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“Right. Sorry,” Luna whispered. “Speaking of hooks, did you guys discuss flies?”
“Since when were you ever interested in fly-fishing?”
“Just curious.” Luna wondered about her dream.
“He showed me his new Cabela’s Adams,” Gaines said over his shoulder.
“Did you say ‘casaba melons’?” She got a bit of a chill and sank back into the seat.
Both men laughed. “This is why I don’t bring her fishing with me.” Cullen glanced over in Gaines’s direction.
“I don’t like worms,” Luna retorted.
“See? She doesn’t know the difference between a worm and a fly.” Cullen chuckled.
Luna was still reeling from the casaba melons. Had she really intruded on their energy the night before? It had only happened when she was in the same room with someone and that one time when Cullen was camping. And it was always planned. Never from miles away. For the first time in a long time, she spooked herself.
“Next time you’re out this way, we should take in some trout fishing,” Cullen offered.
Now Luna was beginning to feel like the little sister again. But then she remarked, “And I’ll cook whatever you guys catch for dinner.”
“Now, that sounds like an invitation I can’t resist,” Gaines said cheerfully.
Luna tried to avoid pouting. Well, she was halfway there about making dinner. Now she had to figure out how to get her brother out of the way. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. Meanwhile, she was happy there would be a next time.
They pulled into the back of the art center and Cullen parked the SUV. Luna waited for her prince to open the door for her. She was not disappointed. Gaines put out his hand, which she gladly grasped and gracefully exited the vehicle. Cullen was on the other side freeing Wiley from his halter.
Gaines made a crook in his arm and threaded Luna’s arm through it. “If there were a puddle, I would gladly lay my coat before you.”
“Well, ah do declare,” Luna said in her most convincing Southern drawl. “For a Yankee, you are quite the gentleman, Marshal Gaines.”
The two walked in step to the back of Cullen’s workshop and entered the building. “You two done playing Rhett and Scarlett?”
“Oh dear brothuh, why must you be so crass?” The accent continued.
“And I thought the ride here was going to be long.” Cullen shook his head, but he was secretly enjoying the playfulness between the marshal and his sister. Now, if only he could get in some kind of rhythm with Chi-Chi.
As they made their way through the workshop, Luna reluctantly disengaged her arm from Gaines and pointed to the mysterious trunk and the contents. “There it is. And over there is the diary and the box of memorabilia.”
Gaines looked over at Cullen. “Mind if I take a look?”
Cullen laughed. “I’m willing to bet that if you don’t, you will be incurring the wrath of Luna.”
Luna made a snarky face. “I’m going to pick up my order at the Flakey Tart. See you in the café in a few minutes. Come on, Wiley.” Wiley eagerly followed Luna to the massive sliding doors that led to the patio and park. Alex gave a wave, and Wiley bounded in his direction. “See you in a bit,” Luna called out. Alex gave her the thumbs-up.
Luna crossed the large indoor landscaped atrium and saw Chi-Chi opening her shop. Jimmy Can-Do had been there at the crack of dawn to place his work around the atrium. To that day, no one had ever caught a glimpse of him. Such an odd thing.
Luna gave morning greetings to everyone she saw, receiving the same in kind. The light coming through the glass ceiling made for a beautiful sunny mood. It didn’t hurt that her crush was in town either. She hurried to the pastry shop, where they had her morning order ready. “Thanks, Heidi! Have a good day!”
“Hey, Luna! Got a sec?” Luna heard Rita from the Blonde Shallot call out.
Any other morning would have been fine, but today she didn’t want to miss a minute of Gaines’s time to brief him on the trunk. “If you walk with me.”
Luna guessed Rita was perhaps a couple of years older than she. Maybe thirty-eight or nine. Luna knew she was married to a teacher and had two teenagers in high school. Luna had met the family at the grand opening and they often stopped by on the weekends.
It wasn’t often the other tenants would hang out with each other. With the exception of Chi-Chi, Cullen, and Luna, most would go their separate ways at the end of the day.
Rita lowered her voice. “Can I ask you something?” Rita spoke with a bit of hesitation.
