Chapter 7 #3
“So, she’s definitely yours?” Rhonan asks as we wait for our turn at the bocce ball courts, where I just told him and Elliot about the paternity test results I received yesterday, feeling more at ease now that I got to tell my sister first. The Hart Winery courtyard is filled with people taking in all of the activities tonight.
Most families are still trying to watch the movie, but there’s a bustle of movement and chatter all around from those that can’t sit still.
Honestly, movie nights usually end up like this. The movie is there for entertainment, but groups use it as an excuse to hang out and support the winery and community of Blossom Peak. This winery attracts a lot of tourists, so all businesses profit from their events.
I glance between two of my best friends, silently wishing the third was here as well.
Fletcher is in Charlotte this week, deep into the preseason.
We have plans to head down there next month to catch a game with our whole crew, which hasn’t happened in a few years.
But now that Laney and Fletcher are together, I’m sure it will happen more often.
“She is.” I take a drink of my soda, opting not to drink wine tonight since Elodie mentioned wanting a glass earlier, and I don’t want her to feel like she can’t enjoy herself.
“I knew it from that first day, but it feels good to have it confirmed. Now I just need Elliot to draw up the custody papers and send them to Meghan.”
Elliot arches a brow at me. “You sure that’s what you want?”
“Absolutely,” I say without hesitation. “Meghan made it clear that she doesn’t want to be a mom, and the last thing I’m going to do is let her try to go in and out of Remy’s life when she feels like it.
My parents did that shit to me and Dilynne—swearing to us that things would change, promising us trips that never happened, and leaving us disappointed time and time again.
I’ll be damned if I let someone do that to my daughter. ”
“And what about Elodie? You gonna introduce us to her tonight?”
“You guys could have walked over to us and said hello earlier.”
Elliot chuckles. “No way. My first order of business when I arrived was getting a drink in my hand.”
Rhonan and I share a look, debating between our silence if one of us should say something. Rhonan clears his throat first, so I let him take the reins. “Don’t you think it’s time to cut back a bit, man?”
Elliot tips his wine glass to his lips. “What do you mean?”
Rhonan sighs, pushing a hand through his thick hair before straightening his spine. “The drinking, Elliot. I know you’re hurting right now…”
“Look. You guys didn’t want me sulking at home, so now I’m sulking in public. Either way, the only way I choose to be around people right now is if I can do it with alcohol in my system,” he fires back, cutting off Rhonan. “If you don’t like it, then I’ll march my ass back to my house.”
“Having a few drinks is fine, man, but lately…” I start.
“Lately, what?” His jaw clenches.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Elodie says from behind me, and the three of us spin to face her.
“By all means, do,” Elliot says before reaching out to shake her hand, his signature grin spreading across his lips. “These two were just lecturing me.”
Elodie smiles, intrigued. She shakes Elliot’s hand with her free one, holding Remy on her hip with the other. “Well, I’m happy to help.”
Elliot’s eyes dip up and down Elodie’s body, causing an inferno of irritation to ignite in my body. “I’m sure you could help me in other ways too.”
I shove his shoulder. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
He puts his hands up, playing stupid. “What?”
Elodie plants her hand on my chest in an attempt to calm me down, but I’ve never had as strong of a desire to punch one of my best friends as I do right now. “Henley, it’s fine.”
I jab a finger at Elliot. “Fucking apologize.”
He snaps out of his annoying smirk, as if the reality of what he just said registered in his brain.
“I’m sorry,” he says, shaking his head. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“Thank you. No hard feelings, I promise. Laney and Dilynne told me what happened earlier this summer and I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
“Of course they fucking did,” he mutters before draining the rest of his wine glass, glancing around the crowd as if everyone was watching him. “Look, I’m fine.” Bracing myself for more of his attitude, I’m shocked when he turns away from us and heads to the nearest bar for a refill.
I let out the breath I was holding with a heavy sigh, facing Elodie now. “Sorry again.”
“You don’t need to apologize for him. He’s a grown man and he’s hurting. I don’t take it personally.”
Mumbling, I say, “I wish I could say the same.”
I’ve never felt rage like that in my life. But it wasn’t just anger. There was something else there too.
Fuck. Was I jealous?
The thought of Elliot with Elodie makes me want to vomit.
I turn my attention to Remy, taking her from Elodie and pouring my attention into her as a distraction. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I was just going to ask Rhonan what wine I should try.” She twists to introduce herself to my other best friend. “I’m Elodie, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
He reciprocates with a friendly smile that isn’t flirtatious in the slightest. “Likewise. I’m glad Henley found you.”
The two of them share a laugh. “Yeah, I think desperation won out over rationality, but I’d say we’re doing okay.”
Rhonan glances between the two of us, but my eyes are transfixed on the brunette vision standing next to me.
I’m fucking glad I found her too.
“Right?” she asks me with a nudge.
“Yeah. We’re getting a routine down,” I reply, clearing my throat.
Rhonan blows out a breath. “Routines are crucial. Trust me. It’s part of the reason why I hired Joanne, my nanny, so my daughter Ellis could have stability.”
Glancing around the property, I say, “Where is Ellis?”
“Joanne took her to the playground to play for a bit, but she’s probably with my dad bossing the employees around.” His eyes dart around the open space. “Everyone thinks it’s hilarious, but my daughter takes it very seriously.”
Elodie laughs. “I love that. Bossiness is a great personality trait to have, despite what people might tell you.”
“Yeah, I’ve gotten a little glimpse of your bossiness already,” I say as Elodie smirks back up at me.
“Well, you hired me for a reason. I’m just trying to be the best employee I can be.”
I can still feel Rhonan’s eyes on us, but mine remain locked on the woman standing beside me.
Rhonan clears his throat. “To answer your earlier question about the wine, do you prefer red or white?”
“White. I wish I liked red, but it’s just not for me.”
Rhonan nods. “I get it. It took a long time for me to adjust to the taste, but if whites are your thing, we have a white cabernet that is one of our most popular wines for a reason.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” She turns to me now. “You’ll be okay with Remy while I’m gone?”
No, I want to say because I’m getting used to her being nearby. But instead, I fake confidence. “Of course. Go get yourself a drink.”
“Thanks.” Squeezing my forearm, she presses a kiss to Remy’s cheek and walks away, releasing me from her grasp as I watch the distance between us grow.
I don’t realize how long I’ve been staring until Rhonan’s laugh cuts through my thoughts. “Oh, shit. You’re so screwed.”
I spin back to face him. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve got the hots for your nanny.”
Dilynne barks out a laugh as she joins us. “You saw it too?” she asks, right as Laney appears at my side.
“What are we talking about?” Laney asks.
“How my brother has a boner for his nanny,” my sister says without missing a beat.
“First, please don’t talk about my dick. And second, no I don’t. Elodie has just been a huge help and I wanted to make sure she found the bar all right.”
Laney points to the giant sign above the outdoor bar. “Not sure she could miss it, Henley. But it’s cute that you couldn’t come up with a better excuse.”
Rhonan holds his stomach as laughter pours out of him now. “Oh, fuck. This is great. I mean, how much more cliché could you get?”
I point a finger at him. “The only reason you think this is funny is because your nanny is old enough to be your mom, so no one’s accusing you of the same thing.”
Elliot walks up to the group with a fresh glass of wine, inserting himself back into the conversation. “Hey. Don’t knock older women. Cougars need love too, and they are amazingly confident in the bedroom.” He bounces his eyebrows up and down. “Trust me.”
Rhonan stops laughing and glares at Elliot. “If I find out that you’ve hit on Joanne, I’ll be the one putting a hand on you next.”
“What have Dilynne and I missed already this evening?” Laney looks around at all of us.
“Nothing. Look, just keep your fucking mouths shut, all right?” I snap. “I don’t want Elodie feeling awkward around our group. She’s only here until Christmas anyway, but I don’t want her counting down the days until she leaves.”
“Why only until Christmas?” Rhonan asks.
“She moved here from LA,” Laney replies. “She’s a singer and wasn’t having much luck, so she’s trying to figure out what her next move is.”
“Fuck. That’s a rough industry to break into,” Elliot adds. “But why not go home? I mean, where is she even from?”
“Garnet Valley,” Laney answers. “Her parents weren’t exactly supportive of her dream, so she’s not ready to face them yet.”
“How do you know all this?” I ask, dumbfounded by how Laney already knows more about my nanny than I do.
My sister leans closer to me. “It’s called asking questions to get to know somebody, big brother. You know, that thing I was trying to convince you to do earlier?”
“What were you trying to convince him of?” Elodie asks as she reappears with a glass of wine in hand.