Page 18 of Luna

Although Hunter had thought he’d found his forever with a girl named Katherine, she’d turned out to be fickle and interested purely in his family fortunes. She’d been quite an actress, making him think she cared about him when all along she was biding her time until she could claim part of Bramble Hall’s coffers. Thankfully, his cousin Billy had overheard her talking to one of her friends at a party and relayed the details to Hunter.

If it had been anyone else breaking the news to him, Hunter would have likely popped the fellow in the nose and convinced himself the offending lout was jealous he’d caught Katherine’s eye. Only, he’d known Billy would never lie to him.

Hunter had followed Billy through the shadows and stood behind a drape, listening to Katherine tell her friend all the things she’d change at Bramble Hall when she took over as mistress of the house, starting with sending Hunter’s beloved grandmother away, then tearing out all the apple trees to plant vineyards. She’d bragged about her plans to convince Hunter to sell “those dreadful horses,” as she put it, then spoken quite disparagingly about Hunter’s mother.

Livid, hurt, and disillusioned, Hunter had clenched his jaw until his molars ached to keep from shouting at the uppity snippet. Instead, he’d taken her home, acting as though nothing was amiss. When he walked her to her door, he’d assured Katherine it would be the last time. He recalled how coy and sweet she’d acted, batting her eyelashes at him, clinging to him as though he’d made a grand joke. That’s when he’d explained in clear, concise language that he never wanted to see her again.

Of course, she’d tried everything imaginable to manipulate her way back into his life, but Hunter had blocked her efforts, and she’d finally given up. Last he’d heard, she was chasing after one of the Vanderbilts. He really should write a letter warning the poor chap of Katherine’s scheming ways.

Flynn thumped him on the shoulder, drawing Hunter from his memories.

“I’ll let you know as soon as Mitch has the papers ready. Would you like me to go ahead and order the trees?” Flynn asked as he stepped into the car driven by his faithful servant, Benson.

“Let’s wait until I am officially the owner. If something should happen, I don’t want to have a train car load of trees arrive when I have nowhere to plant them.” Hunter reached out and shook Flynn’s hand again. “I’ll head into town and see if I can finalize things this afternoon. If I do, I’ll let you know about the trees.”

“I’ll wait to hear from you. If I’m not at the house, leave a message, and I’ll order them when we return from our outing with the Stewart offspring.”

Hunter waved as Benson turned the car around and left. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With a smile, he envisioned how the place would look one day in the future, when the apple trees were heavy with fruit, cattle grazed on the rich pasture grass, and the two-story farmhouse was a comfortable, welcoming haven to his family and friends alike. He could almost hear the laughter floating out the windows and see the children playing tag in the yard. Girls with Dally’s auburn hair and boys with his black locks. His sister and wife sat on the porch swing, giggling over something Nik had said. Luna tossed her head, smiled, and …

Snapped out of his daydreams by the vision of Luna in the midst of them, Hunter opened his eyes and shook his head. Why on earth would he picture Luna Campanelli there? He barely knew the girl. Woman. Incredibly attractive and interesting female.

Still, he had no interest in courting her, let alone marrying her. Did he?

Then again, he had invited her to the circus next week.

What had he been thinking? Clearly, he hadn’t been. The words had burst out of him without his permission. The next thing he’d known, he’d been suggesting a time to pick her up at Tony and Ilsa’s home.

Honestly, he’d been hard put to keep his eyes off her the other night at the restaurant. She was full of vigor and zest, all bright smiles and big brown eyes that sparkled with life and humor. She wasn’t a thing like Katherine, who carried herself with regal aloofness and practiced grace.

No, Luna was … well, Luna. When she wasn’t fainting into his arms at the depot, energy seemed to fairly pulse from her, as though she could barely hold herself in check. Not that she wasn’t beautiful, because she was, with her rich brown hair and flawless skin, and that adorable heart-shaped face. But she wasn’t someone he could picture sitting in a parlor embroidering samplers or knitting socks. Luna needed adventure and challenges. At least, it seemed that way to him.

She reminded him of Dally and his mother—two women he greatly admired for their intelligence, skills, and compassionate approach to life.

Hunter looked at the house, with the porch sagging to the right, the siding in need of paint, and half the windows cracked or broken. He closed his eyes again, picturing it painted, restored, and filled to the rafters with love.

“I think Dally and Nik’s smooches are getting to me,” Hunter groused. He walked over to where his horse, Wind, grazed in the shade. Hunter took the reins in hand and swung into the saddle.

The ride to town was pleasant and didn’t take long. He went to the telegraph office and sent telegrams to the current owners of the two properties. While he waited for replies, he walked down to the bank and spoke with Grant Hill about the funds he planned to withdraw to make the purchases and the steps for expediting the process. He then dropped by Mitchell Lawry’s office to have him draw up the paperwork for the sales, hoping like everything the sellers would accept his offers.

Flynn had stopped by the attorney’s office earlier, and Mitch had already started a simple contract Hunter and Flynn could sign for their deal. While Hunter was discussing terms with Mitch, one of the errand boys from the telegraph office arrived with replies to both of Hunter’s telegrams.

“It looks like I just bought two farms,” Hunter said with a huge smile after reading the missives.

Mitch stood and clapped him on the back. “Congratulations, Hunter. Flynn mentioned you plan to raise apples and beef. That’s an interesting combination.”

“The world can never have too much food,” Hunter said, hardly able to think as his head spun with excitement.

The purchase of the land was Hunter’s big step into adulthood and his future. It felt like a monumental, pivotal moment in his life. One he never wanted to forget.

He shook hands with Mitch and returned to the bank to finalize the payments with Grant. From there, he rushed to the telegraph office and sent two more telegrams to the sellers, accepting their terms and letting them know he would wire the payments as soon as they signed the papers. After leaving a message for Flynn to order the trees, Hunter fought the urge to shout with pure joy.

In a mood to celebrate, he stopped by Nik’s office and insisted on taking him, Dally, Rowdy, and Corni out for dinner. A sudden craving for a fine Italian meal made his mouth water. If fortune continued to smile down upon him, Luna would be working at Caterina’s restaurant, and he could share his good news with her.

Chapter Seven

“You can do this. You absolutely can do this,” Luna chanted to the image in the cheval mirror in her bedroom at Tony and Ilsa’s home.

She smoothed a hand down the front of her deep purple cotton gown. It was one of her favorites, trimmed in matching lace along the yoke and down the center of the skirt. A high lace neckline hid her detestable scar and also made her feel more refined and elegant. She settled a fashionable straw hat on her head, accented with a plume and flowers in the same rich shade of purple that always made her think of royalty.

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