"Hopefully, one day. For now, this is enough. When I think she might say yes, I'll probably ask." He didn't lie, not to his mom. She would've seen right through him if he'd tried.
"Good. I have a bit of advice, if you'll hear me out."
He hadn't expected any less. His father was the one who teared up, who loaned him money, who tried to fix things in their family. His mother? She was the dragon at the gate.
"You need to remember to put that little girl first." Her green eyes narrowed on him. "But based on the way the two of them interact, I'm going to guess Chelsea wouldn't have it any other way."
He smiled. "I got lucky," he admitted.
"You did." She folded her hands neatly in her lap. "That wasn't all I wanted to say."
"Okay."
"Don't waste a second of it."
His mother teared up, and he rushed across the porch to sit next to her on the swing. "Hey, no crying. This was a good night."
"I know that," she snapped. She rubbed a hand across her nose. "It goes by faster than you think. Just a moment ago, you were a little boy, playing with that same train. Then you were off in the military, and I lost nights of sleep … wondering where you were and if you were safe. When we came to this country, I didn't think I'd have to give up my boy to keep the country safe, and we got lucky there, too. You're still here. You've built a wonderful company, and I can't say how proud we are, but none of that will keep you warm when your hair turns gray and your days run short. So don't waste a moment of this time you have with either of those girls. Love them hard, because that's what matters. The moments."
He hugged his mother and promised, "We'll come visit next weekend. Whenever I have Waverley, I'll visit, and we'll come home more often."
Her smile was slow and devious. "And I didn't even have to ask. I told them my boy was a clever one."
Epilogue
Aiden
The packed ballroom nearly overflowed with the elite and wealthy, everyone putting their finest jewels and designer clothing on display as if to prove their worth. But Aiden Kelley wasn't swayed by any of it. He shook the hand of those who made it a point to warm his palm-from bankers to CEOs to actors-because work required him to keep up his end of the facade, but there was only one face in the crowd he actively sought out …
The one he couldn't quite see. He knew she was there, though, both because she'd promised to meet him and because he could almost sense her presence. Love was funny, and if it was crazy to need her so much, sign him up for his own padded room. He'd happily be crazy if it meant another day with Chelsea.
A hand clapped down on his shoulder, and he glanced into the eyes of Camden James, the notorious Penthouse Prince. "What's up, man?" Camden asked. "Heard you were planning to tie the knot. Congrats."
Shaking the other man's hand, Aiden couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, the press hasn't shut up about it. Apparently, or so I've been told, it is okay to date your assistant but not to fall in love with her." He shrugged.
That kind of thing might have once mattered to Aiden-the illusion, after all, must be maintained. But somehow the idea of impressing strangers didn't hold a candle to the idea of impressing Chelsea. After all, without her, none of it would mean anything.
Camden barked in laughter. "Yeah, I'm still rather bummed about that. If you'd just kept pissing her off for another week or two, I might have gotten to hire her. Why'd you have to make things right again?"
"Because I found the one thing I didn't want to learn to live without." He might not have shared that tidbit with others, but from what Chelsea had told him … Camden and Jeanie had been there for her when he'd messed everything up. He'd owe the other man for that, even if the debt remained unspoken.
"I always thought you were an all right guy, Kelley. Nice to be proven right once in a while. Say, did you hear they are still calling you by that nickname, too?"
Aiden frowned. "The press?"
"Yup," Camden said before taking a sip from his champagne flute. He scanned the room, but when Aiden followed the direction of his head … he saw Camden's gaze had settled on his new wife. Now rounded with child, Jeanie James looked as gorgeous as ever-the perfect picture of a wealthy wife. Rumor had it, though, that Jeanie was the head of a foundation that focused on helping kids. Supposedly, she wasn't the typical trophy wife and instead spent her time trying to make a difference.
Aiden made a mental note to mention the foundation to Chelsea. They'd probably get along great, working together on a project like that. Plus, it would likely do Chelsea good to have someone to talk to where she didn't have to worry about the press. From what he'd seen, Camden James made sure his wife was well protected from the media.