Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  “Okay,” Ashlee said, wondering why her mother was acting so odd. Leaning in close to the mirror, she examined her teeth. They were free from any food particles. “I’m good, Mama.”

  “Oh good.” Her mother didn’t move out of the doorway, blocking Ashlee’s exit. “You really do look lovely tonight, Ashlee.”

  “Thank you.” Ashlee waited for her mom to move, but she held her ground. “Um, Mama, do you need to use the restroom or something?”

  “No, no.” She laughed breathlessly. “I just… would you mind getting me some tissue paper? I didn’t bring a hankie with me.”

  Okay, what was the deal with her mother? Ashlee walked the short distance and pulled on the end of the toilet paper, tearing it off when she had a substantial length. “Here you go,” she said, giving it to her mother.

  “Perfect.” Her mother stepped out of the way, allowing Ashlee to pass by. “Thank you, sugar.”

  “Ash,” Taylin said, motioning her to come stand by her. Her sister had migrated from the front of the room over to the French doors. “Come here for a second.”

  The guests grew quiet as Ashlee made her way toward Taylin. There was definitely something going on.

  “We have a special surprise for Ashlee to celebrate her new job.” Taylin pulled out a black sleeping mask from behind her and handed it to Ashlee. “But she needs to be blindfolded before we all go outside.”

  “Does Chase have to wear one of these?” Ashlee said, trying to find her brother amongst the onlookers. “He’s got a new job too.”

  “Nope, this surprise is just for you,” Taylin chirped. “Now get the mask on and I’ll lead you outside.”

  “Okay,” Ashlee said, slipping the mask over her eyes. She secured it using the Velcro on the back.

  “Can you see anything?” Taylin asked.

  Ashlee blinked, her eyelashes scraping along the fabric. “Not a thing.”

  “Let’s go then,” Taylin said. “Mama, can you open the doors?”

  Ashlee’s mother didn’t reply, but she heard the sound of the door sliding open and felt the outside air flow inside the room.

  “We’re heading for the stairs,” Taylin said, leading her outside and across the deck. “You still can’t see anything, right?” she asked squeezing Ashlee’s upper arm.

  “No, and my eyelashes don’t like it very much.”

  “Just down the stairs and then we can take it off,” Taylin said, leading her down the few steps.

  Behind her, she heard a collective gasp from several people. What was her family giving her? A new boat?

  “So pretty,” Isabelle said from somewhere behind her. Chase said something to his daughter that Ashlee couldn’t hear, but she thought it was the promise of more ice cream if she didn’t say anything more.

  “Almost there,” Taylin said.

  Ashlee’s shoes connected with the edge of the dock, and Taylin pulled her to a stop. She could feel her sister was trembling as she positioned Ashlee straight ahead and removed the mask.

  Ashlee blinked, trying to focus her eyes. She sucked in a quick breath as she took in the scene before her. “Is this for real?” she whispered, grabbing on to her sister’s hand in case her knees buckled. Floating lanterns dotted the surface of the lake. Light shimmered through the transparent material, making it look like the stars in the sky.

  Ashlee didn’t hear her sister’s reply as her gaze connected with a man standing at the end of the dock. It was Beau, dressed in a billowing white shirt with tan colored trousers that were tucked into long black leather boots.

  Chapter 30

  Chase had tried to warn Beau that Ashlee looked completely different with her shorter hair. He hadn’t done a good enough job though. The sexy, sophisticated woman standing before him didn’t look a thing like any of the fairy-tale princesses she role played. She looked more like a starlet ready to walk down the red carpet.

  Feeling like someone had just punched him in the solar plexus, Beau drew in a shallow breath and drank in the sight of Ashlee as she let go of Taylin’s hand and started walking toward him.

  The small row boat tapped against the edge of the dock. He sure hoped he’d remembered to secure it, or Addie and Taylin would kill him for destroying their creative proposal idea. Mr. Nichols, Chase, Jackson and Luke wouldn’t be very happy with him either. They’d helped distribute the hundreds of floating lanterns that spread across Plantation Lake. It had taken a lot longer than they’d anticipated, but the effect was almost as stunning as the beautiful woman he desperately wanted to kiss.

  He felt ridiculous in the costume, but Addie and Taylin had convinced him that dressing up like Prince Charming would help make up for the pain he’d caused Ashlee. They also said Ashlee didn’t believe in fairy tales anymore, and they wanted her to have her own happily ever after. Beau had agreed to go along with the costume, but refused to put on the sissy tights.

  Nerves made his hands feel clammy as Ashlee continued to walk toward him. The full moon acted as a spotlight, keeping her out of the shadows and giving him full access to her lovely face. She wasn’t frowning, but she wasn’t quite smiling either. To be honest, she looked a little dazed. When she was almost within reach, she came to a stop, leaving at least two feet between them.

  Their eyes locked, and Beau forgot what he was supposed to do next. He was fairly certain the two women who had planned this whole thing had said she’d run down the dock, throw her arms around him and kiss him soundly.

  Her lips twitched slightly as Ashlee scanned him from the top of his head down to his boots. When her eyes drifted back up to his, he detected a hint of amusement. “I can’t decide if you’re dressed like a prince or a pirate.”

  “I’m supposed to be the guy in the movie we watched, but for the life of me I can’t remember his name right now.”

  That made her gift him with a real smile that brought out the faint dimple in her cheek. “Flynn or Eugene?”

  “Flynn. Flynn Ryder,” he said, as bits and pieces of the movie came back to him. He’d been so distracted by her that night he only vividly remembered the scene with the floating lanterns and row boat and the end where the wicked witch lady stabbed Flynn.

  “You do remember that Flynn prefers brunettes, right?”

  He shook his head and closed the distance between them. “That was Eugene. I prefer blondes.”

  She narrowed her eyes slightly. “You said you prefer blondes with long hair.”

  “I’ve changed my mind.” He reached out and fingered the end of her hair that brushed her collarbone. “This length is perfect.”

  Their eyes held for a few seconds, and Beau wanted to sweep her off her feet and kiss her. The dock swayed beneath him, making him feel unbalanced. He didn’t want to risk falling in the water and losing the diamond ring in his pocket.

  Moisture shimmered in her eyes, making the color darken. “Did you really do all this for me?”

  “I had a lot of help, but yes, this is all for you.” He extended his hand. “Care to go for a boat ride?”

  She glanced down at the small water craft. “Um, will both of us fit in there without it sinking?”

  “Your daddy already tested it. He made Chase go out with him.”

  “Please tell me you took pictures?”

  “Jackson documented everything.” Beau wiggled his outstretched fingers. “Come on, I promise I won’t let you fall in.”

  “All right.” She slipped off her sexy hot pink shoes and left them on the dock. “There,” she said taking his hand, “now I won’t fall in and pull you in with me.”

  He’d almost forgotten they had an audience. As he assisted Ashlee into the boat, their family and friends whistled and clapped from the shoreline.

  “Sit tight,” he said, carefully stepping into the middle of the boat. It tipped to one side, making Ashlee yelp and grip the edge of the boat. “Sorry,” he said, taking the seat across from her so they were facing each other. There were more whistles and clapping from their audience
.

  Beau lifted a hand and waved before taking a hold of the paddles secured in oar locks on either side of the boat. The small watercraft glided through the floating lanterns with very little effort, scattering them along the surface of the lake. They weren’t going far, just a little further down the shoreline to a neighbor’s floating dock with a gazebo that Taylin and her mother had decorated with strings of tiny white lights. The women in Ashlee’s life were determined she got the ultimate fairy-tale proposal.

  Beau was just here for the girl.

  “I want you to know that I thought about everything you said to me… and you were right.” Beau rested the oars, letting the boat slowly glide. “I overanalyze every possible outcome. I make a plan and then try to follow it exactly. I just never counted on falling in love with my best friend’s little sister.”

  Her luminous eyes widened in astonishment. “You love me?”

  “I do. I love you, Ashlee.” His voice broke, so he gently cleared his throat. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out, but when I did I knew I couldn’t live without you.”

  “I love you, too.” She shook her head slightly and laughed. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “I can’t believe we’re in a tiny boat, and I can’t kiss you.” He could see the lighted gazebo coming up, so he started rowing again. “In case you’re wondering, I didn’t come up with this plan. If I had, I would’ve already kissed you, and you’d have a ring on your finger.”

  That shocked look was back on her face. “Beau, did you just ask me to marry you?”

  “If I did,” he said with a grin, “that definitely wasn’t part of the plan.” They were nearing their destination, and he could see the party of family and friends had already relocated on the nearby shore. “Taylin and Addie are going to kill me if you tell them that’s how I proposed.”

  “I don’t want their plan.” She let go of the sides of the boat. “I want yours.” She stood up, and the boat rocked from side to side until she gained her balance.

  He didn’t have a plan. At least not the romantic one scripted by Taylin and Addie.

  “I’m coming over there,” Ashlee said, taking a precarious step forward. Beau heard a collective gasp from the shore when the boat tilted from side to side again. “I probably won’t fall into the water if you meet me halfway.”

  He remembered the ring in his pocket. The pants were too tight for the velvet ring box, but if they hit the water, the material might loosen and the ring could fall out. He needed to stick to the plan.

  Laughter glittered in her eyes as Ashlee took another step toward him, her beautiful face lit up with the joy in the moment.

  Forget the plan. He was here for the girl.

  Letting go of the oars, he stood up. The boat tilted dramatically to one side, making their audience gasp again. Ashlee steadied herself as he distributed his weight evenly to balance the boat. Then he inched forward until they could hold hands.

  “You sure you don’t want the fairytale version?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over the ring finger of her left hand.

  She shook her head. “I’m more into reality these days.”

  Beau stared into her light blue eyes as anticipation charged the air around them. He didn’t dare get down on one knee, and he couldn’t recall what he’d rehearsed throughout the day. All he knew was that he loved this girl.

  “Ashlee, I’ve been lucky enough to know you most of your life. I’ve cared about you, teased you, and gotten you out of a few scrapes.”

  “More than a few,” Ashlee teased.

  “Yeah, more than a few.” He smiled, thinking of the times she’d called him instead of her brother because she knew he would come without question. “I promise to keep caring about you, make you laugh every day and be there to rescue you whenever you need me.”

  Her eyes shone bright in the pale light of the moon as he let go of her hand temporarily to retrieve the ring. The pocket wasn’t very big, and he could only slide the tips of his fingers into the slot. He dug a little deeper until he felt the edge of the ring.

  “I don’t have everything planned out, and I can’t promise things will always be easy or fun, but I promise to be faithful and to love you forever.”

  As he wiggled the ring free, he felt her tremble and watched a single tear slip down her cheek. “I love you, Ashlee Ann Nichols and would be the luckiest man in Georgia if you’ll agree to be my wife and marry me.”

  She made a tiny noise that was a cross between a gasp and a laugh when he held up the ring. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered as the moisture in her eyes spilled over her dark lower lashes. “This is so crazy.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” he said, positioning the ring at the tip of her finger.

  She laughed and wiped at a tear with her free hand. “Yes!” She wiggled her ring finger. “Of course, it’s a yes!”

  His hand shook slightly as he slipped it onto her finger. Ashlee hiccupped on a laugh as she held up the ring to inspect it. The diamond sparkled under the moonlight as she tilted it forward. Loud applause, accompanied by a few whistles, erupted from all around them.

  The boat teetered as Beau moved forward. He and Ashlee went completely still until the rocking motion settled down. Then, with tenderness and love welling inside of him, he gently held her face with his hands. “Thank you,” he said, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip. “For waiting for me and for saying yes.” Not giving her a chance to reply, he swooped down and captured her mouth, kissing her long and slow.

  He tuned out the cheering crowd, his focus solely on his future bride. When Ashlee wrapped her arms around his waist, Beau slid his hands into her hair and deepened the kiss.

  He felt a jarring motion that abruptly ended the kiss. As the boat tipped sideways, he held on to Ashlee. The winking lights on the gazebo were the last thing he saw before they both tumbled into the lake.

  Keeping a hold of Ashlee, he pulled her with him until they both surfaced above the water. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m perfect,” she said with a laugh. “Best proposal ever.” Then she pressed her mouth to his and kissed him until they started to sink again.

  Sputtering, they came up for air and kicked their way over to the gazebo. Beau saw the group of spectators had mostly migrated to the dock by the time they reached the edge of it.

  “I’m assuming my daughter said yes,” Mr. Nichols said as he held out a helping hand.

  “Yes, sir,” Beau said, pushing Ashlee in front of him so she could grip her father’s hand.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” Ashlee said, hoisting herself onto the edge of the floating wooden structure. She pulled at the front of her shirt so her lacy bra was no longer visible through the now transparent material.

  “Welcome to the family,” Chase said, reaching down to give Beau a hand. “I told you she was a handful when you fell into the pool at Taylin’s wedding.”

  “Yeah, you did.” Beau chuckled as he sat on the edge of the dock. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said as he pulled off one boot and dumped out the water.

  “That was epic,” Jackson said, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. “Got it all on video too.”

  “Thanks.” Beau gave his friend a fist bump before he dumped the water out from the other boot. Pushing his wet hair off from his forehead, he stood up to find his future father-in-law was waiting for him. Beau had known Mr. Nichols for a long time, but he couldn’t read what the man was thinking. Hopefully he wasn’t taking back the blessing he’d granted for Beau to marry his daughter.

  “Sir, I’m sorry about that.” Beau twisted the bottom of the voluminous shirt to wring the water out. “I know it was a little off script.”

  A slow grin softened the older man’s face. “Say no more.” He looked over at Ashlee who was showing off her engagement ring to a group of women. Charles laughed and then met Beau’s gaze again. “Son, I have a feeling that’s not the only time you’ll say those words.”


  Grinning, Beau’s gaze returned to his future bride. “You’re probably right.”

  While his grandmother and Mrs. Nichols sliced the cake Addie’s Aunt Janie had made to celebrate their engagement, Beau followed Luke back to his house to change into dry clothes. Taylin and Addie had whisked Ashlee off a few minutes earlier to get her out of her wet things.

  “Do you like to fish?” Luke asked as they made their way along the banks of the lake to his house.

  “Yeah, I really missed it when I was overseas.” His bare feet hit a muddy patch of grass that he hurried to sidestep. “Not too many places to fish there. It wasn’t safe either.”

  “Good,” Luke said as they climbed the small embankment to his back yard. “Because I have a feeling we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

  Even though Ashlee had a head start on him, Beau had changed into the clothes he’d brought with him before she was done. He waited for her out on the front porch, eager to finish the last portion of the fairy-tale proposal.

  The door opened behind him, and Taylin stuck her head out. “She’s on her way. Are you and Bianca ready?” she asked, pointing to Beau’s companion.

  “We’re ready.” The white horse jerked her head up from eating the grass when she heard her name. “I just hope she stays on script and doesn’t take off for home.”

  “I think we’re safe. The stable master said she’s gentle and only likes to walk.” Taylin glanced over her shoulder. “Here she comes.”

  She left the door cracked, and Beau waited in anticipation of seeing his fiancée. He was grateful Addie and Taylin hadn’t been upset with him, like he’d feared. They told him his proposal was way better and much more memorable.

  The door creaked open, and Ashlee stepped out onto the porch. That sexy haircut of hers must be a time saver. She didn’t look like she’d just been dumped in a lake.

  The horse nickered, and her eyes widened at the sight of the white mare Luke had trailered over from Sydney’s parents’ stable. “No way,” she said hurrying to his side. “My very own Prince Charming and his white stallion.”