Before putting the boots on, Taylin sat down in front of the mirror while Ashlee fixed her hair. Her sister was a beauty school dropout. Literally. Ashlee had attended long enough to gain some pretty good skills, but in the end couldn’t deal with touching less than desirable clients’ hair.
Taylin relaxed as Ashlee expertly twisted her hair along the base of her neck until she gathered the rest of the hair into a side ponytail. She left a few wavy strands to frame her face and then finished off by taking a section of hair from the ponytail and wrapped it around the hairband to cover it.
Her sister then proceeded to touch up Taylin’s makeup, enhancing her natural glow from their Hawaii trip without looking like she’d used any makeup.
“You look gorgeous,” Ashlee said, hugging Taylin from behind. “I wish I could be there to see the look on Luke’s face.”
“Thank you.” She met her sister’s eyes in the mirror and smiled. “I’ll text you if he notices me.”
Ashlee laughed. “Taylin, he’s already noticed you, we just need him to take the bait.”
Trying not to smile too wide, Taylin turned around and laced up the boots. Apparently, while everyone else would be fishing for fish, she was more interested in catching Luke’s attention.
Twenty minutes later, Taylin drove down the long driveway to Luke’s house. There were half a dozen cars already parked and she pulled alongside Rachel’s car.
Before getting out of her car, she took a minute to admire the beautiful two-story brick home. Patterned after the colonial style, she admired the many windows, flanked by black plantation shutters.
Taylin climbed the wide porch steps. She could hear music, laughter, and the hum of voices as she walked around the porch to the back of the house. A large covered deck sprawled out along the length of the house. Another set of porch stairs led to a path to a private dock that extended over the shores of Plantation Lake. She noticed a few kids fishing from the dock.
Glancing around, she spied Rachel sitting next to a patio table laden with a variety of plates and dishes. She was busy chatting with two other volunteers, but looked up as Taylin made her way across the deck.
“Taylin, you made it!” She popped up out of her chair. “And you look absolutely adorable.”
“Thanks, so do you.” Rachel wore a denim jacket over a white graphic tee. She also had on hiking boots, but they were the kind you actually went hiking in.
“I love the shoes. Ashlee sent me a picture of them, and I’ve been dying to see what they’d look like on you.”
“My sister has many talents and finding cute shoes is one of them. It’s just usually I’m the one buying them.”
Rachel laughed. “She also seems to have a knack for matchmaking. She told me you broke up with Jared.”
“Yeah, it was time.”
“Does this mean I can help Ashlee set you up with Luke?”
Taylin bit at her lip. Rachel could prove to be a good ally, but if things didn’t work out, would that put a strain on their friendship?
“I promise to be discreet,” Rachel said. “And if I get any vibes from either of you that you’re uncomfortable then I’ll back off.”
“Okay, but I don’t want it to ruin your friendship with Luke or with me.”
Rachel stuck out her hand. “Deal.”
Taylin laughed as she shook hands. “Deal.” She glanced around. “So, where is everyone?”
Aside from the three kids on the dock, there were only two girls sitting at a smaller table painting their fingernails.
“Out on the lake fishing. Luke has two boys in his boat and Quincy Jamison volunteered to go along and help him. Jackson McCall is driving his boat and Dave is with him along with three other boys.”
“The girls don’t want to fish?”
Rachel pointed to the dock. “Those three are waiting to go out on the next boat.” She pointed to the girls painting their nails. “Courtney and Felicia don’t want to get dirty, or catch gross fish.” She made quotation marks with her fingers.
June and Becca, the two other volunteers, stood up and moved to the table of food. They waved at Taylin, commenting on her shoes.
“If I tried walking on heels that high I’d fall and break my hip,” June teased. She was a widow in her late sixties. Her two boys were in the military. Neither one of them were married, so June acted as the surrogate grandmother of the group.
Taylin and Rachel walked across the deck as Becca peeked inside a crockpot.
“Luke said they’d be back around five to take the last group out on the lake.” Becca replaced the lid. “I reckon those boys’ll be hungry so we should probably set aside food for the men.”
“Good idea,” Rachel said.
While the women busied themselves checking the temperature of the food and dishing up plates for the men, Taylin made her way to Courtney and Felicia. She could hear them discussing how hot a boy named Matt was.
“Hey, girls,” Taylin said.
Courtney and Felicia both looked up and smiled, their eyes lighting with admiration. “Hey, Miss Taylin. You look amazing,” Courtney said.
“You always do,” Felicia said on a sigh.
“Thanks. Y’all look pretty cute yourselves.”
The two fourteen year old girls frequently asked Taylin for advice on clothes, hair, and makeup, and followed her every word. Maybe she could get them to go fishing. It would be good for them to do something other than talk about boys.
“How come y’all didn’t go fishin’?”
“Because it’s disgusting,” Courtney said.
“Yeah, and most girls don’t fish.” Felicia wrinkled her nose and glanced at the three girls fishing from the dock.
Although Taylin and Rachel encouraged all of the girls to branch out and get to know each other, Courtney and Felicia remained aloof from the other girls who were more athletic.
“Who says girls don’t fish?”
“You fish, Miss Taylin?” Courtney asked with disbelief.
“I haven’t been for a few years, but I love to fish. I used to even bait my own hook.” Up until Taylin’s final years in high school, she frequently fished with her brother and daddy. Although she didn’t like it much, she knew how to clean a crappie, fillet it and fry it up as good as her mama.
Courtney glanced over at Felicia, and they shared some kind of silent communication. “I reckon we’ll go if you come with us,” Courtney said.
“Absolutely. Why do y’all think I got off work so early?”
The girls asked Taylin all about her job, and she told them about the sweet little baby boy she’d cared for this past week. He was going through drug withdrawals. Taylin used it as a teaching moment to help dissuade the girls from ever experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
She asked them about school and naturally the girls talked about the boys they liked. Taylin remembered how hard junior high was and how dramatic she and Ashlee were if a boy didn’t like them back.
Soon the first boat returned to the dock. Taylin recognized Jackson’s boat. “Let me go talk to Jackson and Pastor Dave to see how many can go out at a time. We might have to go out on the other boat.”
She tried not to sound too hopeful or excited, but the chance she might get to go out on the lake with Luke made her heart pound.
Adept at wearing heels, she navigated the path to the dock at a quick pace. She could see Luke’s boat approaching and she wanted to get things settled before he returned.
Pastor Dave hopped out on the dock and grabbed the rope to secure the boat. “You girls ready to go?”
“Yeah, fishin’ from the dock sucks,” one of them answered.
He laughed and noticed Taylin. “Hey, glad you could make it.”
“Thanks. Sorry I missed all the work.”
“We missed you, but the kids were great and Luke is officially moved in.”
Taylin’s eyes flickered over the water. Luke had slowed his speed to keep the wake down and would probably dock in two minutes.
<
br /> “Hey, listen, I talked Courtney and Felecia into going fishin’. Is there room for everyone to go, including me?”
Dave wrinkled his brow. “I think we better split the group up. Y’all can ride with Jackson and—” He stopped in the middle of the sentence and then grinned mischievously. “Actually, since these girls have been waitin’ so long, they can come with us, and you, Courtney and Felicia can ride with Luke.”
Evidently, Rachel had already roped her husband into the matchmaking game. Taylin hoped their efforts weren’t in vain.
Jackson appeared portside. “We done here, Dave?”
Dave winked at Taylin before addressing Jackson. “Looks like we’ve got another group to go out. You okay if we take these girls and then Taylin can take the other two girls out with Luke.”
Jackson grinned at Taylin. “Hey, squirt. You still know how to bait your own hook?”
“I sure do.” She smiled. “I can still out fish you too.”
“One time, squirt. You caught more fish than Chase and me one time.”
“Y’all never let me come with the two of you again, so I guess we’ll never know.”
“I do believe she just challenged us to a fish off.” Jackson looked over at the three girls who were taking the life vests from the boys exiting the vessel. “You girls in?”
“Heck yeah,” one of them answered enthusiastically.
“Get on board, ladies. We have a fishing contest to win,” Jackson said.
“Hey, how is Sydney?” Taylin asked when Jackson looked back down at her.
“She’s doin’ great.” Jackson grinned. “It’s like living with Noah, though. She’s buying everything two by two.”
Taylin laughed. Jackson waved before turning to help the girls climb aboard.
A minute later, Luke cut the engine to his boat, and he and Quincy both worked to ease it against the dock. Taylin waited for him to acknowledge her, but he kept his head down, busying himself with securing the boat.
Quincy jumped on to the dock and said hello as he tied the rope around the cleat. The two passengers also jumped off, holding up their impressive cache of fish.
Dave complimented the boys on their catch and Luke still didn’t look up at Taylin. Disappointment settled around her as the realization sunk in that he really wasn’t interested in her. She wanted to back out of her commitment to go fishing with Courtney and Felicia, but they were already crossing the dock toward the boat.
Then Dave spoke up, and Taylin knew she had to follow through, no matter how embarrassing it was.
As Dave explained the change of plans, Luke finally looked up and met her gaze. Taylin read a whole host of emotions in his gray eyes, including attraction. Maybe this fishing expedition wasn’t a lost cause after all.
Chapter 8
Luke knew the minute he looked at Taylin he’d be as hooked as the string of fish Chet and Max had hauled in. She looked beautiful, and—as his seventeen-year-old passengers had pointed out—hot.
She held his gaze a second before her lips curved up into a smile. He swallowed and broke the connection, trying to focus on what Dave was saying. Something about a fishing contest between the two boats.
“I won’t be able to go out again to help Courtney and Felecia,” Quincy said. “I’ve got a family birthday party to go to.”
Luke had met Courtney and Felicia earlier in the day and was surprised the girls had changed their minds about fishing.
“Oh don’t worry,” Jackson said. “Taylin knows her way around a fishin’ pole.”
Luke glanced over at Taylin. Did she really know how to fish or had she just been out a few times with her dad?
“Still, it won’t be fair,” Courtney complained. “Y’all will have one more than our boat.”
“We can only have four poles out at a time,” Dave said. “And since this little contest started because Taylin out fished Jackson, I’ll just captain the boat so he can try to redeem himself.”
That got Luke’s attention. He studied the gorgeous blonde as she joked around with Jackson about always knowing exactly which lure to use, depending on the weather. Luke might have fallen just a little bit in love with her right there. He didn’t know too many girls that liked fishing, let alone knew which kind of tackle to use. Vivian sure hadn’t.
Taylin’s gaze shifted to his, and the corner of her mouth lifted. Yeah, he’d been staring again. He just hoped he hadn’t been drooling.
“Sun’s goin’ down soon, McKay,” Jackson said. “As pretty as Miss Taylin is to look at, we better get these girls out on the lake before it’s too dark.”
Luke felt his neck and face flush as Jackson and Dave laughed. Taylin’s smile widened, and Luke actually smiled back at her.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She lowered her lashes as if embarrassed by Jackson’s comment. She had to know she was beautiful and was used to men staring at her.
Turning, she motioned for Courtney and Felicia to get into the boat. “Y’all get a life vest on and then ask Mr. McKay where he wants you to sit.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the girls said at the same time.
Luke handed the girls their life jackets and pointed out their seats.
He felt old when the kids called him Mr. McKay, but he was learning quickly that the youth in the South were taught from an early age to respect adults and to always address them formally. During the fishing trip with Chet and Max, they never did call him Luke, even after he’d given them permission.
Taylin walked toward him. Her high-heeled boots made her legs look amazing, but they weren’t very practical. He had no idea how she could wear them without twisting an ankle.
“Where should I sit?” She stood so close to him he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. He hoped he didn’t smell like fish.
Luke’s boat wasn’t as big as Jackson’s, and now he was grateful because Taylin could take the seat next to his. “Go ahead and take the seat in front of Felicia.”
He jumped in the boat, making it rock a little, and held out his hand. She hesitated before placing her palm in his. He knew touching her would make him feel something, but the rush of heated electricity rocketing through him nearly stole his breath.
Taylin’s eyes flickered up to meet his gaze. “Thank you.”
He thought her voice sounded a little breathless. Did that mean she felt the same thing?
He let go of her hand as she made her way to her seat. The interaction hadn’t lasted long, but long enough to make Luke nervous. Now his boat seemed way too small.
He ran a hand through his hair and avoided looking at her as he moved to the wheel. As Quincy freed the rope from the dock cleat, Luke reminded himself that she had a boyfriend and that he wasn’t ready for a relationship.
The ride across the lake took his mind off of his seatmate. Mostly.
The noise of the boat motor made it difficult to hear the conversation between Taylin and the girls, but she laughed frequently. He liked her laugh.
As he approached the spot he wanted to fish from, he cut back on the engine. The noise reduction allowed him to hear what his passengers were discussing.
“Why did you break up with him?” Felicia asked.
Luke wasn’t sure whom the question was directed at, but felt his pulse skip several beats when Taylin answered.
“Oh, there were several reasons, but when y’all are ready to date you might want to make sure how important gaming is to the guy who asked you out.”
“So you dumped him because he’s a hardcore gamer?”
“There are other reasons, but that was one of them.”
“Dang, that’s like every guy I know,” Courtney said. The girl sounded pretty distressed.
Taylin laughed. “Don’t stress, Courtney, there are good guys out there.
Luke’s fingers tightened around the wheel of the boat as he processed this new information. Taylin didn’t have a boyfriend anymore.
“Hey, Mr. McKay?” Courtney sai
d from behind him. “Are you into gaming?”
A smile tugged at Luke’s mouth as he cut the engine. He turned around, pausing briefly to make eye contact with Taylin before facing Courtney. “Didn’t you hear Chet and Max complaining about my lack of gaming equipment?”
“You don’t even own an Xbox?” Taylin asked in disbelief.
He met her gaze and shrugged. “Gaming’s a waste of time. I’d rather be outdoors fishing or riding my bike.”
“Y’all should start dating then,” Felicia said innocently.
Luke’s heart pounded wildly at the suggestion. Taylin’s eyes widened before they snapped to look at the girl.
“I mean, Mr. McKay’s cute and all for an old guy,” Felicia said to Taylin. “And he isn’t anything like your boyfriend.”
“Hey,” he laughed. “I’m not that old.” He’d just barely turned thirty-one.
Taylin pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to laugh. Did she think he was old too?
“All right, enough talk,” he said, grabbing two fishing rods from overhead. “Have either of you two ever fished before?”
Courtney and Felicia both wrinkled their noses. “No,” Courtney answered.
His eyes traveled to Taylin. She was watching him, a small smile on her lips.
“You know how to cast, right?”
The smile disappeared and she narrowed her pretty blue eyes. “Yes. I also know how to reel in a fish, catch it with a net, remove the hook, clean it, fillet it and cook it.”
From the slightly irritated tone in her voice, he sure hoped she was talking about fish.
“I’m impressed.” When she still looked like she wanted to fillet and cook him, he cleared his throat. “How about you take Felicia and fish from the bow. Courtney and I will stay back here.”
“Sure.” She took the rod and examined the lure. “Could I please see your tackle?”
“Um, Miss Taylin, who do you want him to tackle?” Felicia asked nervously.
Luke laughed out loud. He could tell Taylin was trying not to do the same, but a giggle escaped as she turned to the girls. “Tackle is a fishing term for lures, hooks, bobbers…” She trailed off at the confused look on the girls’ faces.
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 Page 7
