Page 6 of Only Ever You
At the sound of her exclamation, I turned back to see Luna stumbling and falling to the ground. Fuzzy galloped over to her side, personally inspecting her with his nose.
A few strides later, I knelt down beside her. “Are you okay?”
Luna made a muffled sound before rolling over. Her already muddy shirt was even muddier now, along with her pajama bottoms. The streak of mud on her cheek was an endearing touch.
She let out a heavy sigh as she sat up. “I am fine. Oh, my God. I was just trying to have a quiet morning and have some coffee before I go back into the cafe to bake some donuts.” Her nose wrinkled in annoyance.
“You’ve already been into town?” I glanced at my watch. “It’s only six in the morning, Luna,” I pointed out, trying to ignore how delectably cute she was.
She brushed her curls away from her forehead, tucking them behind her ears. The gesture hooked on the edge of my heart with its sweetness.
Her nose wrinkled as she looked up at me. “I’m a baker. Bakers bake early. I usually make the dough for the donuts at four. After that, I like to come back here and enjoy some coffee.”
“Oh, that’s right, you make the donuts,” I said.
“I do.” Her tone was pointed.
Straightening, I held a hand out. “Let’s make sure you’re all in one piece.”
Luna sighed again, but she allowed me to help her up. I knew Luna in an acquaintance sort of way. I’d even scooped her out of the ocean when we happened to be dipnetting at the same time, and she drifted too far out. I saw her often at the coffee shop in downtown Willow Brook. Whether I knew her or not, it would’ve been difficultnotto notice Luna. She was adorably pretty.
I tried not to notice that her tank top was now plastered to her skin, complete with mud smeared on it.
“Are you okay?” I asked again when she wobbled a little once she was fully on her feet.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m fine.” Before I could reply, she exclaimed, “Oh, no!”
Her face was getting paler by the second. Maybe I didn’t know what was happening, but I was pretty sure she was about to faint. “How far away is your house?” I asked quickly.
“Just through the woods over there.” She gestured to a narrow path through the trees. “I have tachycardia and I need my medication. I forgot all about it because of the moose and—” She wobbled again when she turned.
Leaning down, I scooped her up in my arms. I strode quickly down the short path. Although I’d gone hiking here with Fuzzy more than once, I’d never noticed the house. It was tucked in the trees, just enough out of sight to miss.
Moments later, we were in her kitchen. I waited while she took some medication.
“Do you need something else?” I asked.
She sat down at the kitchen table and gestured toward the sink. “Could you bring my water over?”
I quickly brought the glass over to her. She took a few swallows. I was unsure what to do and didn’t feel comfortable leaving just yet. Meanwhile, Fuzzy had made himself at home. He plunked down on the kitchen floor right at Luna’s feet, eyeing her with concern.
“Should I do anything?” I finally asked.
“You don’t have to stay.”
I studied her. Her skin was still pale. “I’m not leaving. Not yet.”
Annoyance flickered in her eyes before she sighed. “In that case, you can have a seat, or maybe pour yourself some coffee,” she offered.
“I’ll take that coffee.”
A few minutes later, the color had returned to her face. She looked mostly herself except for the mud on her face and clothes.
“Thank you for helping me this morning,” she said, her smile sheepish.
I chuckled. “It’s been a very Alaskan morning. By the way, this coffee is excellent.”
She took a swallow of her water, adding, “Thank you for getting me home faster than I could’ve gotten myself here. Normally, I’m on top of my medication, but I lost track of time with the whole moose situation.”
