Page 17 of Moonlight Feels Right
Chapter Five
Hunter woke before his alarm on Friday morning, his body still on military time despite months of civilian life. He lay in the unfamiliar discomfort of his couch, staring at the ceiling as the dawn shadows slowly retreated. His thoughts were a jumble of concerns: Olivia's first day of school, his physical therapy session later that morning, and the subtle but unmistakable push-pull he was feeling toward Emmalyn.
He didn't want to say it was a spark. He didn't want to admit he was attracted to her, because that was a complication he didn't need. And honestly, it had been so long since he'd even thought about a woman in that way, he wasn't sure what he was feeling. Maybe it was just gratitude and appreciation for her support.
It would be better if that was all it was. Because this chapter of his life, this apartment, this building was temporary and, hopefully, almost over. He'd always thought of Ocean Shores as a stopover, a few rooms in which to heal, to sleep, to eat, but he had never thought of it as home. Clearly, everyone else in the complex felt much differently. They were building lives here, creating a family. But his family was his unit, and he needed to get back to them.
Being in the Marines was all he knew. He'd started ROTC in college and had started serving immediately after graduation. He was turning thirty-four this year, having already put in twelve years of service. But he hadn't expected it to end this soon. He'd planned on being a lifer. If his time in the Marines was over, he had no idea what else he could do.
A small sound from his bedroom pulled him back to the present. He got up quietly and walked down the hall, then peered through the partially open door to find Olivia sitting up in bed, the stuffed monkey clutched to her chest, her eyes wide in the dimness.
"You're awake early," he said as he entered the room.
"Monkey doesn't want to go to school," she told him.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why is that?"
"Because the other kids might not like him."
He saw the serious concern in her eyes, and he could understand why she felt that way. "You know, I had to change schools a lot when I was a kid."
"How come?"
"My dad was in the Corps, too. And we moved all the time. I hated starting a new school, but it always turned out to be good."
"It did?" she asked doubtfully.
As he stared into her eyes, he felt like he was looking at Gary again. Gary had had a ton of confidence, but once in a while, he'd had a vulnerable moment, like the night that Olivia was born, and Gary was waiting for news that everyone he loved was okay. He'd been more scared than he'd ever seen him and had looked to him for reassurance, just as Olivia was looking at him now.
"Yes," he said. "Because the kids at school were bored with each other. I was new. I was fun and exciting. Everyone wanted to meet me."
She didn't look completely convinced.
"And," he continued, "you're a lot like your dad. He was the best at making friends. He loved meeting new people."
"Like Captain Banana?"
He smiled. "Exactly like that. Is your monkey feeling better now?"
She slowly nodded her head. "Emmalyn is going to take me to school, right?"
"We both will. But she'll introduce you to your teacher before the other kids get there. It's going to be a good day, Liv."
"Do you promise?"
He hated to promise anything because he knew just how uncertain the world could be, but this six-year-old needed something in her world to feel safe. "I promise. And after school, maybe we'll get some ice cream."
Her eyes lit up with the enticing bribe. "Can Emmalyn come too?"
"If she wants. Now, are you ready to get up and have breakfast?"
She nodded and scrambled out of bed. As she used the bathroom, he went into the kitchen and grabbed the box of cereal they'd gotten at the store. He put the cereal in a bowl with a lot of milk and cut up a banana to go with it.
Olivia seemed happy enough when she sat down at the table and started to eat. While she was doing that, he pulled out the bread and made her a turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard only.
An hour later, he had managed to get Olivia dressed, fed, and ready for school, though not without a debate about whether the unicorn socks matched her pink shirt. Since he didn't really care if they matched or not, he was fine when she decided she'd rather wear orange socks with turtles on them. She definitely had a lot of her father in her. Gary had often shown up in mismatched clothes when they were off duty, declaring he hated to be like everyone else when he didn't have to be in uniform.
They'd just finished getting ready when Emmalyn arrived with two travel mugs of coffee in her hand. "I thought you might need this," she said.
