Page 11 of Luna

“Where are we going?” Luna asked as Ilsa tugged her down an alley, crossed the street into another alley, then pulled open the screen door to Caterina’s kitchen.

“Ilsa! Luna!” Caterina exclaimed with a welcoming smile when they stepped inside her domain. “You’re just in time for tea and cookies.”

“That’s what I was hoping,” Ilsa said with a sly grin.

“Come and sit. We’ll rest a moment and visit.” Caterina pointed to a table near a set of stairs.

Ilsa filled three glasses with ice and poured tea from a pitcher she took from the commercial-sized refrigerator while Caterina filled a plate with cookies and carried it with napkins over to the table.

She sank onto a chair and blew out a long breath before tucking errant tendrils of hair behind her ears. “It’s going to be a hot summer if today is a hint of the weather to come.”

“I would rather we have warm days than cold and chilly ones. I’m so pleased the winter weather has finally released its firm hold and moved along,” Ilsa said, taking a dainty sip from her glass, then choosing a cookie and nibbling a tiny bite.

The woman was diminutive and so delicate, she put Luna in mind of a china doll. Despite her ultra-feminine appearance, Ilsa was smart and business savvy. She’d made a name for herself all around the world with the fantastic fashions she created.

Caterina, on the other hand, looked like a force of nature. She was incredibly beautiful, but she was strong, capable, and full of a confident attitude that gave her the ability to manage a successful restaurant while raising her family.

“Have you decided what you’ll do with the boys for the summer?” Ilsa asked Caterina as she sipped her tea.

Luna took a drink and found the sweetened tea different than she’d expected but much to her liking.

Caterina sighed, rolled her eyes, and threw her hands in the air. “The ornery rapscallions are sure to get themselves killed if left to their own defenses. Garrett offered to put them to work on the ranch, but I’m not certain that is a good idea. They’re likely to stampede the cattle, terrify the sheep, and set fire to the wheat fields, and that will be just the first day.”

Luna couldn’t hold back the giggle that escaped from her.

Caterina feigned affront, then smiled. “My boys are a handful. Kade and I have tried to curb their tendency to run wild, but there’s only so much we can do.”

“Send them to Garrett or J.B. He’s likely to whip them into shape.” Ilsa smiled and took another nibble of her cookie. “J.B. is Garrett’s father.”

Luna bit into a cookie and let the spicy, buttery flavor melt on her tongue. “These are divine, Caterina. They remind me of the cookies Aunt Angelina makes, but they’re different.”

“Exactly,” Caterina said, breaking a cookie in half and taking a bite. “I sell these cookies by the dozens, and I have not shared the recipe with anyone.”

“Tony knows,” Ilsa teased.

“True, but I will break all his cameras and pour pepper in his ice if he ever thinks about sharing it.”

Luna’s eyes widened, and then she realized Caterina wasn’t serious. At least she hoped she wasn’t. Caterina had definitely inherited the Campanelli flair for drama along with the larger-than-life personality so many members of the family shared.

“I would not break his cameras, at least not all of them,” Caterina said, winking at Luna. “Now, tell us, bambina, how do you like Pendleton?”

“I haven’t seen much of it yet, but from what I have, it seems very nice.” Luna felt like she’d walked into an unknown universe full of ranchers and farmers, cowboys and Indians, and she wasn’t quite sure how to view it all.

For now, she just wanted to absorb her surroundings and form opinions later. If all the cowboys were as kind, handsome, and remarkable as Hunter, who’d rescued her yesterday, she might decide Pendleton could be the best place on the planet.

Before she asked questions about Hunter, whom Ilsa and Caterina clearly knew, and gave away her interest in him, Luna forced her thoughts back to the conversation as Ilsa and Caterina discussed a picnic being planned for Sunday after church. It seemed everyone was invited out to Nash’s Folly, where Ilsa’s sister Aundy lived with her husband, Garrett, whom Caterina planned to besiege with her boys.

“You could leave Brett and Ben at the ranch after the picnic Sunday. It would be good for them,” Ilsa said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin while Caterina broke another cookie in half.

“I’ll think about it. Maybe between Garrett, J.B., and Dent, they can keep my boys in line.” Caterina looked at Luna. “Dent is Aundy’s foreman.”

Luna noted that Caterina said Aundy’s foreman, not Garrett’s, but tucked the comment away to study later. “Tell me more about the shops in town.”

Ilsa and Caterina spoke of the best stores, the nicest shop owners, and places to avoid. Caterina glanced up as a tall young man opened the back door and stepped inside. He appeared almost shy as he removed his hat and respectfully tipped his head toward them.

“Come over here, Harley John,” Caterina said, rising from her chair and motioning for him to join them. “Harley John Hobbs, this is my cousin Luna from New York City. She arrived yesterday, but you weren’t here when she ate dinner.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Campanelli. Aunt Cat has been quite excited about your arrival. We’re glad you made it safely here.”

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