Midnight Kiss (Moonlight Romance)

by Haley Whitehall

“You shamed me, shamed your parents,” Boyd said.

  Matt’s arm muscles flexed as he held Boyd’s shoulders. With a swift roll and shift of weight he had Boyd pinned to floor.

  “Papa was happy for me. God rest his soul. Mama was excited to be a grandmother, seeing as how you ignored all the ladies.”

  “What did you expect Mama to say?” Boyd growled. “She never had a bad word for anyone, least not her baby.”

  “So now you’re angry that I was her favorite?”

  Boyd grabbed for Matt’s throat, forcing him to relinquish his grip. Gaining the upper hand he put him in a headlock.

  “You can’t rewrite the past,” Matt hissed.

  “I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes again.”

  “They’re not mistakes, damn it!” He flailed his arms striking Boyd and wiggled out of the headlock. He struck Boyd three times hard, blood oozing out of the man’s nose.

  Boyd jabbed him in the eye with his knuckles and it stung. That was going to leave a mark.

  Matt shoved Boyd away from him and then with a swift hook knocked Boyd on his back again.

  Boyd struggled to get his brother off of him, but Matt held firm. This was one fight he was going to win.

  “I’m spending the rest of my life with April and I expect you to treat her with respect.”

  “I’ve never laid a hand on her or your children.”

  “That’s not what I said.” Matt grabbed Boyd’s shirt collar and pulled it tight, making it difficult for him to breathe. “You will take your hat off in April’s presence. You will acknowledge my children with more than a stare. Yes?”

  “Fine,” Boyd said through clenched teeth.

  “You don’t sound too convincing.” Matt glared at his brother. “April has agreed to be my wife. You will treat her accordingly.”

  Boyd continued to bare his teeth, but the anger melted from his eyes. “I’ll treat April as your wife and acknowledge your children even if it ruins what’s left of our business. Happy?”

  Matt let his brother go. “Yes, I’m happy. Don’t worry about the business. We’ll manage.”

  Boyd stood and dusted himself off. “You leave everything up to a hope and a prayer, little brother? How are we going to raise the funds in two weeks?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Boyd grunted. “I think I need a drink.” He grabbed his hat off the rack and opened the door.

  “I’m buying,” Matt said. “We can drink to the baby.”

  Boyd closed his eyes for a second and Matt could feel the tension growing again between them. Likely he did that to keep from rolling his eyes or worse.

  “Good,” Boyd said, “because I don’t have any money to throw around.”

  Matt ignored the backhanded remark. They had two weeks. They didn’t need to solve the financial crisis right this minute. Maybe a shot of whiskey would calm Boyd’s nerves, or at the least dampen his anger.

  If it didn’t, the next week was going to be hell.

  *

  Matt returned home with a swollen black eye and a split lip. April gasped. “What happened?”

  He waved it off. “Nothing. I had a disagreement with my brother.”

  “Some disagreement.”

  “I won the fight,” he said, grinning. He wrapped his arm around her slim waist and drew her to him for a kiss. “Next time he comes around he’ll welcome you to the family.”

  “That’s what your fight was over?”

  “Partly.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart ached with each thud. “It is going to be like this all the time, you know. Most people…”

  “Shh,” Matt said. “We’ll take it one day at a time.”

  April took him by the hand and led him to a leather chair in the parlor. “Sit and I’ll take care of you.”

  Would this be a common occurrence? She appreciated the fact Matt stood up for her, for them, but she did not want to see him injured. She got a bowl of water and rag, wet the cloth and started cleaning off the dried blood around his mouth. “Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

  “Not much. I’ve been in a lot of worse fights.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t know I had married such a violent man,” she teased.

  “Papa Bear will turn vicious to protect those he loves.”

  April’s breath hitched. He just said he loved her. She wet the rag again, wrung it out, and pressed it to his black eye. “Hold it there. It will help with the swelling.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She kissed him on the forehead. “Thank you for standing up for me, for us.”

  “I always will, April.”

  His words went straight to her chest and her heart fluttered. Zorna would be happy for her. She’d got herself a good man and two adorable children.

  “You just rest. The stew will be ready in a minute.”

  Matt drew a deep breath. “I can smell it from here.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. She sat on the arm of the chair. “I can smell you, too. Makes a man happy to come home after work.”

  She smiled. “You keep looking at me like that and…”

  Patches jumped into Matt’s lap and purred.

  “The little fur ball is jealous,” he said and chuckled. He petted the kitten’s back.

  “He just missed you. Just like I did,” April said.

  “You have to earn your keep.” Matt gave Patches a stern look. “And that means catching mice and not just being adorable.”

  There was a knock at the door and Patches jumped down to investigate. “Who could that be?” she asked. Mrs. Brown and Allison wouldn’t visit at this hour.

  Matt rose from his chair and April put a hand on his shoulder. “You just rest,” she said.

  He groaned and leaned back. “All right, Mrs. Seever. Anything you say.”

  She shook her head, holding back a chuckle. Despite being white, he was her husband and she would do her part to take care of him.

  She opened the door and saw Boyd standing there, hat in his hands. Instantly the smile fled from her face.

  “Ma’am, I’m here to speak with my brother.”

  Despite his friendly tone she stiffened. “I think you’ve said all you need to say already, sir.” She kept her tone polite but stern.

  “I apologized to him for our argument. I was in the wrong.”

  She grunted. It looked like her husband had taken the worst of the disagreement although Boyd did have a bloody nose.

  “Men solve problems with violence. I’m not saying it is right, but it has always been that way and,” he swallowed hard, “and I’m afraid there will be more violence.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “From you?”

  “No. Who I don’t know. This is serious, April. Please let me in.”

  She chewed on her lip. He seemed insistent, almost desperate. Should she allow him entrance?

  Her husband walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Boyd.”

  “Matt.”

  They were civil—barely.

  “What brings you here?”

  “There’s trouble at the warehouse.”

  “A little early to be reporting another theft, don’t you think?”

  “I wish it was merely a theft. Can you come with me to the warehouse?”

  Matt grumbled. “The work day’s over. All your employees went home. I went home.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important.”

  “How long will this take? It is almost time to eat.”

  “Just a few minutes,” Boyd said, “but it might sour your appetite.”

  April shot Matt a nervous glance. She handed him his coat and hat. “I’ll hold supper for you. I want us to eat as a family.”

  Matt nodded. He kissed her chastely on the cheek and headed on the door with his brother.

  Boyd looked shaken. What was this serious trouble?

  *

  Matt stared at the side of their second
warehouse and his heart stopped. Written in red paint was an ominous message: We don’t associate with blacks. You will pay.

  Matt stood, staring, his hands clenched at his sides. “Son of a bitch!”

  Boyd put a hand on his shoulder and Matt jerked out of his grasp. Boyd’s fingers burned through his coat. “Did you do this?” he said, whipping around to face his brother.

  “Me? Why the hell would I write that on my warehouse?”

  “Because you don’t approve of me being with April.”

  “That may be, but I wouldn’t threaten you, and I wouldn’t deface my own building.”

  Matt growled. “My personal relationship with April has nothing to do with business.”

  “A lot of men in this town would disagree with you. They take one look at this message and the rest who’ve stuck it out will quit doing business with us. We’re sunk.”

  “We can paint over the damn message.”

  “I don’t think a little paint is going to solve the problem. They say you are going to pay. You’ve heard stories, I’m sure. These people are dangerous. You need to sleep with one eye open and one hand on a firearm.”

  Matt raked a hand through his hair. He’d never been threatened before. He’d lived peacefully with Caroline, enduring some derogatory remarks and glares, but little else.

  “What are we going to do?” Matt asked

  “I think we have some white paint in back. I’ll go fetch it.”

  Matt shoved out a long breath. His brother was right. Painting over the message would only take care of the surface of the matter. This problem ran deep.

  And now April and the children were in grave danger.

  He couldn’t help out at the warehouse and watch over them every minute. What was he going to do?

  Boyd set a can of paint on the ground and handed him a brush. “I hope painting over those words will help a little.”

  “Yes,” Matt said. A little.

  “This isn’t all your fault,” Boyd said lowering his voice. “I was excited about growing the business. If we hadn’t invested in a second warehouse we might not go belly up.”

  “We’re not going to go belly up!” Matt shouted. He had a family to support—a growing family. “We’ll weather the storm.”

  “This isn’t a squall on the Mississippi.”

  No. Man can’t fight the weather. I can fight the bastard threatening us. “Any idea who left this?” Matt asked, beginning to paint over the words.

  “No. I returned from the restaurant and found it. There wasn’t a soul in sight.”

  It would be hard to fight an unknown enemy. His insides quaked and he clenched his teeth to rein in his fear. The anger bubbling inside him transformed his terror into pointed motivation. If he did get a visit from the race prejudice bastards, he’d be ready.

  Chapter 19

  April didn’t know whether to be flattered or concerned at Matt’s sudden change in behavior. “Are you sure this is necessary?”

  “I told you about the message.”

  “I know but…”

  “Yes,” he said, hooking his arm around hers so she couldn’t get away, “this is necessary. We’re walking to the warehouse and spending the day together.”

  “But having Frederick pick up Seth and Hannah and take them—”

  “They will be safer on the farm,” Matt said in a tone that brooked no argument.

  Wouldn’t I be safer on the farm, too? Shouldn’t I be there to help care for the children?

  “The threat was directed at you.” He patted her hand. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”

  “All right.”

  It was going to be a long day. She couldn’t talk with him for hours. He wasn’t much of a talker anyway and he had work to do. She pressed her sewing basket to her side. At least she’d had the presence of mind to bring something to occupy her time.

  Allison paced in front of the warehouse, gently rocking her baby girl in her arms.

  “How is little Marie?” Matt asked in a near whisper. He finally unwound his arm from April’s.

  Allison held up the baby so he could get a better look. “I just got her to sleep.” She smiled at April and her tired face brightened. “Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?”

  April glanced at Mr. Seever. He nodded.

  “A cup of coffee sounds wonderful,” she said. “Thank you.” She followed Allison up the stairs. Despite having been in St. Louis for a few months now she hadn’t gotten to know Allison very well. She’d been busy with the baby and it never felt the right time to visit. April didn’t want to intrude on quality family time.

  “I shouldn’t need his permission to have a cup of coffee,” April grumbled.

  “He’s just worried about you,” Allison said. “George can be overprotective, too.”

  “How do you deal with that?”

  Allison looked down at her baby. “I think it is sweet. It makes me feel cared for, loved. He’s even more protective of Marie, and I didn’t think that was possible.”

  “Seeing you and George so happy gives me hope for the future.”

  “Good.” Allison paused as if wondering whether or not to say what was on her mind. “Does Mr. Seever have a firearm?”

  “Yes, there is a rifle over the door. I’ve never seen him touch it…”

  “Oh don’t worry. He knows how to use it. He was a sharpshooter in the late war.”

  April’s eyes widened. A sharpshooter…Matt had never mentioned serving in the army before, but of course most men his age had.

  “He fought for the Union,” Allison said proudly. “You have a good husband. And your family will bring you much happiness.”

  April put a hand on her stomach. When would she start showing?

  After spending a pleasant hour with Allison and indulging in the feminine pursuit of gossip, April knocked on Matt’s office door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  April opened the door. Matt looked up from his paperwork and smiled. The puffiness around his eyes told her he hadn’t slept well last night. Hopefully the cup of coffee would help.

  “Allison said you looked tired. She sent you a cup of coffee.”

  Matt took it from her hands and held it carefully as if it were a cup of liquid gold. “Thank you.” He motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk. “You can pull the chair around by the window where there is more light if you’d like.”

  April dragged the chair to where he indicated and sat. “This will be the perfect spot to do some sewing.”

  Matt tilted his head. “What are you making?”

  “A cap for the baby.”

  They exchanged a loving glance and then both returned to their work.

  A couple hours later George burst into the office, breathing hard, sweat coating his face and neck.

  “What’s wrong?” Matt asked, sitting straighter in his chair.

  “Your brother.” He gasped for breath. “The warehouse. Fire.” He put a hand on his chest. “There is a fire at the other warehouse.”

  Matt bolted to his feet. April rose to go with him. “Stay here,” he said in a gruff voice.

  April opened her mouth to protest but the overwhelming concern in his eyes stopped her, and she bit her lip.

  “Don’t leave the office, April. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Matt ran out the door, following George. April heard the commotion outside, Matt ordering all the workers to come with him to see if they could help. If the warehouse burned to the ground how could they pay back the loan?

  Her insides crawled. She was unable to sit still. After a few minutes she gave up on sewing. Placing the start of the baby cap on the desk she rose and walked to the small window. It faced the street, but she didn’t see a soul. Everyone was likely gawking at the fire.

  She strained her ears to listen. Nothing but silence. An unsettling feeling settled in her bones. Matt said to stay in the office, but she didn’t want to be alone. She’d head upstairs and stay
with Allison until Matt returned to the office. He’d understand.

  She opened the door and ran into a man’s hard chest. One hand clamped around her mouth, and his other hand wrapped around her middle.

  “How rude of you to leave when I just got here,” he said.

  April tried to talk, but her words were muffled by the man’s hand.

  “Do you know who I am?” he asked.

  April nodded. She recognized the stocky white man as the banker although she never learned his name.

  He lowered his hand. “No need to be alarmed,” he said. “I just didn’t want you screaming and causing a scene. I’m here to speak to Mr. Seever.”

  April’s heart rammed her chest, aching with each beat. “He’s not here, sir.”

  “I can see that.”

  Her tongue felt thick in her mouth and she found it difficult to swallow.

  “There was an emergency at the other warehouse—a fire.”

  “That’s a pity.” His face showed more elation than pity.

  A thought niggled in the back of her brain. Didn’t he see the smoke from the fire on the way here?

  “I suppose I’ll just have to wait for him then.” He walked over to Mr. Seever’s chair and sat down, all the time eyeing her.

  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She edged backward, eager to run out the door and not look back.

  “I suppose I should congratulate you, April.”

  “Congratulate me?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Yes, on this nice arrangement you’ve gotten for yourself.” He snorted. “If you were craving the company of a white man you should have aimed your sights higher than a deckhand.”

  “Mr. Seever is a good man.”

  He stood and took a couple steps toward her. “He might have a good heart but he’s poor. And if he and his brother can’t pay back the loan I’ll take what’s left of their miserable business.”

  “I would kindly ask you not to speak of my husband that way.”

  “Your husband?” The sarcasm in his voice caused the breath to catch her lungs. “You can try to fool yourself, April, but the rest of us will always know what you are. A black wench and nothing, but a black wench.”

  He advanced the rest of the way to her and she backed up, tripping over her sewing basket. She fell against the wall and he straddled her, pinning her there with his weight. “I thought we’d reach an arrangement for your husband’s sake,” he said, his warm breath fanning her face.