Epilogue
Danny pushed the wheelchair slowly down the aisle, turning his head to toss Summer a huge grin as they passed.
In her long cream dress, with her hair loose around her shoulders and a huge bouquet of mixed flowers clutched on her lap, her mother was radiant. Summer sniffed. A tear welled up and trickled down her cheek. Beside her, Nik shifted closer in the pew, slid a hand into hers, and squeezed.
It had been a month since the whole police station fiasco, and her mom and Pete were getting married. Her mom had met Nik and managed to forgive him for being rich. She’d given Summer her blessing. But then, her mom was a new woman since she’d fallen in love.
And Summer had gotten her ring. She cast a surreptitious glance at her left hand and the simple sapphire on her ring finger. They were planning to get married when her mom and Pete got back from their honeymoon. Nik’s mother was helping organize the wedding, as Summer’s had been a little preoccupied. It would be a small affair; she didn’t want anything too ostentatious, but Elena had gotten one of her designer friends to make a dress just for Summer, the most beautiful dress ever.
She glanced over her shoulder. On the opposite side of the aisle and a few pews back sat Regan and Darcy. Regan appeared dazzlingly happy—no doubt something to do with the gorgeous man at her side—but Darcy had a pinched expression on her face. Things were not going well, and Summer longed to do something to help her friend. Darcy had told both her and Regan there was nothing they could do, that she had to manage this herself. But if things didn’t get better soon, Summer was going to visit the source of Darcy’s problems and tell him he was being an asshole and to sort this whole thing out.
The wedding passed as if in a dream. So much of her life had been a nightmare that she was finding this hard to accept. At the reception, she managed to sneak away from Nik for five minutes—he had a habit of keeping hold of her as though he couldn’t quite believe it was all for real either—and she, Darcy, and Regan all snagged glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.
“Look at you two,” Darcy said, shaking her head. “Giving up your freedom already. Who would have expected it?”
“Not me, that’s for sure.” Regan grinned as she admired the diamond on her finger.
“Things will work out for you,” Summer said. They had to—Darcy deserved to be happy. More than any of them.
Darcy gave a smile. “Of course they will. Don’t worry about me. I have a plan.”
That was a little scary. “Well, don’t do anything stupid.”
“And ask if you need any help,” Regan added. “We’re still here for you.”
“I know.”
They all clinked their glasses together. “To the future.”
It was a totally different future than Summer had foreseen when they’d made a similar toast back in their prison cell on the day of her release. She’d wanted a new beginning. Instead, the past had come back to haunt her. She was so glad.
“I want to show you something,” Nik said a few hours later, after the reception was over and her mom and Pete had left for the airport. They were flying out to Mauritius for their honeymoon. “It’s in London.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as they headed back to the city.
“Wait and see.”
Before long, Nik was driving down into the parking area beneath Masterton Industries. He pulled into the space next to his own. She glanced at the name on the wall. Summer Masterton. Aw, he’d given her a parking space of her own. He was so sweet. Lisa was back now, so Summer wasn’t so sure she would be staying with the company. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea when she was engaged to the CEO, and besides, any position she could legitimately earn wouldn’t come with a parking space, which was a perk reserved for top executives.
Nik was already out of the car, and she got out and walked around to stand beside him. “Thank you, but—”
He stopped her words with a brief kiss that turned into a not-so-brief one. “Wait,” he said. “I have something to show you.”
He took her hand and tugged her in the direction of the elevators. As they got in, he pressed a button and she frowned, trying to remember what was on the second floor. Sales and Acquisitions?
She followed him down a carpeted corridor until he came to a halt in front of a set of double doors. She turned to look at him, not sure why she was here.
“I was going to put you next to me,” he said quickly. “But I thought you might be a distraction and I’d never get any work done. And neither would you.” He waved a hand at the doors, and she turned back. This time she read the gold lettering on the black plaque: The Elizabeth Delaney Foundation.
She stared at it for a long time. She’d told Nik of her dreams to set up an organization to help people in the same situation as her mother. He’d said he wanted to help, but she hadn’t expected this.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said, sounding almost nervous. “But I spoke with your mom first. She liked the idea.”
Her eyes pricked, and Summer buried her head against his chest while she fought for control. Finally, she straightened and smiled up into his face. “It’s perfect.”
Relief flashed in his eyes. “Come and have a look.”
He pushed open the doors and urged her forward, leading her into a large reception area decorated in pale gray and blue, with a desk and two doors leading off. The door on the right had a name plaque. She moved closer, ran her fingers across it. Summer Masterton.
“I thought there was no point using Delaney when it’s going to change soon.” Did he sound nervous again? “The other office is for a lawyer. You can start interviewing right away. I’ve set you up with a meeting on Monday with the finance department to discuss budgets.” She stood there, speechless, and he turned to her. “Say something.”
“I don’t know what to say. I never expected to be this happy.”
“You deserve to be happy.” He sounded so fierce.
All her dreams were coming true. She had a chance to do something of value with her life, and she wouldn’t waste that. And she had Nik at her side. Looking so hopeful and expectant and…worried. She rested her palm on his chest, felt the beat of his heart. “I remember when you turned up at the prison gates. I thought I was going to have to pay for my crimes for the rest of my life. That I would never be free.”
He grinned. “Oh, you’ll definitely never be free.”
“I won’t?”
“No. You’ve been very bad, and your punishment is a lifetime tied to me.”
She could live with that. Happiness bubbled inside her. “And you know what?” Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed him on the mouth. “I’ll never be sorry I was bad.” She kissed him again. “But from now on, I promise to be very, very good.”
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