Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  Oh, BTW, I want to bring you as my date to the family party.

  Setting the phone onto the countertop, he broke out in a cold sweat when he imagined showing up at the party as a couple. Worse, if Chase didn’t like the idea of Beau dating his little sister, then he wouldn’t be going to the party. Period. And if he and Ashlee didn’t work out, he’d probably never attend another family function again.

  He wasn’t sure how long he stood there stewing about everything, but an incoming call made his phone buzz against the granite.

  “You’re freaking out again, aren’t you?” Ashlee said in a soft voice.

  It was crazy, but just hearing her voice calmed him down. It shouldn’t, since she was the source of all his angst, but it did.

  “I may have been.”

  “Was it the family party that scared you off or the fact that I wouldn’t mind sneaking around with you?”

  Leaning his back against the counter, he smiled. “All of it.”

  She sighed. “Beau, I still think we shouldn’t say anything yet. Let’s just take this next week getting to know each other as a couple without any pressure or expectations from our family.”

  While he was entertained by her crazy, he liked this side of her too. “All right, that sounds like a good plan.”

  “And if we’re not ready to tell the family by the time Taylin gets home, then that’s okay too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, but I’m going to have to insist on a few clandestine interludes if we do that. The longing looks from across the room aren’t going to cut it for me.”

  The cold sweat morphed into something hotter as he imagined sneaking off into a dark corner to kiss her. “I see your point.”

  “You do?” she asked incredulously. “I was kidding around, but you’ve already committed so you can’t take it back.”

  He was about to tell her that he didn’t want to go back when his eye caught sight of the lone dinette set sitting in an otherwise empty kitchen. Had he really forgotten that a few days after Luke and Taylin’s party he was moving to Savannah to start a new job?

  “Are you still there?” Ashlee asked tentatively.

  “Yeah.” He pushed away from the counter and walked over to the kitchen window. Moonlight illuminated the back yard and the farm land beyond the property line. He hated the thought of a crowded housing development surrounding his grandparents’ house. “Ash, you remember that I’m moving to Savannah, right?”

  “Yes.” She paused. “It totally sucks, and the timing is all off, but it doesn’t mean we can’t keep dating.”

  The mature outlook surprised him again. She was right, though. Savannah was less than three hours away. Commuting back and forth might be a pain, but not impossible. “When did you get to be so smart?”

  “I’m goin’ to take that as a compliment and not that you’re implying I’m dumb.”

  “Ashlee, we’ve already had this conversation. You’re not dumb, so don’t say it again.”

  “Roger that,” she said in a teasing voice. “Or am I supposed to say hooah?”

  “Do you even know what that means?”

  “Of course, but first I want to know if I said it correctly.”

  “You did,” he said, turning around to put two slices of bread in the toaster.

  “Hooah,” she said, changing the inflection of the tone slightly. “In case you’re still questioning my military lingo knowledge, the first time I meant it as ‘yes sir’, but the second time I meant it as ‘yes, I got it right’.”

  “Wow,” he said on a laugh. “I’m impressed.”

  “Hang on,” she whispered into the phone. Then he heard another voice. It was Addie.

  “Izzy is asleep, and Chase is working on a new song. So I want to hear all about your date.”

  “There’s not much to tell, other than I’m a rock star in bowling and I don’t plan on seeing Kade again. There was zero chemistry. At least for me.”

  It was stupid for Beau to feel jealous about her date with Kade. He’d practically forced her to go out with the kid.

  “That’s it? Nothing else happened?”

  “Pretty much,” Ashlee said.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Addie asked, a suspicious tone to her voice.

  “Yeah, but I’m a little hungry. How about we split the leftover lemon bars and watch a chick flick?”

  There was a marked silence. Beau wasn’t sure if the call had been disconnected. He glanced at the screen and saw the call was still open. Addie was talking when he put the phone back to his ear.

  “I’ll get it out of you eventually, but for now we’ll pretend like nothing new has happened in your love-life.”

  He heard a door close and some rustling and then Ashlee’s breathy laugh. “She may be on to us,” she said. “To be honest, I’ve been plotting with her on how to get your attention.”

  That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since he’d done his own plotting, so to speak. “She’s a double agent then because she’s the one that told me what time Kade was bringing you home.”

  Ashlee was silent, and he wondered if she was mad all over again about him ruining the end of her date.

  “Why Beau Jacobsen,” she said, sounding like a proper Southern bell, “I do believe you like me.”

  Chapter 21

  The next day, Ashlee practically floated on happiness. Beau had kissed her. He’d actually kissed her. Now everything in life seemed like sunshine and flowers. Definitely less tedious, including work. Even the birthday girl’s creepy stepfather, who had cornered Ashlee in the hallway to find out if she ever did private parties for one, couldn’t take away the joy she felt.

  After she and Beau had shared those incredible kisses— she still couldn’t believe that part— she had totally been prepared to talk him off a ledge this morning. But he hadn’t freaked out. Instead, he’d invited her to drive with him to Atlanta to pick up a hard-to-find part for his motorcycle.

  Pulling into her driveway, she parked her car under the magnolia tree that flanked one side of the circular driveway and rushed inside the house to get ready for her first official date with Beau.

  Her mother was in the kitchen preparing supper and called out to her as she rushed by.

  Backtracking a few steps, Ashlee stepped into the kitchen. “Hey, Mama. Did you need something?”

  “Only to say hello to my daughter.” She narrowed her gaze slightly. “Is everything okay?”

  “Perfect,” Ashlee chirped. Then she added, “It was a good day at work.”

  “That’s wonderful.” She studied her for a few more seconds, and Ashlee tried to tone down her happiness meter. “Can we expect you for supper or do you have plans tonight?” her mother asked, still watching her closely.

  Ashlee couldn’t say no, yet she couldn’t fully disclose her date with Beau. Not until they were both ready. “No, ma’am, I have plans.” She sniffed the air. “But it smells amazing. I hope there are leftovers.”

  “Not likely with my husband around,” Addie said, coming up the basement stairs. “I swear he’s the one eating for two, yet he never gains a pound.” Her sister-in-law took a seat at the bar and met Ashlee’s gaze with a tiny smirk. “Hot date tonight?”

  “I do have a date tonight,” Ashlee said, hoping Addie wouldn’t press for any more information. Last night, she’d tried to get Ashlee to tell her about the unaccounted time between Kade bringing her home and her coming into the house, but Ashlee had successfully sidestepped her inquiries. “And I’m goin’ to be late for it if I don’t hurry and change.”

  “Are we going to get to meet this young man?” her mother asked, opening the oven door to pull out a fresh pan of cornbread. “I don’t like the idea of you going out with a stranger.”

  Both her parents had been disappointed things didn’t work out with Kade. She knew they were worried about her using the dating app. Her mother had sent her the link to an article this morning about several girls who had been the victim of date rape with m
en they’d met online.

  Ashlee hoped she never had to resort to using a dating app again. One of the first things she’d done this morning had been to delete her profile from Flirt. However, her mother didn’t know that.

  “I’m not going out with a stranger, Mama. He and I both have mutual acquaintances.” She avoided looking at Addie. “I don’t think he’d be very comfortable meeting my family on our first date. We’re still getting to know each other better.”

  “Just promise me you’ll be safe.” Her mother placed the hot pan on top of the stove. “And make sure your cell phone is charged in case of an emergency.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ashlee’s eyes darted to her sister-in-law. “How is Izzy doing?”

  “Much better. Modern medication is amazing.” Her lips tilted up. “Have fun tonight.”

  “I’ll try,” Ashlee said with a wave. She hurried up the stairs, grateful that she’d been able to honestly answer her mother’s questions. Everything she’d said was completely true.

  Once she was inside her room, she peeled off her clothes and took a quick shower, avoiding getting her hair wet. Since she’d played the role of Rapunzel, her hair hung down in loose curls, not looking much different than most days. Using her flat iron, she touched up some of the curls. Then she dressed in dark-wash denim Bermuda shorts and paired it with a pink V-neck tee. After spritzing on her favorite perfume, she slipped on a pair of flip-flops and hurried down the stairs.

  She popped her head into the kitchen to say goodbye. Thankfully, her mother was the only one there. “I know you’re an adult, Ashlee, but what time do you think you’ll be home so I won’t worry too much?”

  Ashlee really missed the independence of having her own apartment, but until she had a steadier job that didn’t involve dressing up as a princess, she didn’t have a choice. “I promise I’ll be home before midnight.”

  Her mother nodded her head, although she still looked concerned. “Have a fun evening.”

  Ashlee delayed leaving, long enough to kiss her mother on the cheek. “I’m going out with a good guy, Mama. If things go well, then I promise to introduce you to him as soon as possible.”

  “All right.” Her mother smiled and tugged on the end of her braid. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

  “Thank you.” Ashlee hugged her mother briefly, before hurrying out the door.

  Butterflies danced wildly in her stomach as she turned down the road to the Jacobsen house. It still seemed so unreal that Beau had kissed her and wanted to date her. It made her a believer in dreams coming true just like they did in the fairy tales, and she really hoped her happily-ever-after was meant to be with Beau.

  He was waiting for her on the front porch. She climbed out of her car and watched him as he descended the stairs. He looked good wearing trendy tan colored jeans, a dark gray button-down shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbow, and a white tee underneath.

  “Hey,” she said, crossing the yard to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. “Sorry I’m a few minutes late. The party went over a little.”

  “We’re good.” His gaze swept over her, and he smiled. “You look pretty in pink.”

  “Thank you, you look good too.” She assessed his clothing again. Maybe she should’ve asked him for a dress code. “But I feel a little underdressed.”

  “Nah, you look great.” He reached out and took her hand. “Other than work clothes, this is all I have left clean.”

  They headed for his SUV, walking around the back to get to the passenger side. Before Beau opened her door, he surprised her by pulling her into him for a hug. “Last night was crazy,” he said, holding her to him.

  Ashlee melted against him, circling her arms around his torso. He smelled so incredibly good. “It was a good crazy though, right?”

  “Yeah.” He held her for a moment longer and then released her.

  She was reluctant to let him go, but her arms dropped to her side when he stepped back and opened her door. “Thanks,” she said, pulling herself up to settle on the seat.

  Beau held on to the top of the door, a troubled look in his eyes. “I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t help it,” he said, before leaning down to brush his mouth against hers. Once, twice, and then a third time. “Okay,” he said, moving away from the door. “Now we can go.”

  Ashlee steadied her heart as he rounded the front of the vehicle. She certainly hadn’t expected that. He surprised her further as they drove to Atlanta. The entire drive, she kept waiting for him to bring up all the obstacles dating each other imposed. Instead, they spent their time talking and getting to know each other better.

  When she told him the reason she’d quit her last job in Florida, Beau was so mad he threatened to drive there to hunt Jed down.

  “He’s not worth it,” Ashlee said. “Besides, my old roommate texted me a couple of weeks after I left and said that Jed had been caught smoking weed and was fired. I’m sure he moved back home to Alabama.”

  “If he ever contacts you, I want to know.”

  “All right, but in the end, I’m glad it happened when it did. I would’ve missed out on helping with Taylin’s wedding.”

  The rest of the drive was spent talking about how Taylin and Luke met. She kept him entertained with the whole story, including the tornado they’d survived and how a helicopter had rescued them. It made Ashlee miss her sister even more. She longed to talk with her about what was happening with Beau.

  Traffic got heavier as they entered Atlanta’s city limits, and Ashlee stopped talking so Beau could navigate the crowded highway. They were delayed for at least forty minutes due to a minor accident and barely made it to the shop before it closed.

  After stopping at a small diner recommended to them by the owner of the motorcycle shop, they made the journey back home. Once Beau was on the interstate, he reached across and took Ashlee’s hand.

  “Tell me about living in Afghanistan,” Ashlee asked.

  As he talked, she desperately wanted to question him about his girlfriend. Once again, Beau surprised her when he voluntarily offered up the information about Jenna.

  The extreme dislike she felt towards his ex-girlfriend was tempered only by the fact that Beau said he’d never really loved her. Still, Ashlee was a girl and wanted to ask him for details about Jenna, like the color of her hair and eyes, how tall she was and if she was tall and skinny or short and curvy. She didn’t ask, because she didn’t want to come across as a jealous teenager, but she planned to do a little internet stalking just as soon as she could.

  Once they were home, she kept him company in the garage while he worked on the motorcycle. Then he gave her another sweet kiss goodbye that left her dreaming about wedding dresses all night long.

  The next day, she had back to back parties. She and Beau had texted off and on all day, making plans to see each other after she got off work. She planned on driving directly to his house once she changed out of her costume.

  Today she’d played the Snow Queen at both parties, so she left her hair in the long braid that hung over one shoulder. Most of the girls used hair extensions to make their braids longer and thicker, but Ashlee didn’t need to. While it was a good thing her own hair was naturally long enough for all of the hairstyles, she envied the girls who could unclip their hair extensions at the end of the day. She’d have to wash her hair tonight to get out the kinks from being braided all day.

  “You have any plans tonight?” Bridget asked. The natural red head played the role of the Snow Queen’s sister, and she was one of Ashlee’s favorite people to work with.

  “Yep, I have a hot date,” Ashlee answered, as she wiggled into a pair of distressed cutoff jeans.

  “Did you find him using Flirt?”

  “Nope. I’ve known this guy for a long time.” Ashlee pulled an aqua blue tank over her head and tucked in her bra straps. “He just finally noticed me.” She completed her ensemble by slipping on a white, sheer blouse that tied at the waist.

  “A bunch of us a
re meeting at Gracie’s Haven if you and your new guy want to meet us there.” Bridget stepped out of her dressing room at the same time as Ashlee. The two girls laughed when they saw they were wearing similar outfits. Only Bridget was wearing cowgirl boots instead of strappy sandals.

  “Have fun,” Ashlee said, hurrying out to her VW.

  There were several trucks of various makes and models parked in front of the Jacobsen house. Ashlee pulled in alongside Beau’s SUV and cut the engine. A few men working on the porch looked up as she walked toward the house. She wasn’t trying to draw their attention, but she guessed being the only girl was making it hard for them not to stare.

  “Hey, y’all,” she said as she came closer. “I’m here to see Beau. Is he around?”

  One of the men closest to the railing jumped to his feet and sauntered over to lean against the post. “Are you sure you want Beau?” he said with a cocky grin. “Or did you mean Blake?” He pointed a finger at his chest. “I’m Blake, by the way.”

  Blake was cute with thick, light brown hair that was worn a little longer so it brushed the collar of his shirt. He had dark brown eyes, and a body that let her know he frequented the gym and not the bar. Still, he wasn’t Beau.

  “Blake!” an older gentleman hollered. “Get back to work.”

  “Yes sir,” Blake said with an eye roll. Then he pointed at his chest again. “If Beau is too busy, I’m totally available.”

  The older guy handed Blake a hammer. “Go get Beau, and then you’re on cleanup duty tonight.”

  “I’m already on cleanup duty,” Blake said with a laugh. Then he glanced back at Ashlee. “I’ll go get Beau, but remember what I said.”

  “Sorry about him,” the older man said, wiping a hand across his forehead. “I’m Lane Dearden, and the cocky kid is my nephew.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Dearden,” Ashlee said, coming closer. “I’m Ashlee Nichols.”

  “Here comes Beau now,” Lane said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. The older man got a phone call and walked toward the opposite end of the porch that was already finished.