“This is Crew, Luke’s son and now our newest grandchild.” The little boy squirmed in her arms. “He just learned to walk proficiently and that’s all he wants to do.”
“Mama,” the little boy said, stretching his arms toward Taylin.
“Hey, sugar.” Taylin handed her husband the wedding bouquet before holding out her arms. “Come here, baby,” she said as the little boy dove into her arms and snuggled into her.
Beau was having a hard time wrapping his mind around Taylin being a wife, but now she was also a mother. It was as if she’d transformed from a teenager to a beautiful woman right before his eyes.
“I think he’s hungry,” Mrs. Nichols said. “Daddy and I were goin’ to get him something to eat.”
“That’s okay, Mama.” Taylin kissed the little boy on the head. “Luke’s sister said she’d take a turn watchin’ him for a while.” Taylin and her husband turned to leave. “I’m glad your home, Beau. Ashlee will be happy to see you.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” Chase said dryly. “Beau may need a restraining order.”
“Hush.” Mrs. Nichols playfully tapped her son on his arm. “Y’all know Ashlee’s crush on Beau is harmless.”
Beau felt the tips of his ears redden. It was easy to laugh about the teenage Ashlee’s crush, but she wasn’t a teenager anymore. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings.
“Speaking of Ashlee,” Chase said, “where is she?”
“Hopefully not getting into trouble.” Mr. Nichols glanced around the ballroom. “The last time I saw her, she and some of the groomsmen were making plans to decorate Luke’s truck.”
“Daddy, this is Ashlee we’re talkin’ about,” Chase said with a laugh. “Trouble should’ve been her middle name instead of Anne.”
“I wuv Ashwee,” Isabelle said in a soft voice. “She’s a princess.”
Chase kissed his daughter on the forehead. “I wuv Ashwee too, Izzy. Just don’t follow in her footsteps, okay, baby girl?”
Mrs. Nichols pressed her lips together and eyed Chase with a look that said she didn’t appreciate his criticism. Before she could reprimand her son, Beau’s grandmother joined their group.
“It’s about time you got here, young man,” she said, giving Beau a hug.
He squeezed her gently, catching the familiar scent of her lilac perfume. His throat felt thick as he relished their reunion. Although she’d met him in Dubai for his final leave nearly four months ago, it felt like years since he’d seen her. He loved her so much and was grateful she and his granddaddy had allowed him to move in with them when his parents had divorced his freshman year in high school.
“How was your drive?” His grandmother took his hand. “Are you hungry?”
Beau laughed. “The drive was fine, and I’m always hungry.”
Mr. and Mrs. Nichols suggested Beau make a trip to the buffet table. “Charles and Taylin’s daddy-daughter dance is comin’ up, so you better eat something before the dancing starts.” She winked at Beau. “I have a feeling you’re goin’ to be popular with all the single young ladies.”
“Not if Ashlee gets to him first,” Chase murmured loud enough for only Beau to hear.
Beau grinned and glanced around the room, eager to see Ashlee again. While she was technically two minutes older than Taylin, she’d always seemed younger due to her impulsiveness. It sounded like she hadn’t changed that much, which was oddly comforting.
They headed toward the food and Beau’s nana took a seat at an empty table. “I’ll save y’all a seat.”
“I’ll wait with Miss Barbara,” Addie said. “My feet are killing me.”
“Babe, you should ditch the shoes,” Chase said, shifting his daughter to his other arm so he could pull out his wife’s chair for her.
“Yeah, so then all your old girlfriends can say I’m barefoot and pregnant?”
Chase laughed. “Exactly.”
“How many of your old girlfriends are here?” Beau asked as they made their way toward the plates stacked on one end of the buffet.
“Not many, but the few who have showed up are lookin’ for husband number two or three. Some of them were quite disappointed when I introduced them to my wife.”
“I’ll bet.”
“So, how long are you here for?” Chase asked as he loaded a plate with fruit for his daughter. “I could set you up with Kate Taylor. She was a nice girl in high school and she still seems nice. Even Addie would approve.”
“No thanks. I’m not gonna be here long enough to start any kind of relationship.” He scooped up a big helping of pulled pork and added it to his plate. “I’ll be busy moving everything out of Nana’s house so we can put it on the market.” Although his grandmother had already moved into her condo, there was still a lot left at the house. She’d purposely waited for Beau to return so he could decide what he wanted to take with him. The rest would be sold, donated or thrown away.
“That’s a lot of work. Too bad you can’t buy the place.”
“I always thought I would, but the timing isn’t right,” Beau said as they moved down the length of the table. “Plus, this firm in Savannah is exactly the type of work I want to do. One of the co-owners is considered one of the best restoration architects in the South, so it will be a good move for me.”
“Yeah,” Chase said, “I thought Addie and I would be moving back to Georgia after her dad passed away last year, but it doesn’t feel right pulling her away from her sister when we’re about to have another baby.” They walked toward the table. “I’m happy in Idaho, as long as I get to come home and visit every couple of months.”
Addie’s aunt, Miss Janie, had joined the group. She looked exactly the same as she had before. Not one gray hair on her head, and her skin was still smooth and virtually wrinkle free. “It’s good to see you again, Beau.”
“Thank you, ma’am. It’s good to be home.”
“But not for long?” Miss Janie asked. “Miss Barbara tells me you’re movin’ to Savannah.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He explained about the architect firm he’d be joining and what he hoped to learn from it. Having done nothing but commercial designing, Beau was ready to do the work on old houses like his grandparents’.
That launched a discussion on Savannah and what he needed to see while living there. Over the years, Beau had only visited a few times. While it was a beautiful place, rich in early American history, he knew he’d miss Mitchel Creek. He’d also miss his grandmother, but at least he could visit her frequently.
“I need to go potty,” Isabelle said, making both of her parents jump into action.
“I’ll take her,” Chase said, getting to his feet much quicker than his heavily pregnant wife.
“I’ll follow,” Addie said. “But I refuse to put my shoes back on.”
Once they were gone, Nana asked Beau if he’d had a chance to try the pecan pie. “Is it as good as yours?” he asked, unsure if he could stuff one more bite of food in his mouth.
“It’s better. Miss Janie made it.”
That was all Beau needed to hear. He excused himself and made his way back to the buffet table. Several desserts were available to guests, but the pecan pie must have been popular. There was only one slice left. Just as he reached for the plate, someone else snatched the pie out from under him.
“Sorry, but I got it first.”
Recognizing the voice, he turned around and found Ashlee Nichols standing behind him. “That was my piece of pie,” he said, trying to sound annoyed.
“Not anymore.” She took a bite and made a big production of how good it tasted.
Beau watched her with amusement while taking his first real look at her in six years. He’d expected her to look exactly like Taylin, but there were subtle differences he’d never noticed before. Like the color of her eyes. They were a shade lighter, reminding him of a cove in the Mediterranean Sea he’d once vacationed at during his time abroad. Her mouth curved up, creating a slight dimple in her ri
ght cheek. Funny, Beau didn’t remember her having a dimple before.
Realizing he’d been staring, he gently cleared his throat. “You better hope they have more in the kitchen.”
“They don’t.” She used her fork to cut another bite and held it out toward him. “But I’m willing to share.”
Beau wasn’t sure why the comment made the back of his neck feel on fire. This was Ashlee— his eyes swept over her aqua-blue colored dress that accentuated curves he didn’t remember her having— just not a teenage version of Ashlee.
Whoa. Had he just checked out Chase’s little sister? Warmth flooded his chest, and he took a step away from her. “Thanks, but I need to cut back on carbs.”
“Right.” She twirled the fork around and made a slow perusal of him.
“What?” he said, feeling slightly off-balance under her scrutiny.
“I’m just imaginin’ what it would be like to run my fingers through your hair.”
Beau was grateful he had hair. He was positive the heat flushing his face would’ve made his scalp turn red too.
“Leave the poor guy alone,” Chase said, coming up beside his little sister.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Beau glanced at Chase and tried to regain some normalcy. “Can you believe she stole the last piece of pecan pie?”
“Yes.”
“Hey,” she said with a laugh, “I offered to share.”
Beau watched her take another bite, an act that shouldn’t make his pulse kick up a notch.
Thankfully, Chase’s daughter interrupted them. “Aunt Ashwee! Can we pway princesses again?”
Ashlee set aside her dessert plate and bent down to pick the little girl up. “Sure, sweet pea, but first you have to give your favorite aunt a big hug and kiss.”
Isabelle complied, squeezing Ashlee around the neck and kissing her on the cheek. “Can I be Cinderewwa again?” she asked when she was done.
“Of course.” Ashlee planted a soft kiss on the child’s head. “Just don’t hookup with the prince. He’s a complete toad.”
“What’s hookup mean?” Isabelle asked.
“Nothing you’ll ever need to know.” Chase took his daughter from Ashlee and shot her a peeved look. “Right, Ashwee?”
Ashlee rolled her eyes. “Your daddy’s right, Izzy. Stay away from boys. None of them are worth the trouble.”
“Somebody’s bitter,” Chase said with a laugh.
“I’m not bitter. Just not as naive.”
Her comeback stirred a protective instinct inside Beau. He wanted to know who had hurt her and what they had done. Before he dared ask her what had happened, Jackson and Sydney walked up, pushing a double stroller.
“Hey,” Jackson said. “Syd and I are taking the babies home, but I wanted you to meet them first.”
“I’d like that,” Beau said, grateful for the distraction.
Sydney and Jackson each picked up a baby. “Would you like to hold one?” Sydney asked.
“No, that’s okay,” Beau said, holding up his hands. “I’ll just look.”
“Nonsense.” Nana nudged him toward a small bench. “Sit down right there.” She pulled a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her purse. “Use this first.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Beau squirted some of the gel into his palm and rubbed them together.
“Say hello to Logan,” Sydney said as she gently placed the bundle in his outstretched arms. The baby was so small and hardly weighed anything.
Beau glanced up at Sydney. “He’s so tiny.”
“He didn’t feel that tiny to me. Logan weighed six pounds at birth.” She gently took the baby Jackson held and brought him over for Beau to see. “And Hudson weighed six and half pounds. They’ve both more than doubled their weight since then.”
Beau peered at the baby, who was an exact replica of his brother. “They sure are cute.
“Thank you.”
Logan squirmed, and Beau was ready to hand the baby back to his mother. He froze when Ashlee took a seat next to him.
“I get Hudson,” she said, holding out her arms.
The bench seemed to shrink when Beau felt her thigh press against his. He tried to scoot over, only to find he didn’t have anywhere to go. Whatever this reaction to her was, he needed to put a stop to it immediately.
Chapter 3
Beau was back and looking hotter than ever, and Ashlee still felt that crazy pull of attraction toward him. She knew she would, but what she hadn’t expected was his reaction to her. If she wasn’t mistaken, she’d say Beau Jacobsen might be a tiny bit attracted to her too.
She bit back a smile at the look of apprehension on his face when his grandmother made him sit down to hold one of the babies. The white dress shirt he wore pulled tight across his biceps as he held out his hands. A look of wonder crossed his features when Sydney placed baby Logan in his arms. There was nothing sexier than a man taken down by a little baby. Impulsively, Ashlee asked to hold Hudson as she slid onto the small bench.
Beau stiffened and tried to scoot away from her. Lucky for her the bench wouldn’t let him.
“Hello, sweet boy,” she said when Sydney placed Hudson in her arms. She lightly ran her fingers over the baby’s silky dark hair. “Wow, Syd, they’ve changed so much.”
“I know.” Sydney hovered over them, her face glowing with happiness. “I can’t believe how big they’re getting.”
Ashlee saw that same glow in her sister’s eyes, especially today when she and Luke had pledged their love to each other. Taylin was a married woman now. She was also a mother to Luke’s one-year-old son, Crew.
Her beautiful, smart sister had fulfilled yet another goal. Ashlee wasn’t jealous or resentful of Taylin’s accomplishments. She just felt lost.
Hudson wiggled around as if trying to get settled. Then his little mouth twitched into an almost smile. Beau shifted in his seat, and Ashlee was afraid he was about to bolt. She leaned in close to him to peek at Logan and heard Beau’s quick intake of breath.
“How can you tell them apart?” she asked Sydney. “They still look exactly the same to me.”
“Logan’s face is slightly rounder.” Sydney bent over and pulled back the baby’s sleeve to reveal a tiny birthmark on his forearm. “But this is the foolproof way to differentiate them.”
“They’re both beautiful, Sydney,” Beau said. “You did good work.”
“Hey.” Jackson put an arm around his wife. “Remember, I helped make them too.”
A faint blush tinted Sydney’s cheeks as she nudged Jackson in the ribs. “It’s not proper to talk about those things, especially since Ashlee and Beau aren’t married yet.”
Beau stiffened again, and Ashlee desperately wanted to see his face. The way Sydney said it implied that they weren’t married to each other yet.
“It’s okay, Syd,” Ashlee said with a laugh. “Mama explained how all of that worked when my oldest sister had her first baby.”
This time she did look at Beau. He also knew how all of that worked and didn’t appear very comfortable with the whole subject. It took great restraint not to tease him about it, but his grandmother was looking on. So was her brother.
Logan started to whimper, and Beau handed off the baby to Sydney faster than Ashlee had stolen the last piece of pie. Then he popped out of his seat. “Do y’all need any help loading the babies?”
Jackson looked from Beau to Ashlee and then back to Beau, a wry smile creasing his lips. “Thanks, but we’ve got it.”
Sydney strapped Logan into the stroller, and Ashlee stood up, holding Hudson close to her chest. While she wasn’t ready to have children right now, it didn’t mean that she didn’t want them. She did. How many depended on her husband. Her brother Chase might be the most annoying, overprotective brother in the entire South, but he was an amazing husband and father.
Her eyes lifted and connected with Beau’s. For just a moment something passed between them. Then he quickly looked away and ran a
hand through his hair.
That hair. Beau had been hot bald. He was even sexier with all that thick, dark brown hair. She’d been teasing him when she said she was imagining what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair, but that all changed when she’d noticed how nervous he was around her.
His eyes flickered to hers once more, and she pressed a kiss to the baby’s head to hide her smile. She wasn’t sure where or when, but she had every intention of fulfilling her fantasy. She was going to run her fingers through Beau’s hair, hopefully while kissing him. No… definitely while kissing him.
See, I have goals.
Ashlee transferred Hudson into Sydney’s arms. “If you ever need a babysitter, I’m available.”
“Thank you. I may just take you up on the offer.”
Ashlee doubted Sydney would actually call on her. Not only did they have a nanny employed, Sydney never went anywhere without her babies.
The room quieted as the DJ spoke into the microphone. “All right, y’all, it’s time for the bride and groom to cut the wedding cake.”
A couple of Ashlee’s nieces found her and pulled on her hand, tugging her to the front of the crowd. Taylin and Luke stood next to the three-tiered wedding cake and posed for the wedding photographer. Then they proceeded with the long-time tradition of slicing the first piece of wedding cake. She already knew Luke and Taylin wouldn’t ruin the moment by smashing the cake into each other’s faces.
In perfect synchrony, they fed each other a small portion. Then Luke took Taylin’s face in his palms and planted a long, sweet kiss to her mouth. Ashlee cheered along with the crowd, but inside she felt like she was coming apart. She had helped Taylin plan out the unfolding events and knew what was coming next.
The DJ cleared his throat, quieting the crowd. “Hey, y’all it’s now time for the bride and her father to dance.”
Ashlee’s breath caught, and her throat felt tight as she edged forward to get a better view. She’d been dreading this moment all night. Not because she wished she could take Taylin’s place, but because of what it symbolized. Once Daddy and Taylin finished their dance, Luke would take Taylin in his arms, and they’d dance as husband and wife. Then, her parents, her brother and his wife, and her sisters and their husbands, would all join the bride and groom on the dance floor. Ashlee was the only one without a partner.
Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3 Page 3
