Page 121 of The Princess and the Fraud

“Go ahead,” he said. “Hit me. I deserve it.”

I couldn’t hit him, of course. My fist fell awkwardly at my side, and I let out a breath, a droplet of water flicking off my lip with the air. “Did you buy this house?”

Aaron hesitated, as if the answer wasn’t a straightforward one. “No.”

I let out a small breath of relief, glad the sound was carried off by the rain. “Then why are you here?”

“Rhythms of Hope bought it.”

Nothing could’ve prepared me for that. “The charity… bought it?”

“Rhythms of Hope called me out here to help them establish an East Coast hub,” Aaron said, gently reminding me. “They wanted me to evaluate whether it made sense to keep the country club or find a new location. With how the club was scheming, I didn’t think it was in their best interest to hang onto it.”

I hated to agree—hated the idea of anyone at Alderton-Du Ponte getting anything they wanted—but it was clear their sabotage would’ve just increased. I’d thought of it several times over the past week. As blindsided as I’d been, Aaron’s advice to the charity to sell had probably been their best route.

“So, they sold it back to the country club’s board. They always knew it was a possibility, but last week, they’d begun the process, and asked me to keep an eye out for a new place.” Aaron shrugged off his jacket, the water immediately soaking into his quarter-zip as he reached around to lay the navy material over my shoulders. “And I suggested 1442 Everview Road.”

The weight of his words, combined with the warmth of his jacket, kept me rooted to the spot. But still, even though the chill hung in the air, I began to warm under his gaze. “Why?”

“Practically, Rhythms of Hope initially wanted something within driving distance to New York City while also near the ocean,” Aaron explained as he slipped his hands into his jeans pockets. “So this checks those boxes. But this place—I know your mother dreamed of the house, but when we toured it, to me, it felt like the property was just waiting to start over. It reminded me of you.”

“But the house is—”Unsalvageabletasted like an ugly word. “Isn’t suitable for a music hall.”

“The plan is to demolish the house.” Aaron’s gaze bounced along my features, searching. “Your mother’s dream—I couldn’t forget about it. I never would’ve found 1442 Everview place without you—without her. You didn’t have to be the one to carry it, but her dream didn’t have to end here. We could take this space and create something beautiful, something lasting. We can honor your mother’s direction, build on it, and create a future while honoring what’s left behind. That’s… the plan.”

The longer he spoke, the harder it became to breathe without sucking down rain. I watched him through it all, lips parted. He’d spoken with a light in his eyes that reminded me of my mother. Inspired. Excited. Just like she’d been every time she’d spoken about the house. Seeing what she felt alive and reflected in Aaron’s expression was nothing short of breathtaking.

“I—I asked them to let me check with you first,” Aaron said after I didn’t reply, alarm darting across his expression. “Sean, he’s a great guy. They bought it at full price, but he said he’d let me buy it from them if it—if it bothered you?—”

“No.” I blinked the raindrops out of my eyes, tasting salt on my lips. “That’s… perfect.”

I reached for his jacket, lifting it from my shoulders and pulling it up over our heads, closing the gap between us. Three feet suddenly became one, and while the back of his jacket still covered my head, I made sure the collar protected his, shielding us both from the rain.

“I’d come here to see who was the highest bidder,” I told him as the world became just him and me. There was no rain and no house and nothing except for his gaze on me and the water that clung to his lashes. “To sort of… pass the baton of this place to them. But it was you.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “How is it always you?”

Our paths never should’ve crossed again, but here we were.

Time and time again, something always brought us back together.Coincidence… or fate?

Aaron’s hands came up, closing over mine. “Want to take this under the porch?”

I didn’t. I didn’t want to move out from under the shelter I’d created, knowing that the second we stepped back, things would change. Again. But instead of saying that, I nodded.

Aaron let go and stepped back, and we hurried underneath the porch, though we were both fully soaked. But now the atmosphere was different, with everything lying between us unsaid.

“The realtor is in there with Sean,” Aaron said, gesturing toward the open door.

I nodded. “Ah.”

There were so many things to say that it suddenly felt too awkward to ask any of them.Did you get married yesterday? Did you do a prenup?Do you regret it?

I didn’t want to know the answers to any of them—especially not the last one.

“So.” Aaron shifted on his feet. “What are you going to do?”

“Me?”

“I mean…” He cleared his throat. “Now that you don’t work at the club, what’s your next step?”

---