Read Online Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2) by Adrienne Frances - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Adrienne Frances
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facing forward, if Charlie moved in, he knew he could destroy him.
“Do I have your attention?” Charlie asked, with his best death stare.
Clearly terrified, the man slowly nodded.
“We don’t speak to women that way, do we?” Charlie asked calmly.
The man’s face went white. “No,” he said, and shook his head.
Charlie grabbed a fistful of the man’s suit jacket and pulled him upright. He turned him to face Lucy, who was wide-eyed on the other side of the counter, her hands covering her mouth. “I think you owe her an apology,” Charlie said, and shook the man.
“I’m sorry,” the man said. “I’m sorry!” he said louder when Charlie shook him again.
Lucy set his coffee down and Charlie grabbed it. He handed him the coffee and straightened out the sleeve of his suit. “That was nice,” he said, and gave the man’s arm a slap. “Now, pay her, and don’t forget a tip.”
After the man paid and rushed out the door, Charlie took a moment to cringe at his behavior. He wasn’t sure where it had come from, but he was positive he wasn’t making himself look all that great in front of Lucy.
He finally turned and threw her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry,” he said, and picked up the box of straws he had knocked over in the scuffle. “I just couldn’t let him speak to you like that.”
Her mouth opened and closed quickly. Her sparkling blue eyes remained wide and Charlie couldn’t decipher whether she was scared of him or not.
“I swear, I’m not some Neanderthal that walks around pummeling people.”
She nodded slowly.
“I have a problem with the way men speak to women sometimes. I always picture my mom or my sister. I guess that makes me just … I don’t know … lose it a little.” He tried to flash her an innocent smile and realized that getting her to speak might be a little difficult now. “So, I guess I owe you two apologies today, huh?”
Her eyes finally returned to their normal size, but then she squinted in confusion. “Wait. Why do you owe me two apologies?”
“Well, the first one is for that idiotic display and the second one is for touching your face the other day. That was really out of line.”
“My face?” Her hand slowly moved to where he had touched her. While he helplessly contemplated stroking it again—this time with his tongue—she held her fingers there and stared at him.
“Again, just so we’re clear, I’m not a face-touching caveman who beats up random people.” It was obvious that she needed a minute, so he took the stool in front of her. “I’m Charlie. I don’t think I told you that the other day. It’s Lucy, right?”
“Charlie,” she said quietly. “Right.”
“Those muffins have become pretty popular with the guys I work with,” he said in his best effort to make small talk.
“Do you want muffins?” she asked, her face finally relaxing into a more normal expression.
“And coffee,” he added with a wink. Clearly, his old days of flirting were coming back to him whether he wanted them to or not.
“Okay,” she said carefully, and glanced down at his wedding ring. Her eyes lingered there for a moment until she met his eyes again. “What kind of muffins?”
“Banana,” he said, hating himself. Now Lucy probably thought he was a presumptuous pervert who beat people up and cheated on his wife. There was simply no winning in this situation.
“The banana muffins are still in the oven. A man came in a little while ago and bought every single banana muffin we had, so I had to make more.” She looked around. “Hence, why I fell behind during morning rush.”
Charlie closed his eyes and sighed. He was positive he was going to get to work and find a plethora of banana muffins.
“Coffee while you wait?” she asked.
“Sure,” he answered. “I like it hot.”
She bit her lip, clearly stifling a laugh. “Okay,” she said and grabbed a cup from the stack in front
“Do I have your attention?” Charlie asked, with his best death stare.
Clearly terrified, the man slowly nodded.
“We don’t speak to women that way, do we?” Charlie asked calmly.
The man’s face went white. “No,” he said, and shook his head.
Charlie grabbed a fistful of the man’s suit jacket and pulled him upright. He turned him to face Lucy, who was wide-eyed on the other side of the counter, her hands covering her mouth. “I think you owe her an apology,” Charlie said, and shook the man.
“I’m sorry,” the man said. “I’m sorry!” he said louder when Charlie shook him again.
Lucy set his coffee down and Charlie grabbed it. He handed him the coffee and straightened out the sleeve of his suit. “That was nice,” he said, and gave the man’s arm a slap. “Now, pay her, and don’t forget a tip.”
After the man paid and rushed out the door, Charlie took a moment to cringe at his behavior. He wasn’t sure where it had come from, but he was positive he wasn’t making himself look all that great in front of Lucy.
He finally turned and threw her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry,” he said, and picked up the box of straws he had knocked over in the scuffle. “I just couldn’t let him speak to you like that.”
Her mouth opened and closed quickly. Her sparkling blue eyes remained wide and Charlie couldn’t decipher whether she was scared of him or not.
“I swear, I’m not some Neanderthal that walks around pummeling people.”
She nodded slowly.
“I have a problem with the way men speak to women sometimes. I always picture my mom or my sister. I guess that makes me just … I don’t know … lose it a little.” He tried to flash her an innocent smile and realized that getting her to speak might be a little difficult now. “So, I guess I owe you two apologies today, huh?”
Her eyes finally returned to their normal size, but then she squinted in confusion. “Wait. Why do you owe me two apologies?”
“Well, the first one is for that idiotic display and the second one is for touching your face the other day. That was really out of line.”
“My face?” Her hand slowly moved to where he had touched her. While he helplessly contemplated stroking it again—this time with his tongue—she held her fingers there and stared at him.
“Again, just so we’re clear, I’m not a face-touching caveman who beats up random people.” It was obvious that she needed a minute, so he took the stool in front of her. “I’m Charlie. I don’t think I told you that the other day. It’s Lucy, right?”
“Charlie,” she said quietly. “Right.”
“Those muffins have become pretty popular with the guys I work with,” he said in his best effort to make small talk.
“Do you want muffins?” she asked, her face finally relaxing into a more normal expression.
“And coffee,” he added with a wink. Clearly, his old days of flirting were coming back to him whether he wanted them to or not.
“Okay,” she said carefully, and glanced down at his wedding ring. Her eyes lingered there for a moment until she met his eyes again. “What kind of muffins?”
“Banana,” he said, hating himself. Now Lucy probably thought he was a presumptuous pervert who beat people up and cheated on his wife. There was simply no winning in this situation.
“The banana muffins are still in the oven. A man came in a little while ago and bought every single banana muffin we had, so I had to make more.” She looked around. “Hence, why I fell behind during morning rush.”
Charlie closed his eyes and sighed. He was positive he was going to get to work and find a plethora of banana muffins.
“Coffee while you wait?” she asked.
“Sure,” he answered. “I like it hot.”
She bit her lip, clearly stifling a laugh. “Okay,” she said and grabbed a cup from the stack in front
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