dating you is the furthest thing from my mind. When people date, it’s to get to know one another with the hopes of finding commonality and falling in love. We’ve been there, done that and quite frankly, dating you just isn’t enough for me.”
She almost felt like she was in a daydream when he knelt in front of her and pulled out a gorgeous diamond ring. “Summer Dupree, will you do me the honor of being my wife...my everything?”
Summer gazed into his eyes, filled with more passion than she ever thought possible. “Aiden Chase, I’ve loved you since before I truly knew what love was. There’s no reason to date when the man you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with steals your heart in kindergarten. I love you unconditionally, so the answer is yes, I will marry you.”
Aiden’s lips curled into that sexy side smile before turning into a full-blown grin. He stood after placing the ring on her finger and pulled her into a loving kiss filled with passionate promise. Summer was so wrapped up in the moment, she didn’t hear the knocks on the window until Aiden broke the kiss. She glanced over at all her family and friends standing by the door waiting to come in.
“Everyone knew you were going to propose?”
“Of course,” he said with a laugh. “They’re like family to me, too, and I needed Danni, Nicole and Aaliyah’s help getting this place together.”
“You never cease to amaze me,” she said, giving him another quick kiss. “What if I had said no?”
Aiden gave her a wicked smile. “Then I’d have to use my charming persuasion to win you over.”
She laughed as they walked to the front door. She definitely didn’t need to know how that would have gone. If there was anyone who knew how persuasive Aiden was, it was her. He’d been reeling her in ever since she was five years old, and she had a feeling he’d continue making her fall even deeper in love as time went on.
Epilogue
Six months later...
Aiden adjusted the collar of his tux for the fifth time as he stood in the courtyard of Deering Estate along the edge of Biscayne Bay in Miami. As much as he reminded himself not to be nervous, he couldn’t help it.
The moment he’d proposed to Summer, he’d been counting down to his wedding day. He was glad that Summer had agreed to get married in six short months rather than a year. They’d already started their life together, but he was ready to officially be husband and wife.
After they’d purchased a house not far from the town house he’d rented, she accompanied him to the Middle East on his first photo shoot as an independent contractor, and since then, they’d taken several more trips together.
After six months, they’d developed a healthy work-life balance and Aiden honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy.
“Don’t be nervous,” Malakai whispered to him. “You and Summer are ready for this moment.”
“Thanks, man.” Aiden was fortunate that he’d been able to further reconnect with Summer’s sisters and cousins through the course of their engagement. He’d always imagined that if he married Summer, Malakai would be his best man. Now he actually was.
Aiden briefly looked at his dad, who was sitting in the front row with his girlfriend. His mother had decided not to come and he wasn’t the least bit surprised. Aiden definitely respected all the single moms raising their children without the help of the fathers. But thinking about his dad and Summer’s dad, who was in attendance as well, he couldn’t help but appreciate the single fathers raising their children without the help of the mothers.
Aiden glanced to the sky and took a deep breath. He was sure Grandpa Charley was smiling down at him. Just then, the music began indicating that the wedding party would be walking down the aisle soon. When the music changed and he got a glimpse of Summer in a stunning white gown, everything drowned out around him.
She was breathtaking. Mesmerizing. Beautiful inside and out. Aiden wasn’t the type to cry and couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so much emotion. Yet today, he had to briefly shut his eyes from the onslaught of feelings running through his body as he watched Summer walk down the aisle. When her father handed her over to him and she slipped her hand in his, he had to force himself not to kiss her right then and there. Most of the first part of their ceremony was a blur, until Aiden heard the officiant announce that they’d chosen to say their own vows. Aiden was asked to share his first.
“Summer, I thought long and hard about what I would say to you—the woman I’ve loved for most of my life. I thought about standing up here and promising to always leave the toilet seat down, to always take out the trash before it overflows and to always fix things in the house when they break. But then I realized that there will be times when I leave the toilet seat up. I’ll be sure to take out the trash, but it may overflow at times. And you and I both know that I’m crafty with my hands, but it takes me days to fix things, so that wouldn’t be a fair promise.”
Summer smiled and everyone laughed. “The more I thought about my vows, the more I realized that all I needed to do was say what’s truly in my heart. There were so many hurdles we had to overcome to get to this moment. So many times I thought I’d never get married because I couldn’t get married to anyone who wasn’t Summer Dupree. My best friend. The woman who knows me better than I know myself.” He felt the tears in the back of his eyes sneaking up to the surface the longer he looked at Summer.
“Summer, I love you with every part of my soul. Every piece of my mind and inch of my being belongs to you. It always has. It always will. To love someone—and I mean to truly love someone more than you love yourself—for over twenty-five years is a testimony that I’ve lived. It’s a testimony that I’m still living. You’ve always had my heart and today—on this absolute perfect day—I’m finally marrying the woman of my dreams and future mother of my children. I’ve told you this before and I’ll tell you this every day of our lives. When I look in the mirror at the reflection staring back at me, there isn’t a part of me that I see that doesn’t have you in it. I promise to always support your dreams. I promise to respect our differences and to always be open and honest with you. And I promise to love you unconditionally...for the rest of my life.”
By the end of his vows, tears rimmed the edges of her eyes, causing the tears he’d been blinking back to fall down his cheeks. Summer briefly released one hand to rub the locket he’d given her over twenty years ago. One hundred guests were in attendance and Aiden could only see her. He doubted it would ever be any other way.
* * *
Summer wasn’t sure she could get through her vows without crying. Especially seeing Aiden so emotional over his. When the officiant cued her to go, she took a deep breath before speaking.
“What do you say to a man who’s been
such an instrumental person in your life? How do you tell the man you love and have loved ever since you were a child that he’s the reason you’re a better woman? He’s the reason you can stand before one hundred people with the confidence to say that life has thrown me some massive curveballs, but I survived every one by rising above them.
“Aiden, you’ve been my best friend and fiercest protector throughout my entire life. When I was nine, you gave me the locket I’m wearing now and you told me that every time I felt alone and needed to escape, to look at it and know that you’re right there with me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at this locket throughout the years. Even when we were apart, I knew you had my back, and as long as I remembered that, everything in the world was okay.”
She swallowed back her emotion when he lightly squeezed her hand. “Through all the obstacles we’ve had to face, we stand before one another today unbroken. We learned at an early age that we are much stronger together than we are apart, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for blessing me with an amazing man like you. I promise to always stand beside you in struggle. Laugh during all the good times. Take care of you in any and every way you need it. Today, and every day hereafter, I promise to trust and love you with all my heart and soul. We solidified our bond in kindergarten and now, over twenty-five years later, we’ll solidify an even stronger dedication to one another, and I can’t wait to share the rest of our lives together.”
By the time Summer had finished her vows, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience. She’d waited her entire life for this moment with Aiden, and she knew he’d waited just as long. Standing there, finally being able to kiss her husband and the man she loved more than life itself, she was overcome with a wave of completion. Loving someone was easy, but giving yourself to someone without reservation was the best feeling in the world.
“There are no better days than summer days and I’d wait another thirty years if it meant I’d get to eventually have this moment with you,” Aiden whispered to her as they were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Chase. She smiled before pulling him in for another deep kiss. I’d wait even longer, she thought. One thing she knew for sure... This moment was well worth the wait.
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