Page 32 of Luna

The darkness that brought waves of fear and anxiety began to settle over Luna. She moved back until her legs bumped against a chair, and she sank onto the cushioned seat.

“Put your head down, sugar,” Marnie said, lightly pressing on Luna’s back. “It’ll help.”

Luna did as Marnie suggested, dropping her head below her knees. Eyes closed, she drew in several breaths, holding them a moment before she blew them out. She felt a gentle hand rubbing her back and another holding onto her hands, offering strength and support.

When the blackness receded, Luna opened her eyes to find both women looking at her with concern and care.

“Better?” Marnie asked, and Luna nodded her head.

Ilsa handed her a glass of water, which Luna drank in a few long swallows. She straightened in the chair and expelled one more long breath before she felt like herself again.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do. That article. It had to bring harsh memories to mind,” Ilsa said, squeezing Luna’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I should have thought …” Marnie paused and patted her on the back. “I’m truly sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Marnie. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was just reading about such a cruel event that made me recall my own terrifying experience. You couldn’t have known. Obviously, I had no idea I’d react so strongly to the article.”

“But you handled it well, Luna.” Ilsa offered her a soft smile. “We’ll have to remember to have you drop your head down the next time you have a problem.”

“I heartily wish there would never be a next time, but considering I used to have these episodes daily, I feel that I am making progress.”

“Well, of course you are.” Ilsa squeezed her hand again, then motioned to the newspaper. “It is such a tragedy. I can’t help but wonder what repercussions will come of it.”

“Nothing good, I’m sure,” Marnie said, folding up the paper and glancing at the clock. “I left Alek with Lars while I ran a few errands. I’d better catch up with them before that boy decides to lock Kade and Lars in a jail cell and loses the keys.”

Luna grinned at the image created in her mind. Ilsa laughed as she walked Marnie to the door.

“See you tomorrow?” Ilsa asked as Marnie stepped outside. Marnie helped Ilsa in the shop several days a week. When Ilsa was overrun with orders, she also hired a few women in town to work for her on a part-time basis. It worked well for all parties involved.

“I’ll be here.” Marnie waved at Luna, then strode down the sidewalk in the direction of the sheriff’s office.

“I do believe we should call it a day.” Ilsa pushed the door shut and locked it, turned the open sign to closed, and motioned to Luna. “Let’s go home and eat our dinner out on the back porch in the shade. It’s so much cooler there than in the house this time of day.”

Luna listened to Ilsa’s chatter while they tidied the store and then left for home. They’d just reached the corner, waiting to cross Main Street, when a blur raced by, startling them both. Luna realized it was Hunter Douglas on a big bay horse as it thundered up the street.

Unable to pull her gaze from him as he rode with both skill and grace, like he was an extension of the horse, Luna marveled at the fine form of Hunter.

Ilsa laughed and tugged her hand. “You can ogle Hunter later. It’s far too hot out to stand here baking like a biscuit on the corner.”

Luna felt her cheeks warm, not from the hot summer day but embarrassment at being caught watching Hunter. Then again, she supposed the only one she was even slightly fooling about her interest in the handsome, engaging man was herself.

Chapter Eleven

“Not that I’m complaining about a delicious meal I didn’t have to cook, but why, exactly, are we meeting here for lunch?” Tony asked Caterina as he pulled out a chair for his wife at the round table in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Caterina set a basket of warm rolls on the table and settled into the chair her husband held out for her. She glanced at Tony as he took a seat between herself and Ilsa, then nodded to Kade.

After he asked a blessing, Caterina looked at the three people sitting at the table. “We need to talk about Luna. Specifically, about Luna and Hunter Douglas.”

“What has Hunter done to our little cousin?” Tony asked, helping himself to a roll and slathering it with butter.

Caterina pushed a dish of fresh strawberry jam toward Tony. “Hunter has done nothing, and that is the problem. The two of them seem completely and thoroughly oblivious to the fact that they are in love.”

“They most certainly are.” Kade chuckled and helped himself to a generous serving of the boneless chicken piled on the platter in front of him. Caterina had pounded the meat until it was thin, dipped it in an egg batter, dredged it in flour, then fried the chicken in a delicate sauce made of butter and lemon juice. She’d topped the dish with chives and parsley and served it with risotto, one of Kade’s favorite dishes.

“They are both young. Luna has said many times how much her heart still aches for Matteo,” Ilsa said, taking a serving of garden-ripe tomato slices and passing the platter to Kade. “However, when Hunter rode by us the other day on a horse he’s training, Luna stood like her feet had grown roots and watched him with longing in her eyes.”

---