Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder) novel Chapter 164

“Let’s see if you’ve eaten lunch. We’re heading down right now,‘ Ama said, poking her head into the office.

“We were just about to go too,” I smiled, grateful for the interruption My brain had been swimming with logistics for hours.

“Perfect!” Ama beamed, waiting as I grabbed my phone. I set my purse aside, and we left the office together, heading toward the

kitchen.

The kitchen was packed with people, but we squeezed through the crowd to the buffet area. They had laid out the basics–pasta, salad, bread, and yarious sandwich meats. An entire section was dedicated to fruits and vegetables. I grabbed some bread, made myself a sandwich, added a little pasta, and sat down.

“So Ama, how’s that pool project coming along?” I asked, eager to hear about something other than the chaos of the past few days.

“It’s going well. We’ve finalized the expansion plans and construction starts in the fall.”

“That’s great. So what project are you working on now?” I took a bite of my sandwich, watching her face carefully.

“I have a feeling it might be a new library,” Ama said, popping a strawberry into her mouth.

The corners of my lips tugged upward involuntarily. That was exactly what I’d been thinking about. Ama could always read my mind like this–it’s what made her such an incredible friend.

“Well, let’s look at all the libraries here and see if we can upgrade them or if we need to start over. I’d rather use existing buildings than build something new. You can’t recreate that kind of architecture,” I said thoughtfully.

“Give me this week. I took over Penelope’s prom seating arrangements. I need to finalize those and follow up with everyone,” Ama replied, her tone betraying a hint of exhaustion.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, shock washing over me. Why did everyone think they needed to shoulder these burdens alone?

“It just happened this morning. She called me crying, saying she was struggling emotionally and wanted to know if I could take some of the work off her plate.” Ama shrugged as if it were no big deal. “That system you organized for me really helps make it all

run smoother.”

“Come by the office this afternoon and I’ll help you finish the seating chart and make the calls,” I sighed, feeling guilt and concern spreading through my chest. “I wish she would have called me.”

“She was going to, but she didn’t want you to think she was a failure or weak. She idolizes you; she didn’t want to disappoint you,” Ama’s words cut into my heart like a small knife.

“That’s crazy,” I murmured, pained by the thought of Penelope suffering silently just to avoid appearing vulnerable in front of me.

“It’s not crazy at all. You pulled her out of that orphanage and gave her a new life. She’s grateful to you. Others are too. You might. not think it’s a big deal, but you’ve single–handedly saved kids from life of crime.”

I fell silent for a moment, thinking of all those young faces. Then I remembered that Nolan still hadn’t brought me his artwork.

“Ryder, can you tell Nolan to bring his work to me today?” He didn’t answer, just nodded in my direction.

I realized I needed to basically relieve Penelope of all her duties to give her time to heal. She had taken over my shop, and now I needed to take it back. I just wanted her to recover and become the amazing person I knew she could be. If she was reaching out to