Page 74 of Moonlight Feels Right
Her spine tingled at his words. They were coming very close to saying things that probably shouldn't be said, so she opted once again for the safer path. "All right. We'll be friends. And you can come with me if you want. I have to run upstairs and get my bag. I can meet you back here in about twenty minutes."
"See you then. And Em… It's going to be fine. I understand where you're coming from, and I'm not going to hurt you."
She was afraid it was too late for him to make that promise.
Chapter Twenty-One
Just before noon on Sunday, Hunter followed Emmalyn through the sliding glass door onto the deck of the house in La Jolla. The view was stunning—unobstructed ocean views stretching to the horizon, waves crashing on the rocky shoreline below. A gentle breeze carried the scent of salt and flowers from the garden that wrapped around the property.
Linda had prepared an impressive lunch spread on the outdoor table: a platter of grilled vegetables and chicken, a colorful salad, and freshly baked bread.
"This looks amazing," he said.
"You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Aunt Linda," Emmalyn added.
"It wasn't any trouble. I'm just glad we can all have lunch together." Her gaze moved to his. "And I'm glad you could come, too, Hunter."
"I hope I'm not intruding."
"After what you did for us, you will always be welcome," Linda replied. Turning to Emmalyn, she added, "Your mom will be out in a minute. She's just getting dressed."
"How's Mom doing?" Emmalyn asked.
"She's still tired, excessively so. I'm not entirely sure it's all physical. I think she's going through some mental upheaval, too. Hopefully, we'll have more definitive answers next week as the tests come back." She paused as the sliding door opened, and Emmalyn's mother, Sara, stepped onto the deck.
Sara had on a loose-fitting short-sleeve dress that flowed to the ground and hid most of her figure but couldn't disguise her very thin, almost skeletal-looking arms. She'd put some makeup on her face, which helped with her pallor, although it didn't entirely mask the dark shadows under her eyes. Hunter honestly didn't know if she looked that much better than the last time he'd seen her. He hoped she'd get some answers soon.
"Emmalyn," Sara said, her face brightening at the sight of her daughter. "It's so good to see you."
"You, too, Mom." Emmalyn moved forward to give her mom a hug. "How are you today?"
"I'm better." Her gaze moved to Hunter.
"It's nice to see you again," he said.
"You, too," she replied. "I'm not sure I ever really thanked you for what you did at the market."
"No thanks necessary."
"Well, I do appreciate it. I'm happy Emmy has a friend like you."
He smiled without responding because that damn word was starting to really bother him.
"Let's eat," Linda said, urging everyone to take a seat. As she passed the food around the table, she said, "How's school going, Em?"
"Really well. We had our book fair on Friday, and it was very successful. I have a great class of kids this year. They're so sweet and innocent. I love being part of their first experience at school."
"You were always good with the little ones," her mother murmured. "They missed you when you left."
Emmalyn's smile faded. "I missed them, too. But I tried not to think of them too much, because it made me feel even more sad than I already was."
"I also missed you terribly, Emmy."
"Just not enough to come after me."
"I couldn't. After Linda took you away, I was always watched. For the next couple of years, I was restricted to the farm. Eventually, they realized I wasn't going anywhere, and they started to loosen their grip on me."
He could see Emmalyn biting back words that were probably harsh and a little unforgiving. He wondered if it wouldn't be better if she just said them. But that wasn't the kind of person she was. She knew her mother was fragile, and she wasn't going to put her mental or physical health at risk. He'd thought Em was such a softie when they'd first met, but there was a core of steel that ran through her.
