Page 88 of Moonlight Feels Right
He made his way around the pool, waving to Olivia and Henry, who were playing in the shallow end and greeted Bree and Paige before joining Em and Kaia. "Hello, ladies," he said.
Kaia shaded her gaze with her hand as the setting sun streamed into the courtyard, casting both her and Emmalyn in a soft glow of light. "Hunter, I hear congratulations are in order."
"I hope it's okay I shared your good news," Emmalyn said quickly.
"It's fine," he replied. "Mind if I share your lounger?"
She moved over to make room for him. "I was so happy to get your text. Was the simulator difficult?"
"It was more challenging than I anticipated, but I kept my head."
"I knew you would."
"It seems like they've tested the hell out of you," Kaia put in. "The Marine Corps is tough."
"They are, and that's one of the great things about it. I know whoever I'm serving with is the best of the best, and hopefully, they feel the same way about me."
"Is tomorrow the first day you'll be back in the air since the accident?" Kaia asked.
"Yes."
"Are you nervous?"
"A little," he admitted. "I know I can do the job. I just have to prove it."
"Nerves are good," Kaia said as she sat up to get her face out of the sun. "Sometimes, being nervous makes you sharper, more focused. Whenever I'm in a high-pressure situation, where the stakes are high, I tell myself to trust my training and do what needs to be done. I have no doubt that's what you'll do tomorrow, Hunter."
He met her gaze with a smile. "Thanks. I appreciate the vote of confidence."
"You're welcome." She pulled a cover-up over her bikini. "Who needs a margarita?"
"I'll take one," he said.
"Emmalyn?"
"Sure. Do you want help carrying them back?" Emmalyn asked.
"Don't worry, I can handle it. Margaritas coming up."
As Kaia left, Hunter turned to Emmalyn. "God, it's good to see you, Em."
She flushed under his close gaze. "It's good to see you, too."
"How was your day?"
"Oh, the usual. Caden brought in his pet lizard without telling me. It got out of his backpack, and we had to spend half the morning trying to find it. Then it landed on Bella's leg, and she screamed and cried for ten minutes. When that was finally over, Dominic told the class his mommy had a sleepover with his baseball coach. And Kristina mentioned that her grandma stays at home all day and drinks vodka. Apparently, she's Russian and here on a month-long visit."
He smiled. "Wow. That's a usual day?"
She grinned back at him. "Pretty much."
"I'm beginning to think you're the one in the high-pressure job."
"Hardly. You, Kaia, and Ben—you all do really important things. You fight for our country. They save lives every day. I'm just a kindergarten teacher."
"Are you kidding? You're teaching kids about the world. You're giving them skills they can use for the rest of their lives. Don't ever downplay what you do, Em. It's important."
"Well, thanks. I appreciate that."
