The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(28)

“I know I seem crazy, but I’m not.”

They stopped talking when Romeo got up, dropping his towel on the floor. The dog walked across the great room to where Noah stood, holding his blanket.

“Sorry,” he said very quietly.

“Feeling a little better?” Hannah asked. When he nodded, she said, “Come here, honey.”

He shuffled over to her and let her draw him up onto her lap. Romeo was right there, his big head on Noah’s lap. She kissed his temple. “Owen waited to have breakfast with you. What would you like?”

“What’s Owen having?”

“I’m having eggs. Messed-up eggs.”

“I could do that,” Noah said.

“Good,” Hannah said. “You sit right here. I’ll make you boys some breakfast.”

While she was in the kitchen, she listened to them talking.

“Let’s have some fun today, since you have to leave tomorrow.”

“What kind of fun?”

“Well, while it’s rainy, we’ll go to the barn and tinker with some pictures. You took a lot of pictures and I can put them on a flash drive for you to take home. I showed you some flash drives. You can plug it into Hannah’s computer or tablet and look at your pictures.”

“Can I have some of yours, too?”

“Of course. You can show me which ones you like. Then maybe we should have lunch at Sully’s place.”

“Can Romeo go?”

“If it’s not raining. If it’s still drizzling and the ground is all sloppy, Romeo has to stay home. He’s a very bad influence on Beau.”

“And Sully doesn’t feel like washing him.”

“And I don’t feel like taking a muddy Great Dane home in the truck. Or Hannah’s car.”

“Thank you for that,” Hannah said. She brought over two plates. “Here you go. If you want something more, just say so.”

“Thank you,” Noah said.

“That was very polite of you,” Owen said. “I’m glad your manners are back.”

Noah shrugged and sank his fork into some eggs. “I had a temper before.”

“I heard,” Owen said. “It was awful. Don’t give Romeo eggs or he’ll poop all over. Eggs give him the trots.”

Noah laughed.

“He cleaned up your cereal mess and I’m bracing myself,” Owen said.

“Yet another reason Romeo shouldn’t go for a ride in my car,” Hannah said.

“After we get back from Sully’s, when all your stuff is gathered, I’ll help you load up your car,” Owen said. Noah instantly dropped his gaze and started stirring his eggs. “Buck up, kid. Hannah said you guys will be coming back for a visit this summer. Don’t spoil it by being angry.”

“We are?” he asked Hannah.

“Sure. We’ll figure out a good time. But we have things to organize at home first. Then we’ll come for a visit. Will that help you enjoy today?”

“Yes,” he said. “Except, you know, that’s not really where I live.”

Hannah lifted his chin. “I’m sorry about that, Noah. But it’s the way things are now and we’re going to make it good. We’re going to make new friends just like you made friends with Owen and Romeo. And we’ll visit Owen and Romeo as soon as we can. We have a big job to do and we can’t be on vacation forever. Will you help me? Just help me by trying to get along?”

Noah locked eyes with Owen and at Owen’s very slight nod, Noah said, “I can do that.”

“That’s my guy. Now, I’m going to do the dishes and clean up the house while you and Owen and Romeo pick out some pictures.”

“’Kay,” he said meekly.

Once they left, Hannah, alone in the kitchen, cried into the sink. Because she didn’t want to leave, either. She wanted to stop the clock, burn the calendar and just make this the rest of her life.

  Hannah and Owen were so forcibly cheerful, she was certain Noah noticed it wasn’t real. They went to Sully’s and had lunch on the porch. The sun came out and Romeo loped around the campgrounds with Beau; Sully and Noah threw the ball for them for a little while. Hannah was able to thank Helen for all her help and advice.

Back at Owen’s, Noah and Owen did a little fishing while Hannah gathered up all their things and packed everything except what they would wear to bed and then put on in the morning. Owen helped her load up her car and she proved to be very controlling about how things were arranged, making them both laugh.

Owen cooked dinner. He made Noah’s favorite meal of hot dogs and mac and cheese, except his mac and cheese was rich and thick and made from scratch. Hannah had the passing thought that if she were to stay longer, Owen would make her fat. Nothing stuck to him; he ate all the most fattening things and was still thin.

They played a rousing game of Candy Land after dinner. The sun just didn’t want to go down, even with the help of the Rockies to the west. Finally, Hannah told Noah it was time for his bath and bed. She even allowed that Romeo could help him go to sleep.

It took about a half hour for bath, book, settling in. When she got back to the porch, Owen had lit a couple of candles, opened a bottle of wine and had some soft music coming out of the walls. She had no idea how he’d done it. This house he’d built, it had everything. It was a magic house.