Chapter Eleven

"Not that I'm complaining about a delicious meal I didn't have to cook, but why, exactly, are we meeting here for lunch?" Tony asked Caterina as he pulled out a chair for his wife at the round table in the restaurant's kitchen.

Caterina set a basket of warm rolls on the table and settled into the chair her husband held out for her. She glanced at Tony as he took a seat between herself and Ilsa, then nodded to Kade.

After he asked a blessing, Caterina looked at the three people sitting at the table. "We need to talk about Luna. Specifically, about Luna and Hunter Douglas."

"What has Hunter done to our little cousin?" Tony asked, helping himself to a roll and slathering it with butter.

Caterina pushed a dish of fresh strawberry jam toward Tony. "Hunter has done nothing, and that is the problem. The two of them seem completely and thoroughly oblivious to the fact that they are in love."

"They most certainly are." Kade chuckled and helped himself to a generous serving of the boneless chicken piled on the platter in front of him. Caterina had pounded the meat until it was thin, dipped it in an egg batter, dredged it in flour, then fried the chicken in a delicate sauce made of butter and lemon juice. She'd topped the dish with chives and parsley and served it with risotto, one of Kade's favorite dishes.

"They are both young. Luna has said many times how much her heart still aches for Matteo," Ilsa said, taking a serving of garden-ripe tomato slices and passing the platter to Kade. "However, when Hunter rode by us the other day on a horse he's training, Luna stood like her feet had grown roots and watched him with longing in her eyes."

"Ha! See! That is what I'm saying," Caterina waved her hand at her sister-in-law. "Luna is in love with Hunter, even if she still grieves for Matteo. It was a terrible, horrible tragedy, what happened to her—to them. But it's been more than a year ago, and she can't spend her life hiding herself or her heart."

"Agreed," Tony said, cutting a bite of the chicken. "I think Luna was beyond brave to travel all the way here, especially alone. From what Brando and Natalia had previously shared, I thought she'd have nightmares that woke us all up in the middle of the night and be too terrified to leave the house. Other than a few minor incidents, I believe she's handled things very well."

"She's handled everything beautifully," Ilsa said, then pointed to the chicken on her plate. "This is fabulous, Caterina. Thank you for making lunch for us."

"My pleasure." Caterina smiled at Ilsa, then looked back to Tony. Their older brother had entrusted his beloved daughter into their care, and Caterina was determined not to let him or Luna down. "I know she fainted the day she arrived in town. Then, there was the incident at the circus. Ilsa, you mentioned she had a little trouble when she read the article about the assassination. Have there been any other episodes you've witnessed?"

Tony glanced at Ilsa, then back at Caterina, and they both shook their heads.

"Not of which we are aware. Laila would tell us if she'd seen Luna have any trouble." Tony sighed and wiped his mouth on his napkin. "You know as well as we do that Luna used to have the episodes, as Brando refers to them, nearly daily after Matteo died. It took her months to be able to walk to Mama and Papa's store by herself. I think she has made a great deal of progress. I'm hopeful she is on the mend, although she may always have some things that spark her anxiety."

"I think being here has been good for her," Caterina said, pleased to see the others nod in agreement. "I'm glad I had a position open to offer to her. Luna fits in so well with the restaurant staff, and she's become friends with Elizabeth as well as Harley John."

"He's been so kind to walk her home when she leaves here late in the evening," Ilsa said, then glanced up at the apartment overhead. "He is such a nice young man."

"He is, but not the one for Luna. Harley John and Sadie will one day know happiness," Caterina said with an assurance she couldn't explain but felt all the way down to the core of her heart. Just as she felt Hunter and Luna were meant to be together. "Have you seen her when she's around Hunter? It's like her whole face lights up. She seems so young and happy and carefree, like a girl her age should be, instead of someone aged before her time and carrying a heart full of pain."

"She does light up around him, and Hunter appears equally besotted, but shouldn't we let things progress naturally between them?" Ilsa asked.

"No!" Caterina said with a dismissive wave of her hand at the same time Kade said, "Yes."

Caterina glowered at her husband. He grinned and shoved a big bite of chicken in his mouth. She looked at Tony.

"If we wait for the two of them to figure it out, they might be old and gray. I have a plan." Caterina had given much thought to how she could help love along when it came to Luna and Hunter. At a glance, the two young people may not have seemed to have a thing in common, but knowing them both, and after seeing them together, Caterina was convinced they belonged with each other.

The trouble was getting the two of them to realize it.

"They need to spend more time together," Caterina said, placing her hands in her lap. As excited as she felt, she'd be lucky if she didn't knock over the glasses of sweet tea and lemonade on the table and drench the basket of rolls.

"How do you propose to make that happen?" Tony asked, giving her a pointed look. "Hunter is running himself ragged between training horses for Dally and helping at the B Bar D while trying to get things underway at his new place. Has anyone heard if he's given it a name yet?"

"Nope. I spoke with him yesterday afternoon, and he said when he lands on the right name, he'll put up a sign over the entry gate." Kade leaned back in his chair and looked from Tony to Caterina. "You two shouldn't meddle. Nevertheless, since I know you'll do it anyway, at least give those two something fun to experience. Something that won't upset Luna's apple cart."

Caterina nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking. I propose sending the two of them to La Grande. A new Italian restaurant just opened there a few weeks ago. I thought I could ask them to go eat a meal there and let me know if I need to worry about any competition in the area. Of course, I'd pay for the meal and their train tickets. The restaurant is open for lunch, so they could take the morning train, enjoy a meal and a little time looking around town, then catch the afternoon train and be back in time for supper."

"That sounds … doable," Tony said, offering Caterina a surprised glance.

"What? Did you think I'd plan some scheme that was so ridiculous they'd refuse to even consider it?" Caterina sometimes felt as though her brother thought she had cotton batting for brains. It never failed to stir her ire, but she had no time for her temper today.

"Luna might fall into line with your plans, but how are you going to convince Hunter to accompany her?" Kade questioned as he helped himself to more risotto. "That boy hardly knows up from down these days, and he's more than a little worried about why Dally won't tell her mother about the …." He made a mounded motion in front of his flat stomach. "You know."

"If you are referring to the baby she is expecting, Kade Rawlings, just say so. Ilsa and I aren't exactly delicate little wallflowers. We have gone through the entire birthing process ourselves, you know."

Kade grimaced and held out his left hand, rubbing it. "I do recall the two times you've been in the throes of childbirth and attempted to break every finger on my hand, Cat. It's a good thing it isn't my shooting hand, or I'd have been dead multiple times over."

Caterina knew her husband was teasing her and swatted his arm with her napkin. "I know Hunter is extremely busy, but he's also kind and caring. If I ask him to escort Luna, he'll do it. I know he will. I intend for them to go tomorrow. The less time they have to think about it, the better."

"If you plan to send them on this errand tomorrow, don't you think it might behoove you to speak to Hunter sooner rather than later?" Kade asked as he reached for another roll.

Caterina handed him the basket. "I intend to seek him out right after lunch. I'll speak to Luna when she comes in for her shift this evening. Ilsa, can you make sure she has something fetching pressed and ready to wear?"

"Of course," Ilsa said, dabbing daintily at her mouth with her napkin. "Although I must say, Luna always looks pretty. With her heart-shaped face and natural sweetness, it's not hard to see why Hunter and several of the young men in town have noticed her."

"She is quite lovely," Kade agreed, then fastened his gaze to Caterina's. "Puts me in mind of another Italian beauty I know and love."

Even after several years of marriage, just a glance from her big brawny husband could make Caterina forget everything else in the world existed beyond him. She placed her hand on his rock-hard thigh beneath the table and felt his hand envelope hers, giving it a light squeeze as he winked at her.

"So, what do you want or need us to do beyond making sure Luna is ready to travel in the morning?" Tony asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Just encourage her to go. Don't mention Hunter, but reassure her how much it will benefit me to know about the new restaurant and how much I appreciate her willingness to go, which is all absolutely true. It's not like I could go visit the restaurant myself. The owners know me and have eaten here several times, but they aren't Italian. I have no idea who they've hired as the head chef. Regardless, I am curious about the restaurant and wouldn't be able to visit it anonymously, as Luna and Hunter can."

"Aren't you worried someone might notice how much she resembles you?" Kade asked as he added more jam to the last bite of his roll.

"Not particularly. Hunter has such a regal, elegant bearing. If Luna is with him, no one will think twice about her relationship to me. I'm far too independent, outspoken, short-tempered, and opinionated to ever be connected in the same thoughts with people like the Douglas family."

"Oh, bosh!" Ilsa said, reaching around Tony to pat Caterina's arm. "You are generous, big-hearted, caring, loving, and one of the best things that has ever happened to this town and most definitely the best thing to happen to Kade. Anyone who says different is an idiot."

Caterina grinned at her sister-in-law. "Thank you for sharing that, Ilsa. I appreciate you."

"Well, I appreciate you. Tony and I would have starved to death a long time ago if you hadn't been around to feed us."

"I take offense, chickadee," Tony said, scowling at his wife. "I'm perfectly capable of preparing edible meals."

"Yes, you are, but it's nice knowing Caterina will feed us when you don't want to." Ilsa rose and began carrying dishes to the sink. "If you're sure your plan will work, we'll help all we can."

"I'm not sure about anything, but we have to at least try. If we can get Luna and Hunter together, my next objective will be to get Dally to let her dear mama know there is a little one on the way."

"I reckon that situation will sort itself out without any of us interfering, Cat," Kade said in a tone meant to subdue her tendency to meddle when she shouldn't.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But first things first." Caterina held up her nearly empty glass of lemonade. "To Luna and Hunter. May those two young hearts fall forever in love."

"Forever in love," Ilsa echoed as she picked up her glass and held it to Caterina's. Tony and Kade clinked the glasses they held to the women's. Caterina felt like a contented cat who'd just eaten a plump canary.

If she had anything to say about it, anything at all, she wanted Luna to fall in love with Hunter. He was smart, successful, and witty. More importantly, he was a kind, tender-hearted young man who worked hard but didn't take life too seriously. If Caterina could handpick a perfect suitor for her young cousin, she couldn't have chosen one better than Hunter.

Caterina tucked down the smug feeling burgeoning in her as she served dishes of Italian pudding with fresh sweet cherries and plenty of her spice cookies for dessert. All she had to do was track down Hunter and watch the romance begin to blossom.