Page 44 of Luna

No one was home, so Luna went upstairs, took a cool, refreshing bath, and let the events of the day play out in her head.

It wasn’t until later that evening, when she’d settled into bed, that the full realization of what they’d survived hit her. At any moment, she or Hunter could have been killed, but they hadn’t been.

Luna climbed out of bed, fell to her knees, and offered her thanks to God for his care and keeping. When she finished her prayers, she climbed back between the crisp sheets, closed her eyes, and fell asleep thinking not of death and blood, but of Hunter’s sweet kiss on her cheek and his teasing grin. She really wouldn’t mind if he referred to her as Luna Moona again, either.

Chapter Fourteen

“The sheriff has made you out to be quite the hero,” Nik said, sliding the newspaper toward Hunter at the dinner table.

“What?” Hunter asked, flicking open the paper even though he could hear his grandmother admonishing him about how rude it was to read at the dinner table. This was an extenuating circumstance he was sure even she would understand.

A bold headline marched across the top of the page, claiming, “No. 5 Held Up – 1 Robber Killed.” Below that were various interviews with everyone from the rear brakeman and sheriff, who happened to be the sheriff of Morrow County. He had been in Canyon City to testify in a horse-rustling trial and was on his way home. From the article, it appeared the sheriff had been interviewed that morning from his hospital bed.

“Did the bullet really enter his chest and exit at his hip?” Hunter asked as he read the description of the sheriff’s wounds. “I know he was bleeding from two wounds, but didn’t think they were connected.”

Nik nodded his head. “Sure did. He wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for that pencil case of his. He said he’s never leaving home without it.”

Hunter grinned. “It will likely be his lucky charm from now on.”

“I can’t believe you were in the passenger car where the shoot-out took place,” Dally said as she buttered a roll and added a healthy dollop of jam. “Weren’t you scared spitless?”

“And then some. I was more worried about Luna, though. I figured it would bring on one of her um … you know, anxiety spells, but she was incredible. Once the shooting stopped and the outlaws fled, she jumped right up to bring towels to the sheriff and even got a damp cloth to wipe his face until someone more qualified than the two of us could take over. I figured between the smell of the gunpowder, the sounds of the shots, and the screaming, she’d pass out, but she was so strong, and I was so proud of her.”

Nik and Dally shared a look, then Dally gave Hunter a knowing glance. One he wasn’t sure he liked. “You’re smitten with Luna.”

“I am not!” he denied far too quickly and vehemently to be believable, even to himself.

Nik chuckled, and Dally tossed him a sassy smile.

“Fine,” Hunter huffed. “Maybe I like her a little.”

“Mm-hmm. Or perhaps you like her quite a lot, Hunter Douglas.” Dally took a bite of her roll, then glanced over at Nik before returning her gaze to her brother. “There’s nothing wrong with liking her, Hunt. She’s a wonderful girl who, to me, seems to be strong and resilient yet kind and sweet. She is a survivor. If you had to go through what you did yesterday, I’d say you couldn’t have asked for a better companion than Luna.”

“No, I couldn’t have, Dal. She was great. Up until the robbery, we were having a grand day. The Italian restaurant in La Grande can’t compete with Caterina’s food, but it wasn’t bad. We had fun looking around town. Did I tell you we happened upon a bear?”

“A bear?” Dally asked, her voice rising in volume. “In the midst of town?”

“Yep. It had a thick leather collar with a piece of chain attached to it. It was a half-grown bear, and it was sitting on its hind legs, drinking water out of a glass bottle. A bird dog was beside it, like they were fast friends. It was one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen.” Hunter grinned, recalling Luna’s reaction to the animal. “At first, I thought Luna might use me as a tree and climb right on top of my head, but when she realized the bear was likely harmless, she calmed down. A little.”

“I don’t think I’d have reacted much differently, Brother dear,” Dally said, grinning at him as she passed him the bowl of new potatoes that she’d boiled with fresh peas.

Hunter glanced around, realizing Corni and Rowdy were absent. “Where are the other two of our usual dinner companions?”

“Rowdy and Corni are having dinner with Pastor Whitting and his family. Corni and Mrs. Whitting seem to be growing in their friendship, so I encouraged her to accept the invitation.”

“That’s great,” Hunter said, meaning it. He scanned through more of the interviews about the robbery, then set the paper aside.

“I got more detail out of the newspaper than I did being a witness to the robbery,” he said as he bit into a piece of tender roasted chicken.

Nik offered him a curious glance. “I suppose that’s true. In the moment, you were probably more concerned about not getting shot than what was happening in the overall picture. You were in the last car, though, weren’t you?”

“That’s right. From what Kade shared and what the paper says, it seems the outlaws were operating on bad information. They thought the express car had a safe full of money, but it didn’t. That was the reason for the robbery. Kade thought they collected less than a thousand dollars in money and jewelry from the passengers. Hardly seems worth getting shot over. I wonder what they might have done if the sheriff hadn’t been on board. At any rate, they had a good plan, even if it didn’t work out. The train always checks the brakes in that secluded location before it begins the downhill grade. But it’s sure a good thing the robbery didn’t take long. If the brakes had failed, we would have all likely died in a monumental crash.”

Dally got up and walked around the table, giving Hunter a tight hug around his neck. “Don’t even tease about such things, Hunt. I can’t bear to think of something happening to you.”

“You just say that because you’d be left without anyone to work with the horses.”

Dally made a sound that landed somewhere between a laugh and a sob. Hunter glanced over his shoulder to see her brushing at tears. She cried at the drop of a hat these days, and it made her more frustrated than almost anything. He and Nik pretended not to notice as she regained her seat along with her composure. “I really do appreciate you being here, Hunter, especially since you have your own place now and are anxious to whip it into shape. Did you ever get your meeting with Walker Williams rescheduled?”

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