Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“As if I could forget.”
“When we moved into our house, it was a couple of weeks before Halloween. You were twelve, and I was fourteen, way too old and cool to go trick-or-treating. Or so I thought.”
“And I wanted to go as Tinker Bell,” she mused, staring at the item in her hand.
“But you wouldn’t go without Peter Pan.” He vividly recalled the memory of a young Brooke, eyes filled with tears as she told her mother she couldn’t be Tinker Bell without Peter Pan.
Aiden had overheard the conversation, stepping into the kitchen just as Brooke dipped her head, dejected and upset. He thought she was too old to cry over Halloween, but he’d continued to listen.
“I heard you tell your mother that your dad would have done it with you. I thought I was some tough kid, but your words broke my heart since I knew exactly how you felt.”
“Because of your mom,” she whispered.
He nodded, clenching his fists at his sides. Her words to her mom had hit him hard. “So I offered to step in.”
Her eyes warmed at the memory. “I didn’t think you’d really do it. After all, we barely knew each other, but you did. And then, you were so nice to me. Even when I tossed glitter into the air and it rained down on you, too.”
“Because a fairy needed pixie dust to fly,” they both said at the same time, laughing. He grinned as he slid his hands in his pockets and leaned a hip against the edge of the desk.
“I got shit for that move for weeks after. Between dressing up as a Disney character and the glitter that stuck to my hair the next day despite multiple washings, I was an easy target.” He shook his head at that. “They called me fairy boy for months after that.”
“Boys are so dumb. Peter Pan isn’t a fairy,” she said, as if that was the reason they’d made fun of him. Her lips still lifted in amusement, as she placed the figurine on her desk.
Aiden chuckled. “No regrets,” he admitted. “I actually had fun that night. It was the first time you and I hung out. You were some little kid to me and I had no idea how important you’d become in my life. First as a close friend and now… much more.” So much more.
Her eyes shifted from the figurine to him. “I had fun too. It was just the beginning of us,” she mused.
He was grateful for the warmth in her eyes but more for her admission. If he’d given her the Tinker Bell figurine any earlier, she might have thrown it back in his face.
“Where did you find it?” she asked.
“I landed at JFK and was walking through the airport when I saw it in the gift shop.” He’d been drawn to it like a magnet. “I was hoping every time you saw it, you’d remember that night and think of me.”
Brooke swallowed hard before looking at him again, the green in her eyes appearing vibrant as they shined with emotion. “I always think of you. The memories are just a bonus, though it’s taken me a long time to enjoy them instead of resenting them.”
He took the hit because the change in her was so sweet. “You mean a lot to me, sweetheart.”
She nodded. “And you to me. I’m sorry I’ve been so uncertain about us. I know it’s time to move on from the past.”
He strode around to her side of the desk and knelt beside her chair, spinning her to face him. “We said we’d date, so let’s do it. Come to dinner with me tonight.” They needed time alone and he just needed her.
She nodded. “Where are we going?”
“That is another surprise.” He stood and pressed a kiss to her lips, savoring her taste. “Now we should get to work. I’ll see you this afternoon for our meeting.”
“Okay.”
He walked through her office, turning as he reached her door. Brooke was staring at the figurine with soft eyes and a wistful smile.
His mood upbeat, he strode to the office he and Jared shared, noting Lara, their assistant, wasn’t at her desk. And Jared was going to be late today due to an early ultrasound appointment with Charlie. Aiden walked into the empty office and sat down at his desk.
Before he could shift the mouse and awaken the desktop, he noted a simple brown envelope with his name printed on the front. It could be anything business related, but Aiden’s stomach twisted as he lifted the thick manila envelope in his hand.
With trepidation, he opened it. Reaching inside, he pulled out about two dozen pictures and spread them out on his desk, taking in photos of himself in various places and poses as he went about his normal life. On the grounds at home, near the office, one even caught a stop at the grocery store for Lizzie one night this past week.