Page 74 of Proof

“You are brilliant.” Luna was truly in awe of her friend.

“More than anything, Robert and I wanted to stay here, so we did whatever it took to make it happen.”

“I’m so happy for you.” Luna smiled.

“Thanks, sweetcakes.”

A minute later, Robert came out of the engineering booth. “Luna, you lunatic! Wow! You look terrific! I would never have recognized you. How are you doing?” He gave her a big bear hug.

“I’m just dandy, especially now that I’m here. The place is amazing.”

“I have to thank my general contractor.” He jerked his thumb at Gail. “My only concern was that she might jam her fingers, and then I’d be out a ukulele player.”

“You get a lot of calls for that?” Luna grinned.

“Believe it or not, we do. Lots of island-themed stuff these days, especially for tourist destinations.”

“Huh. I never would have thought of that.”

“Come, I’ll give you the sixty-second tour.” He walked her through the engineering booth. “Luckily, times have changed, and we don’t need such massive equipment.”

“I can see that. I remember those big two-inch reels.”

“You weren’t born yet!” Robert laughed.

“Yeah, but I know what they looked like!” Luna chuckled. “This is great, Robert. It’s very inspiring.”

“Building your own recording studio?”

“No, taking your talent with you and being able to thrive.”

Gail put her arm around Luna. “This is why I love her.” She turned to Robert. “We’re going to head over to the B&B and then grab something to eat. Do you want to join us?”

“I’d love to, but I have to finish some edits and transmit them tonight. But you girls have fun.”

Gail gave him a kiss, and the two women walked back to the house, where Gail retrieved a small overnight bag. The B&B was less than a ten-minute drive from their house, which made it very convenient for guests, traveling musicians, and paying tourists. It had been a “tear-down” cottage when Gail had the bright idea to buy it and renovate it. At first, Robert didn’t think it was a very sound investment, but Gail took control and pulled it together. Luna knew that was one of the reasons she and Gail were besties. When it mattered, both of them took command.

Luna followed Gail’s Jeep around the circle, made a few turns, and then soon pulled in front of the renovated two-bedroom cottage. The front yard was filled with indigenous plants and rocks.

“Low maintenance,” Gail pointed out. “Grab your stuff and follow me.”

The front door opened to a main room with a regular-sized kitchen on one side, separated from the living space by a long cabinet. The opposite side of the living area had built-in cabinets that hid a large-screen television. A sliding glass door led to a small patio surrounded by more indigenous plants. The two bedrooms were opposite the kitchen with an adjoining bath.

“This is great, Gail!” Luna took in all of her friend’s handiwork. “I can see why you don’t want to lay another piece of tile or brick again.”

“I’m using the ukulele as my excuse to avoid all future renovations.”

Luna laughed. “I don’t blame you. It’s a lot of work, don’t you think?”

“Do I ever!” Gail laughed. “Let’s put our stuff away, and then we can go to Enchantment and watch the sunset over the Kachina Woman.” Gail was referring to a rock formation overlooking Boynton Canyon that resembled the mythical Hopi spirit. “Oh, and it’s a full moon tonight!” Gail whooped.

“Perfect!” Luna was ecstatic. In some odd way, she always felt as if she had come home when she visited Sedona. Perhaps in a previous life.

Luna freshened up from her long journey and changed her clothes. Tonight, it was going to be her regular jeans, a tank top, and her denim jacket. Even though it was June, it still got chilly at night in the desert.

They hopped into Gail’s Jeep Grand Cherokee. “Huh. I just realized Chris has an SUV just like this, but his is silver,” Luna commented.

“Well, you know I have to have a red car. For the Red Rocks!” Gail laughed.

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