Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 (14 page)

He was tempted to request his meal be sent to Taylin’s room too, but didn’t want to do something that might further upset her. The conversation would have to wait for tomorrow.

The next morning, Luke leaned against an empty stall at the resort’s stables, his shoulders tense while he waited for Taylin to arrive. He wished the brief massage he’d had earlier could’ve lasted longer, but despite his full cooperation while they shot the footage of the couple’s massage, Jennifer had rushed things along.

Rick found him a few minutes later. “Man,” he said with a grin. “You look like a real Montana cowboy.”

“Thanks?” Luke said, more as a question. He wasn’t wearing anything special; just a pair of worn jeans, a long-sleeved blue Henley, his cowboy boots, and his brown Stetson.

Rick pulled out his his camera from his bag. “Just ignore me and go back to brooding.”

“I wasn’t brooding.”

“Dude, I know brooding when I see it.” He turned on his camera and looked through the lens. “For the record, I don’t blame you. Taylin’s pretty hot and I can tell you’re conflicted.”

Luke snorted a laugh. “You noticed, huh?”

“Yeah, but why?” Rick lowered his camera. “She seems like she’s into you, so what’s the deal?”

Luke pushed his hat back a little and sighed. “Bad marriage and ugly divorce.”

“No one’s asking you to marry her.”

Yeah, but Luke wasn’t into one-night-stands, and he doubted Taylin was either. “I haven’t dated since the divorce.”

“I see.” Rick slipped the strap of the camera over his head. “My advice is to stop fighting it.” He made a motion with his finger for Luke to turn back around. “Seriously, dude, this weekend will be over before you know it. Like they say, all good things eventually come to an end, so just enjoy it while you can. If not, I’m pretty sure Marcus from the kitchen will be happy to step in.”

Luke cut Rick a dirty look, making the guy laugh.

“Don’t worry,” the cameraman said. “She already shot Marcus down when he asked to take her riding. And that was even before you showed up.”

Rick took several shots of Luke brooding over the situation with Taylin. It wasn’t fair to compare her to Vivian when she was nothing like his ex in the first place. He didn’t intend on staying single the rest of his life, although some days that sounded much safer. But he wanted a family, which meant he needed to date. He and Taylin definitely had chemistry. He just needed to talk to her and clear a few things up. Like amending his no dating a co-worker rule.

Hopefully they’d get a chance to talk once they were on the trail, since last night’s dinner was cut short. A horse whinnied, and Luke watched Oscar, the stablehand, come around the corner, leading two horses. A beautiful chestnut mare and a gray appaloosa.

“Is your lady here yet?” Oscar asked.

“Not yet.” Luke admired the lines on the horses. “She should be here any minute.” He reached out and stroked the shoulder of the chestnut.

“My old bones are telling me the storm’s coming sooner than they’re forecasting.”

Luke glanced at the clear sky, which had only a few clouds. A thunderstorm was predicted for later this evening, but from where he stood, he didn’t believe it. He missed Montana where you could see a storm coming a few miles out.

“The trail ride isn’t more than two hours, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Oscar said. “I reckon if y’all don’t dawdle, then you can be back before the bad weather moves in.”

Rick moved in and took a few shots of Luke caressing the chestnut’s nose. Being around horses made him miss his parents’ ranch back home.

The gray appaloosa nickered and Luke turned to give her some attention. That’s when he spotted Taylin coming toward them. For a moment, Luke felt like the air around him thinned. She looked incredible wearing a fitted white button up shirt with dark jeans tucked into riding boots the same color as the chestnut’s coat.

Heat spiraled from his chest down to his stomach when her eyes met his and she smiled. “Hey, sorry I kept y’all waiting.”

“No problem,” Rick said. “Where’s Jen?”

“She got tied up with an unexpected visit from an online travel magazine.” Taylin dropped a small girly-looking backpack to the ground. “You’re supposed to go ahead with what you and Jen talked about this morning.”

She moved next to Luke and placed her palms against the gray’s neck. “Aren’t you a pretty girl,” she said, smoothing her hand across the horse’s shoulder.

Taylin was obviously comfortable around horses. Luke watched her stroke the appaloosa’s nose. When she glanced at him, he didn’t pull his gaze away.

“Is this the horse you want?” he asked, trying to ignore Rick and his camera taking close-up shots.

“Sure.” She smiled. “But I’m okay with the chestnut if you have a preference.”

“I don’t have a preference.”

“Okay. I like the gray then.” She looked at Oscar. “What are their names?”

“The pretty gal you picked is Starlight.” Oscar flashed Luke a wry grin. “You’ll be riding Princess.”

Luke wished he would’ve asked what the names were before Taylin showed up. He met her amused gaze.

“Want to trade?” she asked with a laugh.

“Nope.” He winked at her. “I’m secure enough in my manhood to ride Princess.” He took a hold of the horse’s reins. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Great.” Taylin stepped back and picked up the backpack. “By the way, the kitchen provided a picnic lunch for us.”

Luke felt a twinge of jealousy knot his gut, and he refrained from asking if Marcus had anything to do with the picnic. He could just imagine the guy trying to gain a few points so Taylin would go out with him.

“Sounds good.” He mounted his horse and watched Taylin gracefully climb on the back of the gray.

Rick took a few shots of them before calling it good. “I know how much y’all will miss me trailing behind you, but my work is finished.”

Luke laughed, making his horse skitter. “All good things must come to an end, right?” he said, gently pulling on the reins to control the horse.

“Yep, so enjoy it while you can,” Rick said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Y’all have fun.”

Taylin looked between the two men curiously. Before she could question either man, Rick sauntered off and Oscar stepped in front of them and pointed to the saddlebag each of the horses carried.

“There’s an emergency blanket, small first-aid kit, a rain poncho, and a couple of water bottles on one side. The other one holds some trail mix, beef jerky, and a multipurpose tool and more water.” He glanced at the sky. “I know it don’t look like it, but a storm’s comin’ and you best be back within a couple of hours. No longer than three.”

“I’ve got my cell phone in case of an emergency,” Taylin said.

“Me too,” Luke said, removing the phone from his front pocket and securing it in the saddlebag.

“Well now, cell phones don’t do y’all any good if you ain’t got any service.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You might get a few bars, but out on the trail it’s pretty spotty.”

“Good to know.” Luke tipped his cowboy hat. “See you in a couple of hours.”

The trailhead wasn’t wide, and for the first ten minutes, they rode in single file with Taylin in the lead. The scenery was beautiful with Georgia pines flanking the trail, but it was the pretty girl riding in front of Luke that held his attention.

Heck, she’d held his attention from the moment they’d run into each other three and a half weeks earlier. As soon as the trail was wide enough for two horses, Luke cantered forward. Taylin glanced over at him as he drew in alongside her.

“How is Starlight?” he asked.

“A little on the mellow side.” She lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “What about Princess?”

“I have a feeling Princess would plod ahead with or without me holding the reins.”

Taylin laughed. “Since you’re from Montana and all, I guess you’re used to a more spirited ride.” She eyed his cowboy hat. “Maybe bronc riding or was it bulls?”

“Bulls.” He rolled his left shoulder. “But only for a couple of years. After several concussions and two shoulder surgeries, my parents talked some sense into me and I gave it up.”

“Ouch.” She shook her head. “I’ve never understood why anyone would climb on the back of a two thousand pound angry animal in the first place.”

“Stupidity. At least in my case.” He grinned. “There was a pretty girl I was trying to impress.”

“Did it work?”

“Yep, until I quit. She dumped me faster than my last ride, which lasted five seconds.”

Taylin’s blue eyes studied him thoughtfully. “Sorry.”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. And my time at the hospital got me interested in the medical field.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t end up in sports medicine.”

He shifted in his saddle, not wanting to talk about why he hadn’t pursued becoming a doctor. “Medical school wasn’t really an option at the time.”

Her eyes held questions that he didn’t want to get into right now. “What about you?” he asked. “Did you always want to be a nurse?”

“Yeah.” Her lips stretched into a smile. “I thought I wanted to be a labor nurse, but I found out I love the babies more than the mothers.”

Luke loved listening to her talk about her job. For the next hour, he kept her talking, learning what he’d already known. Taylin had a tender heart and loved caring for others. But when she mentioned a desire to go abroad to teach neonatal resuscitation internationally, he found himself wanting to talk her out of it.

“Wow. So you’ve already applied?”

“I did.” She moistened her lips. “Other than my parents and my manager, Margaret, you’re actually the first person I’ve told. My twin sister would freak out if she knew I might be moving out of the country.”

“But your parents are okay with it?”

“Not really okay.” She shrugged. “More like supportive, but I can tell they’re hoping I won’t get accepted. My brother and two other sisters have all moved out of Georgia, and I think both Mama and Daddy are counting on me and Ashlee to settle down in Mitchel Creek.”

Luke swallowed and looked away from her. Would it be worth the risk getting involved with Taylin when she might be moving to a third-world country for a couple of years?

“You don’t think it’s a good idea?” Her voice sounded a little unsure, and part of him wanted to jump on that insecurity and point out all the difficulties going abroad could bring.

He glanced back at her and found her watching him intently. He couldn’t talk her out of something she obviously wanted on the off chance they might start dating. “No, it sounds like an incredible opportunity. Besides, what anybody else thinks shouldn’t matter.” He gave her what he hoped was a positive smile. “For me, moving to the South is about as foreign as I want to go.”

“You miss your family?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Yeah.”

The questions were there again. Like why had he moved away in the first place? Luke knew it was time to talk about his past. Even if Taylin wasn’t interested in him, or ended up leaving the country for a few years, he owed her an explanation. Just not while on the back of a horse.

He glanced at his watch and was surprised they’d been riding for nearly an hour. “Do you want to find a place to eat lunch?”

She looked a little disappointed, but lifted one shoulder up in a shrug. “Sure, I’d like that.”

Nodding his head, Luke faced forward and gripped the reins tight. Was he ready for this? Or a better question… was Taylin ready for this?

T
aylin didn’t press
Luke further. She knew he missed his family and knew the reason he’d relocated from Montana to Georgia was because of his ex-wife. Although she’d felt like they’d connected, she didn’t blame him for not wanting to reveal details about his marriage and how and why it ended.

They found a clearing with an old log they could use to sit on to eat lunch. But one look at the ant colony inhabiting the fallen tree made them walk the horses a few paces further down the trail to another clearing. There weren’t any logs to use as a bench, so Luke spread out both of the thin emergency blankets beneath the canopy of a large tree.

The tinfoil-like blanket crinkled beneath Taylin as she took a seat. Luke lowered himself to the other blanket and took off his cowboy hat. His hair was slightly damp and flattened from the brim of the hat, but the guy still looked amazing.

“I hope you’re okay with roast beef.” She handed him one of the sandwiches and tried to ignore the tingle of attraction from the inadvertent brush of their fingers.

“As long as it’s horseradish free, then I’m good.”

“No horseradish.” She placed a gourmet bag of baked chips and a bottle of water in front of him and then dug deeper into the pack. “I’ve got grapes or apple slices.” She held out a small container of the fruit in each hand. “You pick.”

He was in the process of unwrapping his sandwich and glanced up at her. His gray eyes held hers for a few seconds. “How about we share so we can have a little of both?”

For some reason, his suggestion sounded romantic. She tried not to think too much about it though. Luke McKay was hard to read. There were times when she knew he was flirting with her and then other times when he acted like she was the last person in the world he wanted to talk to.

“Good idea.” She placed the fruit down and opened both containers.

“Thank you for thinking about getting us a lunch,” he said, unscrewing the lid to his water bottle.

"Actually, Jennifer was the one who arranged for lunch.” Taylin opened her bag of chips. “I think it was to make up for my dinner getting cut short.”

Luke took a drink of water and replaced the lid. “Your dress was beautiful. I hope it isn’t ruined.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if they can get the stains out, but Jennifer promised me a new dress if it doesn’t come clean.” She picked up her hoagie. “She also promised me another complimentary spa treatment, which I agreed to as long as the waiter didn’t get fired.”

A look of approval flickered in his gray eyes. “That’s very kind of you.”

“Accidents happen,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious with Luke watching her so intently. She unwrapped her sandwich, wiped away some of the mayo, and then bit off a small piece.

“So are you coming back to Harmony Springs for your additional spa treatments or fitting them in before we leave?” Luke asked before taking a big bite of his sandwich.

Taylin took a drink of water to wash down the sandwich before answering. “I haven’t decided. It might be fun to bring my twin sister, Ashlee, back up with me one weekend.”

“Are you two identical?”

“No,” Taylin said with a laugh. “We may look similar enough to pass for identical, but we couldn’t be more opposite in all other aspects of our lives.”

“How so?”

Taylin had just taken another bite of her sandwich. She held up her finger to signal she needed time to swallow, and Luke apologized for asking so many questions.

“I don’t mind,” Taylin said after taking another drink of water.

In between eating her lunch, Taylin talked about Ashlee and her penchant for frequently changing jobs and boyfriends. She made sure to include many of Ashlee’s good qualities so she didn’t make her sister sound like such a flake. Ashlee was just a little lost about what to do with her life right now, but Taylin knew she’d figure it out one day.

By the time they finished their lunch, Taylin realized they hadn’t talked about Luke and his family. She reached inside her backpack and pulled out the boxed key lime cheesecake she’d picked out for their dessert. Maybe he’d open up while he ate his piece of cake.

“As good as that looks,” Luke said, patting his flat stomach. “I don’t think I can eat another bite.”

Taylin was full too, and she’d only eaten half of her sandwich. “We can eat it later,” she said, putting the dessert back inside the backpack along with the rest of her sandwich. She pulled out a couple of the complimentary mints she’d confiscated earlier from a bowl by the front desk. “How about a mint?”

“Thanks.” He tore open the package and ate the mint, stashing the wrapper inside his empty chip bag.

Taylin placed the soft mint in her mouth and felt it start to instantly melt on her tongue as she began cleaning up the lunch.

Luke helped by taking all of the wrappers and neatly stuffing them inside the plastic container that still held a few shriveled grapes. Once everything was contained, Taylin secured the trash into a side pocket of the backpack.

“Do you mind if we just sit for a minute?” Taylin asked, bending her knees and loosely wrapping her arms around them. “I’d rather not get back on the horse right after eating.”

“Sure.” Luke leaned back against the trunk of the tree, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “It’s been kind of nice spending time up here without a camera following us,” he said, glancing over at her.

“Yeah, it has.” She remembered the cameraman’s parting words and was suddenly curious about what he’d meant. “Speaking of Rick… what was all the talk back there about all good things coming to an end?”

He froze and held her gaze for a long, drawn-out moment. She stifled a laugh, finding his sudden discomfort a little entertaining.

“Well?” she asked, determined to get an answer since he seemed so uncomfortable.

“Um…” He sat upright and rubbed his palms across his jeans. “Rick was, uh, trying to give me dating advice.”

Taylin stared at him, speechless. That was the last thing she expected to hear coming from Mr. I’m-not-ready-for-a-relationship. But maybe that excuse was just strictly reserved for her. Maybe he was ready for a relationship with someone else.

“Oh.” Although she desperately wanted to ask him whom he wanted to date, she tried to play it off as no big deal. “He doesn’t strike me as a relationship guru.”

Luke shrugged. “He made a few good points.”

“Really?” She moistened her lips. “So, what did he say?”

“More or less he told me to seize the day.”

What?
As in enjoy the moment—like this moment—and not worry about the future? She quickly glanced away, her mind jumping to all sorts of dangerous conclusions. It took a great deal of self-control not to ask for further clarification.

For several long seconds, no one spoke, but Taylin could feel his eyes still lingering on her. Unable to resist, she raised her face and met his gaze.

“The thing is… I haven’t dated since my divorce.” The corner of Luke’s mouth edged up. “Actually, I haven’t wanted to date anyone since my divorce. Until I met you.”

His admission caught her by surprise. Warmth spread through Taylin as if she’d just slipped into one of the heated mineral pools at the spa. Still, she held back, curbing the impulse to throw her arms around him. She remembered the earth-shaking kiss he’d given her and then promptly apologized for right after. When she kissed him again—because no matter what she told herself, she did want to kiss him again—she did not want another apology.

“Are you ready to take his advice, Luke? Or will you change your mind again once you return back to Mitchel Creek?”

He grinned. “I like how you tell me exactly what’s on your mind.”

That made her laugh. “I don’t tell you everything on my mind.” Like how much she wished he would lean over and kiss her breathlessly.

His gray eyes narrowed a fraction. “What else is on your mind?”

“Ha! Like I’d tell you.”

His focus drifted down to her mouth, almost as if he’d read her thoughts. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes when they lifted back up. “Fair enough.”

Taylin wasn’t sure what was going on. She felt stunned by his revelation and couldn’t think of one thing to say.

“I have a confession,” he said a little hesitantly.

“Oh?” Her heart skipped a few beats as she waited for him to expound. She saw the muscle in his jaw tighten, and he swallowed hard.

“The way you make me feel scares me… so much that I made up that stupid rule about not dating co-workers.”

This man was just full of surprises. She shouldn’t ask him to clarify, but couldn’t resist. “So, how
do
I make you feel?”

A smile creased his face, revealing an even row of white teeth. “I should’ve known you would ask.”

“You don’t have to answer,” she said quickly, giving him a way out if he wanted it.

His eyes held hers as he took a hold of one of her hands and slipped his fingers between hers. “Every time I’m near you I can hardly think straight.” Taylin’s pulse doubled as Luke slanted forward and whispered, “And you make me want things I thought I’d never want again.”

His sweet declaration barely registered, since she was having a hard time thinking straight too. A soft sigh escaped as his mouth covered hers. His warm lips were firm, yet soft, as he tenderly caressed her mouth, kissing her so perfectly she might melt. Letting go of any negative thoughts, Taylin lost herself in the moment and returned the kiss. She savored the subtle taste of peppermint on his tongue as feelings she’d never experienced before flooded her body.

All too soon, Luke gradually eased back. “Taylin,” he said pressing his forehead to hers. The husky tone of his voice sent a shiver through her.

He didn’t say anything more, and Taylin guessed he already regretted his actions. She pulled away so she could look into his eyes. “If you’re fixin’ to apologize again, then you can forget about gettin’ a slice of cheesecake.”

He grinned. “I wasn’t planning on apologizing.” His thumb made a slow circle across her palm. “At least not for kissing you.”

“Are you sure you aren’t saying that just so you can have dessert?”

“I guess I deserved that,” he said with a laugh.

“Maybe a little.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so rude to you.” He surprised her when he bent his head and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, he almost looked sad. “Vivian, my ex-wife, kind of screwed me up.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

He looked away briefly and nodded his head. “Yeah, if you want to hear it.”

“I do.” She scooted over next to him, and they both leaned back against the tree trunk.

His fingers tightened around her hand as he talked about his tumultuous marriage of three years to a woman who broke her marriage vows more than once. Taylin was staggered by how many times Luke forgave Vivian, only to have her cheat on him again.

“Just before our anniversary,” Luke said. “I’d had enough and contacted an attorney. Vivian was upset and begged me not to go through with the divorce. She even agreed to see a marriage counselor our pastor had recommended.” Luke gave a derisive laugh. “I really thought she’d changed and I hoped we could finally start our family.”

His voice faltered, and Taylin gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She almost told him he didn’t need to tell her anymore when Luke cleared his throat.

“Not long after our anniversary, I had to spend the weekend in Billings doing a rotation at the hospital there, but it got cut short and I came home early. Vivian wasn’t at our house, and she didn’t answer her cell phone. I didn’t want to call her mom to see if she knew where Viv was because she blamed me for Vivian’s indiscretions.” He glanced down at Taylin. “That’s another long story I don’t want to go into right now.”

“I understand,” Taylin said softly.

“Thanks.” He held her gaze for a few heartbeats before looking straight ahead to continue the story. “Anyway, I found Vivian’s laptop in the kitchen, and when I opened it up, her email popped up on the screen. There was an open message from some ritzy spa about an hour from our house Vivian had wanted to go to. The email was a confirmation for an overnight stay for two.”

Taylin bit at her bottom lip, guessing what came next. She felt sick to her stomach as Luke told her about arriving at the spa and catching Vivian with a former lover in a sensual couple’s massage session. No wonder Luke had reacted so angrily about the couple’s massage the previous day. “I’m so sorry, Luke.”

“I was such a fool.” He swallowed and turned to look at her. “Later that night, Vivian told me she was pregnant and I wasn’t the father. Since I’d already started the process, our divorce was finalized in a matter of weeks. Seven months later, she had a baby boy. I managed to avoid her for a while, but then I kept running into her and her new family, and I knew I couldn’t stay in Montana any longer.”

Hearing the full story wiped away any fears about Luke ever getting back together with his ex-wife. His situation was nothing like the man’s her friend Jessica had dated. “So you came to Georgia.”

“Yeah, I came to Georgia. My plans were to work hard, fish any chance I got and avoid women.” The wariness in his eyes faded, and he gave her a small smile. “I just didn’t count on meeting someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” Taylin said, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted.”

“I promise it isn’t meant as an insult.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. “I find you irresistible, Miss Nichols.”

“Why, Mr. McKay, I believe that is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

He laughed and slipped his arm around Taylin as she snuggled in close to him. His warm body felt wonderful, especially since it felt like the temperature had dropped ten degrees since they’d stopped to eat their lunch.

She tipped her head back and looked at the sky, startled by the bank of dark clouds moving in. “Oh wow, it looks like Oscar was right after all.”

Luke followed her line of sight and frowned. “I can’t believe how fast that moved in.” He let her go and got to his feet. “We better start back right now.”