She was breathing too hard, tears burning her eyes. “Aiden?” came out shaky and unsure, though there was nothing unsure about the way she felt, and that rattled her, but she could no sooner change her feelings than eke out another word.
“I fell in love with you like night takes over day—soaking up every little thing you did and said, until you were all I saw, all I wanted. Until you were so much a part of me, I no longer knew how to be me without you.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, and a nervous laugh tumbled out.
He brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb and said, “I love you, Abigail de Messiéres. I love your determination and your vulnerabilities. I love the way you let your heart lead your decisions and how you put your whole beautiful self into everything you do.”
She gasped for air, her chest too full to speak. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her slow and sweet, drawing the words out as their lips parted, and she said, “I fell, too.”
Someone sniffled, and they both looked in the direction of the sound. A kind-faced older woman with gray hair was wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry. That was so . . .” She sighed.
Abby laughed nervously and touched her forehead to Aiden’s chest.
“Thank you.” Aiden kissed the top of Abby’s head.
“I’m Beverly. Let me take those lights for you so you can seal those lovely words with a proper kiss.”
Aiden held Abby tighter and said, “Thank you, but would you mind taking a picture of us first?”
“Not at all. You want the lights in the picture?” Beverly asked.
“Yes, please.” He gazed into Abby’s eyes as he pulled his phone from his pocket and said, “I want to remember this moment just as it is.”
He navigated to the camera and handed Beverly his phone. Aiden gazed into Abby’s eyes as Beverly took the picture. He put his arm around Abby, and Beverly took another picture, both of them beaming at the camera.
“Thank you,” Aiden said, taking his phone. “I’ll text you copies, Abs.”
He sent the pictures as Abby handed the lights to Beverly and said, “Thank you. I definitely want to buy those.”
“Wonderful. Take your time looking around. I’ll be by the register if you need me.”
Abby was floating on cloud nine as they looked around the store, kissing, whispering I love yous, and holding hands. She wanted to dance, to sing, to shout her love from the rooftops. She wanted to call Deirdra, Cait, and Leni and share her happiness with the world! But all of that would have to wait, because as much as she wanted to gloat and celebrate with her friends, what she wanted even more was to be with Aiden, reveling in their newly claimed love and the confessions she hadn’t seen coming and couldn’t have held back if she’d wanted to.
They found three more fun lights for the Bistro and two great pictures for the walls. When they finally made their way to the register, Beverly said, “You sure do like lights. I wonder if I can interest you in taking a few larger lights off my hands?”
“Larger lights?” Abby asked.
“These are beauties, but they’re big and much too heavy for me to get into the showroom. They’ve been collecting dust and taking up space in my stockroom for years.” Beverly glanced at Aiden and said, “Are you in a hurry, or can you take a moment to peek at them?”
“We’d love to take a look,” Aiden said.
Beverly came around the counter, and they followed her through a door in the back of the store, into a stockroom where a teenage girl was sitting on the floor texting and blowing a bubble with her gum.
“Honey, I thought you were doing inventory,” Beverly said, bringing the dark-haired girl’s eyes to them. “This is my granddaughter, Medina.”
Medina pushed to her feet and said, “Hi. I was doing inventory, but Chip and I broke up again. I was texting him to say we’re over for good this time, and don’t worry. I’m fine. This was my decision.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. If you want to talk—”
“I don’t. I’m fine.”
“Okay, great. I want to show this lovely couple a few things,” Beverly said. “Would you mind watching the store?”
“Sure.”
After Medina walked out, Beverly said, “I would not want to be sixteen again. Young love is like a Ping-Pong match.”
She led them toward the back of the stockroom, around a row of metal shelves, and stopped by something covered by a tarp. “Here they are.”
Beverly grabbed one side of the tarp and said, “Would you mind?”
Aiden took hold of the other side of the tarp, and together they pulled it off, revealing three enormous chandeliers.
Abby’s breath left her lungs in a whoosh. She grabbed Aiden’s hand, excitement bursting inside her. They were almost identical to the chandeliers her father had used at the Bistro, but each one had colored crystals hanging from the bottom rim instead of clear. One had green, another blue, and the third had pink. “They’re gorgeous. Where did you get them?”
“I don’t recall. I’m sorry. My brain is like the Bermuda Triangle these days,” Beverly said.
“Aiden, they’re so similar to the ones my dad used at the Bistro.” Abby walked around them, goose bumps rising on her flesh as she admired the gleaming crystals. Her father really had sprinkled his magic around that store. The café chairs had been delivered, and they definitely enhanced the ambience. The lights would pull it all together. They were the pièces de résistance.
She wanted to buy them, but it sure felt more like a need. The trouble was, she also needed two months of capital, and she’d spent thousands of dollars on unexpected renovations. She and Aiden had gone over the budget again this week. They’d rerun the staffing numbers and came up with a new estimate of monthly food costs since inclement weather wouldn’t necessarily mean fewer customers. She was already skating a very thin line of being able to keep her head above water. There was no way she could spend what she was sure would be thousands of dollars for each chandelier.
“Abs, you need these,” Aiden said.
Abby turned away from Beverly and whispered, “I can’t afford them.”
“I can help.” Before she could respond, he said, “Beverly, how much would you like for these?”
Abby glowered at him. She was not going to let him pay for the lights.
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought much about it.” Beverly cocked her head, looking at the chandeliers, and said, “I’d just like them out of here so I can have the storage space back. Do you think three hundred each is fair?”
Abby whirled around. “Yes! I’ll take them! All three!” She squealed and hugged Aiden. “I had a feeling when I walked in here that my dad was here with me, and I think he really must be!”
“Good things come to good people, Abs.” Aiden kissed her and said, “Thank you, Beverly. You’ve made my girlfriend very happy.”
“I think you made her even happier with three very special words a little while ago.” She winked and said, “Let’s go work out the details.”
They made arrangements for the chandeliers to be delivered and enjoyed a romantic dinner in Chaffee. As they sailed back toward the harbor, neither one wanted their perfect day to end. They anchored outside the harbor and made themselves a nest of blankets beneath the stars. They took off their shoes and got cozy with Abby’s back against Aiden’s chest, his hands over hers, their fingers interlaced. The gentle waves and the sounds of the sea lulled them into a peaceful silence.