Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2)

by Adrienne Frances

  Yes, it was childish.

  She was well aware that she needed to sit down and mend things with her best friend. However, at this point, Grace was just a reminder of her secret. Without her presence, Lucy was happy, and free to settle into a life with Charlie and Jackson. She cooked for them, cleaned, and one night she even let Charlie stay in bed while she got up to comfort Jack in the middle of the night. She didn’t do it out of obligation; she did it because she needed to.

  She belonged with them.

  She was home with them.

  Only now, here was another thing threatening the happiness they had found. She could hardly be angry at Charlie for being so withdrawn. Even Lucy was uncomfortable with Jackson being away for three days. Her stomach churned at even the thought of him waking up to those people.

  Nevertheless, those people were his grandparents and they had a right to see him.

  “Did you remember to pack his gray hoodie?” Charlie asked as they drove down East Front Street. “It’s May, but it still gets pretty cold here.”

  Lucy turned her head and smiled. “Yes.”

  “Thanks.” Charlie reached over and grabbed Lucy’s hand. “I’m sorry I’m being like this.”

  “You’re nervous,” Lucy said with a shrug. “I’m nervous, too.”

  Charlie gave her a sideways glance as he drove. “I love the way you love him,” he said, and pulled her hand to his lips.

  I love you, she wanted to say, but didn’t. She felt it, of course, but she just couldn’t seem to blurt it out. She simply smiled at him and then turned her attention back to the Michigan scenery.

  “Here’s their condo,” Charlie said, and turned into a gated community. He rolled down the window and leaned out to press a button on a box.

  “Yes?” said a rigid voice.

  “Marie, we’re here,” Charlie murmured.

  Right away, the iron gates opened and allowed them to drive through. They pulled onto a winding road lined with mailboxes and bright purple and yellow flowers that looked as if they had been recently planted.

  Lucy snuck a look at Jackson, who was nestled in his car seat and rubbing his tired eyes. The trip had knocked him out cold. “Hey, Jack!” Lucy said with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”

  Jackson lifted his sippy cup to his mouth and put his little lips around the straw. With wide eyes, he sucked juice from the cup and put it back down. “Day-yee,” he said, and pointed out the window.

  Charlie tried to follow Jackson’s finger out the window and drive at the same time. It was another one of his many fatherly attributes that Lucy adored. He was never too busy to acknowledge his son.

  “A doggy,” Charlie said when he figured out what Jackson was pointing at.

  “Bee,” Jackson said, showing her the same thing.

  “What’s a doggy say, Jack?” Lucy asked.

  “Ra, ra,” Jackson growled, and then laughed at himself.

  They pulled into a parking spot under a sign that read “Visitor.” Charlie turned off the engine and gripped the wheel. Lucy watched as he seemed to calm his breathing and give himself a minute before facing his former in-laws.

  “Charlie,” Lucy said, rubbing his shoulder, “everything will be okay.”

  Charlie leaned his head against the seat and turned to meet her warm, reassuring gaze. His face was pale; she had never seen him look so vulnerable. “I know,” he finally said.

  “Do you want me to come in? I can stay here, if you want.”

  Charlie’s jaw tightened. “You go where I go,” he reminded her.

  The beat of her heart sped up and pounded in her ears. It was like falling into oblivion, unsure of where you would land. Every day—each moment he even looked at her—was another reminder of how blissfully happy she was. She felt adored; she felt like she belonged.

  God, I love this man.

  “Then let’s go,” she said.

  They climbed out of the car. Charlie went to the trunk to get all of Jack’s things while Lucy retrieved Jack from his car seat.

  “Get his car seat, too,” Lucy said, and tried to control the tears threatening her eyes. It was pure torture; she didn’t want Jackson to go. “I’m sure they don’t have one.”

  After closing the trunk, Charlie grabbed it. “It’s so damn cold here,” he said, and shivered.

  It was seventy degrees, a long way from the usual one hundred that they were all used to in Phoenix this time of year. Lucy looked around at some of the people outside who were watering their plants in shorts and flip-flops. She took in Charlie’s white long-sleeved shirt and her own peach zip-up hoodie from Victoria’s Secret.

  “We must stand out,” she said with a laugh.

  “Every time I come here I feel like that,” Charlie said, which only reminded her that he used to come here with his wife. That knowledge didn’t sting in a jealous way; it was more of an aching hurt that reminded her that this was another woman’s family.

  Lucy had them by default.

  She shook away her melancholy feelings and nuzzled Jackson’s nose. “You ready to see Grandma and Grandpa Monroe, Jack?” she asked in her most upbeat voice. “They’re so excited to see you!”

  Jackson only stared at her with a peculiar expression in his green eyes. He clearly did not understand what was happening. Charlie had said that he did, indeed, see them when they were at their home in Phoenix. It had been over two months since he had seen them, however, and his memory would not adjust as quickly as they would like. To get him ready for the trip, Lucy suggested that they Skype with him every night, so they had been for the last three weeks. During the nightly Skype sessions, Lucy had stayed out of view of the Monroes, but she could hear Meredith’s father loud and clear. To put it simply, the man scared her to death.

  They walked up the path to the front door. Charlie knocked and ran his hands through Jackson’s hair. He gave his son a tender smile and then went tense at the sound of the door unlocking.

  A small woman answered the door. She looked to be in her sixties, with short hair and large diamonds that decorated her ears, neck, wrists, and fingers.

  “Charlie,” she said with a small smile. She leaned in to hug him, but pulled back with a sad look in her eyes. She seemed to gather her emotions quickly as she took a step forward to greet her grandson. “Jackson,” she beamed.

  Jackson looked at her, but turned back to Lucy.

  The woman pulled back with a frown. “Well,” she said, her emotions back in check, “why don’t we get off this porch?”

  She turned and led them all inside to marble floors and high, vaulted ceilings. Everything was white, immaculate, expensive, and toddler-free. Lucy could already imagine the handprints and juice stains that they would see when they returned on Sunday.

  Charlie set Jackson’s things down by the front door and put his hand on Lucy’s back. “Marie, this is Lucy.”

  Lucy shook with nerves. Her stomach churned like a tornado. “Nice to meet you,” she said, and was well aware of Marie’s internal battle.

  “You …” Struggling, Marie cleared her throat. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Please, come sit down.”

  After sitting down on a hard, white couch, Lucy took in the shrine to Meredith. There were pictures of her on the mantel, the tables, the walls … Meredith Mathews was everywhere she looked. When her eyes finally settled on a silver, eight-by-ten frame with Charlie in a tux kissing Meredith in her wedding gown, Lucy had to clear her throat of the bile she felt rising.

  “So, I picked up a few things,” Marie began. “I tried to get everything that I know he likes at a toy store in town: cars, blocks, balls, and a few movies. The water is too cold for him, but I did get a beach pail and bucket for the sand.”

  “We packed a few books that he loves,” Lucy said, taking the lead when Charlie seemed lost in the wedding picture. She tried to loosen the grip that Jackson had on her. “Jack, why don’t you show your grandma your new favorite book, Tiger Can’t Sleep?”

  Lucy waite
d as her words registered with Jackson. Carefully, he slid down from her and went to get his Mickey Mouse backpack from the floor. He pulled the book from the bag and carefully made his way over to Marie. He set the book in her lap and then climbed up to sit beside her on the couch.

  Marie let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Lucy. It wasn’t the kind of smile that said she was happy about Lucy’s presence, but one that said thank you, above anything else.

  To Lucy, that was a start.

  After an hour of sitting and waiting for Jackson to get comfortable, Charlie and Lucy made their exit. Jackson cried a bit, but they managed to leave without too much fuss.

  They hadn’t seen Meredith’s father and Lucy was grateful for that. She had a feeling that he would have made it quite difficult for her.

  As they drove along the road that curved around the Grand Traverse Bay, Lucy ran a hand through Charlie’s hair. “Where are we staying?”

  Charlie shook his head and looked her way. He had been deep in thought and her words had woken him up. “Hmm?”

  “You said last week that you rented a surprise for us. Where are we staying?” she repeated with a smile.

  “Oh,” he mumbled. “It’s a cottage right on the water.”

  “That sounds romantic,” she said, and gave his leg a little squeeze.

  Without saying a word, Charlie pulled her hand up and pressed it to his mouth. It was a move that was meant to appease her. He was absent, far from the vacation they had planned. She understood completely, but still couldn’t control the pang in her heart.

  They pulled up to the little white cottage and got out of the car. Lucy looked out onto the blue water and took a breath of fresh air. “This is perfect, Charlie.”

  Charlie grabbed their bags from the trunk. “The man I spoke with said that the key is in an envelope under the mat.”

  Lucy frowned at his withdrawn behavior. The drop-off had been more successful than they’d anticipated. Marie had promised to call if there was even the smallest problem. Feeling much better about the situation, Lucy wasn’t sure why he was so distant now. Maybe it was all of the pictures of Meredith. She couldn’t be sure, though.

  They walked into the cottage and Lucy took it all in. It was lovely. It had a rustic feel, with all of the oak furniture and Michigan decor. Because they were in Traverse City, which Lucy had learned from Marie was the cherry capital of the world, there were pictures of cherries all over the walls and even on a blanket on the couch.

  She stepped through the French doors that led out of the small kitchen and closed her eyes as the breeze from the bay hit her face. “Charlie, come look!”

  Charlie stepped outside to join her and stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked over the view.

  Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. “Did you see the Jacuzzi?”

  He looked in the direction of the hot tub that sat nestled in the corner of the deck. “He did say that it came with one. Are you hungry?”

  “I guess,” she answered. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t picked up on what she really wanted to do, but she was a little hungry. The Jacuzzi would have to wait.

  “Let’s put our stuff away and head into town. There’re some nice restaurants along the water that you might like.” He stepped out of her arms and walked inside.

  “Okay,” Lucy practically whispered, and wondered if this was only a glimpse into the next three days to come.

  Two hours later, the two of them sat on the deck at the Apache Trout Grill and looked out onto the dark waters below. Aside from the chill, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening, the dark illuminated only by the soft glow of candlelight. Lucy took a sip from her Cabernet and snuck a glance at Charlie. He sipped his beer and looked to be appreciating the same view, but she knew his mind was elsewhere.

  “I’m sure Jack’s doing just fine,” Lucy said.

  Charlie sighed heavily and took a drink. “I know.”

  She reached over and pulled his hand to her lap. “Do you want to go?”

  Charlie held up his beer and tried to see how full it was. “As soon as I’m done with my drink,” he said.

  “Do you want to get in the Jacuzzi?”

  “Maybe tomorrow night. Aren’t you exhausted?”

  Lucy nodded and looked back at the water. She was tired, but she also wanted to take her clothes off and crawl into that hot tub. She wanted Charlie to make love to her with the sounds of the waves crashing into the shore in the background. It was torture, really. He was so far away even though he was sitting right next to her.

  Unsure if she could take much more, she set her glass down and got to her feet. She wrapped her black shawl around her shoulders when the breeze hit her and looked down to meet his eyes. “I’m ready now,” she said as firmly as she could without sounding harsh.

  He looked up at her and squinted. “All right,” he said quietly.

  They made the trip back to the cottage in silence. Lucy went into the bathroom and decided against the lingerie she bought for the trip while shopping with Lydia. Charlie was not in the mood for that, she figured. She crossed her fingers that he would be by tomorrow and slipped into one of his T-shirts.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, she looked at the large oak bed. Lit by the bright full moon creeping through the window, Charlie was fast asleep.

  She crawled in next to him and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She tucked herself against his side and found some small satisfaction when his large arm draped across her and pulled her closer. At least he still wanted to hold her in his sleep.

  “Goodnight,” she said to no one.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Saturday afternoon, Charlie sat on the back deck and took in the sight before him. Under a bright blue sky lined with white clouds, the sandy beach touched the crystal waters of Lake Michigan. It looked like a painting; it was a view that had surprised him each and every time he came here. He loved Michigan this time of year. He had come for Christmas with Meredith once and he’d hated every second of it. The winter weather was not something he endured well. Michigan in the summer, however, was a completely different story.

  That morning, Lucy had made breakfast for him and they’d pretty much eaten in silence. He had offered to clean up, but she’d given him a very hard “I got it,” and basically shot him a look that should have killed him. That was his sign to walk away.

  She’d gotten ready and murmured something about going shopping, making it very clear that he was not invited. It was obvious in that moment that he’d pushed her to her breaking point.

  He felt like an asshole, but he also felt horrible for dragging her into all of this. His selfish mind had thought too quickly when he’d asked her to come on this trip. Maybe he’d been caught up in the moment. In his defense, she was naked when he asked her, wearing nothing but a bed sheet.

  Yeah, he was an asshole.

  He needed her to come back quickly so he could beg for forgiveness and do the rest of this trip right.

  “Hey,” he heard her say from behind him.

  “You’re back.” Charlie held out his hand for her to join him. “Come sit with me?” he asked. At this point, he needed to wallow and plead; there would be no demands, only polite requests.

  Lucy took his hand, with a bit of reluctance in her expression. He pulled her closer and smiled as she slid down onto him, straddling his lap. With careful hands, he pulled her face to his and gave her a long, apologetic kiss.

  “Did you have a nice time shopping?” he asked when he pulled away.

  She blinked a few times and then licked her lips, a sure sign that she was starting to soften to him. “Mmhmm,” she said.

  “What stores did you go to?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  She flashed him a devilish smile and lifted her chin to the mountain of bags on the ground. “Pretty much all of them.”

  “Yeah?” he asked, and buried his face into her neck. He inhaled and was hit with a scent
that he hadn’t smelled on her before. “What’s that?”

  “Body butter. It’s coconut and lime,” she answered, and giggled when he licked her.

  “Can I eat it?”

  “No!” She burst into laughter.

  “I’ll find a way,” he said, and nuzzled his face against her chest. He pulled back and leaned his head against the chair. “What else did you get?”

  “I went to this store, Cherry Republic, and I got a ton of stuff to use for cupcakes: cherry barbecue sauce, cherry jam, and chocolate covered cherries. Oh, and I got my mom a hat, and then I went into Horizon Books to get Jack a few more stories … and I got a dirty book for myself. That’s all.”

  “That’s all, huh?” Charlie asked with a wide smile.

  Lucy looked from side to side as if to think. “Aside from the body butter, lip balm, and soaking salts, yes.”

  Charlie ran his hand over her bare thigh. Her dress was riding up and giving him a lot of access to her soft skin. He hadn’t touched her in about thirty-six hours and he was losing his mind from the withdrawal.

  “I’m sorry,” he said simply. He looked up at her beautiful face and loved how the sun shined behind her. “I’ve been an ass.”

  She sighed and grabbed his hands. “Yes, but I get it.”

  Charlie pursed his lips and shook his head. “No, I don’t think you do.”

  “Then tell me,” she urged. “You were starting to scare me. I thought you were having second thoughts about us, Charlie.”

  What?

  His heart cracked a little at that admission. “Oh, baby, no. I’m so sorry. That wasn’t what I was doing.” He pulled her closer and cast his eyes over her face. “I’m with you. There isn’t any second-guessing or doubts going on in my head. Understand?”

  Lucy nodded and seemed to relax in relief.

  “You have to tell me when you feel like that. Don’t just sit around and ignore me.”

  “I didn’t want to add to your stress. I know you’re having a hard time with Jack being gone …” She frowned. “I just didn’t want to be a nagging, insecure girlfriend.”