Page 10 of Moonlight Feels Right
"You don't have to do anything. Just be yourself."
"I'm not really sure who that is anymore."
Surprise flared in her eyes. "Maybe it's time you found out."
"Well, I don't really have a choice, so…"
"So, you'll come and see what happens. Olivia's arrival might turn out to be a gift, Hunter, a reason for you to get out of this dark apartment and experience some light."
He didn't bother to answer, because she was already headed into the living room to tell Olivia she'd see her soon. He was still thinking about her words when he heard the door close behind her. He was starting to miss the light, but there was a part of him that didn't believe he deserved anything but darkness.
Olivia got off the couch and came into the kitchen, carrying two small stuffed animals in her arms. She gave him a sorrowful look, and he tensed for whatever she was about to say—that she wanted her mom—or worse, that she wanted her dad.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"My show is over. Can I have another one?"
He let out a breath of relief. "Of course." He was happy he could actually solve one of her problems. It felt like a small but important victory.
Emmalyn let out a breath of relief as she left Hunter's apartment. She was happy to help Olivia, but being around Hunter was unsettling. While he hadn't completely changed her initial impression of him being dark, moody, and withdrawn, she was beginning to understand why he had isolated himself from not only the Ocean Shores group but also the world.
He'd had to heal from his injuries while grieving his friend and dealing with a tremendous amount of guilt, which seemed to be unwarranted, but that didn't diminish the fact that he was feeling responsible for what happened. It wasn't the best time for him to take on a six-year-old girl who had her own dark pain to deal with, but Olivia's mother had left him no choice.
To his credit, he had allowed himself to take the help she'd offered because he cared about Olivia, even if he didn't know what to do with her. He was trying, and she respected that. She also hoped the taco party would make them both feel more comfortable at Ocean Shores and give them a chance to escape the stress of their losses for a little while.
As she headed toward the stairs, she ran into Lexie Price and Kaia Mercer, two of her best friends in the building. Lexie, a pretty brunette with a friendly smile, was the niece of their manager, Josie Bell, and had quit her high-powered career as an attorney to become a photographer and also to help her aunt with the building management. Kaia was a sharp-edged, quick-witted, red-haired paramedic who was a fiercely loyal friend and had a heart of gold that she sometimes covered up with biting sarcasm.
Kaia raised a questioning brow. "Did I just see you come out of Hunter Kane's apartment?"
"You did," she said, steeling herself for what was coming.
"Why? How? What's going on? Is he dead? Because I can't imagine he'd voluntarily let you in."
"He's fine," she said dryly.
"And…" Lexie prodded. "There has to be more to this story."
"When I came downstairs earlier, I saw a woman dropping off her six-year-old with Hunter. It was a tense scene. He looked uncomfortable, and the little girl started crying, so I stepped in to help."
"He has a kid?" Kaia asked with a raise of her brow. "Interesting. I wouldn't have imagined he had a child."
"It's not his daughter. Olivia is his best friend's child. His friend was killed in the crash that injured him."
"That's sad," Lexie murmured.
"It is. Olivia's mother dropped her off because she was desperate for help, and Hunter is now in charge of her until the mother comes back."
"That sounds complicated," Lexie added. "I feel bad for all of them."
"So, what's Hunter like?" Kaia asked. "He's so unapproachable; I've stopped trying to get to know him."
She didn't really know how to answer that question. "I'm not sure. He's definitely not an open book. He only accepted my offer to help because Olivia was crying, and he has no experience with kids." She paused. "I talked him into coming to taco night, but he's concerned he'll get asked a lot of questions."
"We're not going to grill him," Lexie said.
"I don't know. I have a few questions," Kaia said with a smile.
"Well, don't ask them tonight. Hopefully, he'll see what a good group we are. I think he could use some friends around here, people who aren't tied to the military, to his past."
