“Would you like some tea or something?” Kiera asked. Being three months pregnant, she knew that tea helped reduce her stress and soothed her baby.
“That would be nice, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Chloe said.
“Not at all! I’ll just be a moment,” she said, shooting a look at her husband that clearly said ‘come to the kitchen.’
Once in the kitchen, Kiera looked at Gabriel. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That Michael knocked her up?” Gabriel asked.
Kiera laughed. “Something like that. I don’t think he knows about the baby though. Why don’t you call him while I take the tea to our guest?”
Gabriel nodded and picked up the phone.
Kiera disappeared through the door, hoping to keep their guest entertained long enough for Michael to arrive. She could only imagine what his reaction would be. Not once had he mentioned a woman to any of them. Was she just a one night stand that had gone wrong? Or was she someone special and Michael just wanted to keep her to himself. It was odd that the woman hadn’t realized Michael didn’t live here anymore. He’d been gone for almost five months. More than likely, he’d moved out within a week or two getting the poor woman pregnant.
Kiera shook her head. It was all such a mess, but hopefully it would work out for the best. It wouldn’t take Michael long to get here. Maybe he could shed some light on things.
“Here you go,” Kiera said, handing a cup of tea to the woman. “You know, I don’t think I caught your name earlier.”
“Chloe… my name is Chloe,” she said, accepting the tea.
“Well Chloe, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Kiera and my husband Gabriel will join us again in a minute.”
Chloe nodded. “I didn’t mean to intrude on the two of you. I thought Michael still lived here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come.”
“I’m glad you did. I’m sure Michael will be delighted to see you.”
Chloe gulped her tea. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”
“Well, he’s on his way … I thought you’d be happy since you came here to find him,” Kiera said.
Chloe’s hands started shaking. “I’m afraid he might not be so happy to see me.”
Kiera’s face softened. “He doesn’t know about the baby, does he?”
Chloe shook her head.
Kiera sighed. “It will work out. I’m sure of it.”
Chloe gave her a small smile. “I certainly hope so.”
Gabriel stepped into the entry at the same time the front door burst open. Michael came rushing in.
“What’s the emergency?” he asked Gabriel, terrified something had happened to Kiera.
Gabriel nodded toward the living room.
Michael turned to face the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. Chloe was sitting on the couch with Kiera. He hadn’t seen her in months, but she was still breathtaking.
“Chloe, what are you doing here?” he asked.
She stood and started toward the door. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come. It was a mistake.”
As she tried to brush past him, he noticed her swollen stomach. Reaching out a hand, he grabbed her arm.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked. “Is it mine?”
Chloe lifted her chin. “Yes and yes.”
Michael swallowed and slowly let his hand drop to his side. He was stunned and in shock. Without realizing it, he allowed Chloe to slip past him and out the door. By the time he shook it off, she had disappeared down the block. Running out the door, he jumped in his car and went after her.
He had pushed Chloe out of his life before, but now they were bound together. One way or another, he had to make things right. He had to show Chloe how much she really meant to him.
When he had left Chloe’s that last time, he had been running scared, overwhelmed with emotions he hadn’t wanted to name. Now he had to make things right. No matter how long it took, he had to make Chloe realize that she belonged by his side.
Moonlight Guardian
Ashton Grove Werewolves, Book 3
Written by Jessica Coulter Smith
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Dedication
I would like to say a special thank you to my husband for putting up with me while I’m writing (I tend to put on blinders and ignore everything else in the world); thanks to Mom and Dennis for being supportive; thank you to my friends for encouraging me to go on even when I get frustrated.
Chapter One
Chloe sighed as she trudged up the walkway toward her apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had left at the moment. She’d lost her job about two months ago, and last week the bank had sent someone to repossess her car. So far, her job hunting was going nowhere. She only had enough money left in her account for another week’s worth of groceries. She was behind a month in her rent and had no idea how she was going to pay it.
As she approached the building, she noticed a pile of bags, furniture, and other items out on the sidewalk. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was her things, or at least what was left of them. It looked as if they’d been ransacked already.
Tired, hungry and feeling at a loss, she walked up to the manager’s door and knocked. Mr. Marsalis answered almost immediately.
“Ah, Ms. Stevens. I’m afraid the lock has been changed on your door and your items have been removed from the premises. Your rent is now two months past due.”
“Two months? But…”
“Yes, indeed. As of this morning, you are officially two months past due. I’m sure you’ll recall that the lease agreement you signed stated that if you should become two months behind you would be evicted.”
Chloe sighed. She did remember, but she’d thought she had another day or two before it was due. Not that it would have mattered. Without a job, she didn’t have a way to pay the rent regardless of when it was due.
She weakly nodded her head.
“Yes, Mr. Marsalis. I do remember. I’m sorry for all of the trouble, but I lost my job and haven’t been able to find another.”
Mr. Marsalis gave her a pitying look.
“I really am sorry, dear. If you find a job and need a place to stay, I’ll be happy to rent to you again, but until them I’m afraid my hands are tied. I may manage the property, but I don’t own it.”
“I understand.” Chloe turned and left the building, dejected and uncertain of what she should do. Absently she rubbed her rounding stomach. She had no one to turn to; her family had been killed years ago in an earthquake in California. She'd been sent to Georgia afterward to live with some distant relatives, but they were long gone now, as well.
Picking up a sack, she put a few items of clothing in it from the sidewalk before walking away. There was no point in staring at the things that had once made up her life; she couldn’t carry it all, and even if she could, she had nowhere to take it. It was best not to think about it. If she thought about it too long, she knew she’d end up crying. Stupid pregnancy hormones!
Walking aimlessly, she pondered her fate. Where on earth could a broke, jobless, homeless pregnant woman go in such a small town? Her stomach rumbled and she remembered that she’d missed lunch. While she didn’t have much money left, she did have enough in her purse to get a late lunch at a fast food place.
She spotted a hamburger place and quickly wa
lked inside. After ordering her food, she chose a table with a window. Chloe gazed out at the beautiful September evening as she nibbled on her dinner. Unfortunately, her troubles were weighing heavy on her, and she couldn’t enjoy her meal or the view.
It was becoming clearer and clearer that she only had one option left. She had to find Michael.
***
During her meal, Chloe came to a decision. She would use what little money she had to get a hotel room for the night. She’d try one more time in the morning to get a job – any job! If she still didn’t have a way to support herself or her baby, she would look for Michael. One more day couldn’t hurt anything.
Leaving the restaurant, she walked the four blocks to a small motel on Radcliff. It wasn’t a four star hotel by any means, but it had a bed and a bathroom. That’s all she required for the moment.
Stepping into the cool interior of the motel office, she rang the bell on the desk.
A portly man in a Hawaiian print shirt stepped out of the back office. “May I help you?”
Chloe nodded. “I’d like a room please.”
“And how long will you be staying?”
“Just one night I think.”
The man noticed the sack she held in her hand and her bedraggled appearance. “Are you okay?”
She gave him a watery smile, tears springing to her eyes. “I’ll be fine. I just need a place to stay for the night.”
“I tell you what. I just started a special today. Buy one night and get two free.”
Chloe knew there was no way he was offering two free nights for the price of one. She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.
“Look, I can see you’re tired and need a place to stay for a bit. Most of my rooms are empty right now so it won’t hurt my business if you stay longer than one night.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Now, I believe your total is thirty-five dollars. Will that be cash, check, or charge?”
“Cash,” she said, digging into her purse for her wallet. Pulling out the money, she noted that she had just enough left for a few inexpensive meals. Paying the man, she accepted her room key.
“You’re in room 104.”
“Thank you,” she said, before turning and walking out of the office.
Following the path from the office door, she passed several rooms before coming to 104. Putting her key in the lock, she opened the door. The inside wasn’t as bad as she’d feared it would be. The floral bedspread was a little faded from age, but the room was clean.
The queen size bed beckoned to her. Kicking off her shoes, she decided to lie down and rest for a bit. Within moments, she was asleep.
Chloe didn’t wake up until the next morning. She was starving, but knew she needed to stretch her money. Instead of going to breakfast, she picked up a newspaper and scoured the classifieds, hoping against hope she would find a job.
She noticed two possibilities, both of which were nearby. Grabbing her purse and her room key, she set out on foot. The closest one wasn’t her favorite, but any money was better than no money. At this point, she was ready to take a job cleaning houses if it meant she’d have money for a place to sleep and food to eat.
Stopping in front of the store, she took a breath and went inside. It was a small boutique specializing in upscale women’s clothing. Not the type of place Chloe was used to being in, but surely that wouldn’t be an issue for a simple sales clerk position.
As she made her way to the back, she noticed the women in the store. Most were polished and obviously came from money. The only sales clerk she saw on the floor was dressed in a black skirt suit. Was that the required type of clothing for their sales people?
Chloe approached the checkout counter and noticed the woman behind the counter also wore a suit. Obviously this wasn’t the right place for her. Without even stopping, she made a u-turn and headed for the door. There was no sense in wasting their time, or hers.
Once she was back out on the sidewalk, she sighed and looked at the next potential job on her list. A floral shop needed a receptionist. Chloe had no doubt she was qualified to answer a phone, and a floral shop should be a fairly casual place to work. At least, she hoped that was the case.
After walking several blocks, Chloe stopped in front of Ackman’s Flower Shop. When she opened the door, a bell jingled overhead. Stepping into the store, the scent of flowers hit Chloe, making her sneeze. She loved flowers, but the scent was over-powering. Before she could take another step, she sneezed two more times and her eyes began to water.
Backing out of the store, Chloe stood once more on the sidewalk. How could she answer their phones if she couldn’t even stand in the shop?
Her stomach growled and reminded her she hadn’t eaten yet. Giving in, she walked over to the McDonald’s on the corner. If she kept eating out, she’d be completely broke by the next morning.
As she ate her food, she stared thoughtfully out the window. It seemed she was out of options. While she might have another two nights at the motel, she didn’t have enough money for meals. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to find Michael. If she and her baby were going to survive, he was her only hope.
***
After her meal, Chloe slowly trudged along the sidewalk. She remembered that Michael worked at his family’s garage and that he'd mentioned living across the street. She knew where Andrews Auto Repair was located, which meant his home had to be the large Victorian across from it. Unfortunately for her, both were still several blocks away. She hated to spend money she didn’t have, but it was apparent a bus was in order; walking was out of the question.
Stopping at the nearest bus stop, she sat on the bench and waited. Before too long, the bus she needed stopped and she got in. Dropping her money into the machine by the door, she took the first vacant seat she came across.
Two blocks from the Victorian, the bus let her out. She slowly made her way along the sidewalk, deep in thought.
What would she say to Michael? Hi, remember me? The woman you knocked up? No, she obviously couldn’t say that. Not if she wanted his help. And honestly, what did she expect him to do? It’s not like he could make a job miraculously appear for her. She wasn’t sure what she expected or what she wanted. Chloe only knew that she was completely out of options.
Standing in front of the large house, she gazed up at it in wonder. It was pretty intimidating up close. She'd never been inside of a home this large before. For all she knew, he’d slam the door in her face, and she wouldn’t get a chance to go inside one now either.
Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps and knocked on the door. She was surprised when a beautiful woman with black hair opened the door. Was this why Michael hadn’t been around? Had he not only moved on, but allowed a woman to move in?
“May I help you with something?”
Chloe clutched her short-sleeve cardigan a little tighter around her, feeling insecure wasn’t something she was accustomed to and she didn’t like it.
“I was hoping that Michael might be at home,” she murmured, her voice low and husky with unshed tears. Her hormones were working overtime. She hated being so emotional all the time. Just the thought that Michael had replaced her so quickly hurt more than she cared to admit.
“Michael? I’m afraid he doesn’t live here anymore,” the woman told her.
Chloe’s breath caught in her throat. He’d moved? Now what she going to do? She had no way to find him and she had nowhere else to go. On the plus side, that meant he hadn’t replaced her with the raven haired beauty standing before her.
“I’m sorry to have bothered you,” she said in a near whisper and started backing away from the door.
“Wait. Why don’t you come in for a minute?”
Chloe shook her head. “I’ve disturbed you enough for one night, but thank you.”
A large man walked up behind the woman. Chloe could tell he was related to Michael. She remembered him mentioning two brothers. If she had to gu
ess, Chloe would say that she was currently facing the oldest brother.
“What’s going on?” the man asked, putting his arms around his wife.
The woman tipped her head back to look up at him. “This young woman was just looking for Michael. I told her that he doesn’t live here anymore.”
“No, he doesn’t. Would you like to come in for a minute? Maybe have some tea or coffee?” he asked.
Chloe let go of her cardigan long enough to hold up a hand. “No, really… I should be going.”
His eyes widened in shock as he took in the gentle swelling of Chloe’s stomach. “Are you pregnant?”
Chloe blushed. “Um, yeah, I am… only about five months though.”
He seemed to do a quick calculation in his head and come to the conclusion that Michael was the father if his next statement was anything to go by. “I think you need to come in for a few minutes.” His tone brooked no argument.
Chloe sighed and hesitantly stepped into the front entry. She looked around at her surroundings. The walls had been freshly painted and everything gleamed. It was just as beautiful as she’d thought it would be.
The woman motioned toward the living room. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll keep you company while Gabriel makes us some tea. I’m Kiera, by the way.”
Chloe nodded and walked over to the sofa. As she sank into the comfy cushions, a sigh escaped her before she could stop it. Getting off her feet felt heavenly; the sofa being extra cushy just made it that much better.
“I’m Chloe.”
Gabriel disappeared, leaving Chloe alone with Kiera. Michael’s brother returned several minutes later with two cups of tea in his hands.
“I was just asking Chloe where she was staying,” Kiera said as Gabriel walked into the living room.
Chloe’s blush had deepened until her whole face was bright red. She was staring intently at something on the floor, trying to hide behind a curtain of hair, making it obvious that she was ashamed of where she lived.
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