AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course not!Wewould be delighted.” Emphasizing the “we.” Her palms were getting sweaty.
“I’m about twenty minutes away. Should I meet you somewhere?”
“Sure.” Luna walked toward the mirror over her small utility sink. She wasn’t exactly spruced up, and gave Chi-Chi a look of horror. Chi-Chi waved her off and mouthed, “You look fine.”
“Copper Crown OK with you?” Luna asked, as she fussed with her hair.
“Sounds good. See you there.” Gaines clicked off the call, relieved that she was willing to meet. He had driven six hours before he had found the nerve to call her. After knowing Luna for almost a year, he still got all stupid. At least that was his own perception of things. Perhaps if they lived closer, their relationship, such as it was, would have blossomed faster. Sooner. On the other hand, they both had a lot going on in their lives.Slow and steady,he kept telling himself. At least he was able to kiss her good night now without getting a concussion. He never pushed it any further. Luna was going to have to be the one to take it to the next level.
* * *
Chi-Chi was beaming from ear to ear. “It appears the marshal has missed the ‘Luna-tic,’ ” she teased.
Luna was sputtering. “Look at me! I have smoky dust on me, my hair is a mess, and it looks like I slept in my clothes!”
Cullen walked into the café. “What’s keeping you guys?”
Chi-Chi smiled. “Your sister received a phone call from the good marshal. He is going to meet us for dinner.”
“Cool!” Cullen was almost as excited as his sister. “What brings him into town?”
Chi-Chi tilted her head in the direction of Luna.
“Stop!” Luna protested. “He is on his way back from Louisville. That’s all.”
Cullen chuckled. “So he decided to make a right turn off the interstate?”
“It would appear so.” Chi-Chi nodded.
Luna let out a growl. “Oh, you guys!”
“Thou doth protest too much,” Chi-Chi replied.
Luna stomped her way to the ladies’ room to see what she could do to salvage her appearance. Chi-Chi followed her. Luna was splashing water on her face and glumly stared into the mirror.
“Now, listen to me, woman. You are beautiful. Inside and out. I don’t think the marshal would go out of his way to see you if he didn’t agree with me.”
“Oh, Chi-Chi. I always feel like a schoolgirl around him. Awkward and clumsy.” Luna kept fussing with her hair.
“You are none of those things. Here, let me help you. But first take that thing off.” In her excitement, Luna had forgotten to remove the work apron. Thankfully, that got rid of most of the smell of smoky dust.
In less than a couple of minutes, Chi-Chi braided Luna’s hair so it fell in front of her shoulder. Chi-Chi then pulled out a tube of coral lipstick and dabbed it on Luna’s cheeks and blended it in. “Well, that’s one thing I cannot do on my face, but it works for you.” They both laughed. Chi-Chi handed the tube over to Luna. “Now, on your lips.”
In less than ten minutes, Luna was transformed into what she considered presentable. She sniffed at her clothes. “I still smell like a day’s work is all over me.”
Chi-Chi reached for the lavender air freshener, sprayed a big cloud of it, and waved the mist in Luna’s direction. “He’ll never know it came from a can. Trust me.”
Luna laughed and gave Chi-Chi a big hug. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
There was a loud rapping at the door. “You ladies finished in there? I called the restaurant. They’re expecting us. Move it!” Cullen feigned impatience.
Luna swung the large door open. “Wow. How in the heck did you do that?” Cullen was taken aback at the instantaneous makeover.
“Chi-Chi has magical skills.” Luna breezed past him. “Let’s go. What are you waiting for?” She was teasing, of course.
The three arrived at the restaurant as Gaines was getting out of his Jeep. He briskly walked toward them, trying to decide what to do first, shake Cullen’s hand or give Luna a hug. “Heys” and “hellos” filled the air. He instinctively opened his arms, and it turned into a group hug. Cullen patted him on the back. “Good to see you, man.”
“Likewise.” Gaines put his hand on Cullen’s shoulder, wrapped his other arm around Luna’s shoulder, and gave her an exaggerated side squeeze. It was effortless considering it was almost two months since they had been in each other’s company. Lots can change in a short amount of time. But it was if they had simply picked up where they left off. It had been that way from the start.
