The Moonlight Serenade Read online

  “You take care too, Rhett,” she said, forcing a smile. “I guess I’ll be getting back.”

  His nod was crisp, and he walked her to the door. Her legs felt lined with lead. The closer she got to leaving him, the heavier everything in her body became, including her heart.

  “We just can’t stop time, can we?” she whispered as she reached for the doorknob.

  He covered her hand, and she let herself lean into his chest one last time. There was such warmth and strength there. She would miss it. She would miss him.

  “No,” he said quietly, “but we can be grateful for the moonlight while it lasted. Goodbye, Abbie.”

  She took one final inhale of him, the scent of man and fading cologne mixed with something exclusive to him. “Goodbye, Rhett.”

  A gentle whisper touched her cheek, and she realized too late it was his lips. Then the door was open, and it was closing behind her, and she regretted not stealing one final kiss to remember him by.

  Chapter 11

  Rhett realized he’d stopped rocking the chair only when Clara started to wail.

  “Yeah, sweetheart, when your mama left me, that’s how I felt.” He tucked the blanket more securely around her, and she grabbed ahold of his finger. Goodness, she had a heck of a grip for someone so tiny.

  “Letting your mama go that day was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, but I’d already lost her. I knew that when I saw her face after the poker tourney.”

  When Abbie had texted him later that night to say she wasn’t coming to his room, the writing had been on the wall, as they said. He’d wandered around his room the rest of the night, cursing the moonlight streaking through the windows, unable to sleep in the bed where he’d made love with her the night before.

  “I did my best to act like a gentleman, knowing I’d be seeing her given my friendship with your Uncle Mac. Plus, I already loved your brother, Dustin, like crazy. I wasn’t going to let a breakup with your mama keep me from being his adopted uncle.”

  Now he was Dustin’s daddy through and through, and his heart warmed at how he and Abbie had made that happen on paper. He’d given his boy his name, and Dustin had been proud to become Dustin Blaylock. After all his hijinks and all the wild seeds he’d sown, it humbled Rhett something fierce to be a man a boy was proud to call father.

  “It broke my heart to leave you that morning,” a soft voice said out of the blue.

  Rhett turned his head and watched as his wife came forward in the room. Both of them had undergone a transformation since the days he’d described to Clara. Abbie was wearing a pair of designer jeans and a violet cashmere sweater, having adopted a more casual look for when she wasn’t working. Rhett had toned his wardrobe down too, even on the circuit, and his poker babes had graduated to their own careers with Raven becoming one of the finest poker players on the circuit.

  “Guess we both had to find out what we really wanted deep down,” Rhett said. “No matter how far I went, I couldn’t stop thinking of you. I realized I’d do anything to be your man.”

  Abbie knelt by the rocking chair and put her hand on their baby girl’s cheek. “There isn’t a day I don’t thank God for that. When you came to Dare Valley and told me you were never going to leave me again…that you’d never give up on hoping I’d let you love me… Rhett…”

  He was feeling a little choked up right at the moment. “What, sugar?”

  “I love you, is all.”

  Bending forward with baby Clara carefully tucked against his chest, he kissed her lightly on the lips. “Love is all there is, honey, and I sure as heck love you to the moon and then some.”

  Abbie gave him a bright smile and held out her arms. He transferred the baby easily to her. From the moment Clara had come into the world, he’d known to give her over whenever her mama asked. He wasn’t a stupid man.

  “Lucky for you,” he said, watching the two women who ruled his universe, “I’m good at serenading, whether by moonlight or at the holidays.” He ran a finger down Clara’s smooth cheek. “But that’s another story.”

  His follow-up serenade—the one that had helped him win her hand in marriage—had come around the holidays. He’d written a song for her and sung it outside her window while his friend, Rye Crenshaw, accompanied him on the piano.

  “You’re the best serenader there is,” Abbie said while making faces at the baby.

  Her attention span for him lately was mixed at best, but he understood the draw of Clara better than anyone. He slid his hand around her waist and pulled her close.

  “Perhaps I can talk you into letting me serenade you later when Clara goes to sleep,” he whispered in her ear. “I might not have told Clara the private and passionate bits, but I sure as heck enjoyed remembering them.”

  His lady-wife cocked her brow in that elegant way that drove him wild. She’d finally admitted she was a wildcat, but only with him—and that was just the way he liked it.

  “I might be amenable to that,” she said, grinning.

  He sat back in the rocking chair and let his mind start to wander. “Good thing I have a couple of hours to think up more serenading.”

  But he wasn’t too worried.

  Serenading was only another word for wooing, and Rhett had that down but good.

  * * *

  If you haven’t already read how Rhett and Abbie get back together, satisfy your curiosity by checking out THE GRAND OPENING and THE HOLIDAY SERENADE.

  Wonder what’s up next in Dare Valley? J.T. and Caroline’s book is called THE SKY OF ENDLESS BLUE.

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  Dear Reader,

  It won’t surprise you Dare Valley lovers that Rhett has been at me for a long time to tell he and Abbie’s earlier story. When they had baby Clara, he just couldn’t be held back. In typical Rhett-style, he took over my writing schedule. But it was worth it, don’t you think? I’d let him serenade me any time.

  If you enjoyed this story, I would love for you to post a review since it helps more readers want to pick up this story and enjoy it themselves. When you post one, kindly let me know at [email protected] so I can thank you. Thank you for spreading the word!

  There are a lot of wonderful surprises coming up, including J.T. Merriam’s return to Dare Valley in THE SKY OF ENDLESS BLUE. Grandpa Hale has a lot planned for this story, let me tell you. That old rascal always makes me smile.

  Thanks for reading and being part of our wonderful family.

  Lots of light and joy,

  Ava

  About the Author

  International Bestselling Author Ava Miles joined the ranks of beloved storytellers with her powerful messages of healing, mystery, and magic. Millions of readers have discovered her fiction and nonfiction books, praised by USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly. Women’s World Magazine has selected a few of her novels for their book clubs while Southwest Airlines featured the #1 National Bestseller NORA ROBERTS LAND (the name used with Ms. Roberts’ blessing) in its in-flight entertainment. Ava’s books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year and Top Editor’s Picks and are translated into multiple languages.

  Ava calls herself a divine rockstar, something she believes everyone is deep down. She’s a unique expression of love and joy in the world with her own special gifts: writing stories with uplifting messages, being an intuitive healer, inspiring others to uncover their authentic selves and their highest path in the world; and creating artistic masterpieces like pottery and sculptures. And then there’s the cooking… She used to be a chef and rocks food big time.

  A global awakener at the core, Ava has dedicated her life t
o uplifting everyone on the planet. In her former career rebuilding war zones, she worked in places like Lebanon, Colombia, Pakistan, West Bank/Gaza, and Congo to foster peaceful communities. Now she’s sharing her stories of love, forgiveness, and empowerment around the world—pretty much still changing lives.

  If you’d like to connect with Ava or hear more about her upcoming books, check out the links below:

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  Acknowledgements

  Team Ava—known and unknown—especially new additions like Anthony Colletti.

  T.F. For being the man who always knows how to serenade me and then some. I love you, babe.

  Copyright April 2017, Ava Miles.

  ISBN: 978-1-940565-58-3

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally.

  www.avamiles.com

  Ava Miles

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map of Dare Valley

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Dear Reader

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements