She scanned the crowd, wishing Aiden were there, because not only did he deserve the most thanks, but this was their moment. He’d wanted this for Abby even more than she’d wanted it for herself. Struggling to push past those thoughts, she said, “When we first came back to the island, the Bistro was a mess. It was run-down and a reminder of the hardships our family had dealt with. Some people thought the Bistro should be put out to pasture, but I still felt the magic it once held, and I saw the beauty in it, flaws and all. And with the help of my sisters and our friends, we brought it back to life. Unfortunately, someone else who is very special to me and who deserves the most gratitude for this win isn’t here today. Funny enough, he came into my life the same day the Bistro and Cait did. When I told him about the magic the Bistro held for me, he looked past the run-down structure and past my flaws—my stubbornness and my fear of entering this competition—and he saw things in me that I didn’t. He believed in me and my dreams, and he moved mountains to help me make those dreams come to fruition.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she said, “Without him, we would not be standing on this stage.”
Murmurs rose from the crowd, which parted before her like the Red Sea as Aiden stepped to the front, a sight for Abby’s aching heart, in a navy button-down, khaki slacks, and loafers, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Tears spilled from Abby’s eyes. “You’re here?”
“I never left,” he said.
Sobs burst from her lungs as a collective “Aw” rang out. Abby ran around the podium and leapt from the stage right into his arms, causing gasps, cheers, and applause.
“I’m sorry,” he said between kisses.
“No, I’m sorry. I was hurt and scared. But I’m not scared anymore. I know everything you did came straight from your heart, and I love your heart, Aiden. I love all of you!”
He kissed her again, eliciting more cheers. As he set her feet on the ground, his loving eyes found hers, and the crowd quieted as he said, “I love you, Abs, and I promise to be as transparent as glass from now on. These last few days were the worst, but they made one thing very clear to me. I don’t want to figure out how to function when half my heart—and everything I need and want—is right here on this island.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “You’re going to stay for a while?”
“I had something a little more permanent in mind. Do you think you can stand being with a workaholic who’s sure to make mistakes but will do his very best not to?”
“Yes! Can you stand being with a stubborn chef who has a chip on her shoulder about doing things herself?”
The devastating grin she loved lit up his eyes, and he said, “Not only can I stand her, but I want to make her mine forever.” He got down on one knee, sending Abby’s heart into a wild flurry, and pulled a gorgeous diamond ring from his pocket, causing another round of gasps and commotion. Abby couldn’t believe her eyes. The ring had two diamond-encrusted gold bands with an enormous teardrop-shaped diamond between them. A row of smaller teardrop diamonds arched around the peak and the rounded bottom of the center diamond. Tiny strands of diamonds ran between the gold bands on either side of the center diamond, like the lights-of-love chandeliers. “You are my light and my love, Abigail de Messiéres, and I want to build a life with you. I want to have stubborn little girls with flyaway hair and adorable freckles and nerdy boys who wear the wrong shoes and prefer numbers to race cars.”
Tears streamed down Abby’s cheeks. She had no idea how her wobbly legs were holding her up as she imagined adorable little boys with Aiden’s serious eyes and cute little loafers, and nervous laughter slipped out.
Aiden took her hand, his teary eyes smiling back at her, and said, “I want to show you the world one week at a time during your off-season, and ride our bikes to Keira’s for breakfast when we’re running late because we’ve stayed in bed too long. I want to take long walks on the beach and get sand in our sheets, tangle up kite strings, and add a million more memories for us to make to our list. I want to hang out with our families and friends and hear your carefree laughter for the rest of my life. And I promise I will never, ever hold anything back. Will you marry me, Runner Girl? Be my wife, the mother of our babies, and let me cherish and love you forevermore?”
Abby could barely think past the love thundering between them. But she didn’t need to think, because everything she wanted—the beautiful man who had not only changed her world but had become her world—was right there waiting for her to say “Yes! Yes, Chair Guy, I will marry you!”
Aiden shot to his feet and lifted her off the ground, kissing her hard. “Yes?”
“Yes!” She pressed her lips to his again, and an explosion of cheers rang out.
“I’d say we have more than one winner today,” the mayor said into the microphone, and they both laughed.
As the crowd converged on them, Aiden put the gorgeous ring on Abby’s finger and said, “I love you, Abs, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much and probably getting into trouble by showing you too much, then making it up to you again and again.”
With laughter and tears and more love than she ever thought possible, Abby said, “And I’ll overreact and love you through every mistake and for every single second of the rest of our lives.”
CHAPTER TWENTY–SEVEN
GUITAR MUSIC FLOATED in from the patio through the open glass doors of the Bistro, mixing with the heavenly scents coming from the kitchen and the chatter of customers celebrating the grand opening. The restaurant had been packed since they’d opened at eleven, and while Abby had been cooking all day, she’d made a point of popping out of the kitchen several times to greet customers, like her father used to do. But Aiden was so damn proud of her, he needed another Abby fix.
He pushed through the kitchen doors, the hair on his arms rising with the electrical charge in the air, buzzing louder than the classics coming from the boom box. Abby was in her happy place, moving feverishly from one pan to the next amid sounds of meats searing, fish and vegetables grilling, and soups simmering, barking orders in coded chef language, which her staff expertly carried out. She was working her magic, like a maestro choreographing a symphony as controlled chaos ensued around her—servers delivered and picked up orders, bussers cycled in and out, and meal preppers washed, peeled, cut, and seasoned. Faye Steele, a jubilant, motherly type who had taken Abby and Cait under her loving wings, winked from the stove, where she was cooking.
Aiden waited until Abby took a breath and said, “Abs? Everything okay here? Do you need anything?”
Abby turned, her face glistening from the heat of the stove, her radiant smile lighting up the room. “Just a kiss.”
He quickly pressed his lips to hers and said, “Love you, babes.”
“Me too, you. How are things out there?” she asked, turning her attention back to the stove.
“Every table is full inside and out. The patio is packed, shoulder to shoulder, and everyone is raving about the food.”
It had been three wonderful, busy weeks since the competition, and even before the opening, the Bistro had become the most talked-about restaurant on the island. But that hadn’t stopped Abby from worrying over every detail of her big day. Earlier that morning, she’d been so hyped up, Aiden had kept her in bed for an extra hour, knowing just how to take the edge off. He’d lavished her with love until she lay happily sated in his arms, too spent to stress over anything. He’d known she needn’t have worried. Abby never did anything halfway. She and Cait had hired and trained competent and friendly staff and had planned the event perfectly.