“That dinner you made the other night was rather scrumptious. You’ll have to give me the recipe.”

  Luna laughed. “It’s not an exact science. You put some olive oil in a pan, a little vegetable stock, some herbs, lemon juice, a dash of white wine, and parmesan cheese.”

  “No quarter cup of this, a pinch of that?” Gail asked.

  “Nope. You do it according to your own taste. That’s the beauty of it.” Luna squeezed one of the lemons onto her hands and wiped them with a napkin. She recalled the first time she’d done that in front of Chris. He’d laughed, because he was about to do the same thing. Luna sighed. “I miss talking to him.”

  “You will soon. Your phone will be ready, and you can give him a call.”

  “I don’t know if I should. He could be mad as a hatter!” Luna cringed. “Speaking of that phrase, do you know where it comes from?”

  “Alice in Wonderland?” Gail shrugged.

  “No, silly. It was coined during the seventeenth century, when hatters were using mercuric acid to make felt. They were actually poisoning themselves with the fumes, causing them to behave erratically.”

  “Ha. Fascinating.” Gail picked up the check from the table. “You always have a wealth of information. And to think you don’t do social media!”

  “I like my information to be from a sound, reliable source.” She winked.

  They walked back to the store, where the tattooed young man was waiting with a big grin on his face. “You’re all set. Want to give it a spin?” He handed Luna the new phone. “You’re gonna have to set a password or fingerprint, or both.” He showed her what to do.

  Gail pulled out her phone and dialed Luna’s number. The ringtone was set to “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Gail laughed. “Now there’s irony. The piece is called ‘Ode to Joy,’ but ask any soprano how joyful it is to sing! We always joked that Beethoven must have hated sopranos.”

  “Maybe he didn’t know how hard it is to hang on to all those high notes for so long.”

  “Nah. I just think he hated sopranos.” Gail laughed again. “But it was the first symphony to incorporate vocal soloists and a chorus. Maybe you’re right.” She paused. “Nah. He should have known better.”

  The eager young salesperson was trying to further engage Luna in Cell Phone Use 101, but she graciously declined. “Just need it to send a few texts for now. I can study it when I get back home.”

  “It was a pleasure serving you, ma’am.”

  That was another thing that bugged Luna and Gail: ma’am. They weren’t old enough to be ma’ams. When they left the store, Gail chuckled and said, “Whenever someone calls me ‘Miss,’ I thank them.”

  “Geez, we’re not that old. Are we?” Luna’s eyes bugged out. “I mean, I want a flip phone, I want social media to go away, and I want people to stop living in their parents’ basements!”

  Gail was howling. “I can’t say I disagree with you. But that does make you sound a little, let’s say, cranky?”

  “I’ll take cranky. You know, had any of this happened anywhere else, I probably would have had a meltdown. I truly believe the energy here helped me to stay grounded.”

  “Like I said. Magic.”

  When they got into Gail’s Jeep, Luna wasn’t sure if she should reach out to Chris. “What do you think?”

  “He probably doesn’t know you’ve replaced the phone. Or would he?”

  “He knows I am not a techno junkie, but he also knows I have to have some way of communicating. So . . . he’ll know that I’ll get one but not when, although probably sooner than later.”

  “And your point is?” Gail gave her a sideways glance.

  “He could try to call my number to see if I’ve bought a new phone.”

  “True. But you don’t know who he’s with, either.”

  “Good point,” Luna huffed. “I suppose I need to wait this out, too.”

  “This has been a test of patience, eh?” Gail grinned.

  “And my relationship.” Luna sighed.

  Gail reached over and patted her hand. “It’s going to be okay, sweetcakes. Magic. Remember.”

  Luna sent her brother and Chi-Chi a group text, letting them know when she was arriving and that Cullen didn’t have to pick her up because she was getting in late. She’d take a cab or Uber home.

  She finished with: Miss me?

  Chi-Chi answered: Of course!

  Cullen answered: Who is this?

  “Ha. My brother. Thinks he’s a comedian.”

  Luna and Gail decided that the chaos they’d experienced required one more massage. Gail phoned the spa, and there were two available appointments, but they had to get there pronto.

  It was the perfect ending to a challenging, not-so-perfect, but stimulating, exciting, fruitful, couple of days.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Home Turf

  Cullen brought Wylie to Luna’s so he’d be there when she got in. He knew she’d want her pooch. Wylie could sense his mommy was coming home. He paced back and forth for a half hour. Cullen waited with him for another half hour until the dog finally settled down. He left Luna a note saying there was a freshly made sandwich in the fridge and that Chris had called. Chris told Cullen Luna’s phone kept going straight to voicemail, and would he ask her to call him when she got back. Chris hadn’t actually tried her number, but it was a good way to see if she still wanted to speak to him. It had been rather hairy the last time they were together.

  Wylie began banging his tail against the floor when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He heard Luna say goodnight to the driver, and he began to howl. It sounded as if he were singing in dog language.

  Luna dropped her bag at the front door and gave him the biggest, longest hug. “I am so happy to see you, pal. Boy, it was quite a trip!” She went into the kitchen to let him out and walked right past the note sitting on the counter. She dragged her luggage into the bedroom and left it in the corner. “That’s for tomorrow, or whenever,” she said out loud.

  On her way back through the kitchen, she let Wylie in, opened the refrigerator, and spotted the sandwich. “Cullen isn’t so bad after all, is he?” She patted Wylie on the head, still overlooking the piece of paper that was waiting for her. She ripped off a sheet of paper towel and brought the sandwich into the living room, with Wylie following close behind. She plopped down on the sofa and grabbed the remote. “What’s been going on in town?” she asked her pup. He tilted his head this way and that. “Well, let’s find out.” She scrolled through the channels as she munched on the ham and brie on sourdough. “Yummy.” She broke off a small piece and gave it to the waiting dog. When they were finished, she left the plate on the coffee table and went straight to her room, peeled off her clothes, freshened up, and climbed into bed. The note remained unseen. Unread.

  Luna thought she would conk out when her head hit the pillow, but not unlike the previous nights, she could not fall asleep. Her relationship was hanging in the balance.

  * * *

  Across the state, Marshal Gaines sat at his dining room table, drumming his fingers. According to Cullen, Luna should have arrived home by now. He checked the time. It was almost one a.m. Maybe she thought it was too late to call. Maybe she’d call in the morning. Maybe she’d never speak to him again after he’d treated her like a criminal. He poured himself two fingers of bourbon. Maybe that would take some of the load off his shoulders. Maybe not. He decided maybe a hot shower would help. That didn’t work, either. He was tied up in knots and decided to do some deep breathing exercises Luna had taught him.

  It helped. A little.

  He knew he would have to wait until morning before he could make any sort of move, but he also had to make the hour-long drive to pick up Carter. He sat up straight. The camp was halfway between Charlotte and Asheville. If Carter was up to it, maybe they’d take a detour to see Luna. Maybe not. It was a conversation they needed to have without any distractions. Actually, it was two conversations: one with Luna, and one with his son. He willed his mind to concentrate on seeing his son and hearing all his stories about camp. That did the trick, and his body relaxed. Finally.

  * * *

  Luna punched the pillows. She tried to calculate exactly how many total hours of sleep she’d had in the past three nights. Six? Eight? She was running on adrenaline and running on empty at the same time. She decided to make some herbal tea. Chamomile. It was supposed to help you relax. She flipped on the switch that controlled the kitchen light and the overhead fan. A single sheet of paper drifted across the counter. She squinted and picked it up. It was the note from Cullen. And it was about Chris. Her heart started to pound. He wanted to talk to her. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? The suspense had been wearing on her. She wasn’t going to wait until morning. She didn’t care what time it was. She dashed into her bedroom and grabbed her new phone. She punched in Chris’s number.

  Chris catapulted from bed. His heart was racing. No one called at that hour unless it was an emergency. He grabbed the phone and saw it was Luna. He answered right away. “Are you alright?”

  “I . . . I think so. You tell me. Am I alright?” She held her breath.

  Chris replied with a very long exhale. “As far as I’m concerned, you are the best.”

  Tears began to well up in Luna’s eyes. “I’ve been so worried you’d never want to speak to me again.”

  “I was worried you wouldn’t want to talk to me, either,” he snorted.

  “Well, you were very marshal-y with me.” She could finally breathe again.

  “Yeah. Sorry about that. Just doing my job.” He paused. “You’ve got to admit, your new hair, being somewhere you shouldn’t have been? Can you blame me?”

  Luna thought about it for a moment. “Yes and no. Yes, because I looked like I was in disguise and someplace I shouldn’t have been, but no, because you should know me by now.”

  “Believe me, my mind was having a tug-of-war between you and my oath.”

  “I guess it was a tie?” She was being cheeky.

  “I think you had more points on the board.” He was smiling. “It wasn’t as if I doubted you personally.”

  “Well, then, who were you doubting?”

  “Perhaps myself. But, in my defense, you didn’t look like the Luna I know. It was a little unnerving.”

  “I get it. But you said you liked the new look.” She was almost purring.

  “Luna, I would like almost anything you’d do to your hair.”

  “What do you mean almost?”

  “Just don’t go all mohawk or mullet on me, okay?”

  “Deal!”

  “I think we should both try to get some rest. I have to pick up Carter tomorrow in Hickory. What if we swing by?”

  “Are you sure? I mean, you haven’t seen him in three weeks. Maybe he doesn’t want an audience while he spends time with his dad.”

  “I have a confession to make,” Chris said.

  “Oh? What?” Luna’s curiosity peaked.

  “Before we both left, I told Cullen to keep an eye out for a 1959 Thunderbird that needed to be restored.”

  “You did what?” She was half surprised and half elated.

  “Yeah. He’s having it delivered tomorrow morning. I thought I’d show it to Carter and see what he thinks about our project.”

  “Wow. You are some quick operator.” Luna chuckled.

  “Why wait?” Chris laughed. “We can swing by and have lunch, and then I’ll drive him back to my place. Sound okay with you?”

  “Sounds close to perfect to me.” Luna was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Great. I’ll see you around noon. Goodnight, my little lunatic. Love you, babe.”

  “Good night, Marshal Gaines. Love you, too.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Back to Normal

  Sorta

  Luna slept like she was in a coma. She didn’t even hear her alarm go off. But Wylie was determined to get her up so she could let him out and give him his breakfast. Luna rubbed her eyes. She was a little disoriented. Home. Right. Got it.

  “Hey, pal. Give me a sec.”

  She sat up and looked at her new phone. Yes, she’d made an outbound call. Yes, it was to Chris. Then she replayed the conversation from the night before to make sure it wasn’t a dream. When she was convinced it was real, she threw off the covers and bounced out of bed.

  “Come on, pal! What are you waiting for?”

  She let Wylie out, opened a can of his food, and set it on the floor. He must have known, because he was scratching at the door tout suite. Luna padded to the bathroom and went through her normal routine. Normal. What a nice change. She loved Sedona and was thrilled she’d had the opportunity to see her friend and the glorious surroundings. She could have used a tad less drama. On the other hand, she was happy to know Brendan was alive and well. At least she hoped he was well. Knowing he was being protected by people like Chris gave her some comfort. They were all over the situation like ants at a picnic.

  Luna and Wylie piled into her SUV and headed to Stillwell. It had only been five days, but it seemed like weeks. Chi-Chi was the first to greet her with her big, beautiful smile. She was waving her hand in the air, as if she were swatting away flies. Then Luna noticed the sparkling diamond on her left hand. Luna grabbed it immediately. “What? When did this happen? Oh, my goodness! We’re going to be related.” Then she paused. “You are marrying my brother, right?”

  “Who else would I marry?” Chi-Chi wrapped her arms around her future sister-in-law. “He proposed two nights ago.” Chi-Chi stared at the 3k solitaire emerald-cut gem.

  “Gee, maybe I should leave town more often.” Luna giggled. “That is absolutely gorgeous. I guess he’s doing quite well in his workshop,” Luna teased.

  “Your brother can be a bit sneaky. He asked Abeo to find him the stone.” Chi-Chi was grinning from ear to ear. “I cannot believe he trusted him.” She laughed.

  Luna put her hands on her hips. “That brother of mine has become quite the operator. It would appear as if Cullen is leading a double life. Chris asked him to find a 1959 Thunderbird that needs to be restored. It’s being delivered today. Huh. He’s been quite a busy beaver.” She hugged Chi-Chi again. “I am so happy for you. And for me!” She linked her arm through Chi-Chi’s. “Let’s go see what that rascal is up to.”

  The two marched into the showroom and then to the back. “Aren’t you full of surprises?” Luna said, and elbowed Cullen.

  “Well, hello to you, too!” He gave her a kiss on the head.

  “What is with this head-kissing?”

  “It’s the new ’do.” Cullen chuckled. “So?”

  “So congratulations, you big oaf. Why didn’t you tell me?” Luna whined.

  “Like you would be able to keep your mouth shut.”

  Luna stuck out her tongue and gave him a raspberry sound as a response. She turned to Chi-Chi. “Have you picked a date?”

  “We have not. We were waiting to tell you, because you and Ellie are going to plan the wedding for us.”

  “A-ha!” Luna was giddy. “Does Ellie know?”

  “That she is planning our wedding? No. We haven’t told her yet,” Chi-Chi replied.

  “Well, let’s get crackin’.” Luna grabbed Chi-Chi’s arm and dragged her into the café. Luna immediately buzzed Ellie on her walkie-talkie. “Hi! I’m back! Lots to talk about. Can you come down?”

  “Be right there.”

  Within a few minutes, Ellie was briskly walking through the atrium. Ziggy, Marley, and Wylie bounded in from the patio. When Ellie saw the ring, she squealed, the dogs barked, and Luna yelled out a “Yippee!” It was a moment of wonderful chaos.

  Once everything calmed down, the three women sat down at a table. “There’s so much to talk over. Where do we start?” Ellie said.

  Luna took her cue. “I have all the information on the artists. They are thrilled to be part of your exhibit.”

  “Wonderful. I spoke with a travel agent, and she will make all the arrangements for them. When we get a little closer, she’ll reach out and get their information.”

  “This is so exciting!” Luna said. “All of it! An atrium exhibit and a wedding! We have a lot of work to do!”

  Chi-Chi said she would like to have the wedding in the fall, outside in the gardens, and the reception in the atrium.

  “Easy-peasy.” Luna nodded. “Got something hard for us to do?”

  “Keep Jennine away from my brother!” Chi-Chi cackled.

  * * *

  Chris arrived at the softball camp around ten thirty. He introduced himself to the teenager, who was sitting at a table with a clipboard. “I’m Carter’s dad.”

  “Wow! Are you really a U.S. Marshal?”

  Chris smiled. “Yes, I am.” He pulled his jacket aside to show the boy the badge on his belt.

  “Cool!” The kid stared at the gold shiny object.

  Chris interrupted the kid’s gaze. “Do you know where Carter is?”

  “Oh sure.” He pulled out a walkie-talkie. “Do you guys use these, too?”

  “Sometimes.” Chris smiled.

  “Marshal Gaines is here for Carter,” the kid said into the device, trying to be as official as possible.

  “He’ll be right over,” a scratchy voice replied.

  “Thanks,” said the teen into the walkie-talkie. Then he turned back to Chris and asked, “So, do you have a gun, too?”

  “Most law enforcement officers do.”

  “You got it on you now?”

  “I can’t say.” He gave the kid a nod and leaned in. “That’s classified information.”

  “Gotcha,” the kid whispered back.

  Carter came running from the barracks-style building with his backpack and a baseball bat. “Dad!”

  “Hey, buddy!” Carter gave him a side hug. “How ya doing?”

  “Great!”

  “You ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chris leaned over to the young man at the table and put out his hand. “Nice to meet you. Keep up the good work.”

  “Aye, aye, sir!” he said, and saluted.