Luna laughed when Shaun showed off his massive biceps. “Didn’t get those cutting grass, Jonah.”
“Wait a minute. There’s a boxing ring and gym here but no shopping mall, only mom-and-pop convenience stores and a few others like it. How does that even happen? I need to see this for myself. My friends are going to love this!”
“Well, good, because we're stopping there first. I need to pick up Bonnie’s purse. She sent me a text message saying she left it there.” Luna almost died of laughter, seeing the irritated look on his face. “Crazy kids. I am sorry I had a girl sometimes.”
His gruff attitude and harsh sentiments did not indicate that he disliked being a father. “You love it and you know it, and that little girl of yours is the sunshine of your life.” Luna gave him a love tap on the arm.
The eye roll he’d used for as long as she could remember, she’d never forgotten. “Don’t I know it? I wouldn’t know where I’d be without them two fine ladies. God, I love them. But I don’t mind saying that all that makeup, hair, and clothing that doesn’t cover anything up drives me nuts. I’m about ready to ship my wife off to Ireland with my family out there, but that would do no good. Cousin Kelly would have her married off in two weeks.”
“You poor man.”
“Hold up. Your daughter goes to the gym?”
“Yup, she’s a chip off the old block, just like her old man. She likes to box, although I don’t have the heart to tell her she’ll never be famous for it. She’s light in the shoes if you ask me. Powerful punch for a girl, but that’s about it. Any lightweight contender would put her on her back in two seconds in a professional ring. She likes the sport, though. It keeps her in shape, she says.”
Luna had never seen the inside of the gym. Shaun had purchased the rundown building years after she’d left for the Caribbean. It was her first glimpse at the gym and two steps inside, she knew why he kept the standards and price so high. Everything looked brand new just like the inside of his truck.
Green and gold were everywhere, and despite its rough-hewn crowd of men and a few women, the equipment was new, and the juice bar in one corner was a pleasant surprise. “Do you have a lot of ladies that come in here?”
“Not our age. They prefer the gym just outside town, but the younger crowd likes to come in. Some girls are tougher than the guys these days, so I can’t fault them for it. Still, I don’t like any nonsense around here. The pool is through that door. I’ve got a sauna through that door, and that’s the break room for the staff.”
A youthful guy wearing red trunks came jogging over. “Hey, boss.”
“Donnie, this is my good friend Luna and her son Jonah. Why don’t you show him around while we talk?”
“Okay, boss. Nice to meet you, Jonah.”
“Hey, Donnie, nice to meet you, too.”
Luna watched, stunned, when her usually reserved son took off with Donnie like they were old friends.
“Nothing personal, mother hen. He just needs to spread his wings a bit. No better time than now that you’re home. You have a lot to do to get that place up and running. We’re all here to help when you need it. You just say the word.”
Luna was still struggling to comprehend how Shaun knew she was so protective of her only child. “Sure. I need a day or two to get my bearings and figure out what I’m doing. It’s mostly because I’m short on cash. My last book was not the best seller I thought it would be.”
“I know, I read it. God loves you, Luna, but you’ve lost your inspiration, lost that special something that made you, you." Shaun grabbed his daughter's purse off the desk in his office, and then turned to her. “I know why, but you gotta let it go. She’s gone. If you found her, we would have been there a long time ago. God rest her soul. I will always love Phoebe, but I care about you, too, and this isn’t good. I understood it while you were raising Jonah, but he’s almost a man now. It’s time.”
His eyes softened. The words he so dutifully shared from his tarnished but loving heart meant the world to her. “Thank you. I know you're right, and I love you for it. It feels good to be home.”
“Good, because I’m putting you to work. If you need a job, I’ve got one for you. We never have enough waitresses at the restaurant. When we get there, you can talk to Emma.”
“I’m not so sure I’d be good at it, Shaun. I’ve never waited tables in my life.”
He looked Luna up and down, making her uncomfortable. “From the looks of you, you’ll be fine. Now come on, let’s leave that son of yours here so he can get busy working out. The restaurant is a few blocks over. Donnie, I’m heading out, so keep an eye on Jonah and make sure he gets to the restaurant when you're done putting him through his paces.”
“Will do.”
Stunned, Luna could only follow. “What if my son doesn’t…”
His amused look said it all. “How would he know what he wants if you never give him the space he needs as a young man to figure it out?”
“I hate you.” Luna wanted to demand he was wrong about her relationship with her son. She hated him for it, but knew it was the truth. So many years together on a small island, his reserved, shy nature and her mothering ways might have not been good.
“A minute ago, you said you loved me and missed me. Which is it? I know you're not fickle because that's not possible in the Grace family tree. Must be a woman’s thing. I’ll let it slide.”
Two minutes later, they were at the Bluff Cove Restaurant, Shaun's pride and joy. “Here it is, Luna. Don't be surprised if Emma has some fine concoction of soup or something she’s making for you to try. Nicky was buzzing about your arrival last night. She wouldn’t shut up for a full hour, giving me a headache. Been trying to marry off that little Italian for years. I don’t think she’s ever gonna settle down.”
Luna smiled, understanding the sentiment. “Yeah, well, some of us ladies just aren’t meant to be tied down. She’s made a life for herself. She has lots of money, and frankly, with all her fussiness, I don’t know if any man in Enchanted Cove could ever be good enough.”
