Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  Maybe Kyle had changed his mind.

  He pulled the door open. “Hey, I’m—” The rest of the words caught in his throat. He narrowed his eyes at his visitor. “Hayden, what’re you doing here?”

  Hayden smiled and tipped her head to the side, her dark hair brushing against a bare shoulder. “I came to take you to supper.” She took a step toward him. “Can I come in?”

  Chase blocked the entrance to his room. Hayden wore a white halter sundress that revealed far too much skin. Besides that, he wasn’t stupid enough to invite her inside his room.

  “My mama taught me never to have a girl in my room. I’ll just bet your daddy feels the same way.”

  One perfect eyebrow arched up as her lips parted in a slow smile. “Your mama and my daddy don’t have to find out.”

  He snorted and stepped out into the hallway, pulling his door shut. “I said no.” The strong scent of her perfume overpowered him and he moved a few paces away. He knew they needed to talk and clear the air, but his head hurt just thinking about it. He studied her for a few seconds, wondering how he’d ever found her attractive. She reminded him of his little sisters’ Barbie dolls—beautiful but hard like the plastic they were made from.

  “Hayden, why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?” she asked, appearing completely innocent. “Inviting you to supper?”

  “Not just supper.” He blew out a big breath. “Everything. Coming on to me…telling your father we’ve been seeing each other for the past month.” He didn’t want to bring up the hypothetical proposal.

  Her jaw clenched tight and anger sparked in her blue eyes. “Because I know deep down I’m what you want.” She closed the distance between them, slid her arms around his neck. “I know you miss me.”

  Her persistence astounded him. Reaching up, he took her by the wrists and pried her arms from around his neck and stepped back. “I want you to listen to me. I. Am. Not. Interested.”

  She blinked a few times. Then her eyes turned as hard as flint. “Is it because of that girl from Idaho?” Her voice was taut with irritation.

  His personal life was none of her business. There was no way he was getting into this with her. “Does it matter?” Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair. She couldn’t be this hung up on him. “Come on, Hayden. The entire time we dated you were seeing several different men.” He chuckled dryly. “You didn’t want me then and I know you don’t want me now.”

  Silence filled the corridor for a few heartbeats, her gaze locked on his. Slowly, the hard lines of her mouth lifted into a sardonic smile, and her eyes narrowed to thin slits. “You’re right—you were never enough.”

  Her words didn’t inflict any pain. Frankly, he doubted one man would ever be enough for her. “So you’ll clear this up with your father?”

  “Yes,” she said, taking a step backward and tilting her chin up. “He never thought you were good enough, either.”

  Tell me something I don’t know. “Fine.”

  She gave him one last look, her eyes filled with disdain. “I think I’ll mention your job application with Nashborough while I’m at it.”

  With that, she pivoted on her heels and walked away, her hair swaying across her shoulders.

  After she disappeared, he stood there for a second, wondering what would transpire after she talked with her father. Maybe this was all part of the plan. If he got fired, the only thing holding him in Georgia was his family. He didn’t want to think about where his and Addie’s relationship fit into the equation.

  He walked over to the elevators and pushed the button. A ding sounded and the doors slid open. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the main floor. As he descended, he lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his aching neck. Sometimes life seemed so complicated.

  The elevator came to a stop and Chase exited into the hotel lobby. He looked around, seriously expecting Hayden to be waiting for him. Some of the tension left his shoulders when he saw the coast was clear.

  Crossing the lobby, he made his way outside. As his eyes scanned the enormous body of water, he greedily drew in a deep breath of the salty, ocean air. The soothing sound of the waves rolling in eased the stress from the day. He slipped off his flip-flops and hooked them with his fingers, letting them dangle at his side. As he stepped onto the beach, the cool sand oozed between his toes.

  The full moon cast a beam of light over the water, and onto the shore. Lights from the resort lined the walkway, lighting the area in soft tones. He walked along the beach, his mind filled with so many things. Hayden, his job, Nashville, and Addie. He wished she was here and missed her so much his chest ached with longing.

  The lyrics to the song he’d been writing popped into his head. Earlier, he’d changed the first verse slightly, but now the rest of the words came so fast he wished he had a pen and paper with him. Pulling out his phone, he opened his notes app and quickly typed.

  It was only supposed to be make-believe, but nothing’s felt more real.

  Your laugh, your touch, the kisses we shared.

  I know what they make me feel.

  So baby don’t leave me, please don’t go.

  What we have is forever, and I can’t let you go.

  Yeah, what we have is forever, and I can’t let you go.

  I never believed in fairytales, but with you I know they’re true.

  Just give me a chance; we’ll write our own happy ending.

  A legendary love between me and you.

  So baby don’t leave me, please don’t go.

  What we have is forever, and I can’t let you go.

  Yeah, what we have is forever, and I can’t let you go.

  No this isn’t a fairytale, it’s not make believe.

  Our love is forever, baby please don’t leave.

  He stared at the words as a melody wove its way through his mind. He’d never written a song so easily. Wishing he had his guitar with him, he wrote down the chords for when he returned home. For him, the tune came easier than the lyrics, and once it was in his head, he wouldn’t forget it.

  There wasn’t a reason to analyze the meaning of the song. It was simple. He was in love with Addie, and he wanted forever with her. The rest wasn’t so easy. He couldn’t expect her to make all the sacrifices. She had dreams of her own. Dreams which didn’t include moving away from her aging father or her sister.

  Feeling stressed, he palmed the back of his neck again. How could it be that last week he felt like his life was moving in the right direction, and now he had no idea what he really wanted.

  Needing to talk to Addie, he slid his finger across the screen. As if on cue, his phone played, I Wanna Kiss a Girl, the new ring-tone he’d downloaded just for Addie.

  “Hey,” he said, “I’m glad you listened to your messages.”

  “Messages?” Laughter laced her voice. “I just saw I missed your call.” He heard someone talking in the background and she giggled into the phone. “Just a second, I need to tell Taylin good-bye.”

  She was hanging out with his little sister? It seemed like one more sign they were supposed to be together. Taylin and Ashlee never liked any of his previous girlfriends. He heard Taylin thank Addie for taking the glamour shots of the girls at the youth center.

  “It was fun,” Addie said. “Thanks again for coming with me to Mr. Hanks this morning. The pictures are gorgeous.”

  Addie laughed at something his sister said, but Chase couldn’t hear it. She came back on the line. “Sorry, Taylin just dropped me off at Aunt Janie’s.”

  “You and Taylin have been hanging out?”

  “All day. She is such a sweetie.”

  That was a new one. “Taylin is sweet?”

  “Very, and she told me so many cute stories about you. I could totally blackmail you for anything I want.”

  He chuckled as he walked near the waves. Just hearing her voice washed away all the loneliness, like the incoming tide erased the tiny bird footprints in the sand. “So, what do you want?�
�� To him the question had a double meaning.

  “I’m thinking about it. I’ll let you know when I come up with something.”

  He misjudged the water and gasped when it rushed over his bare feet, soaking the bottom of his jeans. “Yikes. That’s cold.”

  “What’s cold? Wait a minute, do I hear crashing waves in the background?”

  “Yeah. I was thinking how much I wished you were here—the full moon is amazing.”

  “Stop. I love the ocean, and I’m kind of partial to full moons.”

  A grin stole across his face at her reference to their first kiss. “Maybe we can make a trip to Savannah. You could bring your camera and get some beautiful pictures.”

  “I’d love that. Promise you’ll take me?” she asked playfully. “Just so you know, I’m batting my eyelashes right now.”

  The mental picture made him laugh. “I promise, but you have to do that eyelash-batting-thing for me when I get back.”

  She snickered. “Right. So, how did your day go?”

  As he walked back to his hotel, he proceeded to tell her about Kyle’s illness, his meetings and his run-in with Hayden. Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell Addie about the potential job in Nashville. “I need to look for another job.”

  “I have a great idea,” Addie said before he could say anything further. “Daisy Springs needs a good web designer and graphic arts guy. Our company had to get someone out of Boise, which is about an hour north.”

  Chase gripped the phone tighter. She might be teasing, but he sensed there was a little fishing expedition going on to see if moving to Idaho was even on his radar.

  It wasn’t.

  “That’s a possibility,” he lied.

  “We have a great little historic downtown area, kind of like Mitchel Creek, minus all the antique shops and the best candy store in the world.” Her voice was animated, and Chase didn’t have the guts to stop her, and tell her about Tennessee.

  “There’s this vacant building I wish I could lease for my studio. It’s perfect for a startup company, and has a two bedroom apartment on the second floor.”

  Chase’s hopes of Addie relocating to the south died by the optimistic tone of her voice. Just yesterday he assured her it would all work out, but the truth was that it would work out if she was willing to move wherever he went.

  “If you win the contest, do you plan on leasing the building for your business?”

  “I don’t know. I might have to wait until I build up my clientele before I invest in my own building.” She sighed, not realizing what her words meant for them. “Dad said I could turn the basement into a studio. It would take a little work, but be much more cost effective.”

  He swallowed, and fought back the panic surging inside him. Their relationship was just developing. It’s not like they were going to marry any time soon. He just needed to relax, and do what his parents continually advised—trust in the Lord.

  Kicking at the sand with his toe, he gently cleared his throat. “So, tell me how it went at Mr. Hanks’ house? It sounds like Taylin helped you out.”

  Addie told him all about the photo shoot with Taylin. The girls didn’t have school since it was a teacher prep day for the upcoming new term, and Taylin willingly got up with the sun to be a model for Addie. Not surprisingly, Ashlee opted to stay home and sleep.

  “Mr. Hanks, or I should say Oscar was really cute and followed me around. Can you believe he even let me get a few shots of him sitting on the porch playing his harmonica?”

  Chase smiled. Addie charmed everyone she met. “Yeah, I can believe that. He was completely smitten with you.”

  He began to relax as he listened to her talk about the girls at the youth center. He felt a twinge of jealousy when Addie mentioned Pastor Dave was there. As Chase walked the length of the beach, the conversation flowed and they talked about everything and nothing until his phone beeped low-battery.

  Forced to say good-night, he slipped the phone in his pocket and slowly made his way back to the hotel. He felt a little better about things. They would just take things one day at a time.

  He entered the lobby and walked toward the restaurant, hoping it was still open. An older lady greeted him. “How many, sir?”

  “Just me,” he said, following her into the dimly lit room.

  There were only a few people having a late-night dinner. Most of them were couples. Wanting to have a view of the ocean, he requested a booth by the window.

  Chase slid onto the high-backed seat as the waitress placed a menu in front of him. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Coke, please.” He pointed to the card on the table with a picture of a steak. “And I’ll have the special. Medium rare.” He offered her a tired smile and handed back the menu. “Thank you.”

  She winked. “Be back shortly.”

  He stared out the window and tried not to think about his problems. Well, at least not all of his problems. He still had no idea what would happen once Hayden told her dad about Nashborough. Maybe the man would be so thrilled Chase was moving away from his daughter he wouldn’t care where he went.

  Hayden’s tenacity still astounded him. Hopefully, she got the message once and for all that he wasn’t interested.

  The waitress delivered his food quickly, allowing him to focus on something else. Halfway through his meal, he heard someone being seated behind him.

  Just as his fingers curled around the glass of soda, he froze when the person behind him spoke in a harsh whisper.

  “Barb? This is Hayden, can you talk?”

  Chase didn’t know what to do. Staying meant another possible confrontation, but if he got up to leave, she would definitely see him. The only thing he could do was wait it out. He took another bite of his dinner, but nearly choked when he heard more of Hayden’s conversation.

  “I tried, but Chase refused to see me alone.” Her voice broke on a sob. “What am I gonna do?”

  The food in Chase’s mouth turned to lead. He grabbed his Coke and washed it down. Eavesdropping was never a good idea, but as he listened to Hayden talk, everything became crystal clear.

  When he had heard enough, he scooted out of his seat to confront the woman who was intent on dragging him down with her.

  Chase stood in front of her and watched the color drain from her face, leaving her skin as white as the dress she wore. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she ended her call.

  He saw her swallow as he sat down across from her. “You’re…pregnant?”

  Fear flashed in her eyes before she dropped her gaze to stare at her phone. “I guess you heard everything.”

  Yeah. He’d heard every word about how she planned to lure him into her bed so she could make him the father of her baby. She was desperate, and needed it to happen quickly in order for it to be plausible.

  His gut twisted with anger, his hands clenched tightly into fists as he took in a slow breath. “Call your father. Right now.”

  Hayden lifted her eyes and shook her head. A bitter smile twisted her lips. “No.”

  “Then I will.” Angrily, Chase grabbed his phone, hoping it had enough juice to make one more call.

  Her blue eyes hardened with cool disdain. “And who do you think he’ll believe?”

  “Hayden, I am not taking the blame for this.” Chase’s fingers clamped down on his phone in frustration. She was right, though. Even if he did call her dad, he probably wouldn’t believe him. But he wasn’t giving up that easily. “You know, once the baby is born there are tests that will prove my innocence.”

  “True. But in the mean time, I wonder what your new little girlfriend will think?”

  The subtle threat made his chest constrict. He had no idea Hayden would stoop this low. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Hmm, guess I just don’t like the other possible candidates.”

  “Sorry.” He ground his teeth together. “But I’m not in the running.” He held out his phone. “Either you call your father or I will
.”

  She blew out a big breath. “I’m not ready to announce…um, my news just yet, so what exactly are we callin’ my daddy about?”

  Okay. His sisters were angels. He would never complain about them again.

  “How about the truth?”

  “Tell you what.” She leaned in close. “I’ll make sure my daddy knows we aren’t an item anymore if you keep my problem to yourself.” She smiled. “As a bonus, I’ll even forget about the Nashville job."

  Yeah, like he was going to broadcast her predicament. The sooner he could distance himself, the better. “I promise. I won’t tell a soul.”

  “Good.” She traced her finger across the rim of her water glass. “I’d hate to think what Adrianna or whatever her name is would think if rumors started flying.”

  Hayden wanted him to react. He wasn’t going to give her anything. “Right.”

  She eyed him for a few seconds before pressing a number on her phone and lifted it to her ear. “Daddy, I need to ask you a favor.” A lock of her dark hair fell across her shoulder as she leaned back into the booth. “Promise me you won’t fire Chase just because I’ve decided to end our relationship.”

  Some of the tension melted away. It was decent of her to at least allow him to keep his job. For now.

  Her mouth pressed into a pout. “No. It was all me.” Her gaze flickered to Chase. “Let’s just say I think I can do better.” After a few seconds of silence, Hayden laughed and said, “Thanks. I love you too.”

  She ended the call, the cold calculating look back in her eyes. “Happy?”

  Ecstatic. He scooted out from the booth. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  He stared at her for a moment and actually felt sorry for her. “I hope everything works out with…your situation.” He didn’t ask how this would affect her acting job.

  She smirked and took a drink of her water. “Don’t pretend like you care.”

  Chase didn’t respond. Talking with her was a no-win situation. No matter what he said, she’d find a way to turn it on him. He gave her a brief nod of the head, then turned and left the restaurant.