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Wherever he would lead, I would follow.
He took my hand, and we snuck out of a backdoor without anyone noticing us. Then, we began walking down the streets of Leeks, under the perfectly clear sky. It was a beautiful night, and the weather was more than perfect for a scroll in an expensive tuxedo and a stunning wedding gown.
As we reached our destination, my heart smiled almost more than my lips had.
We stood at the spot between the two homes that raised us.
The for-sale signs sat in front of both houses, and our parents had moved most of their things out from the homes.
“In a little while, these houses will be places for someone else to create memories, but I figured maybe we can have one last night of counting the stars,” Aiden explained as he walked me to the space between our two childhood windows.
The love I had for this man was unmatched.
We lay between the trees, and I cuddled up closely with him. He held me close and kissed my chin before he gestured toward the sky. “One…two…three…”
Epilogue
Hailee
Three Years Later
“Kennedy and Aaliyah,we need both of your input quick. Stella and Hailee can’t be involved because they will be biased.” Aiden hopped off the tree stump he was sitting on and hurried over to the front yard where us women were hanging out with all the kids. The three girls were giving me notes on what to expect when expecting, seeing how I had a bundle of my own on the way.
Damian followed his brother, walking in our direction.
The two men stood next to one another, Aiden towering over Damian with a few inches. They crossed their arms in sync and wiggled their noses at the same time. Their blue eyes matched the sea at dawn, and they cleared their throats in harmony. They were brothers, all right. No getting around that. Discovering their matching mannerisms was one of mine and Stella’s favorite pastimes.
“We’ve been going back and forth all morning about this, and we need your vote,” Damian explained.
Kennedy raised an eyebrow. “What’s the question?”
“Who’s better looking, Damian or me?” Aiden asked.
“That’s not fair, Aiden was Aaliyah’s hall pass,” Damian chimed in. “You already know who she’s going to pick. This isn’t a fair study.”
Aaliyah frowned. “You know what…the more I hang out with him, the cornier he becomes and now he feels like a little brother, so the thought of it is…” She shivered in disgust.
I smirked. “This is why they say you shouldn’t meet your idols. You always end up disappointed.”
“So you’re saying I’m the more attractive brother?” Damian asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Actually, you’re both equally hideous,” Kennedy remarked.
“Yeah, it’s like God took his paintbrush, dipped it in black ink and instead of making a masterpiece, he drew two stick figures and went ‘meh that will do,’” Aaliyah added in.
“Exactly! Like he got lazy the day you two were created,” Kennedy agreed.
Aiden pouted. “Jax and Connor, your wives are bullies.”
“Don’t ask silly questions unless you want sassy answers,” Jax hollered as he and Connor sat with fishing rods at the back of the property. We were right on Lake Michigan, celebrating the Fourth of July.
We’d been working on our dream property for a while in Leeks. When I brought up the idea of building our home, Aiden was too excited about it. He still had one final Superman movie to complete with his contract, but then he’d be back on his way to moving to Leeks full time with me and our bundle of joy that was on the way.
The movies had all been great successes, which wasn’t shocking. Aiden was remarkable at everything he’d done. But his passion for acting wasn’t there, and it never had been. Once he let his father go from his life, he felt as if he, too, could let go of the dream that was never his to begin with.
He went to college. He was still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to do, what he wanted to be, but I loved the joy that it brought him—the possibilities. The world probably thought he was insane for giving up his acting career that was filled with success, but that was never his dream. It was Samuel’s. I could see the joy in Aiden’s eyes as he talked about the possibilities of our new future that we were building from the ground up.
As nightfall grew upon us, Mama, Dad, and Laurie came over for our cookout. Later, Kate and Henry showed up, too. Even Mr. Lee came through for a plate of barbecue and some fireworks over the lakefront. Mr. Lee also brought his son, Lin, who’d moved into town not that long ago. He seemed to be making Laurie laugh harder than I’d ever seen her laugh before. My romance novel loving heart was strongly hoping that there could’ve possibly been a love connection there. Laurie deserved a happily ever after, and the way Lin was making her smile made me think that perhaps he could lead her down that road.
