Page 81 of Luna

Hunter heard the work crew arriving and went downstairs to see where he could help. He couldn’t do any woodwork that required precise detail, but he could swing a hammer with ease and had gotten good at installing shelves after working in the library.

The morning was still young when he heard an automobile arrive, horn tooting. He was upstairs replacing the trim around a bedroom doorway and quickly stepped over to the window.

“Hunter? Hunter!” his father bellowed as he jumped out of Hunter’s auto and ran toward the house.

Fearful something had happened, like Dally going into labor too early, Hunter dropped the hammer he’d been holding and raced down the stairs, taking them two and three steps at a time. He jumped off the landing as his father barreled through the front door.

“What’s wrong? Is it Dally? Mama? What’s happened?”

“Luna. It’s Luna. According to Tony, she’s heading back to New York. Now. Today.”

“What?” Hunter felt the strength flow out of his legs and he started sinking. His father backed him toward the stairs, and he dropped onto the nearest step. “She left?”

“Tony said she came downstairs this morning, announced she was leaving, and boarded the morning train to Baker City.” His father grinned. “Before you pass out, you should know Kade asked her to deliver a note to the Baker City sheriff. He’s going to detain her long enough for her to miss her train and give you a chance to catch up to her, but you’d better hustle. The next train leaves in thirty minutes.”

Hunter felt like his brain was mired in the mud and struggled to break free. It only grasped onto part of what his father said, but he understood Luna had left, and he had a chance to catch her in Baker City. If he hurried.

Without a pause, Hunter leaped to his feet and ran out the door.

“Son! Wait up!” his dad called, chasing after him.

Hunter started the auto, but his dad climbed behind the wheel. With his hands shaking and legs still trembling, Hunter acknowledged he shouldn’t be driving.

His father pushed the auto to its limits as they sped into town and slid to a stop at the depot.

“I see why your grandmother thought you’d enjoy this vehicle,” his father said with a wry grin as the two of them headed to the ticket window. Hunter didn’t have any cash on him, nor did he have his wallet. His father bought his ticket, gave him a handful of money, and brushed cobwebs and sawdust off his shoulders and out of his hair.

Hunter had no idea where he’d left his hat, and at the moment it seemed a trivial thing to worry about.

“Just tell her how you feel. I think that will do the trick,” his father said, giving him an encouraging pat on the back.

They walked across the platform, but before Hunter boarded the train, he turned and shook his father’s hand. “Thanks for everything, Dad. I know you had other plans for me, but I’m grateful to you for all you’ve taught me, for all you continue to teach me.”

“My pleasure, Hunter. I love you and want you to be happy, no matter where that might be. If it’s here in Pendleton with Luna or in New York, or in Asheville, what I want most of all is for you to be happy and content in life.”

“Thank you, Dad. I love you too.” Hunter gave his father a tight hug, then boarded the train as the conductor made a final boarding call.

As he rode to Baker City, it seemed as if the train moved at a slow pace. However, the trip gave him ample time to think about what he wanted.

And what he wanted was Luna.

Having his house just perfect before he proposed no longer seemed important. If need be, they could rent a house or an apartment for a month or two, or even stay in a hotel. He didn’t care. All that mattered was being with the woman he loved. Hunter concluded there was never a perfect time for anything. Just opportunities that a person either seized with both hands or let pass them by.

Unwilling to let Luna get away, he intended to hang on to her and the love they shared as long as she’d let him.

Finally, the train arrived in Baker City. Hunter was the first to leave the passenger car, and he took off at a run for the sheriff’s office.

He’d met Tully Barrett a few times over the years. He was a close friend to the Jordan family, and a man who cut an imposing figure even in middle age. Tully could be full of jokes one moment and intimidate a would-be criminal with a glacial glare the next.

Hunter dashed between two wagons in the street, barely avoided being hit by a lumber wagon, and made his way to the sheriff’s office. He stopped outside and caught his breath. He ran his hands through his disheveled hair, brushed at his dusty clothes, and then opened the door.

Tully Barrett leaned back in his chair with his boots propped on his desk and a broad grin on his face.

“About time you got here, young man. That girl of yours is nearly as feisty as my wife. In another hour or two she’ll figure out a way to bust out of here or start gnawing through the bars. I had to bring in reinforcements to keep her occupied.”

Hunter grinned and held out a hand. “Thank you for keeping Luna here until I could arrive. If I’d known what she had planned, she’d never have had a chance to board the train in Pendleton this morning.”

“Snuck off on you, did she?” Tully asked. He settled his feet on the floor and gave Hunter a hearty handshake. “Kade didn’t go into much detail in his note, but I was happy to help. It’s not often I get to assist Cupid in matters of love and set romance on the right path. At least I’m assuming this is the right path. If she isn’t the girl for you, you wouldn’t have come all the way here to convince her to go back to Pendleton.”

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