The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(47)

She laughed at him. “I plan to. And yes, I’ll be very careful and lock the doors. But we’re going to be fine. I think we said everything last night.”

“Last night,” he whispered, pulling her close. “That was amazing.”

“I think that falls into the royal send-off category.”

“I will admit, I haven’t been bid farewell like that before,” he said. “It almost makes me want to plan more trips.”

“Wait till you see the welcome-home party,” she said, giving his lower lip a lick. “I’ll miss you. Please go. You’re wearing me out. And I have things to do.”

He gave her a last quick peck, whacked her on the butt and climbed into the truck. Romeo let out a mournful yowl but he didn’t move away from Noah’s side. Once the truck disappeared down the road, Hannah turned to Noah. “Breakfast?” she asked.

He gave a nod. “Then what?”

“I have some ideas. Let me get some of my chores done and then we’ll talk over all the things we can do while Owen is visiting the biggest cave in the world.”

“Wish I could see that cave,” he said.

“I think you’re going to have many exciting travels in your life,” she said. “We should look through Owen’s books and make a list of all the places you’d like to go.”

  That first day that Owen was gone, Hannah and Noah went to town and met Leigh for lunch at the pub. Then they went to the firehouse—Connie Boyle was working and was more than happy to show Noah all the fun stuff. Noah sat behind the wheel in the big fire truck and Connie showed him how to turn on the lights. They spent some time in the kitchen, where one of the guys was making cookies. They went out to the Crossing and Helen convinced them to pluck some fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden but then talked them into staying for dinner, as well. Because Noah had promised Romeo they’d be back in two or three hours, first they had to go home and get him. “Because he knows the time,” Noah said. “He could get upset.” They got him and brought him back so he could have a nice romp with Beau.

The next day they went to therapy, then swam with Romeo. Sully came over and he and Noah fished off the dock for a while. They went shopping one day in Colorado Springs, then dropped by Cal’s house for a visit and again stayed for dinner. “I guess the word is out,” Hannah said. “If Owen’s away, I won’t be able to feed myself and Noah.”

They swam and fished and kept their appointments all week. After almost a week, Hannah told Noah she had a surprise for him. They went to Colorado Springs to a place Connie suggested and Hannah got a tattoo on her right shoulder blade that said Noah; it was inside a heart that was inside a flower. She showed him the picture first to make sure he approved.

“It’s kinda girlie,” he said.

“I’m kinda a girl,” she shot back. “It doesn’t make you girlie!”

“Are you getting one for Owen?” he asked.

“I’m not quite ready for an Owen tattoo yet, but I’ll think about it.”

They read, watched movies, hiked the trail behind the Crossing, swam, fished, went into town for hamburgers and ice-cream sundaes, visited their friends.

One of the most enlightening visits Hannah paid was to Sierra Boyle, something she’d been meaning to do since first meeting her when the family gathered at Sully’s place. Helen and Sully agreed to keep Noah for a couple of hours so she could have some adult time. She wanted to talk about Sierra’s experience in adopting Sam but she got way more than she bargained for.

“We were fostering Sam, our adoption application pending, when Sam’s grandmother suddenly changed her mind and asked for him back. She wasn’t that old but she was beset by some chronic medical conditions and really in no shape to take care of a baby. She could barely lift him out of the crib. It was a nightmare. I found him sobbing, soaked and dirty in his crib. I was just about ready to kidnap him and run for my life, but I called Cal.”

Hannah was stunned silent for a moment. “Sierra, have you perhaps heard? Noah’s grandmother has recently turned up, looking for some kind of connection with him. She’d like custody but two courts have refused her so far. Cal is helping us.”

“Us?” Sierra asked. “Does that mean you and Owen...?”

“Owen is as invested in Noah’s well-being as I am. He’d like us to be a family. I’m trying not to lose my head. It seems to make sense to take it slow. If it’s the right thing to do, it’ll soon become apparent, right? But tell me about your custody battle for Sam!”

“It didn’t take long for Sam’s grandma to realize she wasn’t up to the job, but there were long days leading to that realization and I fell apart. It took me about one day to love Sam so helplessly that there was just no turning back.”

Sierra told Hannah the whole story—Connie had responded to a vehicle accident and pulled Sam from the wreck that took his young mother’s life when Sam was just four months old.

Then it was Hannah’s turn to go through the events that led to asking Sierra about the minefields of adoption and how to handle the invasive presence of extended family members like Noah’s grandmother. By the time a couple of hours had passed, what she would have described previously as a friendly acquaintance became a bonded friendship. Hannah couldn’t wait to tell Owen all about it when he got home.