Page 42 of The Pucking Single Dad

Just then, they both heard the front door open. Ella had returned with Adam. Hunter quickly put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Luna started to walk out of the bedroom when she turned back to him.

“Don’t lose that thought,” she said coyly to him. “I will be back before you know it. Will you be okay with Adam while I am gone?”

Hunter shook his head yes.

“Yes, darling,” he said happily to her. “We will be fine. Don’t worry about us. We will be fine. I want you two to have fun tonight. Enjoy your dinner with Ella. I love you.”

Luna walked over to Hunter and gently kissed him on the lips. How did she get so lucky? She smiled at him as she walked into the kitchen to greet Ella and Adam. Ella explained that Adam had a great day playing at the park. He was in good spirits. Luna was happy to see him healthy and happy. He had been through so much as a small child.

“You are going to hang out with Daddy while I take Ella out to dinner,” Luna said softly to Adam.

“Okay,” Adam said cheerfully. “Okay, Mommy. I love you.”

Luna smiled genuinely at Adam and leaned down to his height. She was still adjusting to him calling her “Mom,” and this was the first time he had told her that he loved her. Luna's heart swelled with joy, almost bringing her to tears. Meanwhile, Hunter stood in the hallway, overhearing their conversation. Hearing Adam express his love for Luna filled him with happiness, affirming that he was on the right path. Hunter felt certain he was meant to marry Luna, and Adam's affection for her only reinforced that belief.

“I love you too, Adam,” Luna said to Adam.

She kissed him on the forehead and grabbed her purse off the counter. She walked out of the front door with Ella. They both took the elevator downstairs. Ella hailed a cab. When they both got into the vehicle, Ella began to talk.

“How did that feel?” Ella asked Luna. “How did that feel to have Adam tell you he loved you as his mom? That was a pretty big deal, I think.”

Luna shook her head yes. She explained that she felt so connected to the family unit she was creating and being accepted into by being with Hunter.

“Do you think he would ever marry again?” Ella questioned Luna. “I know you want to be married. Do you think he would ever pop the question again after losing his wife so suddenly?”

Luna shrugged her shoulders. She felt slightly embarrassed, and she did not understand why. Ella was her best friend. She should be able to tell her anything. Maybe she felt embarrassed because there was a part of her that believed Hunter would never ask her to marry him. She had accepted that possibility, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t hoping for a proposal from him.

“I really don’t know,” she said honestly to Ella. “I love him with all my heart. All I know is that I want to be with only him, whether we are married or not.”

While Luna and Ella were in a cab, traversing the city, Hunter was in his office looking at engagement rings. He scrolled multiple websites, looking for the perfect ring for Luna. He wanted her to feel like a princess when he proposed to her. He knew that Frank would have some incredible ideas for proposing to her, but he also wanted to ensure that the ring he used to propose to her was fit for a princess. Luna deserved that. She had put up with so much in such a short amount of time. Hunter believed that any other woman would have run away, not her, not Luna. She stayed. She stayed because she genuinely loved him. She did not care about the fame or the money. She wantedHunter, and she wanted Adam. She wanted a family. All of that made Hunter love her even more.

He continued scrolling through various engagement rings, excitement bubbling up inside him. He was going to propose to Luna, and she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. She had no inkling that she was soon to become the wife of a famous professional hockey player.

When Ella and Luna arrived at the restaurant and were finally seated, Ella jumped right into questioning Luna about her relationship with Hunter again. Luna didn’t mind; she knew Ella was coming from a good place—after all, she was her best friend. The two girls ordered cocktails and sipped their drinks during their lively conversation.

“I’m just saying,” Ella lovingly said to Luna. “I’m just saying, especially since you and your family are close again, if you want to spend the rest of your life with Hunter, you should introduce them to him!”

Luna shook her head, unsure how Hunter would react to her family. She had grown up differently than he did, with a modest upbringing outside the United States. From what she knew, Hunter had always been surrounded by wealth. His father was a successful businessman, and Hunter had inherited a fortune, along with his earnings from a successful hockey career. He seemed to have it all.

“Don’t go there,” Ella said seriously, sensing Luna’s doubts. “Hunter loves you, and he doesn’t care how you were raised. He’s genuinely interested in your background, but he’s not judgmental. Trust me, we’ve dealt with plenty of those kinds of people, and Hunter is not one of them.”

Luna took another sip of her cocktail, realizing Ella was right. She hated feeling vulnerable, which made her feel like a hypocrite for urging Hunter to open up while holding back herself.

“I don’t know if we can travel to Guatemala right now,” Luna said seriously, glancing at Ella. “With Adam, we’re trying to avoid adding any unnecessary stress. Traveling sounds fun, but it might be too much for him at this point. We don’t want to risk triggering another flare-up.”

Ella nodded, reassuring Luna with a wave of her hand to indicate not to worry. After finishing her drink, she signaled for another one before speaking again. Luna didn’t mind; Ella deserved a night to unwind after all the care she had provided for Adam.

“No, no, darling,” Ella said to Luna. “I don’t think that you should travel there. They should travel here, to America!”

“My mom would never come over here,” Luna replied bluntly. “There is no way.”

“There is always a way,” Ella said before taking another drink. “Hunter would pay for it all, darling. He would be happy to do it.”

“I don’t know, Ella,” Luna said, unsure. “That is a lot to ask. Let’s just talk about it another time. Our food is about to arrive.”

The ladies ate their food, and when they returned to the apartment, Luna insisted that Ella stay the night in the guest room. She didn’t want her to attempt to go home in such a condition.

“It is no bother at all, Ella,” she kindly said to her. “I will go and place an extra blanket in the guest room. It can get cold in there at night, sometimes.”