Page 6 of Luna

Before anyone could say a word, Caterina pulled Luna from the chair and embraced her in a motherly hug.

It seemed to be what Luna needed as she went from being stiff and embarrassed, to smiling as Caterina kissed both of her cheeks, then hugged her again.

“Thank you for rescuing her,” Ilsa said, grabbing Hunter’s hand as he backed up a few steps, ready to take his leave.

Hunter grinned. “I always wanted to rescue a damsel in distress. Guess I can mark that off my list of objectives and move on to a new one.”

Ilsa laughed and shook her head. “What’s next? Saving a girl with flowing locks from a high tower?”

“No, nothing so grand. I’ve got an appointment to look at some property.”

“Property?” Ilsa appeared caught off guard. “Are you thinking of buying land here in Pendleton?”

Hunter nodded. “I am. I’ve got a heap of plans for my future, and I’m ready to get started on them.”

“Good for you, Hunter. Good for you.” Ilsa walked him to the door and waved as he strode off in the direction of his brother-in-law’s medical office.

If luck was with him, he could ride home with Nik and not have to walk.

Chapter Three

“Thanks, sir. I sure appreciate the ride,” Hunter said as he climbed out of Gideon McBride’s shiny new Ford automobile parked in front of the house at the B Bar D Ranch.

“Anytime, Hunter. Just glad I was heading out this way and could give you a lift.”

“Me too.” Hunter shook the man’s hand, then waved as Gideon put the auto in gear and left.

Hunter was grateful he’d gone to Gideon’s restaurant for a bite to eat before walking out to the ranch. Gideon had stopped by his table and, after a minute of conversation, offered him a ride.

Hunter had figured he’d need nourishment before he trudged out to the ranch since Nik had been out on a call and unable to give him a ride. He could have telephoned his sister to come get him, but he didn’t want to bother Dally. Besides, she would have given him a hard time about being too good to walk out from town, even if it was a handful of miles from Pendleton.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have minded the walk, but his boots weren’t exactly made for walking, he didn’t relish listening to the spurs jingle with every step, and he was hot and weary after helping Luna Campanelli.

The girl—enticing young woman, he corrected himself—had scared five years off his life when she’d reacted with such fright to the noise at the depot, then fainted. For a moment, he thought she might have suffered heat stroke, but he sensed her troubles weren’t a result of the weather. He had no idea what had caused her to react that way, and it wasn’t any of his business, but it bothered him that someone so young and full of life seemed to bear a great burden.

Before he let thoughts of her ripe lips, sweet smile, and becoming face turn his head, he decided to forget all about her arrival in Pendleton. He already had far more to deal with than he’d expected when he’d arrived in town two weeks ago. Originally, he’d planned to spend the summer helping Dally with her horses from time to time while scouting out the perfect piece of land to purchase.

Only, he’d arrived at the B Bar D to discover his sister was expecting her first child, and hadn’t bothered to tell any of her North Carolina relatives. She’d sworn him to secrecy, claiming their mother and grandmother would board the first train to Pendleton and spend all summer fussing over her, driving her crazy.

Although he’d understood and even conceded she was likely correct in what would happen when news reached his parents, he hated keeping secrets. He’d finally agreed not to mention her condition to their family under the stipulation she share the happy news with their parents by the first of September, since the baby was due near the end of October. If she didn’t, he would tattle.

Dally had accepted his terms and put him to work. Nik had deemed it unsafe for Dally to continue riding the horses she trained in her condition, so Hunter took over the job for the summer. Dally had offered to pay him, but he’d refused. To him, the work was a fair trade for his room and board.

He thoroughly enjoyed training horses. That wasn’t the problem. He just hadn’t expected to spend every waking hour working with them.

Rowdy Logan, the foreman of the ranch and a seasoned cowboy who could break any horse with a gentle hand, already had more than enough to do running the B Bar D. During the summer season, they hired extra hands to help with the cattle and additional workers when it was time for wheat harvest. Rowdy assisted Dally all he could, but his time was limited. And Dally, being Dally, didn’t trust just anyone to train a horse to her exacting specifications.

So, Hunter found himself working far more hours than he wanted, keeping secrets he thought should be shared, all while trying to sort out his own plans for the future.

He walked around the house and entered through the back door, toeing off his boots and leaving his hat on a hook before stepping into the kitchen.

“Hey, Corni, do I smell ham baking?” Hunter asked as he moved over to the sink and grinned at a woman he’d known since birth. Cornelia had been his mother’s personal maid, trained from a young age in how to serve a woman of a grand manor. For years, he and Dally and even Jeff had tried to coax Corni into coming to Pendleton with them for a visit. Finally, she’d relented, and she’d fallen in love with Rowdy. The two of them had wed, and Corni had taken up the task of trying to learn to cook and clean a home.

Although she’d made great strides and kept the ranch house in an immaculate condition, Corni still hadn’t perfected her cooking skills. Most of the time, they ate at the bunkhouse unless Dally fixed a meal.

However, Corni could make a tasty baked ham, and if she was cooking a ham, Dally would likely fix a batch of biscuits. The two together were among Hunter’s favorite things to eat.

“You do smell a ham, Hunter. How was your trip to Baker City?” She glanced at the clock as she continued stirring a pot of something bubbling on the stove.

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