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She was the quintessential small town girl, with deep roots that wouldn’t be easily pulled up. To try would destroy her, so unless I was ready to tear up my own roots in New York and move here like Silas did, it was better to back off. That view had been perfect, but the thought of living here full time was enough to make me laugh out loud.
“You okay back there?” she asked over her shoulder. She seemed to have shaken off whatever dark thing was chasing her up in the clearing, and I caught up to walk beside her.
“Just pondering life,” I admitted.
“It can be pretty funny sometimes.” She snorted and pointed when we got to a break in the trees with the parking lot on the other side.
Silas and Raylen were waving their arms at a park ranger, who looked bored with their hysteria.
“I’m sure your friend will show up,” he said, checking his watch. “It’s not even noon. I can’t send out a search party yet.”
“You don’t understand, Gary,” Silas said. “He’s a New Yorker.”
My cheeks started to burn when Luna clearly heard them as well as I did. Then Raylen jumped in. “I’m sure he won’t have cell reception up here because I didn’t have any on the trail. He’ll never make it out on his own.”
“Those assholes,” I muttered, hurrying forward to show I was alive and well. I went whitewater rafting and rock climbing every year, and they were acting like my feet never left a sidewalk.
“Oh, thank God,” Silas said when he saw me. “I thought you fell into an old mine or something. You can’t leave the trail, man.”
“I’m fine,” I said tightly, hearing Luna unsuccessfully stifling her giggles from behind me. I turned to see her beaming straight at Raylen and got that same bizarre jolt of jealousy as I had the night before. Completely unwarranted but even stronger now that we’d spent so much time together. There was no way she was actually interested in Raylen, was there? I put my arm around her, a total caveman response. “Thanks to Luna. She saved my life.”
“Yeah, after I nearly killed him first,” she said, sliding out from under my arm and heading for her car.
“See you tonight,” I called desperately. She stopped and looked at me with a quizzical expression. “You didn’t get to eat last night, and we’re firing up the grill again this evening.”
She frowned. “I can’t. We decided to put on a gala to raise funds for the theater and tonight is the first planning meeting. It’s in two weeks, so if you’re still here, you’re definitely invited.”
She looked so innocent, I almost couldn’t bear to burst her bubble. Almost. “Wait. You’re trying to plan a charity event—a gala no less, in only two weeks? Even you can’t do that. You’d be better off just coming to dinner.”
Her pure look morphed into one of simmering anger. “I most certainly can do it. Watch me.” She turned on her heel and marched to her car.
With the guys eager to get to lunch, I let her go, pissed off at myself for not being able to resist goading her yet again. We’d been having a great time, and I went and put my foot right in it, ruining the morning and making her mad at me again.
“That was an effortless strike out,” Raylen said. “Really smooth.”
“Yeah, it’s like you never asked a woman out in your life,” Silas said, cracking them both up.
“I was just showing my gratitude.” I got in the backseat and crossed my arms over my chest.
Silas slid into the driver’s seat. “It’s probably for the best since I think Harper wants Luna to end up with Raylen anyway.”
Raylen paused in putting his seatbelt on. “What? No way. I don’t want any part of that. Matchmaking never works out. Harper can find someone else for her.”
“Will you stop talking about her like she’s a lost puppy that needs a home? You’re acting like she’s an object.”
They both turned around and looked at me before breaking out into laughter again. They kept up their teasing as we drove back to the resort for lunch, but I blocked it out. I also blocked out how disappointed I was that Luna wouldn’t be joining us for dinner and the fact I had no idea when or how I’d see her again.
Chapter 8 - Luna
It was precisely six o’clock when Harper showed up for the meeting, but I could tell right away she didn’t want to be there, despite her valiant effort to hide it. We exchanged some mild gossip and picked at the store-bought cookies, since I was done wasting my time baking for ingrates. After fifteen minutes, no one else had showed up and I pulled out a bag to package the leftovers up for her to take home to Addy.
“Go on,” I said. “You’re free to leave. I planned the reunion practically by myself, I’ll save the Dante on my own as well.” I immediately felt bad and let my head drop to my chest, embarrassed at my outburst. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound bitter. I don’t know where that came from.” Well, I did, but Harper didn’t need to know I’d been stewing for the last few weeks.
“You have every right to be bitter,” Harper said. “Those people who keep ditching us are buttheads and should just quit the committee if they’re never going to show up. But you’re not going to have to save it on your own. I’m definitely going to help you plan the gala.”
“Thanks, Harper,” I said with a weak smile.
I sat down and pulled over my folder full of notes, waiting for her to sit back down as well. Instead, she bit her lip and looked sheepish.
