Page 84 of Moonlight Feels Right
"The store hours are better for me. Liam only needs someone during the hours Olivia will be in school. It's perfect. It may not pay that much but enough to supplement what else I have."
"I don't want you to worry about money. I've prepaid your apartment for six months, and then we'll talk after that."
"You didn't have to do that. I do have some money, just not as much as I thought I would."
"I want to do it, so don't argue," he said.
"All right. Thank you again." She paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "Are you worried you won't get cleared for duty?"
"There are a lot of hurdles to get over."
"I've never seen you fail at anything, Hunter. When you want something, you don't let anything or anyone get in your way."
"That might have been true before, but I've been humbled this past year. I'm not invincible, and I can't control everything. That's been a tough lesson to learn."
"But you'll still fight as hard as you can."
He nodded. "I will."
"Are you going to fight for Emmalyn?"
He started at her surprising question. "Why would you ask me that?"
"Because you like her, and I'm not buying the just friends thing. So, what's the deal? Are you going to ask her to go with you to your new assignment?"
"I can't do that. She has a life here. A career, friends, family. I couldn't ask her to give up all that. We've only been spending time together since you dropped off Olivia," he added, even though it felt like he'd known Emmalyn for years. He'd talked to her about his parents, his dad's PTSD, and his own issues. And she'd told him all her secrets about her past and introduced him to her family. They had a bond and a connection that went far deeper than anything he'd experienced before.
"Maybe it's not just your decision," Bree suggested. "Emmalyn might have an opinion."
"She had a rough childhood. Roots are important to her, and that's the last thing I can offer. You know how hard it can be to follow a military man around the world."
"I do. But I don't regret it for one second, and I'm glad Gary gave me the choice to decide what I wanted to do. He didn't try to make it for me. Just something to think about, Hunter."
Bree's words stuck with him throughout their meal and all the way back to Ocean Shores. But he couldn't ask Emmalyn to change her whole life for him. They'd known each other less than two weeks. They'd spent one night together. How could he ask her to give up everything? He couldn't. He just had to see what happened with his tests, and if he was cleared for duty, where that duty might take him. Then he'd consider if there was any possible way they could keep exploring what they had. There was a slim chance he could remain in this area. That would be the best scenario. Then they could both have what they wanted.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tuesday and Wednesday passed in a blur for Emmalyn. To avoid thinking about Hunter, she'd kept busy with work, staying later in the afternoons than she usually did. She hadn't heard from Hunter since Monday night, but she knew he'd been taking combat fitness tests at Camp Pendleton the past two days. She really hoped he was doing well. His success would take him away from her, but she still wanted it for him. He deserved to get his career back. He'd worked so hard to make that happen. She just wished his career didn't stand in the way of their relationship. But as she'd learned many years ago, wishing was pointless.
After school on Wednesday, she drove to her aunt's house to check on her mom. Linda greeted her with a smile that felt lighter.
"Is there good news?" she asked hopefully.
"Come in. I'll let your mother tell you."
Linda led her out to the deck, where her mother was at the table sipping a cup of tea. She still looked pale, but there was a new alertness in her eyes, a subtle energy that hadn't been there before.
"Emmy," her mother said, standing to embrace her. The hug felt stronger than it had just days ago.
"You look better," Emmalyn said.
"I feel better," her mother replied. "The doctor finally told me what's wrong with me."
"Which is what?" she asked as she took a seat at the table with them.
"It's a combination of problems including malnutrition, hypothyroidism, and…" Her mother turned to her sister. "What was the other one, Linda?"
"Pernicious anemia," Linda said. "Her body doesn't absorb B12 properly. She's probably been deficient for years. She'll need thyroid medication and B12 injections, as well as vitamin supplements to get her other levels into an appropriate range, but it's all manageable now that she's getting treatment and improving her nutrition."
