by Jen Talty
Georgia Moon sat at the large table and tapped her fingernails against the wood top. Her gaze darted all around the room, never landing on him.
“When did you get here?” he asked.
“Just landed about three hours ago. I went to dinner first. It’s a damn zoo out there. I can’t believe how many reporters there are. You and Annette must be so worried the press will out you.”
“I’m only worried for what it could do to Tony’s future and a career for Annette.”
“She’s welcome to stay on at Whiskey Ranch.”
“And I’m not,” Luke said with a flat tone, but his insides rocked with thick emotion.
“Right now, being around you is difficult as hell. I want to take you by the neck and shake you. Of all the people in my life, you knew me the best. You knew what this lie would do to me, and yet you let it perpetuate. Worse, you did so after I told you that I love you, and that makes me wonder if you even know what love is.”
He lowered his head and fiddled with his hat, running his fingers over the brim as if that would help him find the words that would help her see that if she were in his shoes, she would have done the same thing. “I know exactly what love is, and that’s why I didn’t tell you.”
“Please. That’s a cop-out, and you know it.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s not. When my father found out it had been me who turned him in, he went crazy. He would call me from prison and tell me the horrific things he would do to my sister when he got out. During the trial, he would manage to send me messages as a reminder that he would find us, and he would make us pay. So, when I first met you, there was no way I could tell you.”
“But when you came back. When I asked you to go to Joanie’s gravesite, that’s when you should have told me.”
“Maybe, but if I had, you’d still hate me right now.” He inched closer, lowering himself to one knee. “Once that man is dead, I want Liam Hill to be dead too. Can you understand how important that is to me? To finally be able to put all of this behind me once and for all.”
“I absolutely can. But when you chose to not tell me that you were, in another life, Liam Hill, you showed me how little you trust and value me.”
“Oh, come on, Georgia Moon; that’s bullshit, and you know it. About the only negative thing it tells you about me is that I didn’t want you to know the truth because I knew you’d hate me.”
She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Annette waltzed back into the room, followed by the guard.
“They’re ready for us,” Annette said.
“Let’s get this over with.” Luke didn’t bother being a gentleman; he just made a beeline for the corridor.
He still planned on giving his sister the month he promised, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt, he’d lost Georgia Moon.
Forever.
Georgia Moon slipped back into the conference room. Her lungs burned with every deep breath she tried to take.
“Georgia Moon,” Luke called out.
She leaned against the door, gripping the knob, searching for a lock, but even if there was one, it was too late.
Luke pushed open the door. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She breathed out the two words in a faint whisper.
“You’re shaking.” He took her into his arms, running his hands tenderly up and down her back.
She fisted her hands with the intention of pushing him away, but instead she ended up grabbing his shirt and sobbing into his shoulder.
“I want to get you out of here.” He lifted her into his arms. “She’s coming with me and my sister.”
“Yes, sir,” a man’s voice rang out.
With her head resting on his shoulder, she kept her eyes tightly closed while Luke moved swiftly through the prison. She clasped her hands behind his neck and held on as if he were her only lifeline. Nausea gripped her stomach as the warm outside air smacked her exposed skin.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“My hotel,” Luke said.
“I’d rather go to mine.” She reached in her back pocket and pulled out her keycard.
He set her down in the back of a government SUV. “That’s the same one Annette and I are in, so that makes this easier.”
She had no idea what he meant by that, and she didn’t give a damn either. All she wanted to do was get into her bed, pull the sheets over her head, and sleep until her alarm went off at five to catch her flight home.
Then she’d take a long vacation to somewhere. Hell, maybe she’d go to fucking Baltimore since it had been such a good thing for JW. But she needed to get away from the ranch, her family, and Luke.
Just for a little while so she could sort things out.
She leaned against his strong body in the back seat of the vehicle. It took about twenty minutes for them to arrive at the hotel and by that time, she’d managed to dry out her eyes and clear her mind of what she’d just witnessed.
“What’s your room number?” Luke asked.
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for helping me back here.”
“You’re welcome, but I’m not letting you wander around this hotel alone. So, just give me the number and we’ll order some room service.”
“Oh, God. A nice big juicy cheeseburger, fries, and some whiskey sound awesome right about now.”
“I’ve got a bottle of your namesake in my room.”
She poked him in the chest. “Don’t you get any ideas. You and I ain’t ever happening again.”
He held up his hands. “Fair enough.” He handed something to Annette and whispered in her ear.
“I don’t like secrets.”
Luke had the nerve to laugh sarcastically, but he didn’t elaborate, and she wasn’t about to continue with the obscurity.
Pushing him away, she stole her keycard back and practically sprinted down the hallway. She held the plastic over the lock with a trembling hand. The card slipped through her shaky fingers and landed on the floor. Just as she bent over to snag it, Luke reached down. “Go away,” she said.
“I will, soon enough.”
“Whatever.” She stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door closed. Leaning against the sink, she stared at her bloodshot eyes.
She’d just watched a man die.
He might have deserved his fate, but seeing his chest rise and fall for the last time had been a humbling experience and one she hoped she never went through again. She thought it would have given her peace, and while she knew she’d sleep easier knowing that monster could never hurt another soul again, she knew his memory would forever torment Luke. She could see it in his eyes. The anguish of losing the idea of a father. The reality of what having a murderer as a parent had been forever etched into Luke’s psyche.
She wanted to forgive him for not telling her, because deep down she completely understood why he’d kept that piece of information about his past locked up in a vault. If she were being honest with herself, she probably would have done the same thing.
But none of that erased the sense of betrayal that filled her veins.
She spent the next fifteen minutes washing her face, brushing her teeth, and changing into her nightshirt. When she stepped from the bathroom, she’d hoped Luke would have left, but nope. Instead, he managed to get them a couple of burgers and a bottle of whiskey. “Thank you, but I want to be alone.”
“I think we should talk.” He handed her a glass of her namesake and made himself comfortable on the chair in front of the desk.
She snagged a plate of food and climbed onto her bed. The whiskey burned her throat but warmed her stomach. “About what?”
“First, I want to make sure you’re going to be okay. What we witnessed was shocking, to say the least.”
“It was, but between not having had anything to eat all day, and being around you, it was a bit more than I expected.” She dunked a fry into a glob of ketchup and plopped it into her mouth. “That’s sooooo good.”
“Okay. Then I
think it’s time I answer all your questions about—”
“No. Not now. Not here. I’m going to take a vacation for a few weeks. When I come back, I’ll want to have the conversation.”
“When will you be back?”
“Right before JW’s wedding. We can talk right before his wedding, okay?”
He nodded.
“Now if you don’t mind, I want to eat this burger, get drunk, and watch a chick flick. Alone.”
Thankfully, he gathered up his meal. Standing at the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “If you want to talk before then, you know how to reach me, but I should tell you that I will be moving in a month.”
She cocked her head. “Why a month?”
“I told my sister I’d live there for a couple of weeks after the wedding, but if you were still looking at me like I was the one who murdered your friend, then I was out of there, and based on the daggers your eyes are tossing my way, I suspect that look will never go away.”
“Never say never, but you’re probably right.”
He drew his lips into a tight line.
She’d said the words with the sole purpose of hurting him.
Mission accomplished.
Now to book a ticket to paradise.
Chapter 8
“You can stay.” Luke loosened his tie. He leaned back in his chair and stared out at the dance floor. JW and his lovely bride waltzed around with bright smiles plastered on their faces. They had the kind of love that could withstand anything.
The kind of love he thought he could have with Georgia Moon.
“You said a month. It’s only been two weeks, and she’s only been back for two days,” Annette said.
“I’ve called her five times, and she’s not once returned my calls. I went to see her at the school, and she managed to avoid me. There is no salvaging our relationship, so there is really no point in putting myself, or her, through this misery. It’s time for me to move on.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I’ve got a couple of interviews in Montana, and if those don’t pan out, I have some connections in South Dakota.”
“I don’t want you to go,” Annette pleaded. “And Tony would miss you terribly.”
“And I’ll miss you both, but I can’t stay here. I’m sorry.”
Annette sighed. “I guess I can understand that.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Here comes JD and JB. Those two are quite the pair.”
“That they are.” Luke chugged his beer, chasing a good buzz. He promised JW he’d stay until ten in the evening.
He had another fifteen minutes, and then he could disappear into the night, never to be heard from or seen again.
“I’m going to head back to the house and check on Tony,” Annette said.
“I’ll be home within the hour. I want to let the boys know I’ll be leaving in the morning.”
Annette leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I wish you would change your mind.”
“The only way that would happen is if Georgia Moon asked me to stay, and I don’t see that happening.”
“But you are going to—”
“I told you that I would, and I will.” He would go camp out at her place and wait for her to come home, demanding they talk. She might do what she always did and slam the door in his face or tell him that her love for him died when he chose to continue the lie.
Either way, he couldn’t win with Georgia Moon, but he’d give it one last shot.
“Thank you.”
“Good night, Annette,” he said.
She stopped and talked to JB and JD for a few moments before waving and disappearing into the dark night.
Luke continued to nurse his beer while he entertained his bad mood. He’d seen her once since his father’s execution, and that had been last night for all of five minutes at the rehearsal dinner. She wouldn’t look at him, much less say hello.
“You really need to stop sulking,” JD said as he took one of the seats at the table.
“You look like a dying cow.” JB tipped his hat before settling across from him. “For the record, we both think our sister is being unreasonable, and we told her as such.”
Luke rubbed his jaw. “That explains why you hit me.” The sarcasm dripped off every word like melting chocolate. He wasn’t mad at her brothers, but they didn’t help his current emotional state.
Now getting shit-faced might help with that.
“Knee-jerk reaction. Joanie was our friend too, but you can’t be held responsible for what your father did, and shit, I wouldn’t want people to know I was that kid,” JB admitted.
“But at the end of the day, you’re the same man we’ve known since we were teenagers and we are here to beg you to stay. Even Georgia Moon knows you’d be the best thing that ever happened to our school.” JD leaned across the table.
“What is it going to take to get you to stay? More money? Different housing? What?” JB asked. The Whiskey brothers normally didn’t have to beg for anything, and if this had been any other circumstance, Luke might be amused.
“Georgia Moon’s forgiveness,” he said softly.
“The only way that’s going to happen is if you stay for more than a couple of days, and I know Georgia Moon wants to talk to you about Joanie; she’s just afraid,” JB said.
“Of what? That I’m a monster like my father?”
“Don’t be a dick.” JD tossed a napkin. “Her entire life she’s had a list of questions for Liam Hill. She always believed that would give her closure. But the problem with that is if she hears you out, she knows she’s going to have to forgive you, and she’s not ready to let go of Joanie yet.”
“She never has to let her go. I know that young girl will be with me for the rest of my life. The world sees her as my father’s last victim. But Annette and I see her as our salvation.” Luke swiped at his cheeks. “Joanie is the one who came up with the plan for me to escape. Had it not been for her, who knows where we’d all be today.”
“And once you tell Georgia Moon that, things will be different,” JB said.
“Maybe. But I’ve got to get her talking to me first.”
Georgia Moon raised a glass of her namesake and downed the double shot in one gulp. Covering her mouth, she managed to contain the burning cough. She cleared her throat, hoping the heartburn would subside so she could pound some more whiskey. That was about the only thing that would be able to touch the emotions swirling around her heart and soul regarding the return of Luke Hannah.
“That’s not going to change things,” Kitty said as she leaned against the bar, sipping her bright-blue cocktail she’d been nursing all night. “Now talking to him will.”
“I can’t forgive him.” Georgia Moon dropped her head back and stared at the stars. JW and Kitty’s wedding had gone off without a hitch. It had been the most spectacular ceremony out in the open fields on Whiskey Ranch. It warmed her heart to see her older brother so happy after everything he’d been through. But having Luke lurking around in the background only served to remind her of everything that could have been.
Everything that wasn’t.
And everything she couldn’t have.
“If he doesn’t leave soon, I will.”
“That’s not fair,” Kitty said. “And not really a possibility. This ranch can’t run without you.”
Georgia Moon laughed. “If Luke stays on, it sure can. He’s just as capable as I am, plus he has the added benefit of being one hell of an instructor. He’ll bring more riders and cowboys here than I ever could.”
“JW would be devastated if you left, and I can’t have my new husband stressed out,” Kitty said with a raised brow. “I’m sure if you give it time, you and Luke can come to an understanding. Although, I know if you just sit down and talk with him, you’ll see that the two of you are perfect for one another. A match made in a bottle of whiskey.”
Georgia Moon laughed. “You’ve been hanging around my brother too much.”
“Your brother’s a s
mart man.” Kitting poked her shoulder. “He married me.”
“That has to be the best decision that man has ever made.” Georgia Moon held up her shot glass while the bartender poured her another shot. “Here’s to the Whiskey men.”
“And women.” Kitty raised her glass. “Now promise me you won’t go making any decisions about your future until after we get back from our honeymoon.”
“I’m sorry, Kitty. But I don’t think I can do that. Just being around Luke breaks my heart.” Just as she turned her gaze, Luke tipped his hat and smiled.
She turned away.
“You can’t avoid him forever.”
“Sure I can, because I’m leaving.”
“You know you can’t just up and leave, right?”
“I’m going to talk to JW when you get back, and we will work on an exit strategy,” Georgia Moon said. She let her gaze drift back toward the small table where JD and JB sat with Luke. JB had some chick on his lap, which wasn’t surprising. JB dated a lot of women, but she doubted he would ever settle down in part because he had a wandering eye, but mostly because JB and JD could never be separated. While all four of them were very close, those two had a special bond.
Luke nursed a beer as he glanced off into the distance. She wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but it wasn’t the dance floor.
And it wasn’t her.
She turned her back and waved to the bartender. She’d need the entire bottle to get through this night.
“Go easy on that stuff,” Kitty said.
“Relax. I’m fine.”
“You told me that if you went for the bottle that I needed to stop you,” Kitty said with a judgmental smile. “You don’t have much of a filter when you’re sober, but you know how you get when you have too much.”
Georgia Moon let out a long breath. She should keep her wits about her, but being this close to Luke again made her crazy. “The only person I’d give a good tongue-lashing to would be Luke, and since I’m not going to go anywhere near him, I think I can handle another beverage.”
