Chapter Twenty

Unable to sleep, Hunter arose early and decided to head over to his place to get some work done. He left a hastily scribbled note on the counter, grabbed leftover biscuits and ham for his breakfast, and headed out the door. He saddled Wind and rode off before dawn arrived, eager to escape the dreams of Luna that had haunted him all night.

Something about the way she'd said goodbye instead of good night last night when he'd walked her to the door had left him unsettled. She hadn't seemed like herself all day. When she'd hugged him that last time, it had felt like she meant it to be the very last time, but that couldn't be. Not when he was convinced beyond a doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her.

He still wasn't in a position to declare himself to her. Not when his life still felt so busy and unsettled. As soon as his house was finished, though, he intended to tell her how much she meant to him and ask for her hand in marriage.

Tony had stopped him in town a few weeks ago and asked him to come to his studio. When Hunter had gone in, Tony had given him a portrait he'd made of Luna. It was of her smiling with a look of such love on her sweet face, it nearly stole Hunter's breath away.

"I had Laila hold up a photograph of you when I took that image of her," Tony had said. The man had somehow persuaded Hunter to tell him the truth about his feelings for Luna. Although Tony had promised to keep them to himself, he had suggested Hunter write to Luna's father before he asked for her hand in marriage because it would mean something to Brando, and would endear Hunter to her family.

Although he hadn't mailed it yet, Hunter had already written the letter. He figured he had plenty of time since the house wouldn't be finished for at least another month, possibly longer. Then there would be the arrival of Dally's baby and the holidays that would make it impossible to court Luna with any serious intent.

Hunter figured after Christmas would be just the right time to begin his pursuit of Luna in earnest. Because once he began to pursue her, he didn't intend to stop until she was his wife.

He smiled, thinking of the fun they'd had going through the musty, dusty attic. When the house was finished, and there was a place to store china, he would bring down the set from the attic and have it on display just for Luna. He could tell at a glance she loved each piece of those violet trimmed dishes, and he meant for her not only to have them, but enjoy them. What good did they do anyone shoved into a trunk in the attic?

The moment he'd seen the amethyst necklace, he'd known Luna had to have it. It was delicate and beautiful, yet timeless and meant to last. Everything about it made him think of Luna, and it had looked perfect with the shirtwaist she'd worn yesterday.

Dawn arrived by the time Hunter rode up his lane. He stopped at the barn and removed Wind's saddle and bridle, put a halter on him, and then left him in the small pasture by the barn, where the horse could graze while Hunter worked.

He walked up to the house, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Walker hoped to get the electricity working soon, but for now, Hunter made do with a few lanterns. He lit one he'd left in the parlor, stepped into the entry foyer, and noticed Luna's jacket on the newel post. No wonder she'd been cold on the ride back into town last night. It was a wonder she hadn't started shivering. He should have thought to bring along a blanket, but the only thing on his mind had been spending time with her.

He picked up the jacket and sniffed the fabric, smelling the soft, enchanting fragrance that was all Luna. He laid it over the newel post, then walked through the dining room into the kitchen, where he put a pot of coffee to brew on the old cookstove. He reached into the tin where he kept a few plates, cups, and utensils so no rodents could get to them, took out a cup, and poured it full of coffee when it was ready. Hunter sat in the lone wooden chair he'd hauled down from the attic last week and ate his meager breakfast, sipped his coffee, and thought of Luna.

Had he said or done something upsetting to make her behave so strangely yesterday? Surely that wasn't it. Was it? Perhaps he'd better ask Dally her thoughts on the matter. She would certainly tell him if she thought he'd misstepped and owed Luna an apology.

Recollections of the kiss they'd shared plowed through him. He'd been about to blurt out his feelings when Luna had kissed him. Kissed him full-out like it might be the last kiss they ever shared, but that was ridiculous. After the sparks that had exploded between them yesterday, he looked forward to a lifetime of kissing her and loving her.

Not one doubt existed in his mind about his feelings for Luna. He loved her completely. Deeply. Passionately. Tenderly. He'd do anything to see her smile and bring her joy.

Although loving her came as a surprise to him, it felt right. Like she was the one person in the whole world God had planned for him to love for a lifetime.

Hunter finished his coffee, refilled the cup, and carried it and a lantern upstairs to the attic. He looked around at the piles of boxes and trunks and crates, some broken furniture and other pieces that looked new. He'd liked that Luna had made suggestions about where to place certain pieces. His gaze fell on the oak bedroom set and he added ordering mattresses to his growing list of items he'd eventually need for the house.

Once the bathrooms and kitchen were finished, Hunter planned to move into the house. He could sleep on a pile of blankets on the library floor for all that mattered, but he was more than ready to move out of Dally and Nik's house, especially with his parents living there. It wasn't that the house was crowded, but soon the baby would arrive, and it would be time for Dally and Nik to have the house to themselves, to savor their little family without others intruding.

Hunter still couldn't believe how well his parents, especially his mother, had handled the surprise of Dally's pregnancy. He'd been sure his mother would throw a ring-tailed tizzy about Dally keeping the news from her, but other than a mild scolding, nothing more had been said, at least within his hearing.

Honestly, he thought Dally had seemed so much happier after their parents had arrived than she had all summer. It was as though a weight she'd burdened herself with had lifted and she could finally relish her role as expectant mother.

Hunter grinned, thinking of all the little clothes his mother and Corni were busy making for the baby. Whether it was a boy or a girl, it would definitely not run out of things to wear.

Even his father acted full of anticipation as they waited for the baby's arrival. He'd helped Nik bring down an old cradle from the attic. It had needed a few repairs, but they were easy to make. Rowdy had sanded it down and given it a fresh coat of paint. Bedding was neatly folded in it, ready for Baby Nash to come into the world.

Hunter was excited about being an uncle. There were times when he was with Dally that he still felt like they were kids running wild and free. Then he'd look at her or glance in the mirror and realize they were fully grown and making their own way in the world.

He was glad, though, they would live only a handful of miles away from each other. God willing, their children would grow up as friends.

Hunter sat on top of a trunk and watched the sun stretch into the morning sky, picturing a swing in the big oak tree, and his children laughing with Dally's while the adults sat in the shade of the porch on a Sunday afternoon. Nik might play his harmonica while Dally and Luna discussed the latest fashions or exchanged recipes.

The scene he envisioned was so homey, so perfect, he wanted to step into it and live it in that moment. Instead, he took another sip of his lukewarm coffee and opened a trunk full of ledgers. He moved it into the pile to sort through later and decided his heart wasn't in cleaning the attic this morning without Luna there.

Everything with her felt like an adventure. Even the most mundane tasks seemed fun when he shared them with her.

Now, he missed her presence and wished she were there beside him.

Hunter heard the work crew arriving and went downstairs to see where he could help. He couldn't do any woodwork that required precise detail, but he could swing a hammer with ease and had gotten good at installing shelves after working in the library.

The morning was still young when he heard an automobile arrive, horn tooting. He was upstairs replacing the trim around a bedroom doorway and quickly stepped over to the window.

"Hunter? Hunter!" his father bellowed as he jumped out of Hunter's auto and ran toward the house.

Fearful something had happened, like Dally going into labor too early, Hunter dropped the hammer he'd been holding and raced down the stairs, taking them two and three steps at a time. He jumped off the landing as his father barreled through the front door.

"What's wrong? Is it Dally? Mama? What's happened?"

"Luna. It's Luna. According to Tony, she's heading back to New York. Now. Today."

"What?" Hunter felt the strength flow out of his legs and he started sinking. His father backed him toward the stairs, and he dropped onto the nearest step. "She left?"

"Tony said she came downstairs this morning, announced she was leaving, and boarded the morning train to Baker City." His father grinned. "Before you pass out, you should know Kade asked her to deliver a note to the Baker City sheriff. He's going to detain her long enough for her to miss her train and give you a chance to catch up to her, but you'd better hustle. The next train leaves in thirty minutes."

Hunter felt like his brain was mired in the mud and struggled to break free. It only grasped onto part of what his father said, but he understood Luna had left, and he had a chance to catch her in Baker City. If he hurried.

Without a pause, Hunter leaped to his feet and ran out the door.

"Son! Wait up!" his dad called, chasing after him.

Hunter started the auto, but his dad climbed behind the wheel. With his hands shaking and legs still trembling, Hunter acknowledged he shouldn't be driving.

His father pushed the auto to its limits as they sped into town and slid to a stop at the depot.

"I see why your grandmother thought you'd enjoy this vehicle," his father said with a wry grin as the two of them headed to the ticket window. Hunter didn't have any cash on him, nor did he have his wallet. His father bought his ticket, gave him a handful of money, and brushed cobwebs and sawdust off his shoulders and out of his hair.

Hunter had no idea where he'd left his hat, and at the moment it seemed a trivial thing to worry about.

"Just tell her how you feel. I think that will do the trick," his father said, giving him an encouraging pat on the back.

They walked across the platform, but before Hunter boarded the train, he turned and shook his father's hand. "Thanks for everything, Dad. I know you had other plans for me, but I'm grateful to you for all you've taught me, for all you continue to teach me."

"My pleasure, Hunter. I love you and want you to be happy, no matter where that might be. If it's here in Pendleton with Luna or in New York, or in Asheville, what I want most of all is for you to be happy and content in life."

"Thank you, Dad. I love you too." Hunter gave his father a tight hug, then boarded the train as the conductor made a final boarding call.

As he rode to Baker City, it seemed as if the train moved at a slow pace. However, the trip gave him ample time to think about what he wanted.

And what he wanted was Luna.

Having his house just perfect before he proposed no longer seemed important. If need be, they could rent a house or an apartment for a month or two, or even stay in a hotel. He didn't care. All that mattered was being with the woman he loved. Hunter concluded there was never a perfect time for anything. Just opportunities that a person either seized with both hands or let pass them by.

Unwilling to let Luna get away, he intended to hang on to her and the love they shared as long as she'd let him.

Finally, the train arrived in Baker City. Hunter was the first to leave the passenger car, and he took off at a run for the sheriff's office.

He'd met Tully Barrett a few times over the years. He was a close friend to the Jordan family, and a man who cut an imposing figure even in middle age. Tully could be full of jokes one moment and intimidate a would-be criminal with a glacial glare the next.

Hunter dashed between two wagons in the street, barely avoided being hit by a lumber wagon, and made his way to the sheriff's office. He stopped outside and caught his breath. He ran his hands through his disheveled hair, brushed at his dusty clothes, and then opened the door.

Tully Barrett leaned back in his chair with his boots propped on his desk and a broad grin on his face.

"About time you got here, young man. That girl of yours is nearly as feisty as my wife. In another hour or two she'll figure out a way to bust out of here or start gnawing through the bars. I had to bring in reinforcements to keep her occupied."

Hunter grinned and held out a hand. "Thank you for keeping Luna here until I could arrive. If I'd known what she had planned, she'd never have had a chance to board the train in Pendleton this morning."

"Snuck off on you, did she?" Tully asked. He settled his feet on the floor and gave Hunter a hearty handshake. "Kade didn't go into much detail in his note, but I was happy to help. It's not often I get to assist Cupid in matters of love and set romance on the right path. At least I'm assuming this is the right path. If she isn't the girl for you, you wouldn't have come all the way here to convince her to go back to Pendleton."

"I love her, sir, with all my heart and then some. It was my mistake in not telling her sooner."

"Well, you'll have a captive audience with her now. Go on in. My daughter is in there keeping her company right now."

Tully walked over and opened the door to the jail cells.

Hunter nodded politely to a pretty young woman sitting in a chair outside one of the cells with a checkerboard set up on a small table.

"Nice to see you, Miss Barrett," Hunter said, nodding politely to Tully's daughter.

"You as well, Mr. Douglas." The girl stood and smiled.

Luna dropped the checker she held and stood. "Hunter! What on earth are you doing here?"

He smirked at her. "I might ask you the same question, Luna Moona. How did you go from helping me clean out my attic yesterday to sitting in jail in Baker City this afternoon? I think a lot must have transpired since I bid you good night on Tony's porch steps."

"Come on, baby girl." Tully motioned to his daughter to join him.

The young woman winked at Hunter, leaned toward him to whisper, "good luck," then picked up the checkerboard and left.

Hunter studied Luna for several moments. She wore the traveling suit she'd had on the first day he'd set eyes on her, which had been when he'd boarded the train right here in Baker City. The irony of that wasn't lost on him as he reached through the bars and took her hand in his.

"Why did you run away, Luna? You didn't even tell me goodbye. Do you think so little of me? Of our friendship?"

"I did tell you goodbye, last night."

Hunter shook his head. "No. That doesn't count. I had no idea what you had planned. If I'd had even an inkling that you intended to run off today, I would have slept on Tony's porch and stopped you on your way out the door."

Luna almost smiled before she pulled her hand from his and stepped out of his reach. "It's better if I leave, Hunter."

"Better? For whom? Certainly not for me, and definitely not for you. Just who, exactly, do you think is going to benefit from your absence?"

Luna turned her back to him and stood unmoving for several moments. "You," he heard her whisper.

"Me? You think this is better for me? Are you crazy, woman!" Hunter couldn't help it that he'd raised his voice.

Luna spun around and glared at him. "You don't need to yell, Hunter Douglas. I'm not crazy, but you are if you think a relationship between the two of us will ever work. You're like the Thoroughbreds your family raises, and I'm more along the lines of Riley Walsh's old mule. There is never, ever going to be a time or place when we belong together. You come from wealth and elegance and class. You deserve far better than a woman who might faint or fly into an attack of anxiety at the most inopportune moment. Besides, I'm an orphan who grew up in a tiny apartment in New York City, and don't have the slightest idea what to do if there are more than two forks around my plate."

Hunter couldn't help it. He began to laugh. In fact, he laughed so hard he had to sit in the chair outside the cell until he yanked his composure together.

When he'd started on this unplanned journey, he was convinced he'd done something to insult or upset Luna. He had no idea how to fix that.

But this? Her fear of his upbringing? Her worry over his wealth?

That was something he had no problem handling.

It struck him then, the vast difference between Katherine and Luna. Katherine had only wanted him because of his money and ability to elevate herself socially. Luna didn't want him because of it. Wait until Cousin Billy heard this story. He'd never believe it.

Hunter took a calming breath, stood, and looked into the cell to find Luna glowering at him. He was certain if bars hadn't separated them, she would have gladly punched him right in the nose for laughing at her.

He grinned and stepped closer to the cell, resting his hands on the cross bars.

"You ran away from me because you know I care for you, but you think you aren't good enough to be part of my family. Is that it?"

She shrugged as her cheeks flushed with color, then nodded. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Let me tell you something, Luna Campanelli. No one, and I mean no one, in my family thinks money, social status, who raised a person, or where they grew up matters. It doesn't matter a whit to us. You know my mother was raised right there on the B Bar D Ranch. When she was orphaned, she was left with nothing. Nothing. She ended up in North Carolina as a mail-order bride."

"Dally told me the story. It's like something from a fairy tale come true."

"It is, if the princess was a rough and tumble girl who was half wild and spent years being trained by my grandmother to behave like a lady."

Luna's eyes widened. "You mean your mother wasn't always so … refined?"

Hunter snorted. "Hardly. She still forgets half the lessons Grandmama has pounded into her head when she gets nervous. If there are more than three forks in the place settings at the table, she pretends she isn't feeling well and has a tray sent up to her room."

Luna studied him, appearing dubious. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Hunter shook his head. "That is the honest truth, and you can ask Mama. She'll tell you. I think it's time to end this nonsense about you not being good enough for my family. I don't care about comparing Thoroughbreds to mules, Luna, which you most certainly are nothing like old Steve." Hunter sighed, searching for the right thing to say to explain his feelings. "For the most part, all the rules regarding class and status are nothing but a pretentious bunch of bother, which is one of the reasons I like it in Pendleton. Things aren't quite so formal and fussy there. I know my family can be a lot to get used to, but we all care about you. Dally says you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I agree. So, before you skedaddle back to New York, I need to tell you something."

He paused, trying to recall the words he'd rehearsed all the way to Baker City, but none of them came to mind.

"What is it, Hunter?" Luna asked with concern. She walked over to the bars and placed her hand over his. "What do you want to tell me?"

He decided the best thing to do would be to speak straight from his heart. "The first day we met, Luna, I felt surrounded by the joy you give others. Your smile just lit up my whole day. As I got to know you better, I realized when we were together, I felt surrounded not just by your joy, but by your love. If you haven't figured it out yet, Luna Moona, I love you. I love you so much my heart aches when we're apart and sings when we're together. I have no idea what the future may bring, but I can promise I won't take a single moment with you for granted. Each day with you will be a gift I treasure. Would you please, please come back home, Luna? Will you come back to Pendleton, allow me to marry you, and give me the opportunity to surround you every day with my love?"

When Luna remained quiet, unable to speak through the tears streaming down her cheeks, Tully hollered from his office.

"He sounds sincere to me, Miss Campanelli. If you love him, tell that poor boy you'll put him out of his misery."

Luna laughed on a sob, and Hunter smiled. She nodded as he wiped away her tears. "Yes. Yes! I'll marry you, Hunter Douglas. I love you so much."

"I know you do, sweetheart. You loved me enough to walk away when you stupidly thought there was someone better for me in my future. Let me make it clear, though, the only one I want, the only one I'll ever love, is you."

"I love you, Hunter. For always."

The jangle of keys drew their gazes to the door. Tully walked over and unlocked Luna's cell, then returned to his office.

Hunter gathered Luna in his arms and kissed her soundly, hugged her tightly, then led her into Tully's office. The sheriff's daughter had left, but Tully sat at his desk, smiling at them.

Hunter reached out to shake his hand. "Thank you so much for your assistance, sir. We'd be honored if you would come to our wedding."

"Let me know when and where, and we'll be there." Tully slapped Hunter on the shoulder, then kissed Luna's cheek. "Just be happy together."

"We will be, sir. Thanks again." Hunter shook the sheriff's hand a second time, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Come on, Luna Moona. If we hurry, we can catch the train back home."

"Home," Luna repeated as they raced out the door and back to the depot, stepping into the adventure of a future together.