Page 13 of Moonlight Feels Right
"My father was in the military. He didn't make a lot of family dinners."
"Was it just you and your mom then?"
"I have an older brother, too. My mom tried to put good meals on the table for my brother and me, but she also worked, so as we got older, we fended for ourselves. I do actually know how to cook, even though there is no evidence of that in my apartment."
She gave him a faint smile. "I'll have to take your word for it."
"What about you? Why weren't you having family dinners?" he asked, preferring to delve into her life rather than his.
A shadow passed over her face, quick but unmistakable. "My childhood was...unconventional."
He sensed there was more to that story, but before he could decide whether to probe deeper, Josie approached them, camera in hand.
"Hunter! You finally decided to join us." She beamed at him like he was a long-lost relative who'd finally made it home for Christmas. She held up her camera. "Mind if I snap a few pictures? I'm documenting our Ocean Shores family for the community board."
Family. There was that word again.
He'd had a family—two actually: one born of blood, the other born of service and duty. But neither one of those was intact anymore. And he really wasn't up for a third. But he also didn't want to make a big deal about a photo he never had to look at.
"Fine," he said shortly, forcing what he hoped was a smile on his face as Josie motioned for them to get closer together, then snapped a photo of him and Emmalyn.
As Josie moved on to capture other residents, he let out a breath, and Emmalyn laughed. He turned to see the amusement in her eyes. "What's so funny?"
"Your complete distaste with having your photo taken. It's not like it's going online. It will just be on the display board next to the laundry room."
"I'm not big on pictures."
"Dinner's ready!" Gabe called from the grill area, where he was transferring fish to a platter. "Come and get it before Liam eats it all!"
The group began to congregate around the tables, and Hunter observed the easy camaraderie as they jostled for seats and passed platters. It reminded him of mess hall meals with his unit, that sense of belonging, of shared history and inside jokes. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of longing. The military had given him more than a career—it had given him a family of choice. These past seven months of isolation had been a self-imposed exile, a punishment he'd felt he deserved, but now he felt a yearning for all that he'd lost.
"Are you okay?" Emmalyn asked quietly as they sat down together
"Yeah," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm good."
Olivia had returned and sat next to Emmalyn, with Henry and Paige on her other side.
A man slid into the chair across from him and gave him a cheerful smile. "Hi. I'm Brad Morrison. I own Maverick's with my brother Tyler. I've seen you in there a few times. Hunter, right?"
"Yes. You have a great bar."
"We think so," Brad said with a grin. "Heard you're a Marine Corps pilot."
"I am," he said, although he wasn't sure that was true anymore.
"Helicopters, right?"
He nodded.
"Serena," Emmalyn interrupted as Brad's wife sat down next to him. "You're back from your trip. How was it?"
As Emmalyn deftly changed the conversation to Serena's recent trip to Cancun, he was saved from having to answer any more questions, and he was very appreciative of her intervention. He knew Brad wasn't being particularly nosy; he just didn't want to talk about himself.
Another guy slid into the chair next to him. "Ben Mercer," he said, introducing himself. "I moved in a few months ago. I'm Kaia's brother."
"Hunter Kane."
"The pilot," Ben said with a nod.
