Page 50 of The Summer for Us (Golden Falls #1)

JULIETTE

“I’m so proud of you, Juliette,” my mom said over the car’s Bluetooth speakers. I was driving back to Golden Falls and called her from the car about an hour ago. We had a lot to catch up on—a whole summer’s worth of updates.

“Thanks, Mom. That means so much to me.” I couldn’t help the smile that came across my face at her words. I just finished telling her about my trip to Chicago and what I was going to do.

“I hear the happiness in your voice. It’s been a while since you’ve been this excited about your career, and I love how confident you are in your decision.”

“I know this is the right thing for me and for my career. I…I really hope it goes well.”

“Oh, honey, I bet it will,” my mom assured. “And I wanted to say…I called it from the beginning!”

I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “You sure did, Mom.”

“Have a safe rest of your drive, Jules. Let us know how everything goes.”

“I will. Love you. Say hi to Dad for me.”

“Love you more. Talk to you soon.”

I hung up the call and lightly tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. I still had two hours left in the drive until I was back in Golden Falls. Ever since I left a few days ago, I had been counting the hours until I’d be back. Until I could see Wes.

I was in love with him. It was that simple.

I reached over for my bag of sour gummy worms, grabbing a piece of candy and taking a bite. I couldn’t believe how different this drive was compared to the start of the summer. And also how similar it was.

Like at the start of the summer, it was time for a new adventure. I told Wes before leaving that I wanted to make this decision together. But I knew what I wanted.

I hoped it was what he wanted, too.

One bag of gummy worms, a Diet Coke, and an order of medium fries later, I pulled into the gravel driveway leading to Wes’s house. When I texted him before starting the drive, he replied that he would be waiting for me at home. Home . I liked the sound of that.

Yesterday, the group text between me, Lily, and Eliza was blowing up. According to Eliza, Wes “had the biggest stick up his ass known to mankind” that first day I was gone. She sent another message with a bunch of upside down smiling face emojis begging for me to come back.

I had no clue what was going on. Wes hadn’t mentioned anything out of the ordinary, but I would find out soon enough.

After parking the car and cutting the engine, I moved quickly toward the front door. My suitcase could wait.

I was about to push open the door, but he beat me to it, opening it with a breathtaking smile. “You’re back,” he sighed with relief.

Relief coursed through my body, through my bones. I felt it as soon as I got into Golden Falls, but I especially felt it now standing in front of him.

I nodded, unable to keep the smile off my face. “I’m back.”

Not wasting any time, Wes took a single step forward, closing the distance between us and wrapping his arms around me.

I flung my arms around him in return, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his cologne as he lifted me off the ground. God, he smelled good. He smelled like home .

“Wes, I missed you,” I whispered, my eyes starting to water, “so much.”

My heart was pounding, and I wondered if he could feel it as he held me. There was so much I wanted to tell him, and this conversation was long overdue. But my chest wasn’t closing in and panic wasn’t setting in like it did earlier this summer. I felt butterflies. I was right where I belonged.

Wes stepped back into the house then kicked the door closed and set me down.

“Baby, not nearly as much as I missed you.” Wes felt deeply, but he didn’t always show it. Seeing his eyes start to water too was nearly my undoing. “If that’s what three days without you does to me, I don’t want any time apart. Hear that?”

“I don’t want any time apart from you, either,” I croaked. I parted my lips, about to speak, but Wes beat me to it.

“I know we agreed to figure it out together once you got back, and I don’t know what your decision is…but I can’t go another minute— another second —without telling you how I feel. How much you mean to me. How I would do anything for you,” Wes rasped, his voice low and raw.

“I love you, Juliette.” He cradled my face in his large hands, using his thumb to swipe away my stray tears.

“You’ve brought light into my life. Now that I know what it’s like to have you, I don’t want to live any other way.

I want to wake up next to you every morning.

I want to slow dance with you. I want to cook you breakfast. I want to build you your dream closet.

I want to buy you all the goddamn dresses in the world.

I don’t want you to change anything. You’re not too much—and I hate that anyone made you feel that way. You’re fucking perfect.”

“Wes,” I said softly, my voice cracking. Those tears that had been threatening to make an appearance finally broke through. “That’s what I was going to say. To you.” I shook my head with a laugh. Stubborn man couldn’t even let me be the first one to confess my love.

In the span of a few months, Wes managed to understand me better than anyone. He knew my insecurities, my vulnerabilities, what made me happy, what I wanted out of life. I’d spent the last few days thinking about how I couldn’t live life without him. Now I finally got to tell him.

“As soon as I left, I wanted to turn right back around,” I admitted.

I rested my hands on his chest, my fingers wrapping around the soft fabric of his shirt.

His heart was beating as quickly as mine.

“Wes, this summer is the happiest I’ve ever been, and that’s because of you.

I got pieces of myself back—my creativity, my passion, my drive—and I also fell in love with a man who values all those things about me, who truly sees me and wants what’s best for me. ”

I paused to take in this moment, to take in Wes.

I wanted to see his face when I told him.

“I love you, Wesley Richards. I am so in love with you. I never want you to think that you’re not enough—because you’re everything.

You’re kind, thoughtful, protective. I love your sense of humor.

I love that you brought me all the flowers in the rainbow because you didn’t know my favorite color.

I love how calm and patient you are. I love how much you care about those in your life. I love?—”

Wes’s lips spread into a smile, and he interrupted me with a kiss, his mouth hot against mine as he backed me up against the door. My hands moved to his arms, then his shoulders, and then tangled in his hair as my lips moved against his.

“I wasn’t done.” I smiled against his mouth while also making no attempt to stop the kiss. If anything, I pulled Wes even closer.

He chuckled against my lips. “I couldn’t wait any longer to kiss you, show you how much I missed you.” Wes moved his lips from mine, pressing hot, slow kisses along my jaw to my neck.

“Wes,” I breathed out. My fingers wrapped around the fabric of his shirt, itching to pull it over his head. I nearly started to rid him of his shirt when he spoke up again.

“I know that this doesn’t fix everything,” Wes mumbled against my skin. “I don’t want you giving up your dreams, your career, for me. I’d never ask you to do that.”

My brows furrowed, and I looked at Wes as he pulled back. “What are you saying?”

“I have one more thing, sweetheart.” Wes took my hand into his, leading me toward the kitchen. Various papers and documents were messily scattered on the table.

“I don’t care where we settle down, as long as I’m with you. I want to be by your side as you take the world by storm. I’ve spent the last couple of days figuring out the logistics of selling Lake Ridge. I figured it would be easier to move to Chicago this way.”

I was at a loss for words. Lake Ridge meant the world to Wes, and he had so many plans for his business. He hadn’t even asked me to move here. The gesture overwhelmed me in the best way. He was willing to do anything for us.

I quickly shook my head. “Wes, you can’t do that.”

“I can try to open another bar or start another business anywhere. There’s only one you.”

I let out a breath that sounded like a half sob, half laugh. One that, from the look of Wes’s face, was not the reaction he was expecting. I turned toward the table, scouring the pages before facing him again. “Please tell me you haven’t signed these papers yet. You can’t move to Chicago.”

He shifted from one foot to the other, running his fingers through his hair and tugging on the strands. “W-what are you saying?” he stammered.

“Moving to Chicago might not be the best idea,” I said slowly, “because I’m moving to Golden Falls.

I even brought more of my stuff up.” I nodded in the direction of the driveway where my car was parked.

“So, if you want to be with me, I think we should stay right here. This is where we should start our life together and build upon both of our careers. I want to see everything you have planned for Lake Ridge and support you as much as I know you’ll support me. ”

I wasn’t sure if he had heard me at first, because he just stared at me, but when it clicked, Wes’s booming laugh filled the room.

God, he was so handsome when he smiled. He wasted no time in pushing the papers off to the side and lifting me onto the table.

He pressed his lips against mine in another kiss.

“God, you drive me crazy, woman,” he said with a grin against my lips. “Why didn’t you say that when you got in?! You’re moving here? Really? What happened?” he asked, and with each question I got a kiss, one to my lips, a few on my neck.

I let out a laugh, tipping my head back. “Because as soon as I got in, you were going off on your romantic love confession!” I grinned up at him, my fingers wrapping around his shirt and pulling him even closer to me. I didn’t want any space between us.

He paused, breaking the kiss. “What about your job? What did your boss pitch to you?”

“Funny enough, she pitched to me what I wanted to talk to her about. What I’ve been doing in Golden Falls—working with local businesses and offering interior design services at an affordable rate, making it more accessible.

She wants to open an interior design firm affiliated with Luxe Living that’s dedicated to that.

When I told her about my work over the summer, she was even more convinced that I was the right person to lead the team.

I told her I would love to work with her only if I could live in and work from Golden Falls. And she loved the idea.”

“Juliette, that’s amazing. You’re going to have a team and everything?”

I nodded eagerly. “It’ll be a remote team.

We’re going to be able to work with clients over video chat, but I also want to hire people who are passionate about the towns they live in and their local businesses.

I’m going to be able to work with Golden Falls businesses, as well as the surrounding towns.

I might do some occasional travel, like to Madison or Milwaukee, but Cheryl and I will hire someone based near Chicago as one of the first members, so I don’t have to make that drive as often. ”

Wes stared at me with awe in his eyes. It only made me feel even better about how this was all turning out. “I knew you were amazing, but damn, baby. I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to see the life we build here. Together.”

“Together,” I repeated, loving the sound of that. “It’s going to be perfect.” I saw it coming together so clearly—us living together, going on more dates, traveling, getting married, starting a family. This was only the beginning.

I went on Paradise Love because I wanted to fall in love with someone who would be by my side during the highs and lows of life. Someone who loved me no matter what. Turns out, I should’ve packed my bags and come up to Golden Falls. Luckily, it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

This summer helped me find a renewed sense of passion for my career, life, and love. I couldn’t wait to see what Wes and I would accomplish together.

We stared at each other for a moment, and when my eyes flicked to his lips, his gaze hardened. His hands found my hips. His grip tightened, fingers digging in possessively.

“I love you, Juliette Campbell,” he murmured. His whole chest vibrated from his words. His calloused hands slipped underneath my tank top, fingertips brushing softly over my skin.

“I love you more, Wesley Richards,” I responded, a mischievous smile crossing my lips. “And I want to show you how much.”