The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(71)

“This is as lived-in as my house has ever felt,” he said. “I love having your clothes in the closet and your pretty soaps and lotions in the bath.”

“I have work to do in Noah’s room,” she said.

“I saw. I think that room needs another bureau and some shelves.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” she asked.

“I’m planning a big catch-up once Noah is in school. For now, helping you make this your house is a priority.”

Through the last dog days of summer, late August, there was a lot of time in the lake swimming. There were fishing and reading and visiting friends and neighbors. Then first day of school finally rolled around.

And Noah couldn’t eat his breakfast.

“You really need a little something in the tummy,” Hannah said. “It’s going to be a long day.”

“I don’t feel like it’ll fit,” Noah said.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “I think it’s way worse than that.”

“And you know what? That never changes. First day of kindergarten, first day of junior high, first day of high school, first day of college...”

“First day of a new job,” Owen said, coming from the back, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. “First days have a reputation that way.”

Noah promptly leaned over and threw up on the floor.

“Well, that should take care of an immediate problem,” Hannah said.

Noah looked up at her with watery eyes. “Hannah, what if I throw up at school?” he shrieked.

“A lot of that stuff happens in kindergarten,” Owen said, bringing paper towels to the table, wiping up. “You’re not the only nervous one, Noah. I promise.”

“I’m the only one who can’t walk,” he said.

“Are you kidding me?” Hannah said. “You get around as well and as fast as Romeo. All I have to say is, please be careful until you get the lay of the land and find out where all the bumps and holes are in the playground. Try not to crack your head open on the first day.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go today,” he said. “I don’t know anyone there. I don’t feel scared when I have Romeo but when I don’t have no one, I could fall or throw up or... What if I... Hannah, what if I cry?”

She pulled him into her arms, kissing his cheeks. “Noah, there isn’t anything you could do today that the teacher hasn’t seen a lot of times before. The best thing to do is get that first day out of the way. Let’s get your teeth brushed and get your backpack. Let’s do this!”

“Ohhhh,” he said. But he crutched off to his bathroom.

And Hannah leaned against Owen and said, “Ohhhh.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Owen promised. “We’ll take Romeo.”

The atmosphere around the school was festive and charged with excitement of all sorts—kids running, reuniting with friends, small children clinging to their mothers or fathers, older kids walking younger siblings to the door, teachers waiting near the doors to welcome children.

Owen parked in the lot and got out of the car with Romeo on a leash. He bent down to kiss Noah on the head. “Knock ’em dead, Noah.” Then, to be manly, Owen gave him a fist bump.

“’Kay,” he said. Then he gave Romeo a loving stroke.

“Hey, that your dog?” someone said. A child of about seven or eight came over and got close. “He bite?”

“Nah, but he sometimes steps on people,” Noah said.

“Can I pet him?”

“Sure,” Noah said. “He doesn’t have a mean bone.”

The boy started running his hand from Romeo’s head, down his back. Romeo obediently sat. “He’s cool. What teacher you have?”

“Mrs. Dempsey,” Noah said.

“I had her! She’s cool. Now I’m in second grade.”

A young couple migrated over and introduced themselves as Rick and Lydia. Then suddenly a firefighter they knew stopped by with one of his kids. “Hey, Noah,” Rafe Vadas said. “First day, good for you.” Then Rafe shook hands all around.

A couple of other kids approached, making a fuss over the dog, and Romeo was in his element. It clearly gave Noah some confidence.

“Let’s get going,” Hannah said. “I want to walk with you to the classroom, make sure you find your seat and cubby for your backpack. Did we forget anything?”

He shook his head. “Can Romeo come?”

“Not in the building,” Owen said. “I’ll wait here. But I’ll bring him this afternoon when we pick you up.”

“’Kay,” he said, then bravely started off toward the doors.

Children poured in. It was noisy and disorganized. A couple of little ones cried noisily and begged their mothers not to make them go. There were women with babies bringing their older children to school. Older kids who knew the routine jumped out of cars that were dropping them off. Some rode bikes to school and they were stowed in a long bike rack. Some women were dressed for work; Owen spied a woman in hospital scrubs taking her son into the building.

Lots of passersby stopped to say hello to Romeo and he thanked many of them with a face wash using his oversize tongue. Owen opened the back door of his car and asked the dog to get in, but he stood by the car waiting for Hannah.