Page 34 of Luna

“Just encourage her to go. Don’t mention Hunter, but reassure her how much it will benefit me to know about the new restaurant and how much I appreciate her willingness to go, which is all absolutely true. It’s not like I could go visit the restaurant myself. The owners know me and have eaten here several times, but they aren’t Italian. I have no idea who they’ve hired as the head chef. Regardless, I am curious about the restaurant and wouldn’t be able to visit it anonymously, as Luna and Hunter can.”

“Aren’t you worried someone might notice how much she resembles you?” Kade asked as he added more jam to the last bite of his roll.

“Not particularly. Hunter has such a regal, elegant bearing. If Luna is with him, no one will think twice about her relationship to me. I’m far too independent, outspoken, short-tempered, and opinionated to ever be connected in the same thoughts with people like the Douglas family.”

“Oh, bosh!” Ilsa said, reaching around Tony to pat Caterina’s arm. “You are generous, big-hearted, caring, loving, and one of the best things that has ever happened to this town and most definitely the best thing to happen to Kade. Anyone who says different is an idiot.”

Caterina grinned at her sister-in-law. “Thank you for sharing that, Ilsa. I appreciate you.”

“Well, I appreciate you. Tony and I would have starved to death a long time ago if you hadn’t been around to feed us.”

“I take offense, chickadee,” Tony said, scowling at his wife. “I’m perfectly capable of preparing edible meals.”

“Yes, you are, but it’s nice knowing Caterina will feed us when you don’t want to.” Ilsa rose and began carrying dishes to the sink. “If you’re sure your plan will work, we’ll help all we can.”

“I’m not sure about anything, but we have to at least try. If we can get Luna and Hunter together, my next objective will be to get Dally to let her dear mama know there is a little one on the way.”

“I reckon that situation will sort itself out without any of us interfering, Cat,” Kade said in a tone meant to subdue her tendency to meddle when she shouldn’t.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. But first things first.” Caterina held up her nearly empty glass of lemonade. “To Luna and Hunter. May those two young hearts fall forever in love.”

“Forever in love,” Ilsa echoed as she picked up her glass and held it to Caterina’s. Tony and Kade clinked the glasses they held to the women’s. Caterina felt like a contented cat who’d just eaten a plump canary.

If she had anything to say about it, anything at all, she wanted Luna to fall in love with Hunter. He was smart, successful, and witty. More importantly, he was a kind, tender-hearted young man who worked hard but didn’t take life too seriously. If Caterina could handpick a perfect suitor for her young cousin, she couldn’t have chosen one better than Hunter.

Caterina tucked down the smug feeling burgeoning in her as she served dishes of Italian pudding with fresh sweet cherries and plenty of her spice cookies for dessert. All she had to do was track down Hunter and watch the romance begin to blossom.

Chapter Twelve

Hunter glanced at his watch, then increased the speed of his automobile. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late picking up Luna, and they’d miss the train. Not that he’d mind, but Caterina had said Luna was so looking forward to going to La Grande today to eat at a newly opened Italian restaurant. None of the impending adventure made a lick of sense to him, but Hunter didn’t want to be the reason Luna was disappointed.

Yesterday, he’d been shocked to look up from riding a bucking horse at the ranch to see Caterina leaning against the fence, watching him. When he’d finally settled the horse and swung off its back, she had presented her request for him to go to the new restaurant in La Grande with Luna, not giving him more than a moment to consider it.

However, the prospect of spending time with Luna wasn’t exactly repulsive to Hunter. In truth, he was grateful for an excuse to be with her. Deny it as he might when his sister and Nik prodded him about his interest in Luna, Hunter held a tender place in his heart for the young woman.

He knew that, unlike Katherine, Luna had no devious plans to get her hands on his money. She’d liked him when she’d thought he was employed as one of Dally’s ranch hands rather than an equal heir to their family’s fortunes.

When Caterina had offered him the opportunity to spend time with the lovely young woman who entered his thoughts with increasing frequency, Hunter couldn’t say no. Caterina had made it sound like he and Luna would be doing her a great favor by going to spy on her competition in the Italian restaurant industry. However, her reasoning seemed rather flawed to Hunter.

To begin with, La Grande was more than fifty miles away from Pendleton. Hunter couldn’t see why there would be a question of competition between two restaurants that were so far apart. It wasn’t like they were warring businesses a block away from each other. They would each have their own clientele in their respective cities.

Besides, Caterina was an astounding chef, and he had yet to eat anything she’d prepared that wasn’t delicious. He might not be fond of some of the vegetables she served, but they were still good, if one enjoyed marinated artichokes.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t understand how she could possibly feel her business was in danger by another Italian restaurant opening in the region. No matter who the new restaurant hired as a chef, they’d be hard-pressed to keep up with Caterina’s skill in the kitchen.

Although Caterina made it sound urgent that he and Luna visit the restaurant, it still made no sense to him at all.

Hunter had a feeling Luna just needed an outing, and this was Caterina’s way of making it happen. With growing certainty, he was thinking that was the real reason for her request.

Caterina had pleaded with him to accompany Luna because he’d been the one to help her so gently and patiently when she’d experienced her previous episodes of panic. Although he hadn’t done much more than try to keep Luna calm, Caterina had emphasized how much she trusted him to keep Luna safe.

Based solely on his lack of time, he should have told Caterina he wasn’t available. But part of him was pleased and excited that he’d agreed to go.

Dally had smirked at him when he’d mentioned the trip as they’d eaten dinner last night. Thankfully, she’d kept her opinions to herself. Nik had seemed distracted, likely by a patient, when he’d arrived home and hadn’t done much more than wish Hunter safe travels before he returned to the hospital.

If Hunter cared to admit it, he welcomed the excuse for a day away from his responsibilities. He was exhausted from the work at the ranch as well as his own place. Due to a horse running through a fence and sustaining deep wounds, he’d had to cancel his meeting with Walker Williams. As of yet, he still hadn’t been able to reschedule a time with Walker to walk through the house and see if the architect thought it was worth salvaging.

The more Hunter studied the house, though, the more inclined he was to keep it. It was a large house that had been well-built. It simply needed some care and updates. A few walls he wanted to knock out to enlarge rooms. Hunter wanted to add bathrooms as well as a laundry room and bedroom downstairs, but he thought the house could become a home to him with the right attention and care.

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