Man in the Moon (Sweet Escapes Book 1)

by Gardener, Melissa

  As the trio said their goodbyes with promises of future visits, Chris couldn’t help all the feelings that ran through her. Feelings, she thought, were things she couldn’t afford herself anymore in this “new life.” However, the more time she spent in this life, the better all these feelings became. Julia was motherly and sweet; aspects she had missed dearly. The way she spoke of Andrew Jr. and Richard with such passion and love, and her devotion to her family, was astounding.

  “Mom is seeing the specialist for her leg again this week. We’re hoping all the physical therapy is working. She’s started standing more, but she gets tired easily. It’s a long road to recovery,” Andrew explained, while they walked to his car. He was nervous about bringing her home, while his newfound epiphany about kissing her lingered in the back of his mind.

  “That can’t be easy, especially if she was used to being independent,” Chris said, as Andrew opened the door for her.

  “Yeah, that’s the hardest part for her. But she’s getting so much better, Chris. It’s unbelievable,” he countered, closing the door and going around the front of the car to get in.

  They rode silently toward Chris’s house, both suddenly quiet and nervous.

  Chris was lost in her head, thinking about Julia and how hard it must be to be stuck inside the house so much when she obviously loved being outside. Side-eyeing Andrew, he also seemed lost in his mind as he watched the road ahead, holding her hand snugly beneath his on the gear shift.

  Andrew kept thinking about Chris, or more precisely about Chris’s lips and how soft they looked. He really wanted to kiss her. The heat radiating from her hand underneath his served as a reminder that she was there, in the flesh, all warm and... He needed to stop that train of thought as it was having an effect on him in nether places.

  “So?” Chris asked awkwardly, with their hands still clasped together, swinging Andrew’s arm back and forth as the two stood at her doorstep.

  “I really need to take you out, you know, properly this time,” Andrew replied. He stepped closer to Chris and brought her hand to his chest where he pressed their joined hands over his rapidly beating heart.

  “Yeah, so this wasn’t a date either, right?” She looked at him coyly.

  Andrew looked away pensively. “No, I guess it wasn’t.”

  She clucked her tongue and grinned. “That’s too bad.”

  He frowned. “Why’s that?”

  “I only kiss on a first date, and I was really hoping this was it.” She shrugged, unapologetically.

  Andrew’s eyes flicked from Chris’s eyes to her mouth, as hers did the same to his. He leaned in and covered her mouth with his, pressing a kiss to her lips.

  The air whooshed out of Chris’s lungs as she finally let herself feel the heat of him against her. There was no denying her feelings for him now. Those damn feelings, mixed with hormones, were driving her crazy.

  His lips were soft yet demanding against hers, and she loved it. She could feel his heart hammering incessantly under her palm and knew in that instant, without a doubt, her life was irrevocably changed for the better.

  Tracing his bottom lip with her tongue, she deepened the kiss as his mouth opened up to hers and his tongue stroked hers languidly. It was a slow, sweet kiss that made Chris sigh and wrap her arms around Andrew’s neck.

  Andrew groaned, pulling her body flush with his. He had imagined what kissing her would be like, but the reality of it was so much better. She tasted sweet like the coffee cake they’d had at his mother’s, but she smelled like wildflowers and rain, reminding him of home.

  Chris, on the other hand, let herself feel all of Andrew against her and couldn’t help the internal fist pump as his obvious erection dug into her hip. She shivered and felt her toes curl, while every hair on her body seemed to command attention. Her soft cotton dress and sensible lace bra did nothing to hide her pebbling nipples, as she struggled to keep the kiss sweet and simple.

  The inner turmoil between her libido and brain were at odds, but her brain finally won out, letting her pull away with a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth and a cheesy grin on her lips. “Wow.”

  He rested his forehead on hers, shifting as his dick pressed against his zipper, making him more than uncomfortable. “Yeah, wow for sure.” He grinned.

  “I’d invite you inside, but definitely not on a first date.” She shook her head and took a deep breath to steady herself. His proximity and kissing skills were definitely, definitely going to be a problem. Definitely.

  He chuckled huskily. “But this wasn’t a date,” he countered.

  “Yeah. No. You do make a good point but—” She was staring at his slightly swollen lips and praying her neighbors weren’t watching. All sorts of things involving Andrew and being naked were also going on through her mind, along with Mrs. Davis and Nana egging her on.

  That was all sorts of weird, even for her.

  “I know...I was kidding, Chris. Saturday. I’ll call you...I’ll pick you up...Saturday?” He nodded for emphasis, hoping she would agree.

  She smiled and stepped up on her toes, kissing his lips chastely. “Saturday.”

  Chapter 5

  Saturday couldn't come soon enough for Chris. She trudged through Friday praying the next several hours would go by quickly, until six o’clock Saturday when Andrew promised to pick her up for dinner. She had no idea what to expect, but she was ready for whatever they were going to do.

  That kiss they shared on Thursday had left her in quite the predicament. She was frustrated—sexually and otherwise—and it was more than noticeable by Mrs. Davis on Friday, when the pair worked on more wedding arrangements.

  “If you’re lucky, Christina, one day we can fix these up for your own wedding,” Mrs. Davis teased. She had no idea how close Chris had come to marrying Frank.

  Chris grew more and more frustrated as she repeatedly tried to tie a simple bow on to one of the bouquets. “Yeah...ehm, no.” She laughed nervously and finally tied the bow so it looked perfectly imperfect. She didn’t correct Mrs. Davis’s assumptions nor did she elaborate. Her relationship with Frank had been over for weeks now, and she had worked too hard to keep it there to bring it up again.

  “Please, that boy looks at you like you’re a dozen red roses in a two-for-one sale. Indulge an old woman, would you?” Mrs. Davis finished up her arrangement and washed her hands at the sink near the counter where they were working. “And invite me to the wedding.”

  Chris picked up more flowers to make the next bouquet. “I’ll do that.” She shook her head at the absurdity. The thought of marrying...anyone hadn’t crossed her mind in a while. Not since giving Frank his engagement ring back. But now, the thought of walking down the aisle toward Andrew did strange things to her belly. She felt giddy, something completely unexpected, and greatly welcomed. Oddly enough, she had never felt this way about marrying Frank, and he had actually proposed. “We’ll start with a first date and see how it goes, all right?” she said to Mrs. Davis, who in turn waved her off with a smirk and a nod.

  The rest of the day passed by quickly, and by Friday night, when Chris joined her father for dinner, she felt as if she was floating on a cloud. Part of it was due to being nervous but excited for her upcoming date. The other part was because she knew she was falling in love and the realization chipped away at some of her earlier trepidation. She knew it was the real kind this time. She could feel it in her heart and soul.

  Henry was a quiet man. He worked as a security guard and knew everyone in town, but never indulged in idle gossip, preferring to keep to himself instead. Most of his work involved standing around and making sure the local kids didn’t smoke behind any of the buildings. It was boring, but he loved it. Someone had to do it, and this was as close to law enforcement as he would get after being hurt in an accident when he was younger.

  When he ran into Mrs. Davis at the grocery store on Wednesday night, she had been particularly verbose about her love for Chris. Henry had felt nothing but pride as he
listened to old Regina Davis drone on and on about how wonderful of an apprentice and all-around good-natured person Christina had turned out to be. What had really caught his attention, though, was when Regina had mentioned Andrew Harris. He knew the boy and his circumstances. Andrew Sr. had been a friend of Henry’s, and over the years Henry had often wondered how the boy had fared alone with his mother. Henry had tried to keep tabs on Andrew, but lost track, and had been surprised to hear they were back in town.

  He had met the good doctor on a few occasions, but hadn’t seen Julia around. It was probably better that way because seeing one of Eva’s best friends would most likely open up wounds he wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with, even after all this time.

  Chris was quiet as she sat across from her father at the dining room table. He had put together some mashed potatoes, green beans and grilled chicken for dinner, and although he would never admit to it, he was more than happy for the company.

  “So, I have a date tomorrow,” Chris blurted out as she shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

  Henry paused, fork in midair as his eyes met Chris’s. “Hmm, with who?” He decided to play dumb since, as he had learned over the years, relaying anything that Regina Davis had said could lead to potentially dangerous situations. The older woman could be quite the gossip around Westfield.

  Chris’s face heated as she blushed. This was Andrew. The Andrew. Andrew, the boy who’d shared his cookies at recess because Eva couldn’t bake cookies, even though she was decent in the kitchen. He was also the same boy Henry had kept his eye on whenever he was around Chris, as the two children seemed so enamored with each other, even back then.

  “Andrew Harris.” Chris took a bite of her chicken and chewed it with her mouth closed tight, watching her father process this information.

  Her breakup with Frank had occurred a relatively short time ago and she wasn’t sure how Henry would react. She knew from past experience how her father had been concerned for her well-being afterward and would be cautious of any new relationship she pursued.

  “Hmm, well, he’s a good boy, Christina. Make sure he treats you right.” Henry’s eyes met Chris’s and she could see the warmth and understanding in them. Even if he had lost his one true love, he wasn’t going to stop his daughter from trying to find hers. She deserved as much, after all. He couldn’t imagine her living the lonely life he had been living all these years, but he simply couldn’t put himself out there to even try. He wasn’t sure his old heart could take it.

  After dinner, Chris helped her father do the dishes as the two discussed work. Chris recounted how Andrew would come in and get his mother flowers. She gushed at how sweet she thought the gesture, and Henry couldn’t help thinking how right this was between his daughter and that fine, young man.

  That went well, Chris thought as she left her father’s house that night.

  Once she got home and settled into bed, sleep evaded her for a while as her mind reeled from all the day’s events. After tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, she managed to drift off into a peaceful night’s rest.

  Saturday morning came and went, while Chris stayed in bed recuperating after a long, tiring week. She took advantage of these days where she could sleep in. She was acutely aware of the fact that once the business was fully handed to her, she would have to work Saturdays and most likely some Sundays, as well.

  Chris had made an appointment with Abby earlier in the week to get a manicure and was looking forward to relaxing while having that done. She planned to then spend the rest of her afternoon curled up on her couch with a good book before getting ready for her evening.

  If there was ever a perfect time for a manicure, it was now. Flowers were rough on fingernails.

  “Oh, my goodness, Chris, I haven’t seen you in forever,” Abby exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Chris’s shoulders. “How are you?”

  Abby was one of Chris’s closest friends, but admittedly, Chris had been shying away from her since her split from Frank. After all, Abby was practically married to Frank’s best friend, Ian, and that complicated things between them.

  “I’m great,” Chris replied, trying to sound excited but falling remarkably flat. “I mean, you know, I’ve been busy and stuff.” She pulled back from the hug and tentatively met Abby’s eyes.

  Abby nodded in understanding. “We spoke to Frank. I called you...left messages. I figured you were busy with the flower thing and all.” Abby waved her hand around dismissively. A gesture Chris didn’t appreciate one bit.

  Chris rolled her eyes and settled into the chair, while Abby got out the bowl and supplies to do Chris’s manicure.

  “It’s not a ‘flower thing,’ Abby, it’s my business venture,” she defended, trying to rein in her annoyance. “Mrs. Davis is retiring and I’m taking it over.”

  “Oh, I know, sweetie. I just...meant you were busy, is all.” Abby smiled apologetically. She took Chris’s hand in hers and massaged it, applying cream to her cuticles. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” Chris admitted, realizing she had been a bit defensive. The two women had been friends when they were in school together and reconnected when Abby offered her a coupon for a manicure, after running into each other at the grocery store. It was a wonderful friendship and Chris missed it a lot.

  “I don’t blame you for dumping Frank when you did. If you weren’t feeling it, you weren’t feeling it.” Abby shrugged. She had seen how high maintenance Frank was as opposed to Chris’s simple lifestyle and wondered how the pair got along so well. She now understood things weren’t always exactly how they seemed.

  “Oh, so now you tell me?” Chris asked, shaking her head at her friend.

  Abby sighed. “It wasn’t my place to say anything, Chris. You two seemed...happy.”

  “I thought I was feeling it, Abby. I just...I’m glad too, actually.” Chris wasn’t sure about telling Abby what was going on with Andrew, but then decided against keeping any secrets from her friend. “I met someone and I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Ever.” She chewed her bottom lip, waiting for Abby’s response.

  Abby glanced up, raising an eyebrow. “I thought Frank was the one with the wandering eyes?”

  Chris looked away, contemplating how she had never noticed that about Frank. “This happened after the breakup. We never cheated on each other, Abby. You know that.”

  “I guess. I just...sometimes, I wondered. Ian never said anything, but the way you broke up...it was very sudden.” Abby concentrated on Chris’s fingers, making sure to get to all the freshly calloused skin.

  “Yeah, well, this is different. He’s different. I feel very...connected to him,” Chris explained as she relaxed against the chair and let Abby manipulate her hand.

  Abby chose her next words carefully. “That’s...great, Chris. Really. But, how do you really know this time around and—” She leaned over the table and whispered, “Who is he?”

  So, with a deep sigh and hoping she wasn’t jinxing herself, Chris told Abby about the events of the past few weeks, starting with, “Do you remember Andrew Miller?”

  . . .

  Andrew hung up the phone and sighed. His mother had called to invite him to dinner later and he had declined, informing her of his date with Chris.

  Julia was ecstatic as she grilled Andrew.

  “Where are you taking her?” she wondered, excited. “You’re going to be a gentleman, right?” She continued with a sigh. “Oh, son, this is so wonderful!” Julia beamed, practically screeching into the phone.

  Andrew was evasive with his answers to his mother, only reassuring her everything was going to be fine. Truth be told, he was nervous. He’d had it in his head anything they did together would be okay. He figured each other’s company would be enough, but now he wasn’t so sure.

  He ran a hand through his hair and stood from his sofa. “May as well do this,” he said to himself, stripping bare, stepping into the shower.

  The warm water splas
hed around the stall, cascading over his tense muscles and relaxing him enough to quell some of the negative thoughts from his mind.

  “This is Chris,” he chanted as he soaped himself up. “This is the Chris,” he muttered while washing his hair. “She’s a nice girl. She’s the girl I’ve measured all the others against. She’s the one I’ve known I always wanted...from the very beginning.” He swallowed back his nerves, replacing whatever adverse thoughts that had crept up with ones of the soft, sweet florist he had come to adore.

  Andrew hadn’t dated in almost a year, preferring to stay single after his last relationship. He was with Heather for a few years, but the two had drifted apart and he had ended it shortly before Julia got sick. Heather was nice enough, but she didn’t understand the relationship Andrew had with his mother, and the continuing debate between the two became too much of an issue in their relationship. Andrew refused to let his family go by the wayside for the sake of his girlfriend. Evidently, if she had been the one, she would have understood why he was so attached to his only living, blood relative.

  Once Andrew was out of the shower, he stood in front of the mirror and took a good look at himself. He could see the obvious resemblance to his biological father, but could also distinguish the features handed down from his beloved mother.

  He still missed his father and smiled as he remembered a particular afternoon, about a week before his ninth birthday, spent with his father, Chris and Henry.

  “Stop tickling me, Andrew.” Chris’s soft, childlike voice rang out in their backyard as Andrew’s fingers dug into her sides.

  “Say uncle.” Andrew giggled as he held Chris close to his chest, his arms around her much smaller frame.

  “No,” she squealed. “Daddy! Daddy, help me!” She laughed as Andrew fell in the grass, still holding on to her.

  “Your daddy can’t help you now, Chris,” he told her, laughing, and finally let her go once her small hands wrapped around his fingers and pried them away from her belly.