The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(13)

Noah chose to share and in no time their table was filled with the most beautiful food. And it should not have surprised her that Owen knew a lot of people, but then, anyone who lived around here for a while would be well acquainted. A few local firefighters were there and stopped by to say hello, which thrilled Noah. They even invited him to drop by the firehouse sometime to sit on the big engine. The pub’s owner, Rob Shandon, introduced himself to Hannah and Noah. Owen introduced them as his rental guests.

“Aren’t you usually out of town when the place has guests?” Rob asked.

Owen explained his trip had been canceled but he was glad of that because he now had a fishing buddy. Anyone who stopped by the booth to say hello to Owen was introduced to Hannah and Noah.

Noah had barely put a dent in his burger when it was time for ice-cream sundaes. When they came to the table, Noah actually sighed, making Hannah and Owen laugh.

On the way home, the sunset still an hour away, Noah was nodding off in the back seat.

“Someone had a big day,” Hannah said.

“Need me to carry him in for you?”

“Nah,” she said. “I’m getting some pretty good upper body muscles.”

“I’m going to let Romeo out for his evening romp. If you’re not too tired, would you like to sit on the porch for a while?”

“I’m not the tired one,” she said, giving a grunt as she hoisted Noah into her arms.

When she got him inside, he flopped back on the bed, his arms and legs totally limp. She got rid of those heavy shoes first, then the braces, the socks, then tried to sit him up to pull his shirt over his head. He put his head on her shoulder and didn’t help a bit. “Give me a hand here, buddy. We’ll get your pants off and you can just wear your T-shirt and some flannel bottoms, in case you get cold in the night.”

“Hannah,” he said in his tiny voice. “I knew we were having a vacation. But I didn’t know I was gonna like it.”

“We’re just getting started, honey.” She kissed his brow. “Snuggle under, snug as a bug. I love you, Noah.”

“Love you, too, Mama.”

For just a moment, Hannah nearly crumbled in tears. And quickly, Noah began to snore softly. He’d been with her for just a moment, his mother. She found herself hoping he would remember that in the morning. “Hold him tight, Erin,” she whispered.

  Owen leaned back and put his feet up on the porch rail, admiring the moon glistening on the lake. When Hannah stepped onto the porch, she was looking somehow bedraggled. He should have insisted on carrying Noah.

She sat down with a sniff.

“Uh-oh,” he said. “Something’s wrong.”

“It’s just one of those things that I suppose could happen a lot. He just said, ‘I love you, too, Mama.’” She inhaled a jagged breath. “Poor guy. And I miss her so much, too.”

“Of course you do,” he said. “You know what would be good? We should raid the landlord’s liquor closet and wine cellar.” He stood.

“Oh, that’s locked,” she said absently. He tilted his head and gave her a sly smile. “Oh, right, you probably have the key.”

“What’s your pleasure? Wine? Cocktail? Brandy? Liqueur?”

“A glass of wine. Any red would be lovely, thank you.”

He went slowly, giving her a chance to cry a little if that was what she wanted or needed. He returned with a bottle, a corkscrew and two glasses. He showed her the label and she said, “Whoa. I don’t know much about wine but whoever bought that does. Bordeaux ’82.”

“Let’s see if it lives up to its reputation. There are a lot of counterfeits running around and I’m no expert.” He pulled the cork and smelled it. “I think we’ll be okay.”

Romeo came to the porch and lay down right beside Hannah. She casually gave that big head a massage. “Good old boy, you did a good deed today. You made a little boy happy. We’ll work on your gracefulness.”

Owen poured a small amount in a glass for Hannah to taste. She swirled and sniffed and tasted. “Oh, Owen,” she said. “This is so nice.”

He smiled and added to her glass. Then he poured his and put the bottle on the deck. “You know, the melancholy way the day came to an end notwithstanding, we all had a very nice day. Noah had some big fun!” Then he brought the wine to his lips. “Damn, that’s actually wonderful. And I didn’t even let it breathe.”

“Owen, I really don’t know what to say. You’ve been so generous with your time, your house, spoiling us. I know you have to work and this is so unexpected.”

“Looked like the two of you could use a little spoiling. You’ve both been through quite an upheaval. And selfishly, I had a great time, except for about three seconds when I was really hoping I could grab Noah before he went under.” He laughed. “I didn’t want to go in—that lake is cold. I think we need wet suits. There’s an idea. That might be my best idea yet.”

“You know I’m not expecting you to entertain us while we’re here...”

“Make your own plans,” he said. “I’m flexible. If you two have time, maybe we’ll knock around. If not, I know how to keep busy. I like my own company, dim-witted as I am. But I also like kids. And you could use some adult company.”