When Luna mutters a string of curses under her breath, I know I’ve messed up.
“You fucking bitch.” The older white man’s face turns an ugly blotchy red.
The insult shouldn’t surprise me after the word he just threw my way. But I find myself angrier on Luna’s behalf than on my own.
Still, I’m not a fighter. Never prone to getting into physical altercations. And yet I burn to punch this guy in the face, even if I break my hand in the attempt because I don’t know the right way to throw a punch.
Now Luna could probably tear the man limb from limb, but she didn’t seem bent on a brawl until he insulted me. No way am I letting her put herself in danger on my behalf.
The red-faced stranger looks ready to implode.
“You want that money for yourself! You called me greedy? Like father, like daughter, huh?”
“I’m nothing like you!” Luna pushes against my hold. But she doesn’t break free, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure she could if she wanted to. If she didn’t mind hurting me in the process.
The man who must be Bill Lamont steps toward us, and I stare in disgust at the person who should love and support the woman in my arms unconditionally. Instead, he insults and threatens her. I can barely comprehend the horror of it.
I need this man as far away from my wife as I can manage.
Sirens sound in the distance, sparking an idea.
“I called the cops before I came out here,” I say, meeting his bloodshot gaze.
Mr. Lamont flinches back, wild eyes flicking toward the front of the house where we all hear the faint sound of the emergency response. His feet turn the way of his stare, and he makes a retreat.
Just when I think we’re free of him, Luna’s father snaps out a quick kick at his daughter’s raised garden. The wood splinters under his heavy boot, letting fresh soil spill onto the ground.
“This isn’t over!” he bellows, picking up his pace as the sirens get louder. The gate clangs shut behind him, and a second later we hear the roar of an engine.
I drop my hold.
“Did you actually call the cops?” Luna asks, voice strained.
“No. I lied. Worked though.” Without her in my arms, I fight an empty sensation, cracking my knuckles as a distraction. “So, that was your dad?” I can see why she’d never want that man to have the money.
“Damn it!” Luna stomps across the yard away from me, then stops to glare down at the ground, her arms crossed and entire body tense.
“Luna?” My voice borders on cautious. Is she wishing I had called the authorities? We can still give them a report. Maybe get a restraining order.
“You shouldn’t have told him!” She shouts the words at the sky, but I know they’re aimed at me.
“Told him what?”
“That we’re married.” Luna drops her hands to her sides, fingers clenched in fists in her dirty gardening gloves. I wonder if she wants to hit something. Like me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think we were keeping it secret.” A defensive note creeps into my voice.
“He knows.” Luna whirls to glare at me. Eyes hard. “He knows about the inheritance, and now he knows I’m going after it.”
“Ah.” Shit. From what I just saw of the guy, Luna’s father does not lose with grace.
“Yeah. Ah.” She paces again, getting her rage out through her feet. “He’s going to do something. I don’t know what. Hell, he probably doesn’t know what yet. But he wants that money, and I’m standing in his way.”
My chagrin curdles into a sick, angry mess in my gut.
Seriously? The guy will do something to his own daughter? With a loving set of parents like mine, the idea is hard to fathom.
But I trust Luna’s worry. She knows the man better than I do.
“Luna, I’m sorry.” This time the apology doesn’t come with any caveats. I wish I could have helped her without revealing our relationship.
She sighs, some of the anger leaching from her expression, but her shoulders stay tense. I follow the direction of her stare to the destruction. The planter Luna’s spent the morning working on has a splintered side with thick, brown soil spilling from the fracture.
In my life, I’ve rarely applied the word “hate” to anything.
But I hate Bill Lamont.
Luna heads toward the house. Her abandonment of her project sends a spike of panic through me. Is she walking away from it forever?
“I’ll help you fix it!” I hurry over to the planter, glancing around the yard to see if there’s anything we can use to patch the breach.
“Charlie.” Luna’s voice is tired. “I’ll deal with it tomorrow. I just can’t right now.”
When I turn, she’s on her little back porch, peeling off her gardening gloves. As she slips the fabric from her left hand, I catch a glint from her wedding band. Our partner rings.
That’s what I need right now. To be her partner. To be here for her.
I walk toward her with careful steps.
“Can I hug you?”
Luna hesitates, and I sink down to sit on the porch step beside her, not wanting to loom.
My wait ends in shock as she slides into my lap, straddling my hips and wrapping her arms tight around my neck.
I meant to comfort her. But this is different. More.
I twine my arms around her waist, pulling my wife close to my body. My cheek cradles against her breasts, which she doesn’t seem to mind. Luna rests her chin on the top of my head and lets out a shuddering sigh. With her in my arms like this, I sense the slight tremor in her body.
I wonder if she shakes from fear, adrenaline, anger, or all three.
“He might try to hurt you,” she mutters.
Don’t worry about me, I consider telling her. But selfishly, I keep my mouth shut. Because the thought of her concern warms me.
A high-pitched whine sounds from behind me, and Luna lets out a reluctant chuckle.
“Our dog wants in on the hug,” Luna mutters, and I think I hear the hint of a smile in her voice.
Our dog. Like Pig is a bridge between the two of us. I glance over my shoulder and spot the puppy’s over-excited face at the door. I think her blocky head is cute, but I know the world often sees her as something fierce. Something intimidating.
But she’s as harmless as I am. If Bill Lamont decides to fuck with me, I’ll probably end up in worse shape than Luna would. She’s the tough one in this marriage. Her strength awes me, but I don’t want to be a burden.
“Ever think about getting a restraining order against your dad?”
Luna shifts back, and I allow my arms to slacken, no matter how much I ache to keep holding her against me.
“Those don’t do a lot.” She grimaces. “I’ve had clients who tried them and still ran into trouble with stalkers. It’s a piece of paper that a determined person won’t take seriously.” Luna brushes some dirt off her jeans with brusque movements. “More likely it’d piss him off and make my uncle jumpy.” She meets my eyes, face hardening into a mask. “The Lamonts don’t have a good history with law enforcement.”
“What’s our next step?”
Luna rises from my lap, and the void of her hits harder than a moment ago.
“Not sure.” She grabs the handle of the sliding door. “But don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.”
Even Pig’s energetic spring into the backyard can’t distract from the unspoken words.
I’ll figure it out on my own.