“Well, I’ll have Judy send her a care package. She told me she loves it when Uncle Gabe sends her treats.” The little one held a special place in my heart and Judy treated her like a granddaughter.
“You spoil her,” said Joe, shaking his head. “But thank you. She’ll get a kick out of it. Besides, I know it chaps Myra’s ass.” All the more reason to do it. I never did like Myra.
An image of Luna illustrated in my mind of her with a big baby bump. I wondered if she had ever considered having children. I swallowed hard, thinking it was much too soon for all that, but I could see us long-term having a family of our own.
Joe’s phone ringing snapped me out of my daydream and a moment later. “That’s the man with the all-clear. But I think I’ll pull it up on your monitor and check out the quality on your end.”
“That’s great news; make yourself at home and let me know how it is. I’m going to find Luna.” I left Joe there and headed down the hall and up the stairs.
I went to my room and threw open the door with a wide smile, which faded as I searched for her. I went to the bathroom, thinking I might find her in a warm bath, but it was empty, too.
Panic struck as I went to the closet and found it empty of her belongings. She couldn’t have left the house. Did someone take her? Before the adrenaline could get good and pumping, I heard a noise from the guest room.
“Luna?” I hurried down to the door and threw it open so hard it bounced off the door stop and almost came back in my face. I barged in placing my hand on my heart in relief. “My God, you scared me! What are you doing in here?” I searched her eyes, but she looked away from me.
“I’ve called my father. He’s coming to get me in a few hours when he’s done with his counseling sessions.”
“You can’t leave – and why would want to?” She cringed away as I crossed the room and sat beside her. She’s changed her mind?
Her hands trembled, and I took them into my own and squeezed them tight as she took a deep breath. “I told you how I feel, Gabriel. But I can’t stay here if you don’t feel the same way. It’s too painful. Every time we make love, it’s like I’m falling deeper and-”
“You were going to up and leave? When were you going to tell me?” Anger boiled through me. “I can understand you wanting to change rooms, but to bail on me completely when you know I don’t want you to go and we haven’t had a chance to talk. What are you thinking?”
“I need to know how you feel,” she snapped.
She didn’t know? “I don’t want you to go. I feel the same, Luna.”
She blinked her eyes and shook her head. “But you said… Well, you didn’t say, but you acted like you… Do you want the annulment?”
I barely moved my head back and forth and formed the word no with my lips. She was already in my arms. “No, of course I don’t.”
“I thought when you didn’t come to bed that you didn’t want to be near me.” She covered her mouth and wiped the tears that pooled in her eyes.
I pulled her into my arms and held her. “We’ve had a bad time around here, and I didn’t want to worry you. You took me a little off-guard by sharing your feelings because I thought you wanted the annulment. I always felt that in the end you were going to leave me.”
“I didn’t want to, but I knew I would if I had to, no matter how much it hurt.” She wiped her face and took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come up sooner. I had no idea you were up here feeling this way. You should have come down and talked to me.”
Her eyes widened. “The last time I tried to do that, you were too busy. And earlier, I rode out to the winery, and you were busy then, too.”
“I’m always going to have busy times, especially if it concerns your safety. We’ve been having glitches the past few days and I’ve had to have someone come out and look at the system.” I hadn’t told her about Kyle, the suspect, but wondered if it were best to keep that to myself. I didn’t want her scared.
“I know you’re a busy man, and I’m used to being busy with you at your side, but here I feel like I’m in the way. I guess I’m out of my element.”
“Nonsense, this is your element. You’re home, Luna. This is our home together.” The words were like a magic spell that brought a smile to her face.
“It’s so weird when you say it like that.” She closed her eyes tight and held them that way, as if savoring the moment.
“Get used to it.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek and swept away one last tear.
“I guess I should move my things back into your bedroom.” She held up a finger and smiled. “I mean our bedroom.”
“Yeah, let’s get you unpacked and-”
My phone rang out Joe’s tone, and I hurried to answer it. “Yeah?”
He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “The system’s down again for a minute now. The guards are on alert.”