Luna wandered over to the window above the big, stone sink and looked out at the spacious and well-manicured backyard. She bit her lip and a line formed between her brows. Nancy started to point out the cabinets, glass-fronted, just like on Luna’s wish list, but I nodded for her to give us a few minutes alone. Nancy and I had actually become friendly through her husband, who I constantly saw at the river where I liked to fish. He never caught much either, but said it was worth the price of the fishing license to sit out in nature and get some peace and quiet. I couldn’t have agreed more, and we often chatted about different lures and lines. After staying here for a while, I got to know more of the townspeople, and our chat evolved into full-on gossip.
Since I finally got Luna to agree to move in together two months ago, we’d been bumping into each other in her cozy, but way too small house. She’d begrudgingly agreed to start looking for something bigger, but had been finding fault with everything, and I meant to get to the bottom of it, because this house met every last one of her many demands.
I put my arms around her from behind, and she leaned back against me. Peeking over her shoulder, I pointed out the huge willow tree in the back. “That’d be perfect for a swing,” I said. “And there’s enough room for the barbecue and whirlpool area you wanted just over there.”
She nodded and turned so we faced each other. I couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her even as her brow furrowed again.
“This place is huge,” she said. “I think you need to get over the fact that the Farmhouse Resort wouldn’t sell to you and think practically.”
“This house has everything we both want,” I reminded her. “Down to the glass cabinets.”
“But six bedrooms? Isn’t that a little silly? We don’t need more than three. One for us, one for the baby, and the extra for guests.”
“What’s really got you resisting?” I asked.
“I love my little house. I feel a little guilty abandoning it.”
I smothered a laugh because she was deadly serious. “We don’t have to sell it. That can be our guesthouse. Or we can rent it.” I slid my hands to her belly, which was just starting to show, and patted the small bump. We had agreed to keep the baby’s sex a secret, but when the time came we both caved instantly and now we knew we were expecting a girl. “We’ll need those extra bedrooms eventually. Or do you just want one?” I tilted my head to kiss her again, and she melted against me. “I’m beginning to think I want three more.”
A hint of a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “I think I want at least two more after this one here. And this place does have everything…”
“Nancy,” I shouted. “We’ll take it.”
Nancy hurried back in and we agreed to meet her the next morning at her office to sign all the papers. Luna still refused to give up her job with Dr. Keller, though I had convinced her to stop taking shifts at the ER until after the baby was born. We’d go another round or two about it, but I was certain she’d be much too busy with the theater by then and it wasn’t like we needed the money. But she loved her work and did it for the joy of helping others. My Miss Loblolly was just that way, and I’d grown to accept it.
“Do you want to show me what’s going on at the lost cause?” I asked as we pulled out of our new neighborhood and headed back toward town. I only called the Dante that in jest now, and it was a shared joke between us, no longer a source of contention.
“Yes, I’m so excited to show you everything we’ve already got done.”
When we pulled up in front of it, still up in scaffolding while the builders polished up all the stonework and filled in all the cracks, she nearly jumped out of the car while it was still moving. Inside the theater, I could see why she was so eager to show off. An impressive amount of work had been done since I’d checked in only three weeks before. All the brass around the concession stand was shiny and bright, the glass sparkling. The old, dingy carpet had been torn up and replaced with one that had an exact replica of the former pattern, but was now bright and clean. The chipped walls all had fresh coats of paint and the movie posters were back in brand new frames.
We’d decided to convert the offices to a second, smaller screening area and work for that was well under way. Now the Dante could show children’s movies and puppet shows while the big screen would be for new releases and the old classics Luna and I both loved. She hadn’t been kidding about the cost of licensing new movies, but the sparkle in her eyes when I insisted on funding at least one a month was worth more than all the money in the world to me.
“I was talking to some of the teachers at the elementary school,” she said, as we sat down on some industrial sized paint cans in the midst of the ballroom, which we had future plans to start renting out for receptions again. “They’re all on board with doing the Christmas plays again, starting next year.”
“That’s great,” I said, wondering how she never got tired or overwhelmed.
“And some of the people from the senior center want to start a community theater project where it’s all volunteer.”
“You’re amazing,” I told her, pulling her onto my lap. She nearly tumbled off but I held her tightly, balancing precariously on the can. “You actually made the impossible happen.”
Her beautiful blue eyes shone with tears as she took my face in her hands and squeezed. “You’re the one who made it happen.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I nuzzled the side of her neck. “Let’s go home so we can celebrate all this good stuff that’s happening for us.”
She kissed me deeply and then stood up, patting primly at her clothes. “I can’t. I have to get to Dr. Keller’s for his afternoon patients.” She snickered and smoothed her hands down the front of my t-shirt, making me even wilder for her. “I seem to work more than a lawyer for a multi-billion dollar tech company.”
I grumbled. “That should tell you that you work too much.” I held up my hands at her raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I’m not starting an argument.”
“Good, because I’m not going over this again. I love my job, and I wouldn’t quit even if I was married to a rich man.” She clamped her lips together, her cheeks turning red. “Which I’m not, so there.”
“Hey, you still haven’t shown me the main stage yet,” I reminded her, feeling around in my jacket pocket for the thing I’d been carrying around with me for the last three months.
“Okay,” she said agreeably, taking my hand.
We walked through the darkened auditorium and I nodded appreciatively as she pointed out the new velvet curtains, tied back with thick gold cords. I jumped up on the stage and put my hand over my heart, bellowing out what few lines I could remember from Romeo and Juliet.
She clapped and laughed as she came to the edge of the stage and looked up at me. “You’ll have to try out for the drama club when it’s put together.”