The Moon Tells Secrets Read Free Page A

him uncomfortable? He nodded, a quick motion of his head.
    When I got to the altar, the woman rose to greet me. Startled, I backed away, but she grabbed my arm, holding it tightly.
    â€œThank you for coming. You must be kin. We’re about the only ones left, did you know that? I’m Luna,” she said, a grin spreading across her freckled face.
    â€œAunt Geneva’s daughter?” I asked, even though her voice and eyes had told me.
    â€œAnd you must be the reason Mama carried on so about having this memorial, wake, or whatever the heck it is in this old church. Mama never spent a day of her life anywhere near one.” She sighed wearily. “But she always knew what she was doing. So we must be cousins. What’s your name?”
    â€œRaine.” I stiffened, still unsure of her and always wary of strangers.
    â€œâ€˜Put it in the paper until somebody comes,’ Mama said. I just thought she was going senile. ‘Mama,’ I told her, ‘you know we don’t have any family around here,’ but she just stared straight ahead, like she always did, and said, ‘Post it, baby, just do what I say,’ and I did, and here you are.”
    Luna grabbed me, drawing me into her soft, lush body smelling vaguely of incense, and I let myself go, my whole body taking that breath Davey had told me to take earlier. Yet Anna’s warning was still there: Be wary. Be afraid.
    â€œWhen did Aunt Geneva pass?”
    â€œA week ago. I cremated her like she told me to do, then started putting notices in the paper. I’ve been coming here every day since.”
    People had always told me that half my mother’s family was crazy and the other mean. I’d grown up with the mean half, and I wondered if I’d found the crazy. That thought made me smile despite myself.
    â€œDon’t worry, baby, we’re going to just be fine,” Luna said, and in that instant I believed her. I wasn’t sure why; I just did. “Oh, this is Cade Richards,” she added offhandedly, gesturing toward the man standing beside her. “He was kind enough to haul me over here this morning. My old Mustang finally gave out last night. Cade, my cousin Raine.”
    His smile was shy and took a while to come, but he was as strikingly handsome as he looked when I’d first noticed him, not pretty like some men you see, but good-looking in an old-fashioned, solid kind of way, like Elan had been, like I hoped Davey would be. He struck me as the kind of man who could be leaned on and wouldn’t give way, no matter how much baggage you carried. But there was sadness in his eyes; his lips smiled but his eyes didn’t. They looked like they hadn’t in quite a while.
    â€œLuna’s cousin? Nice to meet you.” He gave Luna’s shoulder a friendly nudge. “You didn’t tell me you had family coming.” His voice was deep, with a melody to it. It could’ve belonged to a preacher, but I didn’t think so anymore; sexiness like that, preachers learned to hide.
    â€œYou’re my good friend and neighbor, but you don’t know half my business … don’t want to,” Luna said with a saucy wink. There was an inviting ease between them that made me momentarily feel like a member of their circle, and it had been a long time since I was a member of anybody’s circle. I was as lonely as Davey, maybe more so. Luna was older than Cade, and I wondered if they were a couple, but their shared glances were more fraternal than romantic—big sister–kid brother rather than older woman–younger man.
    â€œSo now I know why I came. It was for you, my dear cousin, and now it’s time for us to go.” Luna picked up the urn on the altar, planted a kiss gently on the top, and placed it carefully into her oversized tote bag. “Thank you, Mama. As always, you were right, and now I’m taking you home.” She gave me a quick grin and added,