When I burst into my parents’ house, Luna’s voice is the first I hear. I follow the lilting notes of her conversation like a hound dog, my actual dog at my heels.
I find her in the kitchen, sitting at the counter, talking to my mother who stands at the sink washing lettuce.
“Everyone thinks a dietitian has to love kale, but I just can’t deal with the stuff raw. I’ll put it in soups though.” My wife rests her chin in her hand, relaxed in my childhood home.
As I pause in the doorway, knees weak at the welcome sight of her, Pig pushes past my legs and charges forward, letting out a pitiful whine as her whole body wags.
Luna faces us and quickly slides off her perch, crouching low to gather the affectionate pit bull in her arms.
“Hi, Pig. I know, I know. I missed you too.” Luna gets peppered with doggy kisses and has to provide a reassuring belly rub before I get any of her attention. When she looks up from her crouch, I watch the strength in her normally determined face waiver.
“Luna.” I only get her name out before she launches herself up, high enough to hug me around the neck.
As my arms encircle her firm waist, the panicked swirling in my chest finally settles enough for me to suck in a deep breath. The inhale bombards me with the glorious citrus scent of her shampoo, which only calms me further.
“You came.” The wording is a statement, but I hear the fragile question in her voice.
“Of course. I’ll always come for you.” My body begs to squeeze her tighter, but I don’t know what injuries she might have sustained. Just the thought has my heart rate going up again. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Like I could have done anything, but still.
“You’re a horrible fake husband,” she whispers against my shoulder. The words pierce my gut, but when I move to release her, Luna keeps her hold around my neck. “You’re the worst fake husband in the entire world.”
If this is what she needs, I’ll be her punching bag. I’ll take all the hits if it helps ease the pain and anger of her traumatic experience.
“A good fake husband would only be nice enough to tolerate. A good fake husband wouldn’t make me fall in love with him.”
Her confession rocks through me, and I use my embrace to lift Luna up and set her ass on the counter, meeting her eyes straight on. A part of my brain realizes my mother must have left the kitchen at some point. It’s just the two of us. And Pig, of course.
“What did you say?” I cup Luna’s face in my hands, shocked to see wetness gathering in the corners of her eyes. The strongest woman I know in tears.
“I didn’t want to fall for you,” she admits. Her gaze flicks to the dining room where I notice a few more members of our families pretending like they’re not eavesdropping. My parents. Her brothers. I give Leo and Dash a quick nod of thanks before returning my full attention to Luna. She meets my eyes, lowering her voice for only my ears. “The people I love have a bad habit of letting me down.” She reaches up, her fingers coming to rest on the heavy pulse in my neck. “I’m worried if I love you, I’ll get hurt again. And I am so fucking tired of getting hurt.”
My hands shake with the need to disabuse her of this idea. But I’m not sure there’s anything I can do to convince her. Not when life has proved how careless people can be with her heart.
“I love you,” I say instead. Offering the truth. Offering me.
Luna sucks in a quick breath. Then her face slowly relaxes into a smirk. “You better. Because I decided even if you leave my heart bruised and battered in the end, being with you is worth it.”
Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
“Hell, Luna. Never. I love you so much. I never want to leave you.”
Her thumb traces over my bottom lip. “That’s the thing, Charlie Keller. I believe you.”
LUNA
What convinced me?
Well, it doesn’t hurt that yet again, he’s showed up.
And maybe it’s as simple as that. Charlie always makes sure he’s here when I need him.
Yeah, he wasn’t at the house when my dad abducted me, but no one can be around all the time. I don’t expect my husband to be Superman. I just expect him to recognize when I need him and try his hardest to support me.
Like he did with this wild marriage idea.
Like he did the night I broke into Uncle Mike’s.
Like he did with those perfect anniversary gifts.
Like he’s doing now with his arms wrapped around me.
How could I do anything but trust this man?
“I love you too.” There’s no hesitation or doubt in my voice.
Charlie Keller is mine, and I love him.
He smiles down at me. The expression is soft and loving and warms my insides. Selfishly, I also want one of his giant, face-splitting grins, but I’m guessing the fear of what happened today steals the peak of his joy.
“I’m okay.” I stroke my palm down his chest. “You know that, right?”
“Why are you wearing my mom’s clothes?”
“Mine had blood on them.”
“What?” The word whips out hard.
Well, that’s new. Never thought my husband could get such a dangerous edge to his voice. But here he is, glowering like the man is ready to commit violence.
And maybe I’m sick, because the sight has me hot and bothered.
“Dr. Millner already came by to see her.” Regina strolls back into the kitchen, reclaiming her possession of the space. I want to learn that skill: wielding power over an area without a word.
Probably would involve me growing a few more inches.
“What did she say?” Charlie asks.
“She shined a headache-inducing light in my eyes and said I am the embodiment of perfection.” I interlace my fingers with Charlie’s, enjoying the way we fit together.
Regina snorts at my response, and I grin at the woman. I like her. A lot.
I think it’s only a matter of time before I love her almost as much as I do her son.
Charlie settles his free hand on my neck and traces my chin with his thumb. “That’s not news,” he murmurs, before pressing a gentle kiss to my mouth.
Much to my consternation, he doesn’t deepen it, opting instead to hold my eyes with a stern gaze.
“What did she say about your injuries?”
I sigh as if his concern bothers me, when really, I revel in the attention I’m not used to being afforded.
“No signs of a concussion, and the cut on my head isn’t big enough for stitches. For now, I should ice it to keep from getting a huge bump, and if I start feeling funky, I should head to the hospital for more extensive tests.”
“You don’t want to go to the hospital just in case?” Charlie worries his lower lip with his teeth. I want to bite that plump mouth of his.
“I’ve gotten a concussion before, and this feels nothing like it. Just a bit sore. And pissed off. But I’m fine. Here.” I hold out the ice pack I’ve been periodically pressing against my tender skull and sore cheek. “Husband privileges. You get to handle the ice.”
His long fingers accept the cool compress, and he lays it on the area where I direct, holding it in place.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asks in a low voice that has me complying, though I’d rather forget the whole mess. I run through the events that transpired after I woke up in my childhood bedroom. Charlie keeps quiet through the tale, but I watch his reactions in the tightening of his lips and burn of his eyes.
“I’ll kill him,” he says at the end.
And once again, his violent impulse comes off as utterly sweet to me.
“Come on. We both know if a guy needs killing, I’m better equipped on the follow through.”
“Nah,” comes a deeper voice to my left, and I realize Leo has stepped into the kitchen. “That’s my job if it ever needs doing.”
Again, I find it strange to hear my twin come to my defense. It’s been so long since we were on the same side. But I’m happy for it even if we’re both planning patricide.
Okay, I’m not really planning it. Just daydreaming about it.
“Well, now we have a waiting list. But with Uncle Mike in the know, I don’t see Bill being a problem anymore. Harder to sneak around when your watch dog knows what to look for.”
“He can’t get away with what he did to you,” Charlie growls.
Then there’s a sharp cluck of a tongue from Regina. “Son, you listen to Luna when she tells you to let it go. She knows best how to deal with her family. Besides, she just told you she loved you. That’s what you should be thinking about.”
Charlie snaps his mouth shut, returning guilty eyes to me as if he thinks I’m about to rescind my love.
Not a chance.
“Sorry,” he murmurs while carefully arranging the ice pack against the back of my head. “I’m dense. I love you too. You know that, right? Hell, I’m obsessed with you.”
His words drive away all the darkness of the day, and I grin up at him so hard my face hurts. But Charlie is here to soothe away all my pain.
Leo shoves his hands in his pockets and ducks his head.
“I’ll head out,” he mutters.
“Oh, no you won’t,” Regina glares at my brother, and I watch his face go pink. “I told my husband to put a steak on the grill for you. You better stay and eat it.”
“I…” He trails off as our eyes meet across the kitchen.
That’s when I realize it’s been over a decade since the two of us have shared a meal together. Leo used to be the person I was closest to in the world. The person I trusted more than anyone. It was his abandonment, more than our parents’, that cut me so deep I never expected the wound to heal.
But he’s here, and I have Charlie by my side.
Yes, Leo might leave again. He might choose the wrong road and not tell me he’s going or why.
But I won’t be alone.
“I want you to stay,” I say. I’ve always wanted him to. And now if he goes, at least he knows the truth.
Leo presses his mouth in a tight line and offers a jerky nod.
Charlie keeps the cool pack against my bruise as he leans in to place a kiss on my forehead.
And I begin to know what it feels like to be settled.