Chapter 15 #2
“Uh, he is,” I say, trying to stifle my laugh. “But it looks like Roscoe went to the bathroom and he didn’t get all the way clean.”
My eyes land on the piece of feces dangling from the hair around his butthole.
Rhonan’s voice appears from the deck. “What’s going on?”
“Roscoe has poop on his butt!” Ellis yells back.
Rhonan’s nose scrunches up. “Gross.”
I turn my head to face him. “What do I do?”
“Uh, clean it up?”
“With what? My hand?”
Rhonan sets the wine glasses on the small table between the chairs. “Hold on.” He goes back into the house, and when he returns, he brings me wet paper towels. “Here.”
“Thank you.” I take the paper towels from him and walk toward Roscoe. “Come here, boy.” But my dog is still running himself in a circle, trying to solve his own problem.
Ellis speaks. “You have to chase him, Ms. Lewis.”
“If I chase him, he’ll just run away.”
“I can help.” Ellis rushes toward Roscoe. “Come on, Roscoe! Let’s clean up your butt!”
I can’t control my laughter, but Roscoe is too fast for Ellis to catch. I lunge toward him, but he fakes me out and darts to the side.
“I just want you to know that this is what I looked like that morning before Career Day when I was trying to get him out of my yard.”
I glare at Rhonan over my shoulder. “Not helping.”
Sighing, he heads toward Roscoe where he’s dragging his ass along the grass again. “Come here, boy. I just wanna help you get that dingleberry off your butt.”
“Dingleberry?” I ask.
Rhonan nods, but his eyes are still focused on my dog. “That’s what this thing is called.”
“You learn something new every day.”
“Can you eat a dingleberry?” Ellis asks.
I turn down to look at her. “No, honey.”
“Then why is it called a berry?”
“Come on, Roscoe,” Rhonan says in the highest octave I’ve heard his voice yet. “Come here.” He gets within inches of my dog, but then Roscoe takes off again. “Come here, you little shit!”
“Daddy, you said a bad word!” Ellis shouts as Rhonan chases my dog around the yard.
“Motherfucker.” Roscoe darts through the playground, making Rhonan lose his balance and almost fall over.
“Be careful!” I call after him.
“Your dog is a menace!” he calls back.
“He’s scared. He doesn’t understand what’s happening. Come here, Roscoe!”
Roscoe comes up to me, nudging his head between my legs, so I squeeze my thighs together, trapping him. “Rhonan, quick!”
Rhonan rushes over, holds Roscoe by his hips, and wipes him clean. “Got it.”
I release my dog and the first thing he does is inspect his backside. Once he’s content with the lack of poop there now, he looks around for Ellis and then heads back in her direction.
“Yay! No more poop on your butt, Roscoe!” Ellis scales the stairs that lead to her playhouse. But the sound of gagging pulls my attention to the side.
“Rhonan?”
“Fuck,” he says after gagging once more. “This shit stinks.”
“Yeah, well… It’s shit.”
Rhonan continues to gag as he walks over to the trash can and tosses the paper towel inside. Another gag. “I need to wash my hands.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
He nearly folds over in half as his dry heaves come quicker. “Fuck. I…I need a minute.”
My laughter escapes me as I head back to the chairs on the deck to wait for him. After a few minutes, he returns and takes the seat beside me.
“How on earth did you handle changing Ellis’s diapers?” It’s the only question that’s been on my mind since I watched this man dry heave from dog poop.
Rhonan pushes a hand through his hair, widening his legs. “Like that.”
My chest bounces with silent laughter. “That must have been entertaining.”
“Let’s just say I was beyond grateful to have Joanne to help. Vomit will also do that to me.”
“Now that, I can see.” Shuddering, I continue, “If I even hear someone throw up, it triggers me.”
Rhonan groans. “Can we please change the subject?” He hands me one of the glasses of wine he brought out earlier. “I really want to know what you think about this wine.”
Hand outstretched, I intercept the wine from him. “Really?”
“Yeah. When you said you liked our cabernet, I knew this would be the next wine I’d have you taste.” Lifting his glass to his nose, he inhales deeply, so I do the same. “Did you know that you’re supposed to smell your wine before you drink it?”
“Yes. I’ve done lots of wine tastings.”
“Good. Now swirl.”
I can’t deny that his commands about how to drink my wine are making me remember his commands in my bed the other day.
I follow his lead.
“Good girl. Now sip.”
Tipping the glass, I let the burgundy liquid hit my tongue, moaning out loud when it does. After swishing it over my tongue, I swallow and smack my lips. “Wow.”
Rhonan smiles proudly after he swallows his drink. “Right?”
I inspect the wine. “What is that?”
“It’s called our GSM—Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. It’s inspired by a French blend done in an Australian style.”
I take another sip. “So unique.”
“I know. The French Oak that it cures in gives it the spice, as well as notes of plum and dark cherry. But the berries and acid added at the end give it that earthiness, yet clean finish.”
“I’m impressed.”
“How so?”
“Your wine knowledge.”
He arches a brow at me. “Well, my family does own a winery.”
“Yeah, but I just got the impression that your dad runs the place.”
“He does, but Laney and I grew up there, so we learned about every facet of winemaking too.” He lets out a sigh, staring down at his glass. “I think I just realized that I—it’s been a long time since I’ve shared my knowledge of wine with someone.”
I reach over and squeeze his arm. “Thank you for sharing that with me then.”
Rhonan stares out at Ellis playing with Roscoe, directing him to crawl down the slide. “What’s your favorite color?”
His question surprises me. “Uh, yellow.”
“When’s your birthday?”
Confusion builds, but I humor him. “September sixth.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“Lasagna.”
He nods. “Fuck, I love a good lasagna too. First pet?”
“Roscoe,” I reply, which makes him spin back to face me.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You—you haven’t had a pet before him?”
“Nope.”
“Not even as a kid?”
I tilt my head at him. “What’s with all of the questions, Rhonan?”
He shakes his head and leans forward in his chair, resting his forearms on his knees while staring at me. “I feel like I need to get to know you better.”
“And you think those are vital things to know?”
He leans forward in his chair. “Honestly? I feel like I already know most of the important things about you. Those things are just the details. You once said that the little things and moments are what matter to you, so...”
“You—you remember that?”
His eyes lock on mine. “I remember everything about that night, Vienna.”
“And what do you feel are the important things about me?”
The intensity of his gaze practically strips me bare, but his words certainly do the job.
“Well, since you’ve re-entered my life, I know that you have the patience of a saint to be a teacher to five-year-olds, including my daughter.
I know that you are witty and care about other people’s feelings far more than your own.
I know that your energy is welcoming and bright, and you hold on to things that are important to you.
” He pauses, licking his lips. “And I know that when I’m near you, I feel like gray isn’t the only color in the world.
You brighten up any room you enter with your smile and heart. ”
I gasp softly. “Rhonan…”
“I’ve got pieces of you… Now, I want to see the whole picture.”
Shit. How can I let him see more of me without letting him see everything?
You don’t need to tell him everything right now, Vienna. You don’t even really know what’s happening between the two of you, and who knows what may happen down the line? You may need to leave this town too.
“I, uh…”
“Daddy, look at me!” Ellis screams from her playground as she pumps her little legs, raising herself higher in her swing.
“Be careful or you might shoot off into outer space!” he calls back to her.
“I wanna go to the moon! Can we go to the moon, Daddy?”
“No, it’s very expensive.”
His reply makes me laugh, but then he’s turning back to me. “Sorry. Hazards of being a parent—there’s no such thing as a conversation without interruptions.”
“So I’ve gathered.”
He shakes his head. “Here’s another question. Why substitute teaching? I remember you telling me that your new job was teaching, but I figured it wouldn’t be a part-time gig.”
Swallowing down the lump in my throat caused by memories, I lean back in my chair and take a sip of the wine again. “I went to college and got my degree in early childhood education but never got a chance to do anything with it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s…a long story.”
Rhonan leans back in his chair and fans his hand out toward the yard. “I’ve got some time.”
“Seriously, I’m not sure it’s something I’m ready to get into.”
He nods, turning away to check on Ellis. Silence descends upon us, but then he twists back to face me again. “Then can you tell me about Lydia?”
I blow out a harsh breath. “Oh, Lydia. God, I miss her.”
He lifts his glass to his lips. “Tell me about the cupcakes.”
“Every year on her birthday, we used to always go out and get cupcakes from this local bakery. The more rainbow sprinkles, the better. Lydia loved rainbows and told me to always look for them when life got me down.”
Rhonan shakes his head. “Personally, I hate sprinkles. They get stuck in my teeth and then I feel like I’m gonna get cavities.”
“Your obsession with cavities is probably why your daughter loves sugar so much.”
He shrugs. “Hey, I’m a thirty-two-year-old man and I’ve never had a cavity. I’d say I’m doing something right.”
My brows lift. “Wow. Okay, you definitely deserve bragging rights for that.”
“I know.” He smirks. “So, back to Lydia.”