Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  “Dude,” one of the kids yelled out. “You can stare at Miss Taylin after the game is over. Get the ball.”

  The other players all laughed, but Luke didn’t move. Taylin wasn’t sure whether or not to be flattered. She turned around and picked up the basketball. “Hello again,” she said, tossing the ball at his chest.

  He caught it, his eyes remaining fixed on her. “Sorry you got hit. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  The low timbre of his voice made her stomach dip. “I’m fine.”

  “Mr. McKay,” one of the boys yelled. Luke tore his gaze away and looked over his shoulder. “Pastor Dave got a phone call so I guess our game is up.”

  “Thanks for letting me play.” Luke tossed the ball at the boy. “And remember you can call me Luke.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Luke turned back toward Taylin, his expression both troubled and curious. Although she wanted to ask why he was here and how he knew Pastor Dave, she gave him a soft smile and waited to see what he might say.

  Instead of returning the smile, his lips flattened. “I’m glad you’re not hurt.” He took a step backward. “Have a good evening.”

  With those parting words, he spun around and strode purposely away. Taylin stood there, watching him in disbelief. She glanced around to see if anyone else had witnessed the man’s rebuff. Thankfully Pastor Dave still had the phone to his ear and the two boys had started a game of one on one.

  Luke McKay might be handsome— an observation Taylin couldn’t deny— but his ego made him a jerk. Either that or he was painfully shy and awkward around women.

  The rumble of a motorcycle drew her attention, and a moment later Luke drove by on a Harley. Any guy who rode a shiny motorcycle like that was not shy, which made him a jerk.

  Taylin went inside the youth center, grateful Rachel hadn’t arrived yet. She wanted a few minutes to compose herself. That was twice now the guy had been rude to her. Interviewing him tomorrow would be incredibly uncomfortable. She wished she could find out some general information on him without having to talk to him. She knew the first place to look.

  Pulling out her phone, she opened the Facebook app and typed Luke McKay into the search field. Unfortunately his name was more popular than hers. She was the only Taylin Nichols on the social media network. She scrolled through a long list of guys with his name until she found him.

  His profile picture was pretty cute, which irritated Taylin. He was on an ATV with two adorable little girls sitting in front of him. Were they his kids? She tapped on his picture and was disappointed to find his page was private. For a second she was tempted to send him a friend request, if for no other reason than to annoy him.

  She opened his list of friends and saw they had two mutual friends: Dave and Rachel Matthews. Taylin tapped on the youth minister’s page and scrolled through his posts. Halfway down she saw one from Luke. The selfie was of Luke sitting on a boat, holding a string of fish. His post said, “You should’ve seen the one that got away.”

  Taylin smiled at Pastor Dave’s comment about the evils of telling fish stories. Luke’s equally witty reply wasn’t congruent with the man’s stony personality. Going back to his page, she opened his photos. With his privacy setting, there weren’t very many she could view, but most of them were of the outdoors and fishing. None of them showed Luke with a wife, girlfriend, or the little girls again.

  “Earth to Taylin,” Rachel said, making Taylin yelp and almost drop her phone.

  “You scared me to death.” Taylin placed a hand over her racing heart.

  “Sorry.” Rachel laughed and placed a box of donuts on the countertop. “I thought you heard me say hi.”

  “No. I was too busy Facebook stalking a guy.”

  “Oh, really.” One of Rachel’s sculpted brows lifted. “Did you and Jared finally break up?”

  Taylin shot her friend an annoyed look. “No, we didn’t break up.”

  “Okay.” Rachel opened a package of napkins. “Do I dare ask who it is you’re stalking?”

  If Taylin revealed the name of her prey, Rachel would turn it into something romantic. Since she met her husband rather uniquely, she assumed the rest of the world found love in a similar way.

  “I’m not stalking him because I’m interested in him.” Taylin lifted the lid to the box of donuts. Comfort food would help assuage her wounded ego.

  “Then why are you stalking him?” Rachel handed Taylin a small paper plate. “Here, you might need this if you’re going to steal one of my donuts.”

  Smiling, Taylin selected a cinnamon and sugar donut. “What do you know about Luke McKay?”

  “I love Luke!” Rachel squealed, hugging Taylin so tightly she nearly dropped her treat. “He is so cute, and so available.”

  “And you’re so married,” Taylin murmured as she wriggled out from Rachel’s embrace.

  “I’ve wanted to introduce him to you ever since he moved here but then you were gone to Hawaii, and you’re dating Jared, and then things got so crazy around here with the cancelation of our retreat.” Rachel clasped her hands together. “Do you want me to set y’all up? I’ve been dying to get him out on a date.”

  “I told you I’m not interested in him that way. And I’m still dating Jared, remember?”

  Rachel’s eyebrows pinched in confusion. “Then why are you stalking him?”

  Taylin explained what her manager wanted her to do and about the two run-ins she’d had with Luke. “I really don’t want to show up at the hospital tomorrow to interview him. He’ll probably think I volunteered for the project just so I could talk to him.”

  “He really was rude to you?” Rachel asked as she selected a donut for herself and tore it in half. “That doesn’t sound like the Luke I know.”

  “How do you know him?” Taylin asked, taking a bite of her donut. “And how did he end up in Mitchel Creek, Georgia?”

  Rachel explained her friendship with Diane, Luke’s younger sister. “Ever since college, Diane and I have kept in touch, and I knew Luke was looking to relocate somewhere else besides Montana. When Dave heard about the position opening up at the hospital, I let Diane know.” Rachel handed Taylin a bottle of water. “She told Luke, and since his hospital is owned by the same corporation as Mitchel Creek, he was able to transfer without any problems. Within a few weeks, he found himself a house and moved here.”

  Taylin uncapped the bottle and took a sip of water. “Is there a reason he wanted to leave Montana?” Maybe if she asked Rachel enough questions, she wouldn’t even have to ask the man himself.

  “Yeah, living in the same town with his ex-wife and her boyfriend was hard on the guy.”

  “He was married?” Taylin remembered the Facebook pic with Luke and the two little girls. “Did they have any kids?”

  A sadness filled Rachel’s eyes. “No, they didn’t have any kids. I don’t want to gossip, and his story isn’t mine to tell, but Vivian—that’s his ex-wife—gave birth to a baby boy about eight months ago, and Luke wasn’t the father.”

  Ouch. No wonder the guy didn’t like women. He’d been burned big time.

  “Oh, wow, that is so sad.”

  “Yeah. Luke is one of the nicest guys I know, so I’m surprised he’s been rude to you. Unless…” Rachel’s eyes widened as a smile curved her lips. “…Luke likes you.”

  “What?!” Taylin half-laughed and shouted. “That’s just crazy talk.”

  “I’m serious. He’s only been divorced for a little over a year, but they’ve been separated off and on for the past few years. I’ll just bet he finds you attractive and doesn’t know what to do about it.”

  “Right.” Taylin held up her sugary treat. “And donuts have zero carbs.” She took a big bite. She usually knew when a guy was interested, and Luke was not interested.

  Thankfully, their conversation was interrupted with the arrival of some of the kids. She and Rachel shooed them out of the kitchen, promising them donuts later on.

  “Luke likes you,” Rachel whis
pered as they went into gym.

  “Does not,” Taylin shot back.

  The mischievous grin on Rachel’s face had Taylin shaking her head. “Newlyweds are so annoying.”

  Rachel laughed, but dropped the subject. Taylin enlisted her friend’s help to organize the small group of kids who wanted to play the video dance game. Those who weren’t interested moved to the gaming area and started a foosball game with one of the other volunteers supervising.

  Glancing around the room, Taylin spotted a girl standing in the corner by herself. Long, dark hair hung like a curtain around the girl’s face, but Taylin recognized the teenager. Lindsey Rollins was fifteen going on twenty. She’d had a rough childhood and ended up in her grandmother’s custody three months ago while her mother was in rehab. Lindsey hated coming to the center, and judging by the scowl on her face, nothing had changed since the last time the girl had shown up a couple of weeks ago.

  Wanting to try and include the girl, Taylin made her way around the edge of the gym. Lindsey’s dark eyes tracked Taylin’s progress and the scowl on her face deepened.

  “Hey, Lindsey,” Taylin said. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

  “I’m not,” Lindsey snorted. “But Grandma said if I don’t start comin’ then she’s taking my phone for good.”

  Taylin stood close enough to pick up the scent of cigarette smoke on the girl’s clothes. Since Mrs. Rollins wasn’t a smoker, Taylin could only guess Lindsey had recently picked up the nasty habit, or she was hanging out with the wrong crowd.

  “Well, you chose the perfect night to come. We’re havin’ a dance-off and could use you.”

  “I don’t dance.” She shot Taylin a sarcastic glare. “And I don’t play foosball or ping pong either, so don’t ask.”

  Taylin had a feeling Lindsey would find fault with any of the activities. Determined not to give up, she whispered, “Do you like donuts?”

  Lindsey glowered at her. “Who doesn’t?”

  “Miss Rachel brought fresh donuts, and I know where they’re hidden.”

  “So?”

  “So.” Taylin bumped the girl’s shoulder with her own. “Let’s sneak into the kitchen and we can pick out a donut before the good ones are gone.”

  Lindsey licked her lips and glanced toward the kitchen door. “Whatever.”

  Taking that as a yes, Taylin motioned for Lindsey to follow her. Skirting the gym, they made their way toward the kitchen. Just before reaching the door, Taylin glanced over her shoulder and discovered Lindsey was no longer behind her. The girl had ditched her, and Taylin watched as she exited out a side door.

  Taylin wasn’t sure if she should go after Lindsey or leave her alone. Across the room, she saw Dave talking with his wife. Rachel would probably know what to do. Taylin crossed the gym, stopping once to retrieve a rogue ping pong ball.

  As she drew closer to her friend, Taylin slowed her steps when she noticed Rachel and Dave looked like they were having a serious conversation. Dave glanced her way and motioned for her to join them.

  “Is everything okay?” Taylin asked.

  Dave pressed his lips together. “I just got off the phone with Pastor James. He’s been diagnosed with influenza and needs me to go to the hospital to visit one of the church members.”

  “I’m sorry,” Taylin said. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Actually, I’d like you to follow me to the hospital since this is your area of expertise.” Dave’s eyebrows drew together. “Jackson McCall called me right after I finished talking with Pastor James. His wife, Sydney, is pregnant and started bleeding. He said they both wanted you to come by the hospital if you could.”

  Taylin’s stomach twisted with worry. Sydney and Jackson had been trying to have a baby for several years. The few times Sydney had gotten pregnant, she’d lost the baby within the first trimester.

  “Absolutely. Let me grab my purse and we can go.”

  The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. Taylin waited for Dave to park his car before taking him through an employee entrance to get to the second floor quicker. She glanced at the white board to look for the first three letters of Sydney’s last name as she approached the nurse’s station.

  Abbie, a labor nurse Taylin had worked with a few times, looked up and smiled. “Hey, girl. What’re you doin’ here on your night off?”

  “I’m here to see a friend. Sydney McCall.” Taylin pointed at the whiteboard. “It looks like she’s in labor room six.”

  “Yeah, she’s Caroline’s patient.” Abbie tilted her head to the side. “You and your boyfriend can go on back.”

  Taylin laughed as she watched Dave’s face go red. “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my pastor.”

  One of Abbie’s eyebrows lifted up. “Seriously? No offence, but you don’t look like any pastor I’ve ever seen.”

  The color in Dave’s face darkened. Before he’d married Rachel, Pastor Dave had been a popular bachelor. At one time both Taylin and her sister, Ashlee, had had a crush on the young minister.

  “Hi,” Dave said as he stepped forward and held out his hand. “Dave Matthews.”

  “Abbie Duke.” Abbie shook his hand. “Do ministers date?” she asked, keeping a hold of his hand.

  Dave lifted his left hand to show off his wedding band. “Not when they’re married.”

  This time Abbie was the one to look embarrassed as she quickly withdrew her hand. “Oops. Sorry.”

  Dave chuckled. “No problem.”

  The phone rang, and Abbie quickly took the call. Taylin moved away from the desk and pointed to a waiting room next to the visitor’s kitchen. “Why don’t you wait here while I go back and check on Sydney.”

  “Good idea.”

  On the way to Sydney’s room, Taylin passed by the employee bulletin board. She dreaded approaching Luke tomorrow to ask him personal questions. He would probably think she was hitting on him.

  Approaching the door to Sydney’s room, Taylin knocked softly. “It’s Taylin Nichols.”

  “Come in,” the nurse said.

  Taylin pushed the door open and stepped inside. Sydney looked pale and small in the bed. Jackson, who usually wore a mischievous grin, sat next to his wife with a somber look.

  “Hey,” Taylin said, walking over to the bed. “Pastor Dave and I came as soon as you called. He’s in the waiting room.”

  Sydney smiled. “Thank you so much for coming. My parents are out of the country and Jackson and I just needed a friend.”

  Taylin sat on the edge of the bed and took Sydney’s hand in hers, noting how cold and clammy her skin felt. “I’m so glad y’all wanted me here.” She glanced over at Jackson. “Hey, Jacks.”

  “Hey, squirt,” he said with a small smile. “Thanks for coming.”

  The labor and delivery nurse moved away from her computer. “Dr. Nance is on his way over. He wants to do an ultrasound, which he can do right here in the room.” She offered Sydney a reassuring smile. “I’m gonna go get the portable ultrasound unit ready, but do you need anything before I leave?”

  “No, thank you,” Sydney said. Her lower lip quivered. “I’m okay.”

  Once Caroline left the room, Sydney squeezed Taylin’s hand. “We want you to be in here with us when he does the ultrasound. Is that okay with you?”

  “Absolutely.” A knot of anxiety twisted in Taylin’s stomach. “Do you know how many weeks you are?”

  “Fourteen weeks.” Sydney’s eyes filled up with tears. “I thought everything was going to be okay this time since I made it to the second trimester.”

  Taylin didn’t want to get all clinical on them, but she did want to get a better idea about what to expect when the doctor did the ultrasound. “Tell me what happened?”

  As Sydney relayed her story, Taylin was relieved to note the bleeding wasn’t accompanied by cramping and had subsided since coming to the hospital.

  “Do you think we have time for Pastor Dave to pray with us before Dr. Nance gets here?” Jackson asked.


  “I think so.” She pulled out her phone and sent him a quick text. But right then Dr. Nance came in, along with Caroline and the ultrasound unit.

  While the doctor greeted the couple, Taylin went to the door to meet Dave. “Sorry, the doctor walked in right after I sent you the text. He’s going to do an ultrasound.”

  “No problem.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’ll just go back to the waiting room and pray for the best.”

  Taylin nodded her head and closed the door, offering a prayer of her own. Both Sydney and Jackson were quiet as the nurse lowered the head of the bed until Sydney lay flat. She had a death grip on her husband’s hand as the doctor lifted her gown to expose her stomach.

  “This has been warming but it still might feel cool,” he said, squeezing out a generous amount of gel onto her lower abdomen.

  Taylin’s eyes honed in on the display screen as Dr. Nance moved the transducer probe over Sydney’s stomach. The black and white images were a little grainy. Taylin’s breath caught as she watched the doctor search for a heartbeat.

  He moved the transducer over one area and then back to another area. He did this several times before staying in one area. He made some adjustments and Taylin felt like shouting for joy when he captured the image of a tiny, fluttering heart. “This baby looks very healthy, Sydney.”

  The somber feeling that shrouded the room lifted as Sydney and Jackson both laughed. “Look at that little guy,” Jackson said. “He’s moving all over the place.”

  “It still might be a she,” Sydney said, as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Can you tell what the sex is yet, Dr. Nance?”

  “I can try, but this little one is pretty active.” He moved the transducer. “But first let’s take a look at baby number two.”

  “What?” Jackson and Sydney both said at the same time, looking as shocked as Taylin felt.

  “We’re having twins?” Jackson asked.

  The doctor laughed. “I’m as surprised as y’all are. This other one must have been hiding when we did your first ultrasound at seven weeks.”