Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  The butterflies in Ashlee’s stomach were out of control as she bowed her head for her daddy to say grace. However, they died down one by one over the course of their meal. She waited for Beau to meet her eyes again, but he chatted with everyone else but her, never once looking her way.

  When it came time for dessert, Ashlee had had enough of Beau ignoring her. Since Isabelle had fallen asleep during dinner, she wasn’t obligated to play dress-up with her, which meant she could do whatever she wanted. Right now, she just wanted to escape, and she knew exactly how to do that.

  “If y’all will excuse me,” she said, scooting back from the table. “I’ve got a date with a hot Navy SEAL.”

  The look on everyone’s faces was comical. Her daddy and mama looked concerned. Chase looked dumbfounded while Addie looked curious. And Beau… she wasn’t sure how to describe his look, but it wasn’t good. His jaw was slack, his face an unhealthy pallor. She tried remembering the basics to CPR in case he keeled over from shock. Was she supposed to start with mouth-to-mouth or chest compressions first?

  Definitely mouth-to-mouth, she decided as her eyes zeroed in on his full lips.

  Then everyone spoke at once.

  “You have a date?” Chase said.

  “With a SEAL?” Beau asked incredulously.

  “Where did you meet him?” her mother asked

  “What’s his name?” her daddy asked.

  The only one who didn’t question her was Addie. The amusement in her sister-in-law’s eyes said she’d remembered the conversation they’d had a few days earlier when Ashlee told her she wished she could bring her book-boyfriend, an incredibly hot Navy SEAL from the romance series she was reading, as her date to the wedding.

  “My goodness, I’m just kiddin’.” She picked up her phone from the table, tapped on the screen to open her Kindle app, and held it up for everyone to see. “I’m only talkin’ about the character from the romance book I’m reading, but if y’all are that shocked then my joke isn’t really that funny.”

  “I thought it was funny,” Addie said, raising her hand.

  Ashlee gave her sister-in-law a half-smile and then walked around the table. “I’ll be in the hammock reading, so unless it’s an emergency, please don’t bother me.”

  She avoided eye contact with the others sitting at the table and made her way across the half-acre of yard to the small grove of peach trees at the back of their property. Nestled among the trees was a double hammock. The blossoms were almost all gone, but it still smelled heavenly and was one of Ashlee’s favorite places to relax.

  The last rays of the sun disappeared behind a cloud when Ashlee made it to the hammock. The twilight cast a soft orange glow over the trees as the lingering blossoms fluttered from a light breeze. It had been a warm day, the temp reaching the mid-eighties, but it was a little cooler among the trees.

  Settling onto the hammock, Ashlee rested her head against the built-in pillow and awakened the screen of her phone. Since she was already the most pathetic person in the world right now, she decided to torture herself by looking at Grayson’s Instagram account. The two had parted as friends, basically because Grayson was so nice and felt bad about ending their relationship. Brittany, a girlfriend from college, had recently moved to Macon, and the two of them had reconnected. The reconnection had been going so well that Grayson had decided to date Brittany exclusively.

  Ashlee hadn’t stopped following him on any of the social media sites, fearing he’d get some kind of notice that she’d unfriended him. Then he would think she was bitter. Plus, since Mitchel Creek was relatively small, the chances of running into Grayson were high. She liked having a heads-up about his life, like knowing that he’d announced to the world he was in a relationship.

  Busy with Taylin’s wedding, Ashlee hadn’t bothered to check out any recent posts from Grayson. She shouldn’t have looked.

  He’d blown up Instagram with photos of him and his gorgeous girlfriend, who was now his fiancée. Apparently, he’d asked Brittany to marry him last week at an Atlanta Braves’ game.

  Closing the app, she did what she always did when she was upset and started to text her sister. Then she remembered Taylin was on her honeymoon. Aside from Addie, she had no one else she could talk to about Grayson. There was no way she was texting her sister-in-law. Chase had easy access to his wife’s phone and used it frequently, since their daughter was always draining his battery playing some of the games he’d downloaded for Izzy.

  Not sure she was in the mood for a romance, Ashlee opened a game on her phone and started mindlessly playing it. She and Chase had a healthy competition going on with the game. So far, her brother was ahead of her.

  Focusing all her energy on getting the highest score, Ashlee wasn’t aware of her surroundings. She nearly fell out of the hammock when a low voice said, “I thought you had a hot date with a Navy SEAL?”

  Chapter 8

  Using a skill Beau had picked up in the Army, he silently approached Ashlee. He wasn’t sure how happy she’d be to see him, so he’d come bearing gifts. The apple pie was still warm, melting the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

  He spotted her lying in the hammock with her ankles crossed. Smiling at the sight of her red Chuck Taylors, he tried not to stare at the length of leg showing. The hem of her dress had ridden up mid-thigh, revealing smooth, tan skin.

  He squinted at the screen of her phone and saw she was playing a game, not reading about the hot Navy SEAL. He still couldn’t believe how fast his blood had turned cold when he’d thought she was going out with one of the cocky special ops guys.

  He knew right then and there that he was in trouble. His thoughts might have been protective, but they were also possessive— as in he didn’t want Ashlee going out with any guy. Period.

  Although he still grappled with the age difference, he knew it wasn’t a showstopper. The showstopper was how to tell his best friend he was into his little sister. He had no idea how Chase would react. Beau figured before he even said anything to his buddy, he should at least explore his new-found attraction to Ashlee. He would go cautiously. For all he knew, her crush might never amount to anything more than that. She’d liked him for so long, she may not know how to act any differently around him.

  He was close enough that he could see she was definitely not reading. When he called her on it, she squealed and rolled to one side of the hammock. Before she toppled to the ground, he quickly advanced and righted the hammock. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Somehow I don’t believe you.” Her light blue eyes flashed with irritation, making him smile. She was so cute when she was mad. “I thought I told y’all not to bother me unless it was an emergency.”

  “I know, but I brought you a peace offering.” He held out the bowl toward her. “It’s still warm.”

  She leaned in to look and nearly tipped the hammock over. Beau caught it again. “Maybe you should sit up.”

  “Maybe I don’t want dessert.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “You forget how well I know you.”

  “Used to know me, Beau.” She swung her feet around so she sat in the hammock vertically. “People change. I’ve changed.”

  “True.” He sat down beside her, the weight of his body making her press up against his side. The attraction was still there, spiking his pulse rate. He tried not to freak out and had to force himself to stay right there beside her. “So, you’re okay if I eat this then?”

  She snatched the bowl out of his hands. “Not so fast. I may have changed, but I still love dessert.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said when she dug in for a taste.

  She swallowed and licked the corner of her mouth where a dot of ice cream had landed. “I was going to say thank you… eventually.”

  The speck of ice cream still remained and, without thinking it through, Beau reached out and swiped his thumb across her mouth. “You missed it,” he said gruffly when she stilled and looked at him with wide
eyes.

  “Is it gone?” she asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.

  His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he forgot all about checking for lingering ice cream. Her lips were pink and perfectly shaped with the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top. The urge to cover her mouth with his for just one little taste was overwhelming. It was also seriously freaking him out.

  He couldn’t kiss her before asking her out. He’d been raised to treat a girl with respect. Besides, Chase had gone in with Addie to help get their daughter into bed, but he could come back at any moment. They were going to shoot a few hoops before Beau went home.

  Shifting his focus from her mouth to her face, his mouth went dry. No wonder she was good at playing the role of any one of the beautiful fairy-tale princesses. The combination of her heart-shaped face with her light blue eyes and all that gorgeous, long blonde hair falling around her shoulders left him breathless.

  This was too fast and too much for him to handle. “Yeah, it’s gone,” he said, jumping to his feet.

  “Where’s a pool when you need it, right?” Ashlee said dryly.

  He couldn’t help laughing. He’d forgotten how funny she could be, and the humor dispelled the crazy tension between them. “That was pretty good, Ashlee.”

  “Much better than my date-with-my-book-boyfriend joke, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Definitely.” He narrowed his gaze. “By the way, what is it with women thinking Navy SEALs are so hot? I’ve known a few of them, and they aren’t very good boyfriend material. They’re always gone on training missions or on a real mission. Plus, they’re so secretive.”

  “Should I get the opportunity to date a hot Navy SEAL,” she said with a wink, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She took another bite of the pie, and Beau decided it was wise not to check for any residual ice cream left on her mouth. He usually had incredible self-control, but being around her was sorely testing him.

  “So, do you ever read any books about… I don’t know… Army guys?”

  “Nope,” she said with a smirk. “I guess they’re not hot enough to make the cut.”

  It took every ounce of Beau’s discipline not to drag Ashlee to her feet, pin her against a tree and prove to her he had what it took to make the cut. “So, I guess that means you’d never go out with anyone from the Army?”

  A stunned expression wiped the smile from her face. “Is an Army guy asking me out?”

  Oh boy, he’d really gotten himself into a tight spot. He felt like he was tiptoeing through a minefield. One wrong move and he was dead and so were the people around him.

  Where was a pool when you needed it?

  “Um, he isn’t sure… it’s complicated.”

  She studied him for a few moments. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Beau.”

  “Believe me, Ashlee, I know you’re not a little girl anymore.” He gave a derisive laugh and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m just having a hard time accepting the fact.”

  “Hmm,” she said, patting the spot next to her, “why don’t you come on back over here and we can discuss your… I mean, the Army guy’s dilemma.”

  If he took this next step there was no going back. Shoot, he couldn’t believe he’d already gone this far. “It might be better if I stay right here.”

  She smiled. “I’m not that scary.”

  “Right,” he said with a laugh. He’d rather face the minefield.

  “Beau?” Chase called. “You ready to get your butt whooped?”

  “Be right there,” he said, glancing toward the house. He hoped Chase didn’t come looking for him. He wasn’t ready to discuss whatever this was going on between Ashlee and him.

  Slowly, he turned back to Ashlee. His gut tightened at the soft smile playing at her lips. Man, she was so beautiful… and so young. Sure, she wasn’t a teenager anymore, but he was ten years older than her— and he’d always be ten years older than her.

  “I guess this means I’m still in the sister-zone?” she said with a hint of a challenge.

  The corner of Beau’s mouth lifted. It was pretty safe to say she was out of the sister zone. “Let’s call it the friend zone instead.”

  “I’m good with friends.” Amusement crinkled the corners of her eyes. “After all, friends make the best lovers.”

  Heat infused every cell in Beau’s body. Forget a pool, he needed a thorough dunking in the Arctic Ocean.

  “Dude?” Chase yelled across the yard. “Are you comin’ or not?”

  “Okay,” Beau said to Ashlee, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m just gonna go now.”

  “Bye, friend,” she said, waving at him with her fingers.

  Oh yeah, Beau was in so much trouble.

  Chapter 9

  If Beau claimed to be Ashlee’s friend, he was a lousy one. It had been two days since he’d declared she was out of the sister zone, yet he’d made no effort to talk to her. He’d even skipped church yesterday. Ashlee believed he was avoiding her on purpose, but his grandmother said Beau had discovered some problems with the foundation of the house that he and the contractor were trying to fix before they could renovate the wraparound porch.

  Once again, Ashlee wished her sister were here to talk to her. But even if she were home, she was married and a mother. Where did Ashlee fit in? She didn’t think her relationship with Taylin would ever be the same. She needed a husband of her own, but right now she’d settle for a boyfriend.

  Sighing, she finished getting ready for work. Today she was going to some mansion outside of Macon for a little girl’s seventh birthday. Ashlee was going as what they referred to at work as the new Cinderella. She liked this version of Cinderella better, since she could leave her hair down.

  Having mastered how to recreate the hairdo, Ashlee finished braiding a section of her hair that would go across the top like a crown. She secured it with a few bobby pins and then pinned back the sides, finishing up with a shot of glitter hairspray all over her long curls.

  Since the party had more than one princess planned, Ashlee would get dressed at work, and then Miriam, the owner of Princess Parties, would transport Ashlee and her coworkers to the mansion in the company van.

  “Ooh, don’t you look pretty,” Addie said when Ashlee descended the stairs.

  “Thanks, but I wish I didn’t have to work today. I want to go to the zoo with y’all.”

  “I wish you could come too, but at least Mom and Dad Nichols are tagging along to help with Izzy.” Addie rubbed a hand over her tummy. “I swear this baby gained a few pounds since breakfast, and the bigger I get the harder it is to keep up with a three-year-old.”

  “The baby gained the weight, huh?” Ashlee said with a laugh. “I’m sure it had nothing to do with your aunt’s cinnamon buns.”

  Her sister-in-law grinned. “Nothing at all.”

  “Where is Izzy?” Ashlee asked. “I wanted to kiss on her again before y’all leave.”

  “Chase is changing her clothes. She spilled orange juice down the front of her.”

  Ashlee wanted to wait around to say goodbye to her niece, but she didn’t have time. “I better get out of here or I’m gonna be late.” She dug inside her purse for her keys. “Y’all have fun, and I’ll see you this evening.”

  The drive to work usually took her less than ten minutes, but it ended up being closer to twenty due to a minor fender-bender.

  “The other girls are already in the van,” Miriam said in a tone that let Ashlee know she was in trouble.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. There was a car accident.”

  “At least your hair and makeup are done.” She held out the blue dress. “Hurry up and change. I’ll wait right here to zip you up.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ashlee took the dress and hung it on the back of the dressing room door. She removed her button-down shirt and peeled off her skinny jeans, changing into the dress in record time.

  “Don’t tell anyone,” Miriam whispered when Ashlee came out. “But you make t
he best Cinderella. I have specific requests for you to play the role more than any of the other girls.”

  Ashlee thanked her mother’s friend, secretly wishing she didn’t have tainted memories of playing the newest version of Cinderella from the live-action movie. It seemed like yesterday that she and Grayson had gotten back together and dressed up like Cinderella and Prince Charming for the costume ball. That had been six months ago.

  Ashlee climbed into the van and took a seat next to Belle. The girl playing the dark-haired princess was busy texting someone. Probably her boyfriend. Ashlee was convinced she was the only one without a boyfriend. Maybe she should do what everyone else was doing and download the newest dating app, Flirt.

  It’s not like she was going to meet anyone at work, unless the birthday girl had a hot brother or uncle. Since she didn’t go to school, her only chances of meeting anyone would be at church or the gym. She’d really hoped Beau was going to call her or at least stop by the house again to see her, but either he’d changed his mind or he hadn’t been serious.

  The drive went by quickly, and Ashlee stared wide-eyed at the enormous home. It almost looked like the builder had connected four massive houses together and placed a gated porte-cochere in the middle. The brick and stone mega-mansion was unbelievable and Ashlee wished she could take her phone with her so she could get pictures to show her family.

  Miriam pulled up to the gate and waited for the attendant to come over to the window. “I’m with Princess Parties,” she said, even though it was advertised all over the van. “We’re here for the Walker birthday party.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” the middle-aged gentlemen said. “Please follow the driveway to the left. Mrs. Walker has requested the entertainment be transported to the main house by horse and carriage.”

  “Wow,” Belle said. “Please let there be a hot older brother available.”

  “I’ll take any single relative,” Snow White said in a low voice. “And I don’t care what he looks like or how old he is just as long as he’s as loaded as Mr. Walker.”