Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2)

by Adrienne Frances

  To give herself time to answer, she hung onto his neck and dipped her hair all the way back into the warm, bubbling water. When she raised her head she found his eyes on hers.

  “I love you,” he said with curious eyes. “We’re only going forward, right?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “That’s the plan, anyway.”

  “I know we haven’t been together long, but I’m in. I love everything about you, Lucy.” He pulled her in for a kiss before pulling back and smiling. “Unless there’s some big secret you’re hiding, I think I know just about everything I need to know.”

  Lucy wiped at a tear that she hoped blended with the water on her face.

  “Do you need time to think about it?” he asked sweetly. “My mind is made up, so just tell me when you’re ready and I’ll be waiting.”

  Lucy nodded quickly and tried to conceal another tear. “I love you,” she whispered, and kissed his lips.

  She ran her hand through his wet hair and tried to capture the moment, etching it in her mind until the time came when she wouldn’t have the real thing to hold onto. As the time raced on in their happy little existence, she couldn’t escape the feeling that her days with him were numbered.

  And it killed her.

  * * *

  The next morning, after oversleeping, Charlie and Lucy both raced around to gather their belongings and close up the cottage. They had only a few hours to pick up Jackson and catch their flight.

  For Charlie, the weekend had gone by in a flash. He was ready to have his son back, but he could’ve kicked himself for wasting the first night with Lucy. They’d made up for it Saturday night about six times. It was romantic and everything he thought she needed to forgive him. So, why was she so reluctant to move in with them?

  He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

  “Oh, God!” she cried out when they pulled up to the Monroe’s condo.

  Startled, Charlie looked at her, smiling a little when she covered her mouth. He raised his eyebrows.

  “The G-string—I left the G-string at the cottage!”

  Charlie roared with laughter. He thought about the tiny black underwear made of string and grinned even wider. “Well, we put it to good use, I guess.”

  “It’s not funny, Charlie. The people who own that cottage are going to be appalled. We’re never staying there again.”

  “Baby, it’s not like we’re ever going to see them again.”

  “They’re going to know that we had sex in every room of that cottage and call in for it to be fumigated or something. We’re going to be blacklisted from all rentals in Michigan.”

  Charlie had to look away to hide the look on his face. Jesus, she was so cute when she was irrational. “I think we might be overreacting just a little bit.”

  “That’s so embarrassing.” She crossed her arms and looked out the window.

  Charlie pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “No, it’s not. I’m sure they get a lot of tourists who are in love, like we are. I’m sure it’s not the worst thing that’s ever been left behind.”

  She gave him an adorable look and her cheeks flushed. “I’ll have to buy more now.”

  He ran a hand through her soft hair and said, “Please tell me you remembered the outfit, though. I want to see you in that again.”

  Cupping his cheeks with her hands, she laughed and drew his mouth to hers. “Of course I remembered that,” she said, and pressed her plump lips to his.

  He held onto her as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and slid it against his. “We have such a long trip ahead of us,” he said against her lips. “I should’ve found a way to be inside you this morning.”

  “Speaking of the trip,” she said with a groan, “we need to go inside and get Jack.”

  They got out of the car and headed toward the porch. Feeling eyes on him, Charlie snuck a glance up at the balcony above them and his chest tightened at the sight of Tom Monroe.

  “Tom,” Charlie said with a polite nod. He was well aware that Tom had been watching them in the car.

  Tom took a long sip from his mug and then flashed an arrogant smile. “Being disrespectful as usual, I see. Young lady, are you aware that my daughter is his dead wife? Do you think I want to see that little display you just put on?”

  Lucy froze next to Charlie. He grabbed at her hand and tried to reassure her with his grasp. “I should wait in the car,” she said, looking worried. “I don’t want to upset him more.”

  “No.” Charlie tugged on her arm. “I love you and that’s it. You go where I go.”

  “Charlie, no,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want him to do this in front of Jack. Let me wait in the car.”

  The front door opened and Marie came out holding Jackson in her arms. “Da-yee, Bee!” he said, and waved both hands excitedly.

  Charlie pulled on Lucy’s hand and stepped up to the porch. “Hey, buddy!” he said, and took Jackson out of Marie’s arms.

  Lucy ran a hand through Jackson’s hair and gave him a little smile. “Did you have fun, Jack?”

  Charlie snuck a look at Marie. She looked a bit happier since her time with Jackson. The dark circles that usually shadowed her eyes were absent; she actually looked at peace.

  “Oh, he had lots of fun,” Marie said, and looked up at the balcony nervously. “He played in the sand and Grandpa took him on a walk. His bag is all packed and ready to go.”

  Even Marie could sense the blowout coming when Tom finally appeared behind her. The lines of her mouth went straight and she tensed when Tom said, “I put a picture of my daughter in Jackson’s backpack.”

  Charlie handed Jackson to Lucy, and said, “Take him to the car, please.”

  He watched as Lucy and Jackson made it to the car. She didn’t have the car seat yet, so she just got in the front seat and closed the door with Jackson nestled in her lap.

  Charlie turned his attention back to Tom. “His room is filled with pictures of his mother, but thank you. He could always use more.”

  Tom raised an eyebrow at Charlie. “I assumed you threw them all away.”

  “Tom, please,” Marie said, and shook her head.

  “I would never do that and you know it,” Charlie retorted. “I want him to know every part of Meredith.”

  Tom crossed his arms and glared at Charlie. “Is that right?”

  Charlie nodded once. “We talk about her every day. And every night we say goodnight to her picture.”

  Once again, Marie attempted to intervene. “Tom—”

  “And then you crawl into bed with that one over there and my daughter’s memory just goes away, right?”

  With his fists at his sides, Charlie stepped closer. “That’s once and it’s all you get. Don’t say another word about her.”

  He had to continuously remind himself that his son was in the car behind him and that this was Meredith’s father, no matter what. However, his self-control was wearing thinner by the minute. It was time to leave.

  “I’m turning you in to social services,” Tom said, and took a step forward. “You’re bringing my daughter’s son around these women and it’s not good for his sense of security and growth. You’re a terrible father and he’s not safe with you.”

  Charlie scoffed. “These women? One woman, Tom. I’m with one woman.”

  “Well, I’m sure she takes care of whatever you need. Who needs time to grieve when you have that little thing flaunting herself all around you?”

  “Tom!” Marie gasped.

  That was Charlie’s breaking point. His chest tightened and his rage boiled over into his stomach where it nearly made him sick. He stepped closer and bent down, eye-to-eye with Tom. “If you weren’t her father, I would’ve knocked you on your miserable ass and beat you until you were unconscious or dead, whichever happened first.”

  Tom laughed and clapped his hands together with glee. “See? Right there!” He pointed his finger at Charlie, and said, “You have no respect for this family. None!�
��

  “Give me something to respect!” Charlie yelled back.

  “Enough!” Marie screamed. When she had both Charlie and Tom’s attention, she said tiredly, “Meredith would be heartbroken if she knew this was how everyone behaved on her behalf. My daughter was so full of love and joy. She would never want this.” She put a finger to Tom’s chest. “Never!”

  His eyes full of tears, Charlie took a step back and turned to look at the car. Lucy was wide-eyed, holding Jackson facing her, away from the drama.

  “Before I kill your husband, I need to get the rest of Jack’s things and leave,” he said, and turned back to Marie. “You can see your grandson whenever you want.” He looked at Tom, and added, “But you won’t be around him until you get some help.”

  “I don’t need help,” Tom snapped.

  “Yes, you do,” Marie corrected. “We both do. I won’t lose my grandson over your misplaced grief. Charlie is moving on and I think he moved on to a beautiful woman who loves little Jack with all of her heart.”

  Charlie’s jaw tightened. “She does,” he agreed.

  He bent over to pick up the rest of Jackson’s things, and headed toward the car. He’d had enough and it was time to let the Monroes deal with their loss on their own.

  He opened the back door and strapped the car seat in. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” he murmured.

  Lucy put Jackson in his car seat while Charlie loaded his bag in the trunk. As she made her way back to the front, Charlie stood outside and waited for her to get in. There was no way he was leaving her outside alone with Tom.

  As she bent to get in the car, however, she was stopped by Tom’s voice: “Young lady, you enjoy my daughter’s life.”

  “Please, can we just go,” Lucy pleaded when Charlie moved forward, ready to kill. “They’re just words spoken by a very sad man, Charlie. Please.”

  Charlie’s shoulders fell as he took in Lucy’s words. “You’re right, baby. He’s not worth it.”

  They both got back in the car and Charlie took a second to lock eyes with Marie, who was sobbing on the porch. He felt horrible for her. Never mind the fact that she was married to an asshole, but she wore her grief on the outside every day. He wasn’t sure if it would ever get better for her. He snuck a look at Jackson in the rearview mirror and he knew in that moment that Marie would probably never be okay.

  The kind of pain that she carried was the kind that never left you.

  “I’m sorry,” Lucy whispered, grabbing his hand. “You shouldn’t have to suffer that kind of abuse.”

  Charlie gave her a faint smile and shrugged. “I actually feel better. It was nice to see Marie stand up to him like that. And you’re right; he is a sad, miserable man. I feel sorry for him more than anything.”

  “I hope they get help,” Lucy said sadly. “What they’re suffering from is unbearable and every parent’s greatest fear, but how long can they go on like this? I don’t think Meredith would want this for them.”

  Charlie put the car in reverse and pulled out of the condo complex. “No,” he said, thinking of Meredith and her golden heart. “If she knew this was happening she would be heartbroken.”

  “Bee,” Jackson said from behind them. “Go home?”

  “Did you hear that?” Lucy grinned at Charlie and turned to face Jackson. “Very good, Jack! Yes, we’re going home.”

  “Whose home?” Charlie took the opportunity to ask.

  She smiled at him and kissed the back of his hand. “Our home.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  It had been nearly two weeks since their trip to Michigan and Lucy hadn’t said anything about moving in with him. He had dropped hints here and there, but she had just redirected the conversation.

  It was the house, he figured. She was okay spending the night there, but not okay with actually taking over his late wife’s home. Women wanted to decorate and command the house; Lucy more than likely felt guilty changing anything and making it her own.

  At least that’s what he suspected. The alternative to that, however, was that she just didn’t want to live with him.

  With the benefit for Meredith only two weeks away, and Ben and Dylan’s wedding right after, Charlie figured today was his only moment to sit down with her and start the house-hunting process. He would sell that house if it meant that Lucy would agree to move in.

  To do this, he needed to bombard her.

  So, like anyone on a mission, he left work early and went straight to her apartment. She had no idea he was coming and this was the perfect opportunity to whip out his laptop and force her into making a decision.

  “Hi,” she said nervously after answering the door.

  Charlie looked her sweaty body up and down, from her ponytail and sports bra to her running shorts and shoes.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Why aren’t you at work?”

  “Do you run with a top on over that?” Charlie asked and stepped inside. He spun on his heel to narrow his eyes at her. “Do you?”

  Lucy rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I do,” she said, hands on her hips. “Are you being jealous boyfriend today?”

  Charlie grabbed her sweaty body and pulled her closer. “Baby, I’m jealous boyfriend every day.” He growled and nipped at her lips. “This is all mine.”

  “Charlie, I smell!” Lucy said, and giggled when he grabbed her ass.

  “Then get in the shower,” he demanded and gave her a little spank. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her. It was ridiculous, but he loved every second of it. Her being sweaty only turned him on more.

  “Why do you have your laptop?” she asked, looking at the hand that wasn’t on her ass. “Do you have work to do? Seriously, why are you here?”

  Charlie’s cheeks burned as he met her inquisitive stare. “I’m putting my house up for sale. I thought we could look at houses online today and send some over to my—our—realtor.”

  He looked at her and waited for her response, which seemed to take forever. “You what?” she finally asked and took a step back.

  “Don’t freak out on me,” he said, and inched closer to her. “I want you. I want us. I think we need a fresh start, don’t you?”

  “Charlie,” she whispered, covering her mouth. “You don’t have to do that. Don’t take Meredith’s home from your son.”

  Charlie frowned. “Meredith isn’t there, Lucy. Jackson will only know her by the way I share her with him. And, yeah, that sucks, but it’s where we are now. A house isn’t going to keep her memory alive for him; that’s my job.”

  She looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. “I have to get something off my chest,” she said.

  “Your sports bra?” he asked, and then laughed when she narrowed her eyes. “That was a terrible joke. I’m sorry. Come here,” he said, and pulled her closer. He cupped her cheeks and forced her to look into his eyes. “Let’s get a new house and make new memories. You can decorate it however you want and make it ours. We’ll get a play set in the backyard for Jack. You can watch us play from the kitchen window while you make cupcakes in the brand new, baker’s dream of a kitchen that I’m going to build you. I want to start my life with you, baby.”

  “I love that dream,” she said softly. “I want that more than you know.” Her chin gave its familiar quiver as her blue eyes flooded with tears.

  Only, those tears didn’t look like the happy kind and it worried him.

  “If you don’t want to, just tell me,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. “I can handle it.”

  “I have to get in the shower.” She pulled away. “We can look when I’m out.”

  Charlie scanned her face. This was supposed to be a good thing, but she made it seem like he was asking her to rip off her own arm. “I’ll set it all up so we can get started when you get out,” he said, looking at her with curious eyes.

  As she stepped away from him, Lucy nodded and wiped a tear.

  “No more crying,” he s
aid.

  “Right.” She gave him a forced smile before walking into the bathroom and starting the shower.

  Charlie sat down on the couch and turned on his MacBook. While he waited, he leaned back and rubbed his damp palms against his jeans. Her reaction had done nothing to help his nerves.

  Why the hell was she acting like this? She loved him and he loved her. That was obvious. If he was wrong, she was a damn good actor. Just the way that she looked at him made him feel like the most adored man alive. Even that morning, during their daily morning sex, she’d looked down at him with such love in her eyes.

  Then he mentioned houses and she closed up completely.

  He leaned forward and brought up the real-estate listings he’d been searching earlier. They’d need a four bedroom, really. Who knew if Hugh would eventually make his way back to Phoenix and into his house? As long as they weren’t stressing out his mother, Charlie would take in all of his brothers.

  “Hello?” he heard when the door to the apartment closed. He looked up to find a smaller and older version of Lucy standing before him. He immediately knew who it was.

  “Hi,” he said, getting to his feet. “Mrs. Dalton? I’m Charlie.”

  The woman eyed him strangely and then looked him up and down. “Ms. Dalton,” she corrected. “Charlie? Are you here for Grace?”

  “No, ma’am.” Charlie smiled at that, even though it hurt to know that Lucy hadn’t even told her mother they were dating. “I’m actually here for your daughter.”

  “Lucy?” the woman said, and dropped her purse on the dining room table. “I wasn’t aware she was seeing anyone.”

  Charlie tightened his lips. “Obviously,” was all he could really say.

  “Have a seat, Charlie,” Ms. Dalton ordered.

  She sat down at the other end of the couch and continued to eye him strangely. “You’re a tall man,” she said simply. “And it looks like you’ve got a few muscles under that shirt.”

  Charlie smiled. “I guess I have a few.”

  “What do you do for a living?” she asked, getting right to the point. “I know you’re not a doctor.”