Midnight Kiss
Moonlight Romance, Book 3
Haley Whitehall
Published 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62210-096-5
Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2014, Haley Whitehall. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Liquid Silver Books
http://LSbooks.com
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Blurb
Unjustly accused of stealing, nanny April Windmire is turned out on the streets without pay. With no place to go and no friends, she stows away on a Mississippi River steamboat. Her hopes to hide through the journey to St. Louis are dashed when a handsome white officer finds her. But instead of turning her in, he takes her to his private quarters where she fights her growing attraction to a man she cannot have.
Matt Seever’s wife died four year ago, leaving him alone with two small mulatto children. But his job as an officer on the Queen Bee isn’t family friendly. He knows he needs a new wife, but no southern white woman will marry him. When April lands in his lap, his prayers are answered. Or are they? April’s not the trusting type and racial prejudice runs deep in post-Civil War Missouri. Just when Matt convinces April he loves her, his new family becomes a target and there’s no backing down from this fight.
Together, April and Matt must brave heinous race prejudice crimes to find an enduring love.
Prologue
August 9, 1869
Matt opened the letter the ship’s clerk handed him. He recognized George’s blocky handwriting. His pulse quickened, excited to receive word about his children. It pained him to work on the water and not see his son and daughter often. Lately he’d been living letter to letter. He blinked at the words and his chest constricted.
Dear Mr. Seever,
Allison had a scare recently. Mrs. Brown has ordered her confined to bed for fear too much movement will cause her to lose the baby. Your brother, Frederick, Allison, Mrs. Brown, and I are all helping to take care of your children now. I don’t want you to worry, but please come home as soon as you can. The children miss you terribly.
Sincerely,
George
Matt folded the letter and stuffed it in his coat pocket. That wasn’t the news he’d been expecting. He drew a deep breath, inhaling the fishy scent of the Mississippi River. Anxiety flooded his veins and he put his palm over his eyes. Since Caroline had died soon after the war his life had been on a downhill slide.
Maybe he’d struggle as a single father for the rest of his life. It had been four years since Caroline’s death, and just now he felt ready to move on—for the children. He’d been hunting for a wife for four months with no luck. He’d searched on the ship, ashore in the waterfront towns along his run, and met the women his friends set him up with. Once he mentioned his mulatto children any woman who seemed interested turned and ran the other way. Now he was desperate.
If he couldn’t find a mother for his children he’d have to settle for a nanny. He couldn’t burden his friends to take care of his children any longer.
“Something wrong?” the captain asked, walking over to him.
“No, sir,” Matt said quickly.
The captain, a stout man with graying hair, arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Matt blew out a puff of air. None of the crew on the Queen Bee knew he had children. He wasn’t ready to explain what some would deem a scandalous past.
The captain tipped his head toward the upper deck. “Come to the pilot house. I’ll order us a couple drinks.”
“The other officers might want one, too.”
The captain grunted. “I’ll buy a round for all of us.”
Matt nodded. That sounded good. His shift had ended. Maybe a drink would rid him of the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. After working on the steamboat for three years, he’d been recently promoted to an officer. Now he’d have to tell the captain this would be his last run on the steamer. He’d move back to his house in St. Louis and work at the warehouse with his brother. A paper pusher. He’d rather find a job where he wasn’t stuck in a chair. For his children he’d make the sacrifice.
Seth and Hannah needed him as badly as they needed a mother. Since finding a wife seemed beyond his capabilities, the least he could do was provide them with a father.
Chapter 1
“Leave the house immediately!” Mrs. Clement shouted, her face turning red. “You’re lucky I’m not pressing charges.”
April swallowed, suddenly speechless. The woman’s sharp glare could cut glass. “I-I didn’t steal any money, ma’am.”
Mrs. Clement folded her arms across her chest. “That’s what they all say.”
April had cleaned Mrs. Clement’s bedroom. A five dollar bill had rested on top of the dresser, but she hadn’t taken it. The baby had started crying and she’d left to rock him back to sleep. The fact Mrs. Clement hadn’t found the money on her person only infuriated the woman more instead of exonerating April’s guilt.
“I swear, ma’am. I would never steal.”
Mrs. Clement pointed out the door. “Out. Now!”
“Can I gather my things first, ma’am?” April’s bottom lip trembled and her soft voice cracked. She willed herself not to cry. She’d been let go before, but never accused of stealing. Would she be able to get another job?
Mrs. Clement huffed. “Fine. But I’m coming with you. I don’t trust you not to take anything else on your way out.”
With Mrs. Clement giving her the eye, April climbed the stairs to her small servant’s quarters in the attic. She took off her white apron and put on her coat and bonnet. Folding her extra clothes, including her apron, she placed them in a gunnysack which served as her valise, and then added her few personal belongings on top. Not much to call her own, but more than some.
Holding her head high, her back so stiff her muscles ached, she descended the stairs. As soon as she stepped outside Mrs. Clement slammed the door shut. The bang made her heart stop and then she heard a click. The crazed woman had locked the door. Did she think she might rush in and steal something else?
April shook her head, a trickle of tears warming a path across her nose. She started walking—where to she didn’t know. She’d been a housekeeper and a nanny all her life and knew no other line of work. Usually she lived with her employer. Her mind kept circling back to her desperate need for a job. Even if she did not live with her employer, if she had a job she could afford room and board. Except now with rumors circulating that she was a thief…she shuddered. Getting a job around here would be near impossible.
Zorna, the cook, ran outside and gave her a big hug. “I’m sorry, honey,” she whispered in her ear. “Be strong.”
“I will.”
Zorna pulled her arms away and wiped a tear off April’s cheek. “People see what they want to see.”
And people could color other people’s perceptions. “What am I going to do?”
“You’ll get another job. You’re a good woman.” Zorna’s lips smiled, but her eyes reminded sad. “I will miss you, but maybe this is your opportunity.”
“Opportunity?” It seemed more like a disaster.
“You’re not getting a d
ay younger. If you want to have a family this is your chance.”
April nodded. “Thank you, Zorna. I’ll always remember you.”
Starting a family would mean finding a husband and another job. Unless her husband had a good enough job to support all of them. She sighed. It was too much to ask for. She’d barely managed looking out for herself.
She’d continue taking care of herself the same as she had for years—except now Mrs. Clement put a wrinkle in her plans. How would she get another job? Maybe if she went to a different town, a place where no one knew her, she’d have a chance at finding employment. Although without recommendations, it would truly have to be a trusting soul.
April’s feet carried her to the waterfront, her head too full with worry to think about directions. The air stayed cooler there, a small blessing in the summer heat. The sunlight weakened, but even in the dead of night the temperature remained sweltering hot. She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm. Seeing all those steamboats lined up along the dock made her heart skip. If only she could afford passage.
She sighed. She didn’t have any money to her name. She hadn’t been fool enough to ask Mrs. Clement for the month’s wages she was due. That would be asking to be hauled into court and with black skin she knew she’d lose. Heck, if Mrs. Clement called the sky green and she argued the sky was blue she’d still lose. The world worked that way—or at least in the South.
As her mama had said, life wasn’t fair. You just had to make the best of it.
A sour taste spread in her mouth and after she swallowed her stomach grew uneasy. Her dire circumstances began to dawn on her. She had no place to stay, no food, no friends, no family, and no hope for the future.
Being the nanny on the Windmire Plantation back in Tennessee would sure be better than living on the street. She shut her eyes tight and pushed the thought away, scolding herself for the moment of weakness. Only a person out of their head would ask for slavery.
Repositioning the gunnysack on her shoulder, April continued to walk. She eyed each steamboat with longing. They seemed to call out to her, beckon her on board to start a new future. But how?
If she was a man she’d be able to work for her passage hauling firewood. If she had a husband he might be able to work for the both of them, but being alone…her only chance was stowing away.
She lingered at the docks, staying in the shadows watching the men work. All the steamboats were docked for the night. Most of the workers would sleep. With any luck she could sneak on board. She glanced up at the first stars peeking in the sky.
“I need a little help here,” she whispered.
Picking out the prettiest of the steamboats, she sat on the bank close by, hands in her lap. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. She heard male voices, but she didn’t care to listen to their conversation. She just wanted time to pass quickly. Still wearing the black uniform dress Mrs. Clement required, she prayed she’d blend in to the darkness. Mosquitoes landed on her face and she shooed them away. The pests didn’t find her invisible. Would the man on watch notice?
After sitting on the bank several hours all noise ceased except for the sound of the river. Even the birds had gone to sleep. She stood, dusted off the backside of her dress, and took a deep breath. In front of her loomed the biggest steamboat of the line. It made sense the biggest would be the prettiest. Hopefully it would have more places for her to hide than its smaller counterparts.
Afraid to breathe, she tiptoed onboard. As soon as she stood on the deck she exhaled. She scanned the deck, seeing many colored men sleeping next to crates and cotton bales. Soft snores reached her ears reminding her of her own fatigue. She yawned and covered her mouth with her hand. Could she just find a place to sleep and pretend to be a passenger? How much attention did they pay to the colored people?
She chewed on her bottom lip, and decided she couldn’t chance it. Curling into a ball behind some crates seemed the best option. She headed toward a stack of cargo when a hand gripped her arm.
She spun around and found herself face-to-face with a tall white man. Her pulse raced and she felt the blood rushing to her head.
“Where do you think you’re going, girl?”
She opened her mouth then closed it again. The firm grip on her arm held her still but didn’t hurt.
“Thinking about stowing away?”
She swallowed hard. Words would not make her situation any better.
“And where did you think you’d hide?” His tone held more curiosity than irritation.
She felt compelled to answer him. If she remained mute he might get angry. “Behind those crates, sir,” she said in a weak voice.
He let go of her arm and grunted. “Those crates would have been unloaded at the next stop. Where are you headed?”
She blinked. He didn’t seem upset, he seemed—concerned. “St. Louis, sir.”
“If you were willing to board a steamboat in the middle of the night I reckon you’re desperate to leave, huh?” He motioned with his head toward the stairs. “I have a better place for you to hide.”
He’s going to help me hide? Her gratitude overrode her fear. Heart pounding in her ears, she followed him up two flights of stairs. He strode ahead of her, passing several rooms before he stopped and unlocked a door. “You’re safe here.”
Where was here? Didn’t he have more questions for her? Why was he so willing to help?
Holding the door open for her, he offered her a cordial smile as if to tell her not to be afraid.
She walked past him, feeling the heat of his body and inhaling his masculine musk scented with sweat and smoke, not all together displeasing. The dark room seemed to swallow up her slender body.
“I’ll light a lamp,” he said. He brushed past her and over to the kerosene lamp on the bedside table. Soon a warm glow cast across the room.
April blinked at the small bed. A private room? She’d never dreamed of such luxurious accommodations.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said. “I have to get back to work.”
“I…uh…thank you, sir.”
He dipped his chin, giving a slight nod. “You’re welcome. I should go.” He turned and walked out the door, starting to close it behind him.
“Wait,” she called.
He poked his head in. “Yes?”
“Will anyone else come in the room? I mean…”
“No, ma’am. No one will disturb you. As long as you stay here, you’re safe.”
Her cheeks heated and she wished the lamp was out to hide her embarrassment.
“Thank you, sir.”
“‘Sir’ is rather formal. You may call me Mr. Seever.”
Should she tell him her name? That might seem kind of forward. She kept silent.
He shut the door and April exhaled. She knew she should be thankful, but did this gift come with strings attached? Maybe the steamboat had empty rooms. Would she have to leave if the steamer took on more passengers?
Eying the bed, the blankets called to her. She ignored the niggling warning to be careful. Stripped down to her chemise, she sat on the mattress, digging into her gunnysack for her nightgown. The small mattress dipped under her weight, high class compared to her tick in Mrs. Clement’s attic. She should take advantage of a good night’s sleep.
She’d face the consequences in the morning.
Chapter 2
After his shift, Matt headed to the pilot house instead of going to his room. A young colored woman currently slept in his bed. Even with her hair pinned back in a tight bun, he’d noticed her beauty. Her high cheekbones helped draw attention to her dark round eyes. And her feminine lips were irresistible when she pursed them together.
When he caught her on the ship he wanted to reel her to him for a comforting embrace. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession, and he’d heard the frantic thudding of her heart.
He couldn’t embrace her out in the open, even if she would have been willing. She shot daggers out of her eyes, so
she clearly wasn’t. Damn it. Forming a friendship had never been so important to him.
He viewed colored people as his equals, but they all were wary even four years after the war. It had taken a long time for both Allison and George to warm up to him. Something had turned this mysterious woman cold. What was her past?
He swallowed, the saliva soothing his scratchy throat.
Moving on seemed near impossible after Caroline’s death. Maybe it took the right woman to enchant him. This pretty stowaway could do the trick, if he wasn’t careful. He grunted. That was a foolish idea. It wasn’t like he could join her in his room.
His cock swelled and he groaned. His body liked the idea.
He’d gone too damn long without a woman.
“Mr. Seever, is something wrong?” The captain’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
“No, sir. Just not ready to sleep.” He fought back a yawn which would prove the contrary.
“I had a bit too much coffee myself.”
Matt sat on the high backed bench across from the captain.
“Are you sure you want to quit? You’re good at your job. You’ll be hard to replace.”
Matt smiled at the compliment. “I’m ready to settle down, sir. I’ve put my time in on the water.”
The captain gave a small laugh. “Put your time in? You make it sound like a prison sentence.”
“Oh no. I’ve enjoyed living on the Mississippi, but—”
“You got the urge to find a wife,” the Captain said, taking the words out of his mouth.
“Yes.” And a mother for my children.
“Never going to bite the bullet myself. I enjoy the freedom of being a bachelor too much.”
Matt merely nodded. He had enjoyed the freedom, too. Seldom staying in St. Louis had kept the haunting memories of Caroline at bay. Unfortunately it also kept him away from his children.
The captain talked with him for a few more minutes and then he excused himself, heading to bed. Matt wanted to be in bed, too—next to the ebony beauty.
Midnight Kiss (Moonlight Romance) Page 1
