Page 77 of Moonlight Feels Right
"Got it, coach."
His warm smile suddenly made all this worth it. He wanted so badly to help her cheer up, that she needed to give it her best shot.
The machine whirred to life, and a baseball came hurtling toward her at what felt like a hundred miles an hour. She swung wildly, missing it by a foot.
"That was...enthusiastic," Hunter said diplomatically. "Try again. Don't rush. Let the ball come to you."
The next ball came. She swung. Missed.
"Okay, hang on." Hunter stepped forward. "Let's fix your stance." He positioned himself behind her, his arms coming around to adjust her stance and grip. His chest pressed against her back, his breath warm on her neck.
And suddenly, she couldn't remember what they were doing. But she did remember why they shouldn't be doing this. "Friends, remember?" she murmured, though she made no effort to move away.
"This is purely instructional," he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "Bend your knees slightly. Turn your hips when you swing. Like this." His hands guided her through the motion, and she tried not to think about how good it felt to have his body aligned with hers.
"Got it," she said, feeling slightly breathless and needing him to move away before she dropped the bat, turned in his arms, and kissed him in a way that was not suitable for this family-friendly arcade. "I can take it from here."
Hunter stepped back, and she immediately missed his warmth. But she focused on the machine, getting ready for the next pitch. When it came, she told herself to wait, watch, and then swing. To her amazement, she actually made contact, and that success was more than a little satisfying. "I did it," she said, giving him a proud look.
"I told you that you could. Pay attention. The next one is coming."
Of course, she missed the next one because she was still too excited. But then she forced herself to concentrate as Hunter gave more words of encouragement.
"You've got it now," he said. "Pretend the next ball has Jeremy's face on it. And whoever else you don't like."
The image of Jeremy's smug face made her swing harder, and she hit the next ball even farther, as well as the one after that. While she missed as many as she hit, she had enough success to feel happy and breathless by the time their tokens ran out. Then she took off her helmet, dropped her bat, and gave Hunter a hug.
"Thank you," she said. "That was fun."
His hands lingered at her waist. "I'm glad you liked it." He paused. "I really want to kiss you right now."
"Friends," she reminded him.
"I'm beginning to hate that word," he grumbled, but he let go of her, and they left the cage so the next group could get in.
"What now?" she asked.
"Let's check out the arcade. We'll see what other games you can crush."
"I think crushing is a bit of an exaggeration," she said with a laugh. "And I want you to have fun, too. You didn't even take any swings."
"I had fun watching you figure it out," he said as they entered the building.
The arcade was loud and busy, kids darting between machines, clutching tickets and tokens. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in an arcade, probably when she was a teenager. They spent the next hour working their way through the games, competing at Skee-Ball, which she won, racing games, which he dominated, and a zombie shooter game that had them both laughing as they tried to save each other from the digital horde. It was easy, uncomplicated fun—exactly what they both needed.
By the time they left the arcade, laden with a small stuffed unicorn Hunter had won for Olivia at the claw machine, the heavy mood from earlier had completely lifted. "Let's watch the sunset," Hunter suggested as the arcade was just across the street from the beach where locals and tourists were gathered on a bluff, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon.
"Okay," she said, happy to extend their time together.
They sat on a low fence along the edge of the bluff, watching the sun paint the ocean in shades of gold and amber. As they enjoyed the view, a small plane moved overhead, and she saw Hunter's gaze move upward.
"When did you know you wanted to fly?" she asked curiously.
"I was thirteen. My dad's friend was a pilot, and he took us up in his private plane. I loved being able to actually feel the flight. He let me take the controls for a second, and I had so much power at my fingertips; it was exhilarating."
"I would think it would be terrifying to be in a small plane."
"No. It was fun. I loved looking down on the world. After that, I begged my parents for flying lessons. My dad finally agreed when I was fifteen, and I was in heaven. By then, my parents were fighting incessantly and constantly talking about divorce. The house was a war zone. But up in the sky, none of that existed."
