Page 14 of Moonlight Feels Right
"That's me. Where did you move from?"
"LA. I'm a detective with the Oceanside PD now. I much prefer a beat by the beach. Did you catch the Padres' game?" Ben asked. "That was quite a win."
"I saw that," Brad interjected. "Manny with three K's in the eleventh inning. Amazing game."
As they started talking baseball, Hunter sat back in his chair, happy to be out of the spotlight. The conversation flowed easily around him and across the three tables set up in the courtyard. He found himself surprisingly drawn to the rhythm of their banter, the verbal shorthand developed among people who knew each other well. It reminded him of his unit again, and that immediately dimmed his spirit, because one of the most important people in that unit was no longer alive. But he couldn't go down that rabbit hole of pain and anger, not here, not in front of all these people.
"Do you want more food?" Emmalyn asked, tipping her head toward his empty plate.
"No, but that was excellent."
"Gabe and Madison are the best. I can't wait for their restaurant to officially open next month. It's going to be amazing."
"What kind of food are they serving?"
"I'm not exactly sure. They come from different backgrounds, but I think it's going to be a blend of their styles, their favorite dishes." She paused, glancing over at Olivia, then back at him. "Olivia is enjoying herself."
"She is. I don't know how long her good mood will last once we get back to it being just the two of us, and she remembers her mother is gone."
"She just needs to feel safe with you. That's all that matters right now."
"I'm trying, but I think she feels safer when you're around."
"I'll come with you to school in the morning. We can meet in the parking lot, and you can follow me to Ravenswood. We'll go early so I can introduce her to her teacher, and you can meet her as well before the rest of the kids get there."
He hated that he still needed her help, but he wasn't stupid enough to turn it down. "Thanks. I'm sure Olivia will feel better if you're there."
"I'm happy to do what I can to make this easier. I know what she's feeling."
"How do you know?" he asked curiously.
She hesitated. "It doesn’t matter."
"That's not the first time you've mentioned being able to relate to Olivia's situation. Care to add a few more details?" He really had no business asking about her life when he didn't want to share anything about his. But he was curious.
Before Emmalyn could answer, Josie's raised voice caught everyone's attention.
"I hate to bring business to taco night," Josie said, "but I wanted to let everyone know that the building owner is coming to town next week. I've heard rumors he might be thinking about selling the building. I want him to see that we have more than just a building here; we have a community. So feel free to share your thoughts if you see him wandering around. His name is Grayson Holt. Let's make him feel as welcome as we can."
"Do you really think he'll sell?" Kaia asked with concern. "And if he does, will we be able to stay as tenants?"
"I'm not sure he's going to sell, but he asks a lot of questions that make me nervous," Josie said. "The Holt family has owned the building since I first moved in over thirty years ago, and it's been passed down twice. This is the third generation to take over but the first to mention an interest in selling the building. I don't want anyone to be blindsided, so I will let you know as soon as I know."
As small conversations broke out around the table after Josie's words, Emmalyn muttered, "That's worrisome."
"It doesn't sound like anything will happen soon."
"You're right, and maybe it won't happen at all. I can't imagine us all having to move."
As he looked around the group, he could see that Josie's words had definitely put a damper on the party. He wasn't that concerned, because he'd never intended for Ocean Shores to be his long-term home, but he could see how troubled the others were by the idea of having to move, having to split up their makeshift family.
"I'm going to help clean up," Emmalyn said, grabbing his plate as she got to her feet. He looked at Olivia and saw her stifle a yawn. Then he met Paige's knowing gaze.
"Time for bed," Paige said as her son also yawned.
"I agree," he said. Olivia was definitely tired. She'd had a big day, but he was dreading bedtime and getting her to sleep. He wanted to ask Emmalyn to help, but he really couldn't do that. Olivia was his responsibility, and he had to figure it out. Plus, Emmalyn was talking to some of the others by the grill now, and he didn't want to pull her away. He got to his feet and told Olivia it was time to go inside.
Livvy immediately looked concerned, and he was afraid she was about to break into tears, so he threw her a quick buoy. "But Emmalyn is going to meet us in the morning and come with us to school. She'll introduce you to your new teacher."
