The Summer Boyfriend

by Benjamin, Christina

Warner cleared his throat, speaking for the first time. “Actually, the funds in Hayden’s trust belong to him. They have since he turned eighteen. And as of last night, the funds have been moved into an undisclosed account.”

  Archibald looked momentarily stunned, like he was wondering how that could be possible. “Undisclosed? What the hell are you talking about, Warner?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss your son’s finances with you.”

  “Warner, do I need to remind you that you work for me?”

  “Actually, as of last night, I no longer do. I currently represent your son.”

  Archibald laughed. “And what is he paying you with, hopes and dreams?”

  “I’m fully aware that the funds in his trust will more than cover my retainer. And beyond that, I believe he’s right. I’ve worked for you since before Hayden was born and I’ve watched you mistreat him. I’d represent him against you even if he couldn’t pay me.”

  “Against me?” Archibald looked appalled, like the idea was impossible.

  Hayden smiled. “I’m bringing charges against you for tampering with medical evidence.”

  “You’ll be incriminating yourself!” Archibald bellowed.

  “I don’t care. But I know you do. Especially once the Olympic committee finds out. If you were willing to go to such lengths to get your son to the glory, there’s no telling what you did during your own swimming career. All of your records will be completely discredited.”

  Archibald glared at Hayden. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I don’t want to, but you’re forcing my hand.”

  Archibald’s mouth hardened. He was a stubborn man, but he knew when he was backed into a corner. He didn’t get to where he was by letting his emotions rule his business decisions. And this had turned into a business decision. “What will this cost me?”

  Hayden nodded and Warner pulled a contract from his briefcase and handed it to Archibald.

  “I don’t understand. This is all you want?” Archibald asked after skimming the contract.

  “Yes.”

  Archibald looked back at the contract, flipping through pages. The cunning businessman in him smiled. That’s what Hayden had been counting on. Archibald pulled a pen from his pocket and chuckled as he signed the contract, passing it to Hayden.

  Hayden signed his name and gave the contract to Warner, who signed as witness, before folding it and putting it in his briefcase.

  Warner addressed Hayden and Archibald. “I’m required to tell you both that the terms of your non-disclosure are immediately binding. Speaking about anything regarding either the alleged tampering of medical records or swimming careers will void the contract and result in fines and legal penalties.”

  “And the other item in the contract?” Hayden asked.

  Warner smiled. “I’ll execute the final paperwork within the hour and have everything delivered to your room.”

  “Thank you.” Hayden turned to his father. “And for what it’s worth, thank you. I know you don’t agree with my decision, but life is about second chances. And if you ever want one with me, the door will be open.”

  With that, Hayden turned and walked out of the hotel room, fully prepared to never see his father again. It was Hayden and Joy against the world now, and that was perfectly okay with him.

  Hayden took a deep breath in the hallway, waiting for Warner, who followed him out.

  “You work quickly,” Hayden said to the weathered lawyer.

  Warner’s eyes twinkled. “I had a good cause. I meant what I said in there, kid. That man doesn’t deserve you.”

  “Thank you,” Hayden replied. “For everything. I know I asked a lot of you.”

  Warner waved him off. “I’ve been waiting to give that old buzzard a piece of my mind for years. I’m glad you stood up to him. And this is some free counsel, cutting ties with that man is the smartest thing you could’ve done. He’ll never change. But that doesn’t mean you can’t.”

  “I agree.” Hayden sighed. “Now if only the rest of our plan goes as well.”

  “It will. I’ll be in touch.”

  Hayden leaned against the wall as he watched Warner walk away. Once he got on the elevator, Hayden released a breath.

  The deal was done.

  He was finally free.

  Relief swept through Hayden, morphing into giddiness in his stomach. He felt weightless, and all he wanted to do was float into Joy’s arms and stay there forever. But he still had one more thing to do.

  58

  5 weeks later . . .

  Hayden

  “Hayden, can I please take the blindfold off? You’re terrifying me,” Joy begged.

  “Just a little bit further,” he said guiding her down the beach.

  Hayden still couldn’t believe he’d kept this secret under wraps for five weeks. Five whole miserable weeks that he and Joy couldn’t be together the way he wanted.

  The night of Brock’s attack was the last time they’d been able to spend the night together. When Kai made it to Lanai with Pam and Jack, Joy moved back in with them. Her apartment was still a crime scene and she wanted to shelter Kai from the shit storm that Brock had unleashed on their lives.

  Brock was moved from the hospital to a psychiatric treatment center in Honolulu, but that still didn’t stop his mother from bringing charges against Joy and Hayden. Gina was acting just as unstable as her son, slinging accusations against anyone she could.

  Warner was working overtime to clean up the mess. He’d easily resolved Joy’s custody arrangement, which was just as Hayden had expected—a total crock of shit. Joy had felt pressured into signing the arrangement because she was sixteen, didn’t have adequate legal representation and the Wrights didn’t know enough about their rights as guardians.

  With minimal digging, Warner found out Gina violated the initial arrangement when she moved to Maui without notifying the courts. But the whole thing was basically void the day Joy turned eighteen since the custody terms were supposed to be renegotiated at that point.

  Hayden still couldn’t believe a stupid piece of paper had almost cost him the girl of his dreams. Because Joy didn’t know her rights she’d almost agreed to marry Brock in order to keep her son in her life. As angry as it made Hayden, it also made him love Joy more.

  She was so incredibly compassionate. She put everyone before herself and she was the most loving mother he’d ever seen. Watching her with Kai the past five days had awoken a part of Hayden’s soul that he’d yet to tap into. It was almost like getting those precious years back that he’d lost with his own mother. Being with Joy and Kai and the entire Wright clan showed him what it meant to have a family. And the feeling was priceless.

  Hayden wanted that for himself. He wanted Joy and Kai to be his family. And today, he was taking the first step toward that. He’d wanted to wait until all the charges were completely dropped and Brock was officially sentenced to a very long prison term, but Hayden had learned a lot in the past few weeks. Most importantly, that second chances didn’t come around often and they shouldn’t be wasted.

  So when he got off the phone with Warner a few hours ago Hayden knew he was through waiting for everything to be perfect. Life wasn’t perfect. Life was happening right now, and he wanted to live it.

  As he carefully walked Joy down the beach to her awaiting surprise Hayden ran through his last conversation with Warner in his mind.

  “So, you’re positive it’s a done deal?” Hayden asked.

  “Absolutely. It’ll just take a few days for the paperwork to come through to drop the charges officially.”

  “And what about the sentencing?”

  “That’s going to take a while, but my opinion is the same. With everything you and Joy have given me, we have a strong case. I honestly believe Brock will go to prison. But the courts could drag this out. Don’t let this make you put your life on hold. You’ve done that for too long already.”

  “Thank you, Warner. I won’t.”


  “Good, now go live your life. You’ve earned it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “One more thing . . . if you ever feel the need for employment, I think you have a real future in family law. I could see how passionate you were about Kai’s custody case. The world could use a few more attorneys like you.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Hayden smiled to himself. He really would keep it in mind. Helping Joy get sole custody of her son was beyond satisfying. He could see how that would be a rewarding career. But a career was the furthest thing from Hayden’s mind right now.

  As he stood on the beach staring at the woman of his dreams, he saw his whole future laid out before him and he prayed Joy shared the same vision.

  “Okay,” he said positioning Joy in the right direction before taking her blindfold off. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, Hayden. The suspense is killing me.”

  Hayden smiled, taking in the sight of Joy for one moment longer. She was standing on the beach wearing a pale pink dress. One of the straps had slipped off her shoulder and Hayden slowly traced a finger up her arm catching the strap and pulling it back in place. He brushed her windblown blonde locks away from her face and placed a gentle kiss at the nape of her neck.

  She shivered as his warm lips met her cool skin.

  Hayden closed his eyes and hoped he’d made the right choice. He’d have his answer the moment he removed Joy’s blindfold. Because they both stood in front of the house she grew up in. He knew buying it was a risk. She obviously had a mixture of memories there—some beautiful, some painful. But wasn’t that life? Wasn’t that what made them who they were? They were a sum total of love and loss, pain and beauty. They were just like this house. They were a testament to survival and strength. They were proof that love endures.

  Ua ola loko I ke aloha: love gives life within.

  It was the perfect name for their home.

  When Joy first brought Hayden here and told him what the name of the house meant, he’d known. He’d known from that moment that he loved her. And bringing her back, being able to offer her home back to her made him happier than he ever imagined.

  Hayden wrapped his arms around Joy and whispered in her ear. “God, I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Remember,” he said, moving his hands to untangle the blindfold from her hair. “This is only the beginning.” Then he released the blindfold, letting it flutter to the sand as he turned Joy to face the house that matched the key burning a hole in his pocket.

  “Hayden . . .” her voice was a whisper. “You rented this for us?”

  He laughed, loving how little she expected. “Not exactly.”

  She turned to look at him, suspicion in her emerald eyes. “I’m not breaking into that house, Hayden. We already have enough legal trouble.”

  “Well, then it’s a good thing it’s not really possible to break into this house.” He pulled the key out of his pocket, grinning like a fool. “Since you own it.”

  Joy stilled. “I what?”

  “You own it.”

  “You bought me a house?”

  He grinned wider.

  Joy gasped. “Hayden!”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it, but I can’t let you buy me a house. You’ve given up way too much already. And how can you even afford this?”

  Hayden grinned. He’d told Joy a few of the things he discussed with his father, namely giving up his Olympic quest and walking away from his father’s fortune, but he’d left a few details out. Basically, the fact that he still had a healthy sum thanks to his trust fund. Plus, the house hadn’t even put a dent into it thanks to Hayden’s clever bargaining. Hayden’s father had paid for the house in full as part of the arrangement they’d negotiated. It was the only other thing he’d asked for with the non-disclosure they’d signed. But Joy didn’t need to know that. Not just yet, anyway.

  “Don’t worry about the money, Joy.”

  “I can’t not worry about it. It’s too much. I mean how are we going to pay for the mortgage? I don’t make nearly enough lifeguarding and waitressing, and you . . . you’re homeless and penniless, right?”

  Hayden couldn’t contain his smile.

  Joy’s face flitted from worry to confusion to suspicion. “Why are you smiling like that?”

  “You said we.”

  “What?”

  “You said how are we going to afford the mortgage.”

  She flushed coral and Hayden pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly on the lips. “You want to live here with me, don’t you?”

  She buried her head into his chest. “More than anything in the world.”

  “Me too. Me, you, Kai and Piper. I want this to be our new beginning.”

  Joy

  Jo looked up at Hayden and saw the whole world in his endless blue eyes. She had no idea how she’d gotten so lucky to have him walk into her life and give her back so many things she’d thought she’d lost. She kissed him wholly, giving him all of her heart as he swept her off of her feet and carried her toward the house she’d been born in.

  She may not ever know how she’d gotten lucky enough to find Hayden, but she was certainly going to try to show him just how grateful she was. Hopefully, in every single room of their new house.

  * * *

  After they’d completely exhausted each other making love in a home that was now theirs, Joy relaxed in Hayden’s arms. She’d never had a place of her own.

  A home of her own.

  A family of her own.

  A tiny glimmer of hope hatched in her heart at the idea, but she quickly shoved it down. She still couldn’t quite believe this was real. She hated the doubt that crept in to steal this perfect moment, but she couldn’t help it. Life had conditioned her to expect pitfalls and tragedies.

  Joy rolled over in the large white bed they occupied. It faced the ocean and Hayden had opened the French doors, letting the salty breeze billow the sheer white curtains around like graceful ballerinas. Hayden looked so beautiful basking in the golden glow of the setting sun. His eyes were closed but she knew he wasn’t sleeping, because his thumb still rubbed against hers where their fingers were clasped.

  “Hayden?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Do you really want this?”

  His eyes slid open as he turned toward her, sliding a hand up to cup her cheek. “Joy, I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  His words felt so good. They drove the doubt back, but not completely.

  “Don’t you worry you’ll regret it?”

  “Regret what?”

  “All that you’ve given up for me. Money, swimming, the Olympics?”

  “No. Those things were never my dream, Joy. But you are. I want to love and be loved. I want a family, a life. I want you.” He kissed her softly. “Not being with you is the only thing I’d ever regret.”

  Jo bit her lip. “How do you always know just what to say to me?”

  He grinned and freed her lip with his kiss. “Joy, I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. Ever. This is the only place I’ll ever want to be for the rest of my life,” he murmured as he slid his arms around her waist. “Right here, next to you.”

  “I just want to know you’re not staying for the wrong reasons.”

  His hand traveled lower. “You mean like for your sweet, sweet ass?”

  Joy rolled out of his grasp. “Hayden, I’m being serious.”

  He exhaled, propping himself up on his elbow to meet her gaze. “Joy, I don’t know how else to say it. I’m not in this for the wrong reasons. And I’m not going to change my mind. This is the first time I can honestly say I’m being wholly selfish. Until you, I did things for all the wrong reasons. For other people’s needs.”

  “I know. And I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve already done so much for me.”

  “That’s the thing, Joy. This time, I’m doing it for me.”

  “You’re really sure?”

>   Hayden laid his head back against the pillow and laughed. Then he sat up abruptly and climbed out of bed. He tugged on his pants and walked around to Joy’s side of the bed, grabbing her hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “What? Where?”

  “Outside. I have one more surprise for you.”

  “But I’m not dressed.”

  He grabbed her dress from the floor and stuffed it over her head, before pulling her from the bed. She squealed when he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her out through the French doors and onto the beach where the stars were just winking to life in the dusky sky.

  The evening air assaulted Jo’s bare skin. When Hayden finally set her on her feet she adjusted her dress and wrapped her arms around herself against the chill.

  Hayden had that mischievous grin she loved on his face again.

  “What now?” she asked, unable to hide her own smile. He was just too damn infectious when he was excited like this.

  “Okay, I need you to keep an open mind because this isn’t how I planned for this to go, but I can’t watch you look unsure about how I feel a moment longer.” He took Joy’s hands in his. “Joy, I need you to allow me to break one last rule, because I have a very important question to ask you.”

  She smiled and played along. “Someone once told me rules were meant to be broken.”

  He winked. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Hayden

  Hayden lowered himself to one knee, letting it sink into the sand as he took in the beauty of Joy’s stunned face. He took her hand in his. “Joy, I came into this world with a hole in my heart that couldn’t be filled, until I met you. You are the only one who could make me whole again, Joy. So I’m standing here, asking you to let me make you whole in return. I’m asking you to let me spend the rest of my life loving you. I’m asking you if you’ll let me stay by your side. I’m asking you if you’ll let me prove that this is right.” He pulled her hand to his chest and settled it over his heart. “I’m asking you to be mine, forever and always. Will you marry me, Joy?”