“No, never hers. I had a hard time pinning her down, but you, you were a different breed from your sister, more like your mom.”
“And yet we were very close.” Luna recalled their bedroom. “Phoebe hated sleeping alone. She said the only time she liked it was on the water. She hated being on land. Mom painted our bedroom ceiling to look like the starry night sky above the ocean to soothe her ache for adventure. I used to count the stars when I couldn’t sleep.”
“While she slept like the dead.” The love in Shaun's eyes as he clasped his wife's hand and kissed it touched a place in Luna she wished died a long time ago.
“This is so good, Emma. Why are you not in New York City preparing meals for the rich and elite?”
Emma smiled. “I fell in love with an English Irishman who stole my heart and I couldn’t leave. But I keep telling him I’m gonna leave him for a handsome Norwegian man one day. It gets him all fired up.” She laughed.
The touching moment between them stirred the simmering pot of love lost, never found and sadly not forgotten in Luna’s heart. “Well, I’m glad you found each other and saved some poor woman from having to deal with this one.”
“Hey, you can’t have dinner without dessert!” Nicky came bursting through the door. Her fancy black skirt with glittering beads on the hemline swished as she moved.
“What do you have, Nicky? I know it's not Irish bread. If it's a chocolate cake or brownie, I’m out. Can’t stand the stuff.”
“Nope, it’s not chocolate. I remember Luna loves red velvet, so we have cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.”
Luna’s fingers itched to grab a cupcake off the tray before Nicky set them on the table. “I love these! I can’t believe you remembered! Jonah, your Aunt Phoebe hated them. She was a spice cake or banana nut bread kind of girl.” After devouring them with her eyes, Luna snatched one up and handed one off to Jonah, who was doing his usual pacing around the room with his phone in his hand. “Try this, you will love it. Nicky knows how to bake. And how come I don’t see your stuff on the menu over at the Bluff Cove Restaurant?”
“That’s because this little darling has a secret for you. Not only is she an influencer, but now she’s opened a bake shop on Main, so all her followers will eventually end up flooding this town with business. It drives me mad, all those lunatics with their phones snapping pictures like they never saw a sleepy seaside town from the 1920s.”
Luna pinched Shaun's cheek. “Stop that!”
“Yes, stop that. I’d like to remind you it will drive up business for your restaurant. I know you make a killing as people somehow land at your door, but I will bring in even more. Now that Luna's home, between her business and ours, this town is going to move into the modern world. Imagine that.”
Moving over two inches so Nicky could sit beside her when she pulled up a chair, Luna laughed. “I don’t know about that. It’s going to take a lot more business than that to bring this town back to life. Not that I’m complaining or anything. You're the only one who hates it here.”
“I don’t hate it. I left for a while, you know that. It’s home, my birthplace, but it ruins things sometimes. I’d love for this town to grow, new people to move in, and some things to change. Seeing Mrs. Patterson at the hair salon every Thursday afternoon isn’t my idea of entertainment. It's just that they have so many rules about running a business, it keeps out the modern world.”
“So, move out. It’s about time you find yourself some rich husband to match your wardrobe and lifestyle, anyway.” Shaun said.
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Then whose life would I ruin since your wife has yet to wake up from the spell you cast on her?”
Watching Nicky and Shaun fight amused Luna. It felt like she’d never left. “Alright, you two, I might have to pull out the boxing gloves.”
“You have enough to do already. Why don’t you worry about working for me so you can fund this project of yours and get some much-needed cash in your pocket? I’ve got some work for Jonah, too. He can wash dishes, and Emma can teach him to cook if he wants.”
It was like Shaun knew how to beat that drum with expert skill. Luna laughed. “You will not stop until I agree. Fine, I will start work for you in a few days, but I can only work part-time.I’m still working on my next novel despite the last one’s flop, and I have to deal with all this.”
Shaun smiled, something secretive deep in his eyes. “I knew you’d see it my way. Well, I’m done, gorgeous. What do you say we leave them alone so we can go home and warm the couch up?”
Luna longed for the loving relationship Emma and Shaun shared. Their eyes were only for each other. To see Emma run her hand along his cheek gently, her eyes fixated on him, reminded her of the love she’d once felt for someone.
“Yeah, sweetheart, and I know that’s not the only thing you want to warm up. I’ll see you, Luna, Nicky. Bye, Jonah.”
The moment his eyes landed on his sleepy hometown, Ronan felt a sense of peace he’d not felt in a long time. Ireland was his heritage and the place most of his family called home, but Enchanted Cove had been his childhood home since the age of nine.
“What a beautiful sight, Olive. She’s a bit worn and faded, but still lovely.” A song he’d once written popped into his head, along with memories of Luna.
My heart aches to be home, in your loving embrace. Only then shall I feel peace.
By the sea where the storm rages, and sand gently pulls it to sleep.
May your smile be bright for only my eyes to see as you call out my name happily.
I will surrender to all that was lost, all that never faded. As you speak the love of your heart to me.
Ronan smiled, recalling that song he’d written for Luna so many years before while struggling to convince her to let go of her missing sister and let her own soul live again. He knew she wasn’t in Enchanted Cove, and never would she return, but the memories still sang in the depths of his heart.
