Luna put down her glass of wine, took Chris’s hands, and started to move back and forth with the music. That prompted Cullen to do the same with Chi-Chi. Wylie wisely moved out of the way. A dreamy dance party was taking place in the living room. The next song on the album was “Manhã De Carnaval,” a slow, repentant song known in English as “A Day in the Life of a Fool.” But Astrud Gilberto sang it in Portuguese, which was so much more romantic. The two couples were in sync with the music and each other. Luna’s eyes began to tear. Chris lifted her chin and said, “You okay?”

  She rested her head against his chest. “Never been better.”

  Chris hoped his news wouldn’t taint her mood later, but he had to tell her. She was part of his life, and if he intended to keep it that way, he had to lay the cards on the table. Things were about to change.

  The couples danced to the alluring music for almost an hour. It wasn’t until the music stopped that they realized no one had spoken the entire time.

  Chi-Chi was the first to say something. “I am sorry to break this beautiful mood, but I must see what trouble my brother has gotten into.”

  “I don’t know if you really want to do that,” Luna said. “Maybe you should call to be sure he’s not at your house with you-know-who.”

  Chi-Chi nodded and pulled her phone from her purse. “Should I text him?”

  “Probably a good idea,” Cullen encouraged her.

  Chi-Chi typed: Abeo, are you with Jennine? And not at my house?

  “Now we wait.” She sighed. Several minutes went by with no word.

  “Maybe he’s busy.” Luna raised her eyebrows.

  Chi-Chi sighed again. “I do need to get to sleep.”

  “Here’s an idea. Why don’t you drive past Jennine’s house and see if her car is there?” Luna offered. “I have her address.”

  “I’ll follow you if you want.” Cullen looked at Chi-Chi.

  “If Abeo is there, I do not want him to see my car,” she answered.

  “We’ll leave your car at the Stop N’ Go. He doesn’t know my car.” Cullen was happy to oblige in the reconnaissance mission.

  Chi-Chi’s eyes grew wide. “That is a marvelous idea.” She hesitated. “But what if they are at my house? Then what do I do?”

  Luna and Chris looked up at the ceiling.

  “You can stay with me,” Cullen offered. He quickly added, “In the guest room.” He wanted Chi-Chi to feel comfortable, should the situation arise.

  “Thank you.” Chi-Chi gave him a weak smile. She was anxious to find out if her house was her own that night.

  Everyone said their goodnights. “It was a lovely evening. Thank you,” Chi-Chi said, with a bit more confidence.

  Cullen followed Chi-Chi to the store, where she parked her car by the side of the building. She then joined Cullen in his car. As they approached Jennine’s house, Cullen slowed down. “Is that her car?”

  “Yes! Yes, it is.” Chi-Chi was feeling less anxious. She slumped down in the passenger seat. “Can you see anything?”

  Cullen peered over the steering wheel. “The lights are on, but, oh dear. Oh my.” He stepped on the accelerator and moved quickly past the house.

  Chi-Chi had her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “I suppose they were there? Together?”

  “Oh, yes. Very together.” Cullen was blushing over the sight of Jennine doing some kind of fan dance in front of her guest. “Wow.” It was the word of the day.

  Chi-Chi couldn’t stop giggling. “Now you know how I felt when I found them in my living room.”

  “And you can’t un-see something like that.” He shuddered. Yes, Jennine was Blanche from The Golden Girls, for sure. Cullen drove back to the mini-mart. “Let me follow you home. It’s late.”

  “Thank you. That is very thoughtful of you.” She got in her car, and Cullen proceeded to tail her.

  When they arrived at Chi-Chi’s, Cullen got out and walked her to her front door. He stopped her as she was about to turn the key. “Chi-Chi, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  “Is everything alright, Cullen?” A look of concern crossed her face.

  He held her at arm’s length and took a deep breath. “Chi-Chi. I love you. I’ve known it for a long time. I just never had the nerve to come out and say it. So there you have it.”

  Chi-Chi threw her arms around him and gave him the sweetest kiss. “Thank you.”

  Thank you? What does that mean? Thoughts were racing through his head. He choked out, “Excuse me?”

  “Thank you for telling me. Please come in. I think we should discuss this.”

  Cullen gulped. He had no idea what was coming.

  Chi-Chi gestured to the sofa. “Please, sit.” He sat with his forearms on his thighs, his hands gripping his knees, readying himself for bad news.

  “There is something I must tell you.”

  Uh-oh, here it comes. Massive humiliation.

  Chi-Chi sat next to him and took his hand. “You know I am very fond of you. There is something you should know.”

  He was holding his breath.

  “I was once married.” She paused, letting the information sink in. “My parents arranged it.”

  Cullen’s mouth dropped open.

  “And it was a terrible arrangement. His name is Debare, a very mean and cheap man. After almost a year, I could no longer stand to be with him. It was very difficult for me to tell my parents. I was afraid they might disown me.” She stopped for a moment. “But much to my surprise, they were not at all angry. They were relieved.” Cullen listened with a blank look on his face.

  “Evidently, his parents gave my parents very bad information about him. Actually, it was what they did not tell my mother and father.” She got up and poured each of them a glass of water, then continued. “After we were married for three months, my husband applied for a loan and wanted my father to cosign. Before he put his name on the paper, my father did a background check on Debare. He had a gambling problem and owed tens of thousands of dollars to credit card companies.”

  “And his parents failed to mention this?” Cullen was appalled.

  “Yes. You see, my family had more money than his, and we were all citizens of the United States. His parents believed if he married into a good family, he would turn his life around.”

  Cullen nodded. “Obviously, that didn’t happen.”

  “No, it did not. But it explained a lot of his behavior. I was only twenty-one at the time, but I was not willing to forgive all of his sins if he was going to continue committing them.”

  “Very good point,” Cullen replied.

  “So, we got divorced. I have not spoken to him since.”

  Cullen was quickly doing the math. “You haven’t spoken to him in over sixteen years?”

  “This is true. The day the divorce was final was the last time I ever saw his face.” Chi-Chi looked at Cullen. “I am sorry I have not told you this before.”

  “Oh, no. It’s okay. I’m glad you did.” He was still wondering where that put him on her list of priorities. “Does Luna know about this?”

  “No. Only my family.”

  “I shall never mention it.”

  “Thank you. Now that you know, I hope it has not changed your opinion of me.”

  “Not at all!” he exclaimed.

  Chi-Chi let out a big whoosh of air. “I am glad. I did not like the idea that I was keeping a secret from you.”

  “It’s private. I mean, it’s part of your past, and I don’t blame you for not telling me. It’s not important. At least not to me. That didn’t come out right. Your being divorced is not important. You are important to me.”

  Chi-Chi looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. “I am so relieved.” She sighed. “Oh—and I love you, too.”

  * * *

  Luna was resting her head on the back of the sofa, basking in the romantic atmosphere of candles and music. “This is really nice.”

  “Yes, it is.” Chris moved to sit next to her. He turned her face toward him. “I have two very important things I need to discuss.”

  Luna shot up like a geyser. “What? What is it?” She knew something was amiss.

  “Please don’t get yourself worked into a tizzy. Do you want the good news or the challenging news?”

  Her head was spinning. “All of it!”

  “The good news is I am getting a promotion. And a raise.”

  Luna sat on her heels. “That’s great! What’s the challenging stuff?”

  “Lucinda plans on moving to Chicago. Bruce is going to be a partner in a dental practice there.”

  “What about Carter?” Luna immediately realized that was going to be the challenging part.

  “I’m filing for full custody,” Chris replied.

  “Well, good! You should have it anyway,” Luna huffed.

  Chris looked surprised. “You realize that will make us a threesome on most weekends.” Then he laughed. “Sorry, wrong wording.” He was beginning to feel less anxious about Luna’s reaction. “What I mean is, I’ll have him every weekend except when he’s staying with a friend.”

  “That’s okay with me. I love Carter. We’re besties.’”

  “So he’s told me.” Chris brushed one of Luna’s wisps from her face. “Like the hair, by the way.”

  “Thanks. Chi-Chi did it for me.”

  “Anyway, things are going to get dicey until this is settled.”

  “When are they planning on moving?”

  “She said six months.”

  “What does Carter think about all of this?” Luna asked.

  Chris looked forlorn. “He told me he’s always felt like a visitor at Lucinda’s. Ever since his grandparents moved, he’s been feeling disconnected. But he’s happy when he’s with me. He said if he was given the choice, he’d rather stay with me.”

  “That’s great!” Luna exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him. “I am very happy for you.”

  Chris was stunned but not surprised. Luna had a big, open heart when it came to other people. Chris also knew she was vigilant at keeping her own heart safe. Sometimes he could feel her pulling back, but he knew it was a defense mechanism. If nothing else, Chris had learned how to read people. Not necessarily the same way Luna could, but it was something that helped create their bond. He appreciated her intuitiveness. She appreciated his strength, integrity, and methodical thinking. They were an odd but good match. Yep. Who’d a thunk it?

  “There’s going to be a lot of adjustments and disruptions until this is settled. But it has to happen within the next five months. She hasn’t even told him yet. Carter overheard Lucinda talking to Bruce.”

  “This is kinda sudden, isn’t it?”

  “Very, but Bruce’s uncle is retiring in a couple of years. He has a good practice and wants Bruce to come on board and eventually take it over.”

  “Well, that’s good for Bruce and Lucinda.”

  “Exactly. What I don’t understand is why she hasn’t told Carter yet.”

  “Maybe she’s afraid he’ll do something rash?”

  “Carter? Nah.”

  “You know that, and even I know that, but Lucinda doesn’t. She doesn’t know what makes Carter tick.” Once again, Chris was briefly taken aback by Luna’s insight, but then again, it should come as no surprise. “One day when we were hiking, Carter made some comment about his mom. You were off on a phone call, and he and I got to chat a bit. He’s pretty funny, too.”

  “He gets his sense of humor from me.” Chris grinned.

  “Obviously, because from what he’s told me, Lucinda has none.”

  “Helium-head.” Chris chuckled. “Listen, she’s not a bad person. She’s just selfish and self-centered. She doesn’t mean any harm unless you get in her way.” He snickered.

  “I suppose we have different definitions of a bad person, but you know you have my support,” Luna murmured. “So tell me about your new job!” She became animated. “Tell me! Tell me!”

  “I’m going to be working in WITSEC. The witness security program.”

  “As in witness protection?”

  “Correct.”

  “So you’ll be working with criminals, eh?” She gave him a little nudge.

  “It depends. Often, it’s people who witnessed a crime and need protection until they testify. But, yes, there will be criminals from time to time.”

  “And you’ll be babysitting them?”

  “Not exactly. I’ll be managing agents who facilitate their relocation. I won’t necessarily be a handler. Every situation is a little different.”

  “That is so cool.” Luna was enthralled.

  “It is.” He pulled her close and held her tight. “I’m happy you’re okay with all of this.”

  “Absolutely.”

  She was relieved the cards were on the table. She’d been right about the stick figures, and it appeared the question marks she’d first drawn had been answered. Or had they? There was still that little thing nagging at her, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  * * *

  The following morning, Chris noticed the box of keepsakes. On the top of the pile was the program from the Kentucky Derby.

  “I discover something new about you every day, Luna lunatic.”

  “And what might that be?”

  “You like horse racing?” It was half a question.

  “Not as big a fan as I used to be. It’s become a new toy for the oil-rich. It’s a transaction now. These magnificent animals mean nothing to them. They’re just numbers on a balance sheet.” Luna got into a tear when it came to animals. “These people have no appreciation for the horses. It’s only their bottom line that counts and how much they can brag to their friends.” She was huffing at this point.

  Chris looked alarmed. “Okay, dollface. Take it easy.”

  “It’s just so disgusting.” Luna’s eyes welled up. “People are savages. It’s all about money and power. Humanity is dissolving.”

  “Hey.” Chris put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “It’s not like you to be cynical.”

  “Ellie said the same thing,” Luna scoffed. “Probably hormones.” She didn’t want to mention the friend who seemed to be MIA, which was more and more vexing to her as each day passed without a response.

  Chris snickered. He was relieved it was she who’d suggested the monthly roller-coaster ride. Granted, they were intimate, but hormones are a touchy subject. Definitely off-limits. “Well, did you actually enjoy it?”

  “What? The Derby? For sure. It was quite an experience. None of which I care to repeat. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. I did it. Done.”

  “Who did you go with?” Chris sensed there was something she wasn’t telling him.

  “A friend. College buddy.” Luna wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

  Chris knew when to stop the interrogation and changed the subject. He began to tell her about the cool Thunderbird that had caught his eye.

  “Midlife crisis?” she joked.

  “Huh. That hadn’t occurred to me. I just thought it would be cool to tool around in a vintage piece.” He cleared his throat. “But your brother might be onto something. You can buy a decent car for less than five thousand dollars. If you have the time and inclination, you can turn it for a hefty profit.”

  “That could be a good project for you and Carter. Is he into cars yet?”

  “No. He’s barely discovered girls. But I think he might enjoy something to add to his repertoire.” He snapped his fingers. “Let’s see. He’s twelve now. In five years, he’ll get his license. That would be plenty of time for him to refurbish a car.”

  “Him? Are you going to participate?” Luna chuckled.

  “Of course, but the car would be a good incentive for him. He can have it when it’s finished.”

  “That actually sounds like a good plan. And you can do it at his and your leisure. It’s not as if that work would be on a schedule like his ball games.”

  Chris kissed her on the forehead. “You’re brilliant, you know that?”

  “Kinda.” Luna smiled.

  Chapter Twelve

  Monday

  Where in the World Is Brendan Nelson?

  The center was closed for the day, and Luna took the opportunity to do some sleuthing. Brendan had never returned her text, so she decided to call. She got a recording saying the mailbox was full. It was perplexing. Brendan wasn’t the type to let something go unattended, especially his voicemail. Ever since that summer, when he’d managed his sister’s healthcare, he’d felt responsible for his family and was always on call for any skirmishes, misunderstandings, or emergencies. He was the eldest, so it was incumbent on him to keep the peace among his five siblings.

  She checked her junk mail. Nothing there. Something wasn’t right. She reached out to a mutual friend.

  “Anthony! It’s Luna. How are you?”

  “I am rather excellent. And you?”

  “Couldn’t be excellenter,” Luna joked. She was always coming up with new words or portmanteaus, joining two words to form one, like mockumentary for mock and documentary, or brunch for breakfast and lunch. She had come up with one recently: shneakers, shoes that have rubber soles like sneakers. It was a mystery why the fashion industry hadn’t adopted it yet.

  “What’s going on?” Anthony was always upbeat.

  “Have you heard from Brendan?”

  “Now that you mention it, I haven’t. Been too busy with the kids. Yeah, he usually reaches out during the holidays, but I didn’t hear from him last year.”

  “Me either. We were emailing daily during the pandemic, but then all communication stopped.”

  “I suppose you tried to email him? Text?”

  “Yep. I even tried to call, but the recording said his mailbox is full.”

  “Now that’s strange. And a bit unsettling. He’d never allow that.”

  “My thoughts exactly. Is there anyone you can contact to see if he’s okay?”

  “I’ll reach out to his nephew. I have his info somewhere.”

  “Great. Thanks.” Luna let out some air. “Be well and behave.”

  “What fun is that?” Anthony hooted. “I’ll be in touch. One love.”