Moonlight in the Morning Read online

  In an all-new trilogy set in blissful Edilean, Virginia, Jude Deveraux weaves together the tales of three young women, best friends since college, and the lives, loves, and dreams that await them.

  Sparks are flying between Jecca Layton and Dr. Tristan Aldredge. At the urging of her dear friend Kim, Jecca put the ruthless New York City art world on hold to spend the summer pursuing her passion for painting while enjoying Edilean’s tightly knit artistic community. For years, Kim’s cousin Tris—the town’s handsome and dedicated doctor—felt a deep connection to Kim’s college “sister” Jecca, though they had met only once before; now, Jecca is swept off her feet by this strong, sensitive man in a summer of sensual delights. But when long shadows announce Jecca’s return to “real life” and the big city, the lovers must decide: Can they survive the distance? And who will sacrifice the life they’ve created for themselves to be together?

  “Deveraux’s touch is gold.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  Includes an excerpt from Jude Deveraux’s next novel,

  Stranger in the Moonlight

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  Critics adore the “exquisite and enchanting” (BookPage) Edilean novels from “master storyteller” (The Literary Times) Jude Deveraux. . . . Uncover the romantic secrets of the idyllic Virginia town in these unforgettable New York Times bestsellers!

  Scarlet Nights

  “Deveraux brings to life the sort of sweet and spunky heroines who attract the muscular men her fans expect and enjoy. . . . Scarlet Nights will hook readers and leave them with a smile.”

  —Booklist

  “Readers familiar with the series will delight in immersing themselves back in the comfortable world of Edilean, and new readers should enjoy exploring it. . . . Deveraux’s colorful cast and easy way with words shine.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Deveraux is a master storyteller, and her books fairly shimmer with excitement and adventure, making her one of the most popular women’s fiction writers today. Scarlet Nights is no exception. With strong characters, down-home charm, and an intriguing story, fans will enjoy catching up with the folks from Edilean.”

  —Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)

  Days of Gold

  “Deveraux has a sure hand evoking plucky heroines, dastardly villains, and irresistible heroes, as well as a well-rounded supporting cast. . . . The pace moves quickly and the romance sparks with enough voltage to keep readers turning pages.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Lavender Morning

  “Sweet and salty characters . . . entertaining . . . one of her most fun and pleasing tales.”

  —Booklist

  “Quick dialogue, interesting settings, and plot twists.”

  —Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT)

  And don’t miss these bestsellers from Jude Deveraux, whose novels are “just plain fun to read . . . she keeps readers on the edge of their seats” (The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA)

  The Scent of Jasmine

  “A delightful adventure romance. . . . Deveraux’s enchanting heroine and engaging hero . . . steal the book. This is a tale to read for the simple joy of a well-crafted romance.”

  —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars)

  Secrets

  “A sweet love story filled with twists and turns.”

  —Booklist

  ght="2edth="0em">“The deceptions will keep readers trying to guess the next plot twist.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Someone to Love

  “Fabulous. . . . Fast-paced. . . . Delightful paranormal romantic suspense.”

  —Harriet Klausner

  Have you ever wanted to rewrite your past?

  Get swept away in the magic of

  The Summerhouse and

  Return to Summerhouse

  “Marvelously compelling. . . . Deeply satisfying.”

  —Houston Chronicle

  “Entertaining summer reading.”

  —The Port St. Lucie News (FL)

  “Deveraux is at the top of her game.”

  —Booklist

  Savor “an intriguing paranormal tale”*

  in her wonderful trilogy

  Forever . . . Forever and Always Always “Bewitching. . . . High-spirited. . . . Irresistibly eerie, yet decidedly a love story.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “Engaging . . . a delightful otherworldly fantasy.”

  —Thebestreviews.com*

  “Cannot be put down until the last word is read. . . . Truly amazing.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “[A] modern fairy tale. . . . This is Deveraux at her most pleasurable.”

  —Booklist

  BOOKS BY JUDE DEVERAUX

  The Velvet Promise

  Highland Velvet

  Velvet Song

  Velvet Angel

  Sweetbriar

  Counterfeit Lady

  Lost Lady

  River Lady

  Twin of Fire

  Twin of Ice

  The Temptress

  The Raider

  The Princess

  The Awakening

  The Maiden

  The Taming

  The Conquest

  A Knight in Shining Armor

  Holly

  Wishes

  The Mountain Laurel

  The Duchess

  Eternity

  Sweet Liar

  The Invitation

  Remembrance

  The Heiress

  Legend

  An Angel for Emily

  The Blessing

  High Tide

  Temptation

  The Summerhouse

  The Mulberry Tree

  Forever . . .

  Forever and Always

  Always

  Wild Orchids

  First Impressions

  Carolina Isle

  Someone to Love

  Secrets

  Return to Summerhouse

  Lavender Morning

  Days of Gold

  Scarlet Nights

  Scent of Jasmine

  Heartwishes

  Pocket Star Books

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  New York, NY 10020

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2012 by Deveraux, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

  First Pocket Star Books paperback edition January 2012

  69;div>

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r />   Cover illustration by Alan Ayers

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Deveraux, Jude.

  Moonlight in the morning : a novel / Jude Deveraux.—1st Pocket Books pbk. ed.

  p. cm.

  I. Title.

  PS3554.E9273M59 2011

  813'.54—dc22 2011018690

  ISBN 978-1-4165-0974-5 (print)

  ISBN 978-1-4516-5938-2 (eBook)

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  Stranger in the Moonlight - Teaser

  Prologue

  New Jersey

  2004

  “Dad,” Jecca said to her father, Joe Layton, “I want to go to Virginia to see Kim. It’s only for two weeks, and you can run the store without me.” She knew she sounded like a whiny little girl and not the mature nineteen-year-old woman she was, but her dad did that to her.

  “Jecca, you spent all year at that college with your friend. You lived with her and that other girl. What’s her name?”

  “Sophie.”

  “Right. I don’t see why you can’t spare your old dad a few weeks.”

  Parental guilt! Jecca thought and clenched her hands into fists. Her father was brilliant at it. He had perfected it to an art form.

  That she was spending the entire summer working for him in the family hardware store never seemed to enter his mind. She’d already been home from college for two whole months now and her father hadn’t taken a single day off—and he expected his daughter to be at the store alongside him. She was the one who closed the gap when one by one all the other employees took their vacations. But Jecca didn’t consider taking care of the hundreds of do-it-yourselfers as what her father called “being together,” since the only “conversation” they had was when he asked if the new router bits had come in.

  Jecca appreciated all her father did for her and she wanted to see him, but she also wanted some time off. She wanted fourteen whole days to do only what she wanted to. Put on a bikini and lie by a pool. Flirt with boys. Talk to Kim about . . . well, about everything in life. Time to dream about her future. She was studying art at school as she wanted to be a painter. Kim said there was some magnificent scenery around her home in Virginia, and Jecca wanted to put it all on paper. The plan was perfect—except that her father wouldn’t agree. She didn’t want to cause any anger by openly defying him, so all she could do was plead for his permission.

  As she watched him stack boxes of wood screws, she thought of her last e-mail from Kim.

  “You should spend some time at Florida Point,” Kim had written. “If you climb to the top you can see across two counties. Some of the boys, including my idiot brother, strip off and jump into the pool at the bottom. It’s a far drop and very dangerous, but they still do it. Naked boys aside, it’s a beautiful place, and I think you could find lots to paint up there.”

  Jecca had explained to her father as patiently as she could, in as adult a manner as possible, that she needed to produce some artworks before the next year.

  Her father had listened politely to every word she’d said, then asked if she’d ordered the tenpenny nails.

  Jecca lost all her newly found maturity. “It’s not fair!” she’d yelled. “You let Joey off for the whole summer. Why can’t I have even two weeks?”

  Joe Layton looked affrontby oked afed. “Your brother now has a wife, and they’re trying to give me grandchildren.”

  Jecca gasped. “You let Joey have the entire summer off just so he can screw Sheila?”

  “Watch your mouth, young lady,” he said as he moved to the small power tools section.

  Jecca knew she had to calm down. She wouldn’t get anywhere by making him angry. “Dad, please,” she said in her best little-girl voice.

  “You want to meet a boy, don’t you?”

  Jecca refrained from rolling her eyes. Did he ever worry about anything else? “No, Dad, there is no boy. Kim has an older brother, but he’s had the same girlfriend since forever.” She took a breath and reminded herself to keep on track. Her father was good at knowing when his only daughter was lying. Joey could get away with telling whoppers. “I was out with the boys,” he used to say, and their father would nod. Later, Jecca would say to her brother, “The next used condom you leave in the car, you’ll find on your pillow.” She knew he hadn’t been out with “the boys.”

  “Dad,” Jecca said, “I just want two weeks to gossip with my friend and to paint. When I go back to school I want to nonchalantly, as though I didn’t work my tail off to show Sophie and maybe a teacher or two some watercolors that I did over the summer. That’s all. I swear it on—”

  The look her father gave her made her close her mouth. She couldn’t swear on her mother’s grave.

  “Please,” she pleaded again.

  “All right,” he said. “When do you want to leave?”

  Jecca didn’t answer or she would have said she was running out the door right then. Instead, she threw her arms around her father’s stout, strong body and bent to kiss his cheek. He was proud that she was an inch taller than his five foot six. He liked to say that she took after her mother’s family, as they were tall and lean.

  His oldest child, his son Joey, was pure Layton. He was five foot five and nearly as wide as he was tall, almost all of it muscle, thanks to having worked in the hardware store since he was twelve. Jecca called him “Bulldog.”

  She was on a plane early the next morning. She didn’t want to give some contractor the chance to show up saying his tools had been stolen/lost/destroyed and he needed new ones now. Her dad would expect her to stay and help fill the order. He thought nothing of sending his daughter up the side of a mountain in a dual-axle pickup to deliver nails, roofing supplies, and equipment.

  When Jecca got off the plane in Richmond she was expecting to see Kim, but she wasn’t there. Instead, Kim’s father was waiting. Jecca’d met him only once but she remembered him well. He was older than her father by several years but he was still handsome.

  “Is everything all right?” Jecca asked.

  “Yes and no,” Mr. Aldredge said. “We had to rush Kim to the hospital last night for an emergency appendectomy.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yes, but she’s going to be out of it for a few days. I’m sorry we didn’t call and tell you so you could postpone your trip.”

  “It took me two months to talk my father into letting me out of the hardware store. If I’d had a delay he never would have let me come.”

  “We fathers can be a problem,” he said.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay, Jecca. I understand completely. Why do you think Kim isn’t visiting you? I couldn’t bear to part with her.”

  She smiled at him. Kim had always said he was a pushover. “Sweetest man alive. Now my mother . . .” The three of them had laughed. Sophie and Kim knew about mothers being difficult, but Jecca figured her father was enough of a problem for any three parents.

  They got in Mr. Aldredge’s car and started the long drive to Edilean. “Kim will be down for a while, but I can introduce you to some people. My son’s friends are around if you’d like, and there’s her cousin Sara, and—”

  “That’s okay. I can paint,” Jecca said. “I brought enough supplies to last me months. Kim said something about Florida Point?” Mr. Aldredge made a noise as though Jecca had s
aid something extremely dirty. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No, uh, I mean, well, it would be better to call the place by its proper name of Stirling Point.”

  “Oh. Because . . . ?” She wasn’t sure but it looked like Mr. Aldredge’s face turned red.

  “Better ask Kim,” he mumbled.

  “Okay,” she said, and they were silent for a while.

  “I guess I should tell you about my son, Reede. He and his girlfriend broke up.” Mr. Aldredge sighed. “It’s the first time he’s had his heart broken. I told him it wouldn’t be the last, but that did no good. The poor guy is so despondent that I’m concerned he might drop out of med school.”

  “That is serious. I thought he was about to get married.”

  “We thought so too. He and Laura Chawnley were a couple since they were kids.”

  “Isn’t that—?” Jecca thought it would be better to keep her opinions to herself.

  “Limiting?” Mr. Aldredge asked. “Very much so, but Reede is as stubborn as his mother.”

  “And Kim,” Jecca said.

  “Oh yes. When my children decide something there’s no changing them.”

  “It looks like Laura changed Reede.”

  “Yeah,” Mr. Aldredge said with a sigh. “She changed his whole life. He was going to come back here after he graduated and set up a practice, but now . . . I don’t know what he’s going to do.”

  Jecca had seen Reede Aldredge only once, when Kim moved into the dorm, but she rememberedol.e remem him as one gorgeous hunk. In the last year, every time Kim mentioned him, Jecca listened intently. “Did they have a fight?” she asked and wanted to say, Is he available?

  “Not really. Laura just dumped my son flat. Told him it was over, that she’d met someone else.”

  “Poor Reede. I hope she didn’t run off with someone in your little town, so he has to see them together.”

  Mr. Aldredge glanced away from the road to look at her. “She wasn’t that thoughtful. She’s taken up with the new pastor of Edilean Baptist Church. If my son ever goes to church again—which he says he’ll never do—he’s going to have to look at the man who stole his girl.”