Page 80 of Luna

Luna glanced at the lumpy mattress and resigned herself to standing until she was released. When she got her hands on Tony and Kade, they would regret interfering with her plans to run away from Pendleton, Hunter, and her heart’s dearest wishes.

Chapter Twenty

Unable to sleep, Hunter arose early and decided to head over to his place to get some work done. He left a hastily scribbled note on the counter, grabbed leftover biscuits and ham for his breakfast, and headed out the door. He saddled Wind and rode off before dawn arrived, eager to escape the dreams of Luna that had haunted him all night.

Something about the way she’d said goodbye instead of good night last night when he’d walked her to the door had left him unsettled. She hadn’t seemed like herself all day. When she’d hugged him that last time, it had felt like she meant it to be the very last time, but that couldn’t be. Not when he was convinced beyond a doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her.

He still wasn’t in a position to declare himself to her. Not when his life still felt so busy and unsettled. As soon as his house was finished, though, he intended to tell her how much she meant to him and ask for her hand in marriage.

Tony had stopped him in town a few weeks ago and asked him to come to his studio. When Hunter had gone in, Tony had given him a portrait he’d made of Luna. It was of her smiling with a look of such love on her sweet face, it nearly stole Hunter’s breath away.

“I had Laila hold up a photograph of you when I took that image of her,” Tony had said. The man had somehow persuaded Hunter to tell him the truth about his feelings for Luna. Although Tony had promised to keep them to himself, he had suggested Hunter write to Luna’s father before he asked for her hand in marriage because it would mean something to Brando, and would endear Hunter to her family.

Although he hadn’t mailed it yet, Hunter had already written the letter. He figured he had plenty of time since the house wouldn’t be finished for at least another month, possibly longer. Then there would be the arrival of Dally’s baby and the holidays that would make it impossible to court Luna with any serious intent.

Hunter figured after Christmas would be just the right time to begin his pursuit of Luna in earnest. Because once he began to pursue her, he didn’t intend to stop until she was his wife.

He smiled, thinking of the fun they’d had going through the musty, dusty attic. When the house was finished, and there was a place to store china, he would bring down the set from the attic and have it on display just for Luna. He could tell at a glance she loved each piece of those violet trimmed dishes, and he meant for her not only to have them, but enjoy them. What good did they do anyone shoved into a trunk in the attic?

The moment he’d seen the amethyst necklace, he’d known Luna had to have it. It was delicate and beautiful, yet timeless and meant to last. Everything about it made him think of Luna, and it had looked perfect with the shirtwaist she’d worn yesterday.

Dawn arrived by the time Hunter rode up his lane. He stopped at the barn and removed Wind’s saddle and bridle, put a halter on him, and then left him in the small pasture by the barn, where the horse could graze while Hunter worked.

He walked up to the house, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Walker hoped to get the electricity working soon, but for now, Hunter made do with a few lanterns. He lit one he’d left in the parlor, stepped into the entry foyer, and noticed Luna’s jacket on the newel post. No wonder she’d been cold on the ride back into town last night. It was a wonder she hadn’t started shivering. He should have thought to bring along a blanket, but the only thing on his mind had been spending time with her.

He picked up the jacket and sniffed the fabric, smelling the soft, enchanting fragrance that was all Luna. He laid it over the newel post, then walked through the dining room into the kitchen, where he put a pot of coffee to brew on the old cookstove. He reached into the tin where he kept a few plates, cups, and utensils so no rodents could get to them, took out a cup, and poured it full of coffee when it was ready. Hunter sat in the lone wooden chair he’d hauled down from the attic last week and ate his meager breakfast, sipped his coffee, and thought of Luna.

Had he said or done something upsetting to make her behave so strangely yesterday? Surely that wasn’t it. Was it? Perhaps he’d better ask Dally her thoughts on the matter. She would certainly tell him if she thought he’d misstepped and owed Luna an apology.

Recollections of the kiss they’d shared plowed through him. He’d been about to blurt out his feelings when Luna had kissed him. Kissed him full-out like it might be the last kiss they ever shared, but that was ridiculous. After the sparks that had exploded between them yesterday, he looked forward to a lifetime of kissing her and loving her.

Not one doubt existed in his mind about his feelings for Luna. He loved her completely. Deeply. Passionately. Tenderly. He’d do anything to see her smile and bring her joy.

Although loving her came as a surprise to him, it felt right. Like she was the one person in the whole world God had planned for him to love for a lifetime.

Hunter finished his coffee, refilled the cup, and carried it and a lantern upstairs to the attic. He looked around at the piles of boxes and trunks and crates, some broken furniture and other pieces that looked new. He’d liked that Luna had made suggestions about where to place certain pieces. His gaze fell on the oak bedroom set and he added ordering mattresses to his growing list of items he’d eventually need for the house.

Once the bathrooms and kitchen were finished, Hunter planned to move into the house. He could sleep on a pile of blankets on the library floor for all that mattered, but he was more than ready to move out of Dally and Nik’s house, especially with his parents living there. It wasn’t that the house was crowded, but soon the baby would arrive, and it would be time for Dally and Nik to have the house to themselves, to savor their little family without others intruding.

Hunter still couldn’t believe how well his parents, especially his mother, had handled the surprise of Dally’s pregnancy. He’d been sure his mother would throw a ring-tailed tizzy about Dally keeping the news from her, but other than a mild scolding, nothing more had been said, at least within his hearing.

Honestly, he thought Dally had seemed so much happier after their parents had arrived than she had all summer. It was as though a weight she’d burdened herself with had lifted and she could finally relish her role as expectant mother.

Hunter grinned, thinking of all the little clothes his mother and Corni were busy making for the baby. Whether it was a boy or a girl, it would definitely not run out of things to wear.

Even his father acted full of anticipation as they waited for the baby’s arrival. He’d helped Nik bring down an old cradle from the attic. It had needed a few repairs, but they were easy to make. Rowdy had sanded it down and given it a fresh coat of paint. Bedding was neatly folded in it, ready for Baby Nash to come into the world.

Hunter was excited about being an uncle. There were times when he was with Dally that he still felt like they were kids running wild and free. Then he’d look at her or glance in the mirror and realize they were fully grown and making their own way in the world.

He was glad, though, they would live only a handful of miles away from each other. God willing, their children would grow up as friends.

Hunter sat on top of a trunk and watched the sun stretch into the morning sky, picturing a swing in the big oak tree, and his children laughing with Dally’s while the adults sat in the shade of the porch on a Sunday afternoon. Nik might play his harmonica while Dally and Luna discussed the latest fashions or exchanged recipes.

The scene he envisioned was so homey, so perfect, he wanted to step into it and live it in that moment. Instead, he took another sip of his lukewarm coffee and opened a trunk full of ledgers. He moved it into the pile to sort through later and decided his heart wasn’t in cleaning the attic this morning without Luna there.

Everything with her felt like an adventure. Even the most mundane tasks seemed fun when he shared them with her.

Now, he missed her presence and wished she were there beside him.

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