Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 (7 page)

Then Dave spoke up, and Taylin knew she had to follow through, no matter how embarrassing it was.

As Dave explained the change of plans, Luke finally looked up and met her gaze. Taylin read a whole host of emotions in his gray eyes, including attraction. Maybe this fishing expedition wasn’t a lost cause after all.

L
uke knew
the minute he looked at Taylin he’d be as hooked as the string of fish Chet and Max had hauled in. She looked beautiful, and—as his seventeen-year-old passengers had pointed out—hot.

She held his gaze a second before her lips curved up into a smile. He swallowed and broke the connection, trying to focus on what Dave was saying. Something about a fishing contest between the two boats.

“I won’t be able to go out again to help Courtney and Felecia,” Quincy said. “I’ve got a family birthday party to go to.”

Luke had met Courtney and Felicia earlier in the day and was surprised the girls had changed their minds about fishing.

“Oh don’t worry,” Jackson said. “Taylin knows her way around a fishin’ pole.”

Luke glanced over at Taylin. Did she really know how to fish or had she just been out a few times with her dad?

“Still, it won’t be fair,” Courtney complained. “Y’all will have one more than our boat.”

“We can only have four poles out at a time,” Dave said. “And since this little contest started because Taylin out fished Jackson, I’ll just captain the boat so he can try to redeem himself.”

That got Luke’s attention. He studied the gorgeous blonde as she joked around with Jackson about always knowing exactly which lure to use, depending on the weather. Luke might have fallen just a little bit in love with her right there. He didn’t know too many girls that liked fishing, let alone knew which kind of tackle to use. Vivian sure hadn’t.

Taylin’s gaze shifted to his, and the corner of her mouth lifted. Yeah, he’d been staring again. He just hoped he hadn’t been drooling.

“Sun’s goin’ down soon, McKay,” Jackson said. “As pretty as Miss Taylin is to look at, we better get these girls out on the lake before it’s too dark.”

Luke felt his neck and face flush as Jackson and Dave laughed. Taylin’s smile widened, and Luke actually smiled back at her.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She lowered her lashes as if embarrassed by Jackson’s comment. She had to know she was beautiful and was used to men staring at her.

Turning, she motioned for Courtney and Felicia to get into the boat. “Y’all get a life vest on and then ask Mr. McKay where he wants you to sit.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girls said at the same time.

Luke handed the girls their life jackets and pointed out their seats.

He felt old when the kids called him Mr. McKay, but he was learning quickly that the youth in the South were taught from an early age to respect adults and to always address them formally. During the fishing trip with Chet and Max, they never did call him Luke, even after he’d given them permission.

Taylin walked toward him. Her high-heeled boots made her legs look amazing, but they weren’t very practical. He had no idea how she could wear them without twisting an ankle.

“Where should I sit?” She stood so close to him he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. He hoped he didn’t smell like fish.

Luke’s boat wasn’t as big as Jackson’s, and now he was grateful because Taylin could take the seat next to his. “Go ahead and take the seat in front of Felicia.”

He jumped in the boat, making it rock a little, and held out his hand. She hesitated before placing her palm in his. He knew touching her would make him feel something, but the rush of heated electricity rocketing through him nearly stole his breath.

Taylin’s eyes flickered up to meet his gaze. “Thank you.”

He thought her voice sounded a little breathless. Did that mean she felt the same thing?

He let go of her hand as she made her way to her seat. The interaction hadn’t lasted long, but long enough to make Luke nervous. Now his boat seemed way too small.

He ran a hand through his hair and avoided looking at her as he moved to the wheel. As Quincy freed the rope from the dock cleat, Luke reminded himself that she had a boyfriend and that he wasn’t ready for a relationship.

The ride across the lake took his mind off of his seatmate. Mostly.

The noise of the boat motor made it difficult to hear the conversation between Taylin and the girls, but she laughed frequently. He liked her laugh.

As he approached the spot he wanted to fish from, he cut back on the engine. The noise reduction allowed him to hear what his passengers were discussing.

“Why did you break up with him?” Felicia asked.

Luke wasn’t sure whom the question was directed at, but felt his pulse skip several beats when Taylin answered.

“Oh, there were several reasons, but when y’all are ready to date you might want to make sure how important gaming is to the guy who asked you out.”

“So you dumped him because he’s a hardcore gamer?”

“There are other reasons, but that was one of them.”

“Dang, that’s like every guy I know,” Courtney said. The girl sounded pretty distressed.

Taylin laughed. “Don’t stress, Courtney, there are good guys out there.

Luke’s fingers tightened around the wheel of the boat as he processed this new information. Taylin didn’t have a boyfriend anymore.

“Hey, Mr. McKay?” Courtney said from behind him. “Are you into gaming?”

A smile tugged at Luke’s mouth as he cut the engine. He turned around, pausing briefly to make eye contact with Taylin before facing Courtney. “Didn’t you hear Chet and Max complaining about my lack of gaming equipment?”

“You don’t even own an Xbox?” Taylin asked in disbelief.

He met her gaze and shrugged. “Gaming’s a waste of time. I’d rather be outdoors fishing or riding my bike.”

“Y’all should start dating then,” Felicia said innocently.

Luke’s heart pounded wildly at the suggestion. Taylin’s eyes widened before they snapped to look at the girl.

“I mean, Mr. McKay’s cute and all for an old guy,” Felicia said to Taylin. “And he isn’t anything like your boyfriend.”

“Hey,” he laughed. “I’m not that old.” He’d just barely turned thirty-one.

Taylin pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to laugh. Did she think he was old too?

“All right, enough talk,” he said, grabbing two fishing rods from overhead. “Have either of you two ever fished before?”

Courtney and Felicia both wrinkled their noses. “No,” Courtney answered.

His eyes traveled to Taylin. She was watching him, a small smile on her lips.

“You know how to cast, right?”

The smile disappeared and she narrowed her pretty blue eyes. “Yes. I also know how to reel in a fish, catch it with a net, remove the hook, clean it, fillet it and cook it.”

From the slightly irritated tone in her voice, he sure hoped she was talking about fish.

“I’m impressed.” When she still looked like she wanted to fillet and cook him, he cleared his throat. “How about you take Felicia and fish from the bow. Courtney and I will stay back here.”

“Sure.” She took the rod and examined the lure. “Could I please see your tackle?”

“Um, Miss Taylin, who do you want him to tackle?” Felicia asked nervously.

Luke laughed out loud. He could tell Taylin was trying not to do the same, but a giggle escaped as she turned to the girls. “Tackle is a fishing term for lures, hooks, bobbers…” She trailed off at the confused look on the girls’ faces.

“See this?” She pointed to the yellow lure he’d specifically chosen for today—a lure that had worked very well for Chet and Max. “This is a lure, but crappie—that’s the kind of fish we’re lookin’ to catch—are picky about the color of lure they’ll go after.”

Whoa
. How did she know that? Heat pooled in Luke’s chest as his admiration for this girl went up several degrees. He found a woman who knew this much about fishing incredibly sexy.

“Since the sun is setting…” Her eyes shifted to look at Luke. “…Mr. McKay should probably switch to a darker colored lure, or at least add a gold spinner.” She glanced back at the girls. “I’ll show you what that is as soon as Mr. McKay gets his tackle box.”

Not bothering to make another request that she call him by his first name, Luke leaned down and retrieved his tackle box. “Here you go, Miss Taylin,” he said wryly. When she reached out to take the tackle box, Luke held onto it for a few seconds. “For the record, I think the yellow lure will still be effective. Maybe we should have a little contest within the contest?”

One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose and the corner of her mouth lifted. “Sure.” She pulled the tackle box out of his hands. “Prepare to lose, Mr. McKay, because you’re about to get schooled.”

Luke had never wanted to kiss a woman more than he did right now. Good thing there were two preteen girls on board or he might have done just that. He watched Taylin spin around on those high-heeled boots of hers and he admired how nicely her jeans fit.

“Mr. McKay, are you fixin’ to stare at Miss Taylin or fish?” Courtney asked.

Sheesh
. Were all southerners so candid? First the “old guy” comment and now they were calling him out. Once again he felt his neck flush as Taylin looked over her shoulder and caught him staring.

At least he was looking at her face now, and no longer admiring the intricate design on the back pockets of her jeans.

“Let’s fish.” He tore his gaze away and led Courtney to the stern of the boat where he proceeded to give her a lesson on casting and reeling. It helped him remember that he was fishing for fish, not a wife.

Forty-five minutes later, Luke had, indeed, been schooled. Taylin and her choice of lures had netted twice as many fish. Courtney had been very vocal about how unfair it was she’d been stuck with the losing team. He couldn’t blame her. He felt the same way.

To her credit, Taylin wasn’t a poor winner. She didn’t gloat… much. That little smirk on her face was driving him crazy, though. The desire to kiss her grew every time he looked at her. It was like now that he knew she no longer had a boyfriend, his reasons for avoiding a relationship were irrelevant, despite his messy marriage and then divorce.

The ride back was quiet, with only the sound of the wind rushing in his ears and the hum of the motor moving them gracefully across the water. Just before the sun melted into the horizon, they approached the dock. Jackson and Dave had already returned. Dave waved at them from the dock and started to walk toward the covered slip where Luke kept his boat.

Gently, Luke tapped the throttle to align the boat and headed straight into the slip. He cut the engine and tossed the rope out to Dave who helped guide it alongside the dock.

“Thanks,” Luke said to Dave. “When did you guys get back?”

“About five minutes ago.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Jackson is getting his truck so we can load his boat.”

“Great. Let me get these girls off, and then I can help.”

Luke assisted Courtney and Felicia, and they excitedly showed off their cache of fish to the youth minister.

Taylin had her back to him, storing the life vests in the compartment beneath the seat. He didn’t let his gaze linger for very long. Someone was bound to point it out. Either that, or Taylin would turn and catch him ogling her again.

He busied himself by making sure the fishing rods were properly stored, taking note once more of the killer combination of lures Taylin had put together. Maybe she could be his new fishing buddy. They could fish and then return to his house and have a fish fry, and then after, they could sit by the fire and…. The next scene that flashed in his mind sent his pulse soaring.

So, no, she would not be his new fishing buddy. Christopher and Jillian would have to do.

“You okay?” Taylin asked, standing directly in front of him.

He blinked, and wouldn’t you know, his gaze landed right on her mouth. Fighting back the impulse to go all caveman by just giving in and kissing her, he took a step backward. “Yeah, just, uh, thinking about what I want… I mean, what I need to do.”

“Can I help?”

Luke nearly groaned out loud. This woman was killing him. “Nope. I’ve got it.”

She studied him intently, and he was so afraid she’d know how out of control his thoughts were right now. He wanted to draw on that gruff, semi-jerk he’d been when he first met her, but he couldn’t do it.

“You were great with the girls,” he said. “I think they had a lot of fun, even if Courtney got stuck with the old guy.”

Humor filled her eyes, and she laughed. “I hope she didn’t bruise your ego.”

“It helped when she qualified it by saying I was cute.”

Something else filled her eyes then, and Luke found himself battling thoughts of kissing her once more.

“Yeah, I reckon she’s right,” Taylin said. “You are pretty cute for an old guy.”

She left him standing there and his mind literally blanked on him. He didn’t have one witty comeback, not even a stupid one.

He felt the boat rock as she climbed onto the dock, and he followed her with his eyes as she walked toward his house.

“I would ask how your fishing trip went, but from the looks of things, it appears you made the catch of the day,” Dave said.

Luke snapped his gaze toward the youth minister, a denial on his lips, but changed his mind. Why lie to a man of the cloth?

“Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to your wife,” Luke said. He jumped out on the dock. “I need time to process what went on out there, okay?” And what Taylin had just admitted. She thought he was cute. She also thought he was old. Their age difference wasn’t that big of a deal, was it?

Dave grinned. “Okay.” He clapped a hand to Luke’s shoulder. “But you should know Taylin isn’t the kind of girl that you catch and release.”

Luke squinted. “You’re using fishing analogies on me?”

Dave shrugged. “I like to be creative.”

“Got it.” They both watched as Jackson backed up his truck and trailer near the bank. “Hey,” he said, glancing over at Dave. “Despite my feelings right now, I’m not sure I’m ready to even go fishing yet.”

His friend nodded his head. “Okay, but do me a favor and don’t let a bad experience ruin a chance for something even better.” He grinned. “Just because you got skunked your first time fishing, doesn’t mean it will happen again.”

Luke shook his head. “Fishing will never be the same again.”