When You Were Mine (Stone Lake 2)

A startled laugh comes out of her and she shakes her head, her face full of regret and sadness—I recognize it because I feel it too.

“It really does feel like a soap opera,” she agrees. “I… will you give me time to think about all of this? To talk to Josh?”

“You’re willing to do that?”

“I have a lot of mixed feelings about our past, Gavin, I can’t lie.”

“I do too, you know?”

“Whatever those feelings are, I’d never purposely try to keep you from your son—ever.”

“God, that’s more than I deserve. Luna—”

“Don’t get too excited. There’s a chance Josh might not want to see you. He’s hardheaded and once he gets his mind set… it’s hard to get through to him.”

“Sounds like his mother.”

“I was thinking more like his father, but whatever,” she jokes, her smile still not going to her eyes and tinged with sadness. There’s nothing I can do to fix that.

“We have a son.”

“Yeah, we do,” she says.

“I’ve missed so much. God, I hate Dern for that. Dern, your father, Atticus… all of them.”

“That’s a feeling I can understand totally.”

“Someday, when you’re ready, will you tell me what happened between you and Atticus?”

“We’ll see. I think we have enough to deal with right now.”

“Fair enough.”

“Your soup is getting cold,” she says, and I look down at it and back at her.

“It’s good, but—”

“But, you’re not hungry?”

“Not so much. It’s hard to think about food when you deal with all the…”

“Bullshit between us?” she supplies helpfully, and I laugh.

“I—” I stop talking when her doorbell goes off.

“Hold that thought,” she jokes leaving the kitchen to go and answer the door.

I follow her, needing to be close to her, even if I shouldn’t.

I get there just as Luna peeks through the peephole and then steps back to open the door.

“Ben! This is a surprise. I didn’t think you’d be here until it was time to go to the dance.”

“I thought I might take my best girl out for lunch,” he says and for the first time today I find a real smile.

Beat you to it, sucker. I warned him I was going to fight. I wasn’t lying, but I think Kingston is underestimating how hard I’m willing to fight. As long as there’s a slim chance, I will move Heaven and Earth to get Luna back. If nothing else, the time I spent with her today accomplished that.

Kingston has no idea who he’s dealing with.

Luna

“I uh… well, I already ate,” I say, hating that I feel awkward.

“No worries. I thought maybe we could spend some time together,” Ben says and he’s watching me closely. I know he can feel something is up.

“Kingston,” Gavin says from behind me. Immediately Ben’s face closes up, his eyes going hard.

“Lodge. Why am I not surprised you’re here?”

“Cause you understand Luna and I have unfinished business?” Gavin boasts, and I hold my head down, thinking this is not going to go well.

“I understand you and Luna are finished at least. I just don’t think you realize that.”

“How about you both realize that Luna is a grown woman who can talk and react all on her own?”

“Sorry, Sweetheart,” Ben says.

His apology would probably be more convincing if he wasn’t looking at Gavin like he wanted to kill him.

“Do you want to come in and have lunch here?” I ask him.

“You cooked for him?” he says, stepping inside the house.

“Ben,” I warn him. He looks at Gavin and they engage in some kind of staring contest. It’s ridiculous, and I honestly can’t believe it.

“Will you two stop? You’re acting like two dogs fighting over a bone, and I don’t appreciate being a bone.”

“Luna—”

“Don’t start, Ben. You’re acting crazy. Gavin and I are discussing our son. That’s it. We haven’t even spoken in thirteen years. Gavin has a whole different life that doesn’t involve me and Stone Lake. He’s not here to be part of my life. He’s not asking me out on a date. He’s here because of our son. This tension between you two is ridiculous. There’s a murderer on the loose, could we concentrate on that, please?”

“That’s not exactly right, Luna,” Gavin says, and I turn to look at him, beyond frustrated.

“What?” I bellow, exasperated.

“I am here for Joshua. I plan on being an active part of his life if he will let me, but Joshua is not the only reason I’m here.”

“Gavin,” I respond, fear so huge in size I can’t breathe, grabs me.

“I’m here for you too, Luna. I should have never walked away all those years ago. I haven’t been happy since. Not one day. If there’s a chance in hell that I can make you love me again, you better believe I’m going to give it everything I have.”

“Motherfucker,” Ben howls, moving me behind him and advancing on Gavin.

“I’m not leaving, Luna, even after this case is solved. I plan on staying here in Stone Lake. I intend on staying here and fighting for my family,” he vows. The finality of his words rocks me to my core. There’s so much bombarding me, so many memories coming at me, so many emotions. I can’t breathe…