Read Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2) for Free Online Page A

coffee lingo, but what I don’t want is something with whipped cream and chocolate all over it. Does that make sense?”
    Lucy shook her head.  
    “No?” he asked. “That doesn’t make sense?”
    Snap out of it, Lucy! “No. I’m sorry,” she said with a long sigh. “It’s been a really long morning. Yes. It makes sense.”
    “You need an iced coffee,” Grace intervened.  
    He pointed at Grace. “I hear ice and I hear coffee, so, yeah. Thanks.”
    “No problem,” Grace said. She smiled, but Lucy knew by Grace’s expression that she was feeling that same Oh my God feeling.
    “Just milk and sugar?” Lucy asked.
    He stared at her for a few seconds before his lips slowly curved into an unreadable smile. “Sure. Sweeten it up.”
    Lucy felt her face flush with a color that wasn’t meant to be seen by a man. “Okay,” she said, and headed over to make his drink. On the way, she raised her eyebrows at Grace, who gave her a knowing look.  
    “I’ve never been in here before,” he said as Lucy worked. “I drive past it every day.”
    “My cousin, Lydia, owns it,” Lucy answered, and then wondered why she felt that information was important. “It’s been here for about three years.”
    “It’s nice,” he said as he looked around. He bent over to look through the glass that separated him from the cinnamon rolls, bagels, croissants, fritters, muffins, breads, and scones. “I guess I should get something for my crew.”
    Lucy brought his coffee over and set it on the counter. “What would you like?”
    “What do you recommend?”
    “Bagels are pretty easy. Or muffins.”
    “I’m sorry. You have a little …” He chuckled as he raised his hand and pointed to the corner of his mouth.  
    Lucy felt the humiliating blush stain her cheeks again. “What?” she asked, and quickly pulled her hand up to her mouth. “Here?”
    “It’s something … there. No,” he said. “It’s right here.”  
    Suddenly, he reached out and touched the skin just above her upper lip. With one gentle swipe, he wiped away whatever it was. Caught completely off guard, Lucy lost her breath as he slowly pulled his hand from her face.  
    He rubbed his finger on the bottom of his shirt. “It was cream or something.”
    “Cream?” she asked quietly, and licked her lips. “Oh, no. It was frosting. We were eating cupcakes.”
    “Makes perfect sense,” he said, clearly amused. He bent back down to look into the display case.  
    Lucy fidgeted with a napkin while she waited. He was bent in a way that exposed just how lovely his backside was. His jeans hung perfectly on everything dangerous and his white T-shirt showed off just about every angle and line he had underneath, including a black tribal tattoo that wrapped around his tan, muscular arm.  
    She licked her lips again.  
    “Muffins,” he finally decided, tapping on the glass. “I’ll take three dozen of whatever you have. Surprise me.”
    Lucy hurried as she grabbed every muffin in her reach and then headed to the back to grab more. “I need two dozen muffins. Whatever kind we have,” she told Lydia, and began to scoop up anything she could find.  
    “I just made some,” Lydia said, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Where’s the fire?”
    Lucy looked down and realized her hands were shaking. She must have looked manic. She felt manic. “Lydia! Just help me!”
    Lydia eyed her strangely, but pulled the bag from her hands and began to help fill it. “Calm down,” she said quietly.
    Lucy ripped the bag back from her. “Thanks,” she said, and pushed open the double doors that led out of the kitchen.  
    “Here you are,” she said in a voice that she hoped sounded at ease.  
    He pulled out his wallet and looked at her expectantly. “How much?”
    She had forgotten to ring up his order. She began to push a combination of buttons until she finally arrived at a number that didn’t seem quite right in her head, but she said it anyway. “Fifteen