Love by Moonlight (A Contemporary Romance)

by Debra Elizabeth

  “No, I just got a called Kelly. My Mom’s had a stroke, and I’ve got to fly to Boston. Can you take the dogs?”

  “Of course. Bring them over.”

  “Thanks. I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”

  “Don’t worry about it. They’ll be fine.”

  “OK, see you in a few. Bye.”

  By the time Matt dropped off the dogs and got through security, he had only moments spare. He dug his phone out of his pocked and fastened his seatbelt. He needed to call Caroline and let her know why he wouldn’t be around for a few days. She would probably be waiting for him out on the beach tonight. He did tell her he ran with the dogs most nights.

  Matt flipped open his phone. “Oh, damn. What the hell was her last name?” The more he thought about it, the greater that sinking feeling became in the pit of his stomach. They hadn’t exchanged phone numbers or last names. There was no way to get in touch with her. What would he say to the operator? Do you have the number for a pretty woman named Caroline that lives in that white beach house?

  He closed the phone and shut it off. There was nothing to be done about it now. He could only hope that Caroline wouldn’t be too mad by the time he got back that she refused to speak to him again. He liked her and that was saying something. He hadn’t liked anyone in a long time, not since Alison had left him at the altar. Now, he might have just blown his chance at getting to know Caroline better.

  He reached over and pulled down the window shade. He tugged his baseball cap down and rested his head against the backrest. Might as well try to get some sleep on the flight.

  Chapter 4

  By the time Matt put the key into the lock at his parent’s house, it was nearly 2:00 AM. He stopped in the kitchen for a glass of water and grabbed an apple from the counter. It was late and he was too tired to make something to eat. The old stairs creaked under his weight. He hoped it wouldn’t wake his father.

  Once inside his childhood room, he stripped down to his boxes, grabbed the remote and climbed into bed. He was tired, but too wound up to sleep. He watched mindless TV and munched on the apple. Before too long his eyelids started drooping. He turned off the TV and nestled into the pillows. He was sleeping within minutes.

  ***

  Noises from the kitchen, and the smell of coffee woke Matt the next morning. He groaned and rolled over to see what time it was.

  7:00 AM

  Right on time, Dad. If Matt had any illusions about going back to sleep, they were soon shattered when he heard his father bang the cast iron fry pan down onto the burner. Breakfast would be ready in thirty minutes; it was the same daily ritual that he remembered since his high school days. That was two decades ago.

  He threw off the covers and swung his legs over the side. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around his room. It was the same. Nothing changed, nothing moved. He wondered if it was his parents’ way of keeping him close. It was hard on them that he lived on the West Coast. He had to make more time to come back for visits, and not only in emergencies like this one.

  He flipped open his phone and dialed his sister’s number. She picked up on the first ring.

  “Hey, Matt.”

  “Hi, anything new on Ma?”

  “The good news is that I got her to the hospital within the three-hour window you always hear about. They gave her some medication and are optimistic that she’ll recover, but they have to wait and see how she is today.”

  “Where you with her when it happened?”

  “Luckily, yes. We were having lunch, and all of a sudden she slumped back in the chair like she was totally exhausted. When I asked her what was wrong, she couldn’t answer me. Her speech was slurred and I got a bad feeling about it so I called 911.”

  “That was fast thinking. Thank God you were there. I’m not sure if Dad would have been so perceptive about the symptoms.”

  “I know. They’re both slowing down. I can really see it now, but what do we expect. They’re in their eighties and these things naturally happen.”

  Matt heard his sister sigh. “Kelly, what can I do? I’m sorry that all of this is on you now, but I’m here to help.”

  “I know. I appreciate that you came so fast. Can you make sure Dad takes his meds this morning? That way, I can just meet you at the hospital around eleven, okay?”

  “Of course, don’t worry about Dad. I’ve got it covered. I’ll see you later. Bye.”

  Matt flipped his phone shut and said a silent prayer for his sister’s continued emotional and physical wellbeing. She was carrying the bulk of caring for their parents. He felt bad, but his work was in CA. There wasn’t anything he could do about that, and besides, he didn’t want the continued reminder of Alison back here in Boston.

  He got up and headed down the hall to the shower. At the top of the stairs, he yelled down to his father. “Morning, Dad. Be down in a few.”

  “Sounds good. Eggs will be ready soon,” his father’s voice floated up the stairs.

  Matt chuckled. It would be eggs every morning now that he was home. No deviation from his Dad’s schedule. Coffee, orange juice, scrambled eggs and toast was the standard menu for breakfast in the Sylvan house.

  He padded down the hall to the bathroom. At least the bathroom had been renovated recently and there was plenty of hot water. It was funny that the older he got, the more he appreciated the little things. Steaming hot water was one of those luxuries he wasn’t willing to go without for any length of time. He turned the dial, let the water heat up and stepped inside the shower stall.

  The water pounded against his body as he thought about his parents. When did they get so old? He couldn’t remember it happening. No one ever thinks that their parents will get old, but time marches on for everyone. They were all getting older. The harsh reality was that his parents would need even more help than Kelly could provide in the not too distant future. Plus, it wasn’t fair that the burden on their care fall squarely on her shoulders. He needed to talk to her about getting some help. There had to be services for home aides that they qualified for, but for now, he was anxious to get the hospital and see his mother.

  There was no time to linger in the steaming water. Matt finished up, got dressed and headed down to the kitchen.

  “Morning, Dad.”

  His father brought the pan of eggs over to the table and scooped them out on each of the plates. “If you want more, let me know.”

  “This will be fine. Come and sit down now. Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”

  Matt watched as his father, George, dumped the frying pan in the sink before he sat down at the table. “Don’t forget your medication,” he said.

  “I know. I know. Don’t need you nagging me about it too,” the elder Sylvan growled. “Your sister does enough of that every day.”

  Matt put his hand over his father’s. “Dad, look at me. We’re not nagging you. We just want to make sure you stay healthy, that’s all.”

  His father nodded and opened up the 7-day pill dispenser sitting on the table and took out today’s pill. He popped it in his mouth and swallowed. “There. Happy? Now let’s eat.”

  Matt picked up his fork and made short work of his eggs. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. “Dad, we need to leave at ten-thirty to go to the hospital.”

  “Okay, I’ll be ready.”

  It was 10:55 when Matt and his dad pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Dad, I’ll drop you off at the door before I go park.”

  His father nodded and got out of the car. “Sure, the garage is the second right.”

  Matt made sure George was inside the lobby before driving off to find a parking space. It was unusually cold for October and a brisk easterly wind sent leaves flying in every direction. So much for those much talked about Indian summers. It wasn’t happening this week. A shiver snaked up Matt’s spine, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold wind or what he might find inside his mother’s hospital room.

  George was waiting by the elevators when Matt
walked into the hospital lobby. “She’s in Room 628B,” he said.

  “Do you want a coffee to bring up with you?” Matt asked.

  “No, let’s go upstairs first and see how she is.”

  Matt followed George into the elevator. The door swooshed closed and within seconds they were on the sixth floor. “You okay, Dad?”

  His father nodded and walked on. When they got to the room, Kelly was already there.

  She got up and came over to George giving him a fierce hug. “Hi, Dad, how are you today?”

  “I’m fine. How’s your mother?”

  Kelly stepped out of her father’s embrace. “The nurse said she had a decent night, but the left side of her body is weak and she can’t talk very well. She’ll have to go to rehab for a few weeks to regain her strength before they’ll let her go home.”

  George nodded and walked over to the hospital bed. He gently picked up his wife’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Mae, you’re still my beautiful girl,” he whispered.

  Mae’s eyes fluttered open. She was momentarily confused about where she was, until she saw George standing at her bedside. Her lips curled up in lop-sided grin.

  Kelly and Matt came along the opposite side of her bed. “Hi, Mom,” they said together.

  Matt leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  Mae shook her head. “No goo…” was the best she could manage.

  “You’ll feel better soon. You just need a little rest.”

  Kelly leaned over and patted her mother’s head. “Mom, we’ll be here for awhile, so if you get tired close your eyes and sleep, okay?”

  Matt dragged the chair from the corner over to her bedside. “Here, Dad. Have a seat.”

  When their father was settled and talking softly to his wife, Kelly turned to her brother. “Want to go down to the cafeteria and get a cup of coffee?”

  Matt nodded in agreement. He figured his sister wanted to chat with him about their mother without Dad being there. “Mom, Kelly and I will be back in a bit,” he said.

  Once they were seated in the cafeteria with coffees in hand, Matt was the first one to speak. “I figured you wanted to talk to me without Dad around. So, what’s up?”

  Kelly looked down at her coffee and took a deep breath before answering. Her shoulders sagged under an invisible weight. “I think it’s about time we started talking to them about selling the house.”

  “Really, but then what? Where would they go?”

  “I want to build an addition onto my house. That way they could have their own apartment, but they’d be close and I could check on them every day. It would save me so much time and give me peace of mind that they’re safe especially now with mom’s condition.”

  Matt sat back and studied his sister. She was a picture of health: athletic slim build, shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes like his own. She certainly didn’t look a forty year-old mother of two, but he could see the dark circles under her eyes. He wondered if she had slept at all the night before. “What did Paul say about it? Is he okay with his in-laws living in the same house?”

  “Actually, he was the one who suggested it. He sees me running ragged between checking on them, getting the kids to school and being on time for work. It’s getting to be too much. We have plenty of land and the addition could go straight out the back. The apartment would be all on one floor so no stairs to worry about, and they could have their own exit door right out into the garden.”

  “I think it’s a great idea, but it may be a hard sell to Dad. You know how he loves that house.”

  “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. If you broach the subject with him, it may go over better than if I do it. I don’t want him to think it’s one more thing I’m nagging him about.”

  “Of course, I’ll talk to him. It may just be the best time especially with Mom being ill. I could say that she will need more care and the stairs in their house are just too much for her. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect. Thanks, Matt. I knew I could count on you.”

  Matt reached across the table and squeezed his sister’s hand. “You can always count on me, Kel. You know that.”

  “Oh, no,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “Why today of all days?”

  Matt was puzzled by his sister’s response and his brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t turn around and maybe she won’t see you,” she cautioned.

  “Who?” Before Matt could get another word out, a voice from the past called out his name.

  “Matt, is that you?”

  A shadow fell over the table and he looked up into the face of Alison Holden, the woman who had left him standing at the altar five years earlier. She was as beautiful as ever, and it took all his self-restraint not to get up and bolt from the cafeteria.

  “Alison.”

  “What are you doing here?” Alison glanced to her left. “Oh, hi Kelly.”

  The last person Matt wanted to talk to was Alison. She had broken his heart and she was standing there chatting with him like nothing had ever happened between them. Funny, how some people could move on with their lives with such ease. His stomach tied up in knots at the sight of her.

  Kelly saw her brother’s discomfit and jumped into the conversation. “Mom had a stroke yesterday.”

  Alison’s hand reached out and grabbed Matt’s shoulder. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Is she okay?”

  “She will be, but we really need to get back upstairs,” Kelly said, taking charge and standing up.

  Matt took his cue from his sister. He stood, and Alison’s hand slid back to her side. “Goodbye, Alison.”

  “Matt, wait. Maybe we could chat if you had a minute?”

  “No. I don’t have any time.” He picked up his coffee and walked out of the cafeteria with his sister trailing behind him. He didn’t stop walking until he got to the elevators. His stomach muscles finally unclenched.

  When Kelly caught up to her brother, she reached out and touched his arm. “Hey, you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t want to talk to her, that’s all. I have nothing to say to that woman now or ever.”

  “I hear you. She should have known better than to come over to the table after what she did.”

  “Whatever. It’s in the past and that’s where Alison Holden is going to stay.”

  The elevator doors swished open and they stepped inside. Matt pushed the sixth floor button. “Besides, I’ve actually met someone else.”

  “You have? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now. The problem is I met her the day before you called. Her name is Caroline.”

  “Oh, that’s great. What kind of work does she do?”

  Matt shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to get to know her. Hell, I don’t even know her last name so I couldn’t call her and tell her I would be out of town for a few weeks.”

  “You don’t know her name? Isn’t that one of the first things you should ask?”

  “I know, I know, but we were a little busy at the time.”

  The elevator doors swished open and they stepped out into the corridor. “Really? A one-night stand?” Kelly asked, one eyebrow raised.

  Matt grabbed his sister’s arm and dragged her to the window overlooking the parking lot, for a bit more privacy rather than standing in the middle of the hospital corridor. “No, it wasn’t like that. I was taking the dogs for a run on the beach. She was out there and we had a glass of wine, plus a few kisses. That’s all. I thought I’d see her again today, but I’m here instead.”

  Kelly smiled at her younger brother. “I’m not judging you, Matt. Was curious, that’s all. I’m actually glad you’ve met someone. It’s been too long since Alison.”

  Matt chuckled at her last remark. “I know. I’m working on it, hopefully with Caroline. She’s a beautiful woman and has the softest lips and...”

  “Whoa
. Listen to you. I haven’t heard you talk about someone in ages.”

  Matt stared at his sister. “You’re insufferable; you know that, right?”

  “Of course. Isn’t that what big sisters are for?”

  Matt shook his head. “What would I do without you? Right now, though, shall we go back and see if Mom is awake?”

  Kelly linked her arm with Matt’s. “Sure, let’s go, Romeo.”

  Chapter 5

  Yip, yip.

  Carolyn’s eyes flew open. The little dog yipped again. The morning sun was streaming in through her window, casting shadows around her bedroom. She threw back the coverlet and jumped out of bed, nearly tripping as she rushed to the window that overlooked the beach.

  She pulled back the curtain for a clear view of the beach. It was a stunning morning outside, bright sunshine and crystal-blue water lapping at the shore line, but all she could think about was that Matt could be out there. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. Her breath caught as she scanned the beach. Was he here?

  It had been two weeks since their first encounter. Not a single word from him since she’d watched him run down the beach that night with the dogs. She was angry that she hadn’t followed her instincts, but she’d let her guard down and foolishly asked him in for a glass of wine. What was she thinking? It was so unlike her, and in hindsight it was probably a mistake. She’d acted like a schoolgirl with her first crush, but that initial glow was fading. She’d spent the last ten nights waiting on the beach, but he never came. She had walked up and down the beach a number of times, looking for any sign of the dogs, but all trace of them had vanished, right along with their master. It was like she’d dreamed up the whole incident, except those soft, sultry kisses were no dream and she hated to admit it, but she wanted more of them.

  She looked up and down the beach until she spotted the little dog making the noise. It was a white terrier barking and playing in the water, definitely not Matt’s Havanese, Jake.

  I’m such an idiot. A few stolen kisses, that’s all it was. He’s not coming back. Probably doesn’t even live around here.