Page 71 of Lonesome Moon

“Does she need someone taking care of her?” I asked.

It should be me.

“I don’t care how accomplished or successful a person is—everyone needs someone to look after them. I look after Ivy. She looks after me. That’s love. But I can’t imagine there’s anyone good enough out there for her. She’s special. Which means she needs someone special. Someone strong and secure and not threatened by the fact that she’s most likely smarter than him. A professional man, you know? Maybe another doctor or lawyer. Someone from a nice family.”

She tried a doctor and he’d hit her.

In that moment, I wanted to tell him. Everything. How I felt about Luci. What I saw in her. What she brought out in me. How I wanted nothing more than to look after her the rest of my life.

I opened my mouth but the words wouldn’t come. The man Jack had described had absolutely no resemblance to me.

“God forbid, she ends up with a musician,” Jack said. “That’s my worst nightmare.”

And there it was. The nail in the coffin. I was the man’s worst nightmare.

17

LUCI

For my birthday dinner, I wore my new dress and spent time putting waves in my hair, feeling excited but also wishing I could take Grant as my official date instead of the guy who happened to be seated by me at supper. Regardless, I put that aside and decided I would have a good time. Everyone was making such a fuss. There were cards and a pile of gifts waiting on a table in the bar. They’d even dressed nicely for me. I’m sure Ivy gave instructions to clean up for my party. Grant looked devastating in a suit jacket over a black T-shirt and jeans that fit him just right.

The food was to die for. Crispy fried chicken that was so tender inside that it melted in my mouth. Mac & Cheese made with a variety of cheeses, including a smoky gouda.

Before cake, Jack made a toast. “To my baby sister, the bravest, funniest, smartest person in any room she walks into. I’m blessed to be your brother. I can’t wait to make you an auntie.”

Ivy laughed. “Takes two to do that.”

“Exactly right.” Jack winked at Ivy. “Anyway, happy birthday, dear sister. I love you.”

Everyone toasted and cheered.

“Thank you,” I said. “All of you. This is very nice.”

“And now, it’s time for gifts,” Jack said. “Let’s head to the bar.”

Jack asked me to sit at the big table in the middle of the room. Some sat with me, others stood, as Jack brought over a large object covered with a blanket. “Happy birthday, Luci. This is from all of us.” He whipped the quilt away and there before me was the most beautiful dollhouse I’d ever seen. It was a Victorian mansion painted the blue-gray of a winter sky, with a wine-red front door and a porch that wrapped around one side.

It had a steep cedar-shingled roof, a round turret rising above the third floor, and cream-colored trim tucked beneath the eaves. Then the whole of it came together—standing nearly as tall as my waist. Warm light shone through its windows. From the back, I could see into eight tiny rooms, each one completely furnished. The kitchen had blue cupboards, copper pans, and a black iron stove. A walnut table in the dining room had been set with plates no bigger than buttons. There were braided rugs, upholstered chairs, flowered wallpaper, and beds covered in quilts stitched from scraps of real fabric in the bedrooms. A nursery had a baby’s crib and changing table. One room had been made into a library, its shelves crowded with books the size of postage stamps. A miniature Christmas tree stood beside the parlor fireplace, strung with pinpricks of colored light.

“We wanted to fill up the rooms with all the furniture that came with it,” Ivy said. “But you can rearrange things if you want.”

“There’s more,” Holly said. “Open the little ones.”

There were three small boxes on the table, wrapped and ribboned. I took the first.

To Luci. From Grant.

Inside, nestled in tissue, were two miniature dolls—a man and woman. The man was big, broad through the shoulders, with yellow hair and a green shirt. The woman was small and slight with blonde hair past her shoulders.

My heart beat so fast I thought I might faint. Why had he given me such an obvious gift?

“The woman reminded me of you,” Grant said.

“The guy looks like you,” Jack said. “How’d you find such a big one?”

“They have them all sizes,” Grant said. “Purely coincidence.”

Feeling flustered and overly warm, I set them carefully on the walnut dining table inside the house, side by side, and made myself pick up the next box.