Chapter 43

**Summer's POV**

I'd just hung up with Brandon, feeling a mix of emotions I couldn't quite name. Who would have thought he'd call during work hours just to ask what I wanted to eat?

Even though I was still adjusting to our relationship, his determination to build a real life together was clear. And if he was willing to take this seriously, then I needed to make an effort to adapt too.

Brandon was right about one thing - I couldn't live in the past forever,and I couldn't keep running away. The best approach was to face things head-on and learn to accept them gracefully. After everything I'd been through. I owed it to myself to build a better life.

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My phone buzzed again just as I was gathering my things to leave the office. Brandon's name lit up the screen, making my heart do a little flip despite my best efforts to stay cool.

"Done with work?".

"Yeah, I'm on my way." I juggled my bag while trying to lock my office door. "Should be there in about half an hour. What about you?"

"Just left the office. I'll meet you there." I found myself smiling as I ended the call. The drive to Whole Foods gave me time to wonder what I'd gotten myself into. *Shopping with Branadon Stark? The man probably has personal chefs on speed dial.* But all thoughts of personal chefs fled mny mind when I saw him waiting at the entrance. He stood with casual grace, one hand tucked into the pocket of what had to be custom-tailored dress pants, that dangerous half-smile playing at his lips. The late afternoon sun caught the sharp angles of his face, softening themn just enough to make my breath catch.

"Where's your car?" I asked, trying to focus on anything other than how the evening light caught his perfect features.

"James drove it back." His smile widened slightly at whatever he saw in my expression.

"Oh!" I knew I was staring, but I couldn't help it. Something about seeing him in this casual setting, away from the intensity of Wall Street, made him seem almost... approachable.*Almost.*

"My wife doesn't seem pleased?" The amusement in his voice snapped me back to reality.

"What? No! You must be seeing things!" Heat crept up my neck as I realized I'd been caught admiring him.

"Is that so?" His dark eyes held that dangerous glint I was starting to know too well. "Well, since I must be mistaken, I suppose I'll have to trouble my wife for a ride home."

"You could just call me Summer, you know." I tried to sound casual despite how my heart raced every time he said 'wife'.

"I like Summer," His hand came up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, the gesture so gentle it made my heart race. "But I prefer this. "Then... maybe use a nickname?" I suggested,desperate to find an alternative to the formal 'wife' that made my stomach do backflips every time."I don't want to use names others call you." The intensity in his gaze made me forget to breathe for a moment. "Wife suits you perfectly. It's something only I can call you."

"Then think of something else that only you would use?" I couldn't quite keep the plea from my voice. *Anything but 'wife'- it makes me too aware of...everything.*

His lips curved into that dangerous half-smile. "I'll consider it."

"Oh!" The word came out embarrassingly breathy.

"Haven't thought of the right one yet." He gestured toward the store entrance.

Inside, watching Brandon navigate the produce section with practiced ease made something warm unfurl in my chest. "What foods do you like?" I asked, trying to focus on practical matters. "I should know your preferences if I'm going to be cooking. Are there things you don't eat?"

"I'm not particularly picky." Hlis long fingers drummed a gentle rhythm against the shopping cart handle. "As long as it's properly cooked. Though..." He paused, studying the sparse contents of our cart. "Is this alI you're planning to get? What about vegetables?"

"Can't we just grab whatever?" I gestured vaguely at the produce displays."They're all basically the same, right?"

"Not actually. So my wife prefers meat dishes?" The amusement in his voice made me blush.

"Yeah!" I couldn't help smiling at the memory. "When I was little, I used to love Grandpa Thompson's cooking. I can't make it quite as well as he did,but I always ate so mnuch when he cooked, especially the meat dishes."

Heat crept up my neck as I realized I was rambling. "Is that weird?"

"Not at all." His dark eyes held mine with unexpected warmth. Watching him expertly select vegetables and check produce quality, I couldin't help commenting. "Maybe I should just let you handle all the cooking!"

"If that's what my wife prefers." His casual acceptance made my heart do a complicated flip.

"I thought you were going to think of a different name for me?" I tried to change the subject before my face could get any redder.

"Still considering options." His lips curved into that dangerous half-smile that never failed to make my pulse race.

"You could call me June." The words tumbled out before I could stop them."I was born in June. Grandpa used to say it was when summer really began, so he called me that when I was little."

Something flickered across his face - surprise maybe?-before his expression settled into that familiar gentle intensity. "June..." He said it like he was tasting the word, and something about the way it rolled off his tongue made my stomach flutter. "I'll think about it."

As we continued through the store, I found myself studying him with new eyes. The way he moved - elegant and purposeful even doing something as mundane as grocery shopping. The quiet authority in his bearing that made other shoppers unconsciously step aside. Even here,in fluorescent-lit aisles between cereal boxes and canned goods, he carried himself with that natural grace that seemed to come as easily as breathing.*This is my husband,* I thought, watching him compare two different brands of soy sauce with the same intensity he probably used to evaluate million-dollar deals. The word still felt foreign,but something about seeing him like this - so capable and yet so... human - made it feel a little more real. A little less overwhelming."You're staring again. June." His voice carried that dangerous edge of amusement.

"Am not! Wait, what did you call me?"