Beach Wedding Weekend Page 23

  Aiden strode across the room toward her. His long strides were strong and confident and his blue eyes danced against his tan skin. Just the sight of him made her spirit soar, filling every inch of her with a rosy glow that overflowed into a smile. It was hard to believe that she’d gone years without connecting this feeling to what it was. Being in love with him.

  She hugged her tablet against her chest and watched him walk toward her. Eventually this sort of reaction to him would go away, or at the very least decrease, wouldn’t it? Or was she destined to swoon every time he walked into a room? Love, even when it was one-sided, was a strange thing.

  “You know, this fashionably late thing is becoming quite the problem.” Also, his shorts and canvas sneakers were underdressed, even for this casual wedding. But she kept that tidbit to herself, especially since he looked better in it than most people looked in formal attire.

  “I’m not here for the wedding,” he said, not that she was paying attention. She was too busy admiring his dazzling smile and the way his infectious energy seemed to bring the entire room to life.

  He stopped in front of her. “I’m here for you.”

  That time, his words caught her attention. “Me? You have another business meeting you need me to plan?” The familiar longing throbbed deep in her chest. Of course she’d love to work with him again because it would mean she would get to spend more time with him. But how long could she pretend being friends with him was enough for her?

  “Not work.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t sell the restaurant, by the way.”

  This caused her to pause. Since selling Cedar Break was his goal, she expected this news to be delivered with disappointment or even a hint of regret, but at the moment Aiden looked the opposite of disappointed. In fact, if she had to label his current emotion, she would have called it exuberant. Something wasn’t adding up here. She forced her thoughts off of her one-sided love situation and onto what he was telling her.

  “What happened?”

  He gazed into her eyes with a look so gentle it took her breath away. “I realized some things in life are too good to walk away from.”

  She knew it wasn’t possible, but it felt as if he could see all the way into her soul. The warm rays of love radiated through her, filling every inch of her with light. It was intoxicating in the most delicious way. This was the way love was supposed to feel, and she stood for a moment, soaking it in.

  “Cedar Break is a special place. I can understand not wanting to let it go.” Of course, letting go wasn’t her specialty. She knew at some point she would have to let Aiden go. Whatever was happening between them wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last. She’d already been over this in her mind more than once during the past week. But for the moment, with her pulse thundering in her ears and the warmth of love rolling through her, she allowed herself to revel in the fantasy.

  Aiden nodded. “You made me reconsider my stance on commitment.”

  At least she’d made a lasting impact on his life. He had definitely made one on hers. Memories of dancing with him on the beach played through her mind, filling her with a yearning so strong she ached.

  This was ridiculous. She needed to get control over herself. She couldn’t get carried away every time he looked at her. Above everything else, he was a friend, one that she deeply valued, and he was there to tell her…Well, at the moment she couldn’t remember what he was there to tell her, which was the problem. She couldn’t let her crazy emotions steal her focus. There were things that needed to be done; she had a wedding to run. She needed to stop ogling him and walk away. Play time was over. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips in preparation to tell him she had to get back to work. Only, those weren’t the words she blurted out.

  “I’m in love with you.”

  And at the very same moment he said, “I love you.”

  She froze, unable to believe she’d just said what she did and that she’d heard what she did. The guitar processional outside stopped and everything around them got quiet.

  “You what?” She whispered the words, equally afraid that she’d heard him wrong and that she’d heard him right.

  He stepped closer to her, filling the gap between them, and gently took the tablet out of her hands, placing it on the table next to them. With nothing else between them she was left feeling open and vulnerable.

  This was the moment where everything changed. From this point on, there were no more excuses of friendships or fake relationships. There was no more denying the way she felt about him. There was nothing left to hide behind. It was a strange sensation of joyful anticipation and prickling fear. She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

  “I am in love with you.” His fingertips trailed down her arms until he took her hands in his, a confident smile lighting his face. “I have been for some time. Maybe even longer than I realized.”

  Paige closed her eyes, letting his words resonate in her mind. If this was some sort of dream, she didn’t want to wake up. But when she opened her eyes, he was still there, staring back at her with the same look of adoration that had taken her breath away earlier.

  All the emotions swirling around her had stolen her voice, which was probably just as well. She couldn’t think of anything to say in response. Never once had she brainstormed ideas for the perfect line for this scenario. So she just stood there, letting joy consume her and trying to take it all in.

  Aiden continued. “No one compares to you. No one has your breathtaking beauty or your adventurous spirit or your kind heart. Even though our relationship was fake, being with you made me realize I’ve never wanted anything more. That night, when we had to write a wish on the lanterns, my wish was for you.”

  Giddy excitement danced through her. Aiden Pierce was in love with her, and hearing him say it out loud was even more glorious than she imagined it would be. “You know it’s bad luck to tell someone your wish.”

  He shrugged, laughter crinkling his eyes. “I’m willing to take my chances.”

  A vision of what their life together could look like flashed before her. But there was still one problem.

  She had a wish, too. Forever with Aiden. It was what she wrote on her lantern that night and the dream that had echoed in her heart every day since. She didn’t just want to have fun with Aiden or be happy for now with Aiden. She wanted forever.

  “So, this wish of yours. Is it a short-term deal or an ‘as long as it makes sense’ deal or…” She couldn’t even make herself finish the sentence. Hope had sprouted deep within her, making her jittery with anticipation. But the fear of rejection, the fear of having to walk away from the one thing she wanted more than anything else, loomed over her like a boulder balanced on the edge of a cliff. One word and all of this happiness could be dashed.

  Aiden slid his hand behind her head, his thumb caressing her cheek and his expression turned more serious than any she had ever seen on him. “I want you now and forever and for whatever comes after that.”

  The passion in his voice combined with the love in his eyes washed over her like a gentle wave. A happiness richer than anything she’d ever experienced bubbled up inside her. It caused tears to brim in her eyes and her smile to stretch so far across her face she could feel her muscles straining.

  And then he kissed her.

  His hands found her hips and he pulled her into him, before he wrapped his arms around her back. He held her against his strong chest and kissed her deeper. It was gentle and sweet, but so filled with passion she could feel it all the way down to her toes. Everything else faded away from her awareness and she focused on the moment. On him. On them.

  When she finally took a breath and looked up at him, he had a silly grin plastered on his face. “Is it safe to assume there isn’t anyone else in the picture?”

  Paige shook her head. “Turns out I was in love with someone else the entire time.”
>
  Aiden’s thumb caressed her cheek. “That’s good news. For me, anyway.”

  “For all of us. I think everyone got exactly what they wished for.” When they had time, she would fill him on Brody. And he would have to tell her what happened with the investors and Cedar Break. Apparently, a lot had happened since he left her standing on the beach.

  But all that could wait. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the moment.

  “So, forever, huh? I thought you didn’t believe in that word.” She playfully snagged her lip with her teeth.

  “I didn’t, until I imagined forever without you.” His expression turned more serious. “Walking away from you was the hardest thing I have ever done. Trust me, it will never happen again.”

  Standing on the beach that night had been one of her hardest moments, as well. Back then, with her heart broken, she would have never imagined they would end up here. “Promise?”

  He gazed down at her with his warm blue eyes. “To steal a phrase from your profession, I do.” He gently kissed her lips again. “From now until forever, I do.”

  Epilogue

  Summer had been so busy for Paige that it didn’t seem like twelve weeks had passed since she stood on this same beach with this same group of people celebrating a new beginning. Only this time, instead of wedding dresses and tuxes, the stars of the day wore hard hats and carried silver tipped shovels. And instead of standing on the sand, they were standing on the fresh dirt of a newly cleared construction site.

  “I know we’re here to be supportive and everything, but how long do you think this ground-breaking ceremony will take? We’re only here for two days, so I need to maximize my beach time,” Ciera said.

  “Right? And we can’t even stay out all day today. Sasha’s show premieres tonight and I promised her we’d video-chat with her from the watch party.” Paige glanced at her watch.

  Ciera’s eyes lit up. “Did you read the review of it in Entertainment Magazine? They called it the best new show of the fall! I can’t wait to see it. But you’re right. That doesn’t give us much time.”

  Georgia glanced at her watch and nodded. “Which is the reason I’m wearing my swimsuit under my clothes right now. The second we’re done up here, I’ll be in the water.”

  “I’m right there with you,” Paige said. “Unfortunately, there’s no staircase to the beach here yet. We either have to find a rope and rappel down the bluff or find public access.” If there was any way to climb down the steep embankment to the beach, Paige would have done it this morning. She needed to get her toes in the sand.

  “That’s a problem,” Georgia said.

  “What’s a problem?” Hadley walked up on their group. She lifted up her shiny new white hardhat with the new resort’s logo emblazoned on the front and wiped away the sweat that was beading up on her forehead in the humid September morning.

  “Your beach access situation,” Georgia reported.

  Hadley nodded, looking thoughtful. “I’ll make that priority number one in the project.” She looked out toward the water. “But you can’t beat that view. It almost makes my tiny trailer in the middle of a construction zone worth it.”

  Paige turned to admire the turquoise water that stretched out all the way to the horizon. She snaked her arm around her friend’s waist. “I can’t believe you get to live here and look at this for the next eight months.”

  Hadley leaned her head on Paige’s shoulder. “Right? I have your boyfriend to thank for that.”

  Paige shook her head. “No, you have yourself to thank.”

  Ciera nodded. “Aiden and Jacob asked you because there was no one else they trusted to be on location and manage this huge construction project.”

  “And I’m excited about a change, but…” Hadley glanced over her shoulder at the crowd gathering behind them. Concern clouded her normally confident features. “I’ve never done anything this big before. Eight months to build a fifteen-room boutique resort AND get all three proposed restaurants operational? Let’s hope everything goes according to plan.”

  One thing Paige had embraced this summer was that life never seemed to go according to plan. She looked across the crowd of people gathering in the big dirt field. Aiden was talking with one of the investors. When he caught her gaze he flashed her a smile, the intimate one that she knew was just for her. As always, it filled her with giddy excitement. Maybe life didn’t follow her plan, but sometimes the unexpected turns took her to the most rewarding places.

  “It won’t. But there’s nothing they can throw at you that you can’t handle.” Paige gave her a gentle squeeze.

  Hadley drew in a deep breath, then refreshed her confident smile and stepped away from Paige, readjusting her hat. “Thanks for being here, guys. It means a lot. You’re going to come visit me all the time, right?”

  “I’m going to be here so often, you’re going to have to kick me out,” Ciera said.

  “I hope your tiny trailer is big enough for all of us,” Paige added.

  “And you know you’re always welcome to my dad’s beach house if you need a break from the construction site. It’s only a couple miles down the road and we’re hardly ever there.”

  Hadley beamed at her friends. “Sounds like we have quite the adventures waiting for us.” Just then, Jacob Merrick, who was talking with the town’s mayor, waved her over. “Looks like I’m being summoned. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Less than fifteen minutes later, all the folding chairs they had set up were occupied and a solid row of video cameras and photographers stood behind them. After Aiden welcomed everyone and Jacob gave them a preview of what could be expected, the investors, along with Aiden, Jacob and their new project manager, Hadley, posed in their business suits and hardhats with their silver-tipped shovels.

  Paige stood in the back among her friends and watched, pride beaming within her. It had been fun to watch Aiden work over the past three months, fun to see his passion and ideas take shape, and today all of that hard work was being brought to life. True, the building process had already been underway for a few weeks when they started clearing the land and the preliminary structures like Hadley’s trailer and the temporary office building were put in place. But today made it feel official, and she could tell by Aiden’s extra chipper attitude that he was basking in the excitement as well.

  After the photo op was over, the crowd dispersed and each of them went to congratulate a different person. Lane and Georgia went to talk to his father, Ciera trotted over to hug Hadley, and Aiden headed directly to where Paige was standing.

  “It’s official. Pictures of the resort have been blasted all over social media. There’s no going back now.” He kissed her lips. “Thanks for being here.”

  “The man I love is the owner of the most amazing boutique hotel on 30A. I wouldn’t have missed this moment for anything.”

  Aiden raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to the area where they’d just been digging. “Right now, I’m the partial owner of a pile of dirt and some pretty fancy drawings of what could be a hotel.”

  “Yeah, but your dirt comes with a great view.”

  “True.” He took her hand and they strolled over to the edge of the bluff, looking out at the sparkling water that stretched out to the horizon. “Even if I live to be a hundred, I hope I never get to a point where this view gets old.”

  Paige drew in a deep breath, letting the salty air penetrate every inch of her body. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  He turned and looked at her with gentle adoration. It was the same expression she’d seen daily since he showed up at the resort declaring his true feelings for her. The one that touched her deep inside, reminding her how loved she was. She knew, even if she lived to be older than a hundred, she would never tire of that view.

  “Actually, I have an idea of how we can put this stunning setting to good use for one of our
first events here. I was hoping you could help me with it.”

  Paige tore her attention away from the ocean and focused on him. “Sure. What kind of event?”

  “That depends on you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny blue box. Dropping down to one knee, he opened the lid. “But I was hoping for a wedding.”

  The sunlight hit the ring, making a thousand different colors dance on the surface, but even that couldn’t distract Paige from the brilliance of Aiden’s smiling face. She didn’t know if it was possible for her to love anyone more than she loved this man.

  “Paige Westmoreland, will you marry me?”

  She took a moment to let the question resonate through her. She wouldn’t deny she had hoped this day would come, but hearing the words in real life was even more beautiful than she imagined. She was getting her wish. Forever with Aiden. A smile spread across her face and joy warmed her from within. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Aiden arched an eyebrow, giving her that playful look she loved. Life with him was going to be fun. “That means yes, right?”

  “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”

  He pulled the sparkling ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. Then he stood up, wrapped his arms around her and, lifting her off the ground, spun around and kissed her. The world swirling around her never felt so right.

  When he set her down, she held her hand out to admire how the ring looked on her finger. “It’s stunning.”

  He tucked a flyaway strand of her hair behind her ear. “It doesn’t even come close to comparing to you.” He kissed her forehead. “You, my love, are perfect.”

  “So, any news you’d like to share?” Ciera’s voice broke up the moment. Paige looked over to see all their friends had gathered around them with goofy, expectant grins on their faces.

  Aiden held out her hand to put the ring on display. “She said yes.”