Chapter Ten
Luna
Luna loved her friends, fans, and followers. But after almost three hours talking to them all, she was exhausted. It was late. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen.
“Nana? Is everything okay? How’s Mom?”
“Caroline is fine,” Dot Lowell said soothingly. “I guess it is rather late, but I couldn’t sleep. Did you get a lot of shares?”
“Tons, Nana. We’ve even had a conference call with a political action committee that’s going to help bring it to the North Carolina Assembly.”
“That’s great sweetie.”
There was an extended silence, and Luna let it draw out. Her grandmother had something to say but held it back.
“Nana?”
“Yes, dear?”
“How did you and Grandfather Nick get married if it was against the law?”
Dot chuckled ruefully. “Well, it was the 1960s. I’m not sure anyone even thought that was going to be a thing, really. But we did it after boot camp but before he signed with the Shifters.”
“Ooh.” Luna jotted the information down. This would make a good story, and it fit with Rafael and Melody’s position to just get married. What were they going to do?
“Are you writing this down?”
“Uh. Maybe?”
Luna could hear the smile in her grandmother’s voice. “That’s so like you. Always curious about the world.”
The silence drifted between them again. “Nana? Was there something else?”
Dot sighed. “I’m nervous, to be honest. I’ve wanted and needed news on Nick for so long. It almost feels anticlimactic. While I was struggling to raise your mother and then you in Maine, he was living the life of a bachelor in North Carolina.”
“Didn’t you say he’d been injured, though?”
“Yeah. He was burned badly. It took months in the burn unit, even with his shifter healing.”
“Huh. How does that work, exactly? Dan, one of the guys, lost his eye. He told me in his interview if he got a glass eye, it would pop out when he shifted.”
Dot was quiet a moment as she considered her Luna’s words. “I never thought about it. Do you think that’s why he hid for so long?”
“I don’t know, Nana. I can ask Jason when I see him next. He may know.”
Crap on a cracker! Luna hadn’t been quite ready to tell anyone about Jason. He was her special secret, and she wanted to hold it safe to her heart.
“Who is Jason?”
Luna massaged her forehead, feeling a tension headache starting. “He’s a bartender.”
Nana gave a grandmotherly “hmpf” sound. “Is he cute? I’ve heard those bartender guys can be major players.”
Luna closed her eyes and tried to process the idea of her grandmother. Her grandmother, of all people, giving her dating advice.
“He’s not a player, Nana.”
“Uh huh. He’s a shifter, isn’t he? What kind?”
“Bear,” Luna said softly.
The sound of her grandmother’s disappointed tsking made Luna feel bad. She hated letting her family down. “Didn’t you learn anything from me? The depression I went through missing your grandfather? Loving a shifter is too much, Luna. It’s all-encompassing.”
“And now? You’re suddenly going to be okay when you find him after fifty years?”
The older woman sighed. “No, dear. I’ve already spoken to my lawyer. I’m having the divorce papers drawn up.”
Luna was stunned. She hadn’t expected this turn at all. “But, Nana. You love him.”
“And if my love wasn’t enough for fifty-five years, what good would it do now? No, this is for the best. Put that stage of my life behind me. Face the facts he didn’t love me enough to be with me. Stay with me. We signed up for better or worse, Luna. I just didn’t realize how worse it could get.”
“Well. If you’re sure, Nana.”
“I am, sweetie. Now, I should probably let you get some sleep. It’s late.”
Luna disconnected the call but sat there staring at her blank screen. It was well after one in the morning, but she didn’t want to go to bed just yet. She was too wound up over the blog, the meetings, and the work they needed to do in Raleigh. And, if she were honest with herself, she didn’t want to sleep without Jason.
One night in his arms and she was hooked.
Luna cursed herself for not asking. Not double checking to make sure he would come over tonight. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. She’d see him in the morning. Or the day after.
Jason
Jason stood outside the door, waiting. For what, he wasn’t sure. Indecision warred within him. On the one hand, he wanted to rush in, inform Luna in no uncertain terms that she was moving into his house, and they were getting married.
Oh, and if they were lucky enough to get pregnant, no government agency was going to convince them not to have it.
But on the other, he wondered if he had it in him. Would he be a good husband? A good dad? His own dad had been okay at best. He threw a ball at him occasionally. Taught him to shake a man’s hand, but mostly he’d been wrapped up with work.
He tapped on the door and waited for her to answer. It wasn’t long but time was relative when you were outside your mate’s door.
“Hey,” he said, feeling his heart beat a little faster. She was so beautiful. Too beautiful and delicate for a brute like him. But who else would know to take care of her?
Only him.
“Hey, yourself.” Luna looked up at him shyly. “I was hoping you’d come by after work.” She backed away from the door and let him enter.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
Her eyes opened wide before she looked away. “About what?” she asked.
Jason was so attuned to her, so in need of her, he felt her fear of rejection before she even voiced it. When she turned away from him, it was like being physically stabbed.
Good grief, how had her grandmother taken it? Jason was determined to do better. He felt for the little box in his pocket like it was a talisman or good luck charm.
“Cinderella?”
“What?”
“Why are you crying?” He felt his heart crumbling, not being able to stand the distance between them.
“I don’t know why. You just came up here. It’s late. I was just talking to my grandmother.” She pulled a shuddering breath in. “And let’s face it, we need to talk is as cliché a way to break up with someone as possible.”
Jason was dumbfounded. “Break up with you? Luna, I can’t break up with you.”
She sniffled, growing red-faced. “Of course, you can. You just say, hey, Luna, we need to talk and then out the door you go.”
Jason took her hand in his and placed it over his heart. “You’re my mate. I could no more break up with you willingly than I would cut off my own arm. No, not even my arm. I could live without it.” He pushed a few blonde hairs away from her face. “I couldn’t live without you.”
“Really?” Hope and longing appeared in her wide grey eyes.
Jason’s heart thudded heavily in his chest. “Abso-freaking-lutely.”
“But my grandparents,” she protested.
“I don’t know how your grandparents did it. But even you up here while I was down at the bar was enough to make me antsy. Wondering what you were up to. Counting down the minutes to when I could see you next.”
Her lips parted. Perfect. Inviting. “Me, too.”
“That’s why I got you this.” He dropped to one knee and held out the small velvet box.
“Oh! Oh, I wasn’t expecting. Oh!” With shaking hands, Luna opened the hinge. It creaked a little in hushed silence of the room. “Oh, Jason, it’s beautiful.”
“It’s a simple design,” Jason said, rushing his words. She hadn’t said yes, and that was the only word he was waiting to hear. He’d picked up the ring the morning after they’d met. It was tiny like she was. A small square-shaped diamond surrounded by a halo of sparkling diamonds. “We can exchange it if you want.”
Her eyes opened wide, fresh tears forming in the corners. “No!”
“No?” Jason’s heart stuttered. A band tightened around his chest with a vice-like grip. “No, what?”
Luna blinked as though not quite sure what she had said. She frowned. “No, we aren’t going to exchange the ring. It’s perfect. You’re perfect!”
“So, it’s a yes?” Jason clarified. Good grief, proposals were nerve-wracking! No wonder men only wanted to do this once.
“Yes, to what?”
Jason ground his teeth. “Yes, to my proposal.”
“Oh. Ohhh! Yes! Of course, yes!”
Jason stood, lifting her in his arms as he did it. “It’s about stinking time!” He carried her directly to the bedroom.
“Wait!”
“For…what?”
“Well, you’re a bear. And I’ve got leopard genes. What happens if we have kids?”
Jason kissed her. “Doesn’t matter. They’ll be one, the other, or both. We’ll cope.”
Luna was just melting in his arms, a warm, sensual puddle he planned on making love to for the rest of the evening and early morning.
“Put it on,” she said, holding her bare left hand out to him.
Jason growled, but she only giggled. “I’m going to have to work on that. You need to respect the growl.”
“I do! It’s so sexy.” Her eyes grew heavy-lidded and Jason didn’t want to waste another minute talking. He slid her down his body and picked up her left hand. Pulling the diamond ring out of its box, he slid it on her finger.
“Okay? Can I take my soon to be wife to bed now?”
She leaped into his arms, and he caught her. “Oh, yes.” She wrapped her legs around his hips. “Jason, you big stud. Take me to bed.”
“Show me the way, Cinderella.”