Full Moon (14 page)

“One more day isn’t going to hurt anything,”
my mother said. “Let him come with us. He can deal with the yard
tomorrow.”

“Is it going to really hurt living in the
Amazon one more day?” I asked.

Dad wrinkled his brow at me, then at Mom,
refusing to relent. “Taylor, you go on and finish getting ready for
the beach. Fred, please come with me so I can show you what we need
done.”

Fred’s green eyes sparkled like emeralds.
“See ya later, Taylor.”

I waved. “Bye. It was nice to meet you.”

I watched intently as my dad talked his ear
off with all his big plans for the yard. Fred sneaked a look over
his shoulder and smiled. I grinned back, then watched my dad escort
him to the other side of the house. Once they were out of sight, I
went back upstairs to my room to finish packing for the beach.

* * *

While I stayed on the beach for some sun and
fun, Mom and Dad went fishing not too far away. I spread out a
colorful towel, applied plenty of Coppertone, and slipped on a pair
of sunglasses, then lay down on my back to soak up all the sun I
could. My gold bikini left little to the imagination, including
more cleavage than my dad was a fan of, but I figured he needed to
face the fact I was growing up and was not his little girl anymore.
It didn’t really matter anyway, because there were so few people on
the beach that one would have thought shark warnings had been
posted. I just enjoyed the solitude and the warm rays and listened
to the birds and gulls soaring overhead.

“Taylor?” a girl’s voice said.

I sat up and grinned. “Yep, that’s me.”

A tall blonde in a tie-dyed bathing suit,
with a large, striped beach bag over her shoulder, was holding her
hand out for a shake. “I’m Julie. I’ve been dying to meet you. Mom
tells me we’re the same age, in the same grade. I just moved here
last week, and I don’t know a soul.”

I shook her hand and smiled. “That makes two
of us.”

She smiled, then spread out her own beach
towel, adjusted her sunglasses, and politely asked, “If you don’t
mind, I’m gonna catch some rays too.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. I lay back
down and turned my head in her direction. “Where do you live?”

“Not far from you. My parents split, and
Mom’s—”

“Divorced?”

“You nailed it. Divorce, the future tense of
marriage.”

I had to stifle a laugh, considering that
her wounds were probably still fresh, but I appreciated her cynical
sense of humor. “I’m sorry,” I said.

“It’s fine, and I’ll be fine too. I always
bounce back. It’s like I have nine lives. My dad got remarried and
lives in Washington, and Mom got a job as a manager for Sleepy
Forest Cottages. Where do your parents work?”

“In their pajamas sometimes,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Heh. They work from home. They’re authors,
so for them, this place is like a writers’ retreat, the perfect
inspiration.”

“Oh. Well, that’s pretty cool.”

“I guess. They met at a writing conference
and have been inseparable ever since. I guess you could call it
love at first write,” I said with a smile.

She laughed. “Fairytale perfect, huh?”

“Well…sometimes. But speaking of
fairytales,” I said, “I think I met Prince Charming.”

She lifted her glasses up and smiled.
“Really? Where? Is he a lifeguard or something?” she asked, looking
around.

“Not that I know of—at least not in the
traditional sense. Yesterday, my dog Max took off into the woods,
and when I ran in there to get him, I bumped into this super hot
guy.”

“Whoa!” She lifted a brow. “A hot forest
boy, huh?”

Just then, another vision of the Greek god
flashed through my head, his black hair wafting in the wind like
some majestic stallion’s mane. I grinned as I imagined the intimate
touch of his lips on mine.

“Hello? Earth to Taylor,” Julie said,
snapping me out of my trance.

“Oh…sorry. I was just thinking about him. He
was just so…hot. ”

“Do tell.”

I lifted my sunglasses off my face.
“Smokin’…really.”

She furrowed a brow. “As in…sizzling?”

I grinned. “Smoldering.”

“What’s his name?” she asked.

“Um…that’s the thing. I don’t know.”

“What!? You mean to tell me this gorgeous
creature was standing right there in front of you, and you didn’t
even find out who he is?

“Well, we talked for a few minutes, and I
felt this amazing connection. I guess I was so caught up in the
moment that I just didn’t think to ask.”

“You know what that was, don’t ya?”

“What?”

“Chemistry.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So lemme get this straight. You met some
hot guy who took your breath away, and you didn’t even get his
name? Do you even know where he’s from?”

“You mean besides Heaven?”

She laughed. “Oh my gosh, that’s soooo
corny.”

I laughed back at her. “I don’t know.”

She shot me a look like I was crazy. “Why
didn’t you ask?”

“Well, there were mountain lions, and—”

“
Mountain lion
s,
as in
plural
?”

“Yeah. Why?”

She lifted a finger. “Clue number one. Mr.
Wonderful doesn’t know much about the wildlife around here. I read
up on it. Mountain lions travel alone.”

“
Hmm. That’s odd. When we were out there,
after we scared one lion away, my dog started acting funny, and he
said, ‘
They’re
back’.”

“Only mothers and kittens live in groups,
and I doubt a mama bobcat would come back with her babies. What
happened after that?”

“He seemed jumpy and rushed me back home,
then took off. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was gone.”

“Hmm. He does sound mysterious. I’ll keep
out an eye for him. What does he look like?”

“He’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah, you already said that. What
else?”

“Well, he has black hair to his shoulders.”
I smiled even wider, recalling every detail of his features. “And
he’s got these big, bright blue eyes, almost like he was wearing
those colored contacts.”

“You mean, like, pastel or a piercing shade
of bright blue?”

“I don’t know, exactly. When I was a kid,
there was this crayon in my box of Crayolas that was called
Periwinkle. It was kind of like that, the rarest eye color I’ve
ever seen. It was the lightest blue ever, as blue as the sky. I
don’t know who he is, but I’ve gotta find out.”

“So you’re calling dibs on the hottest guy
on town already? Gee, I sure hope he has a brother.”

“I’m not even sure if he lives here,” I
said.

“What would make you think otherwise?”

“Well, you said yourself that he made a
mistake about the mountain lions. It seems like a local would know
better. Maybe he was just hiking and is staying in one of the
hotels.”

“Was he dressed like a hiker? Did he have a
backpack and gear and hiking boots?”

“No, none of that.”

“Hmm. I do love a good mystery. We’ve gotta
find your hunky hottie and see if he’s got an equally smoldering
brother.”

I laughed. “And how are we supposed to do
that? Stalk the resorts, hotels, and cabins?”

“No. I have a better idea. This guy named
Jed is throwing a party tonight at his cabin. Lucky for us, I got
invited. If this mysterious guy is a local, I’m sure he’ll be
there.”

“And if he doesn’t show up?”

“Then we move on to Plan B.”

“Which is?”

“Stalking the resorts, hotels, and
cabins.”

“Man, that’s gonna suck.”

She rolled on her stomach to get some sun on
her back. “Yep. If he’s a tourist, he’ll most likely be here for no
more than a week or two. But even if he leaves, I’m sure there are
other cute guys around here somewhere.”

“I don’t want another cute guy. I want
him.”

“Picky, picky, picky! When you show up
tonight, make sure you look good. Wear something cute. If he
happens to be there and he’s single, maybe you’ll snag him. At
least you can find out his name this time.”

“Right,” I said and gave my new friend a
fist bump.

“I need to meet somebody to forget about my
ex,” she said.

“Yeah, I know the feeling. I did meet
another guy who’s pretty cute,” I said.

“Wow. What are you, a guy magnet? How’d you
meet that one? And don’t blame your dog.”

“He knocked on my door.”

She laughed. “Hey! How come I don’t have
that kind of luck?”

“My dad hired him to do some yard work. His
name is Fred.”

“So introduce me,” she said.

“I will.”

“Unless you want him.”

“Nah, he’s a cutie all right, but I’m all
hung up on Mr. Blue Eyes. Fred’s are jade green, kinda like
yours.”

“Well, anything to get my mind off my ex,”
Julie said.

“My love life isn’t so great either. I was
dumped about six months ago. Sean said we didn’t have the spark he
needs.”

“Spark? The guy sounds like a jerk. Trust
me, you’re better off with somebody else than a guy who’d ever say
something like that to a girl. If he wants a spark, maybe somebody
oughtta shove a lighter up his—”

“Hey! Gross!” I squealed, cutting her off
before she made me visualize something I didn’t want to see.

She laughed, and I couldn’t help laughing
too.

“Anyway, he is a jerk, like you said. He had
a girlfriend one day after he dumped me.”

“Idiot!”

I sighed. “Tell me about it.”

She sat up and grinned coyly, as if she was
up to something naughty. “So…are you ready to forget about him and
have some fun?”

“Definitely.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up tonight. Mom already
told me where you live. Is seven okay?”

“I’ll be ready and waiting.”

“Cool. And look, Taylor, if your fiery
forest friend isn’t there, don’t worry about it. I’ve got a feeling
there won’t be a shortage of hotties around here—or at least I hope
there won’t.”

I smirked. “I’ve got a feeling we’re going
to be really good friends,” I said, and I knew it was the
truth.

Chapter 3

Julie’s bright blonde hair was in long,
beautiful waves, and her green eyes really popped, thanks to the
brown eyeshadow she’d chosen. She was dressed in tight black pants,
and her black, glittery shirt sparkled from a mile away.

“You do know we’re going to a party in the
woods, right?” I said.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You look red-carpet ready.”

“Too much?” she asked.

“Maybe a tad,” I said, gesturing with my
index finger and thumb.

Her eyes twinkled like green jewels. “When I
get the hottest guy in the room, I’ll be sure to give you my
Academy Awards speech.”

I smiled. “Love your confidence.”

“Get in.”

I pretended like I was talking into a
microphone. “And the Academy Award for best dressed goes to—”

“Julie Winters!” she said with a laugh.

When she pulled into the driveway of our
destination, my jaw dropped. For some reason, I had pictured a
cottage in the woods, but the place was far from that. Instead, it
was a huge, fancy cabin with a spacious deck and bay windows all
around.

“Are you ready to find Prince Charming?” she
asked with a huge smile.

“You know it,” I said.

She opened her compact and checked her
makeup, making sure her smoky eyes were still smoky enough. “Okay.
I think we’re good to go.”

Two thin girls with long hair and short
skirts walked past us. They were so pretty that I felt intimidated;
I was sure I had no shot with my mysterious guy while those two
were in the vicinity. Swallowing hard, I pondered. He had so many
girls to choose from, and I felt like a beat-up station wagon in a
lot full of Benzes and Ferraris. I had never been low on
confidence, but I suddenly felt as if I didn’t stand a chance with
any guy, let alone the one I wanted.

“Taylor,” my new friend said, “is this the
first time you’ve been out in public since your breakup?”

“Yeah, basically.” I slammed the door shut.
“But you know what? He’s the last person on my mind.”

“I guarantee by the time we go home, you’ll
have forgotten all about the scumbag. He doesn’t deserve to be
missed.”

“I don’t think about him,” I lied.

She smirked. “Yes you do.”

“All right,” I said, “maybe just a little,
but we dated for a long time, so it’s only natural to—”

She grabbed my arm. “No sad stories tonight.
Let’s go.”

Glancing around the yard, I noticed beer
bottles strewn everywhere. Clusters of people were sitting around
outside, and one couple was making out beside a red sports car. A
drunk person stumbled down the steps, and a woman in the shortest
skirt and the highest heels I’d ever seen ran over to him, laughing
hysterically, probably more drunk than he was.

Somebody whistled as we walked past a group
of people, and I heard a man ask, “Hey, do I know you?”

“Jed invited us,” Julie said.

“Welcome to the party then,” he said. “Go on
in and help yourselves to some appetizers and drinks, ladies.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Inside, the music was blaring, and everyone
was laughing and dancing. It was hot and sticky, and the crowd was
a little older than I thought; none of them looked like high school
students. It reminded me of a college frat party, and I immediately
wondered why Julie had even been invited.

Whether we wanted everyone’s attention or
not, all eyes were on us, staring at us like we were some kind of
two-headed unicorn. I swallowed hard, glancing from one open mouth
to the other. Something was wrong, and I could have almost cut the
tension with the proverbial knife. I wasn’t sure why they were
looking at us like that, so I assumed they just weren’t expecting
teenagers to show up at their older-crowd get-together.