Chapter 25 Rhett
Chapter twenty-five
Rhett
The kitchen gleamed—well, as much as an old kitchen like this could. In two days, Audrey was coming to spend the weekend here, and I've been trying to pick up my mess, so my house doesn’t look like a construction zone.
Tomorrow is the opening night for the county fair in Roseville. For the past six years, I’ve been going with Desi and the twins, Jessie and Jenna, but this year, they were dancing in the show or something like that.
And I was taking Audrey.
I still can’t believe I convinced her to stay for the whole weekend. I swear, I temporarily blacked out when I texted her that idea midweek. We barely know each other, but for some reason, time doesn’t seem to exist with her.
When I'm with her, it goes too fast, and when we are apart the days drag. I don’t know whether I should be embarrassed to be thirty years old and never have felt this way, but I try not to dwell on the past. Not much good has ever come from that.
I can’t fix the guy I was before, but I can be the guy Audrey deserves.
I’m just not sure if taking her to the fair was the right call. But we are about to find out.
As I pushed the rarely used vacuum back into the cupboard under the stairs, three knocks sounded from the front door, followed by howls from Mabel.
I opened the door, stepping out onto the porch, where my mom was standing in overalls covered in dirt. A covered casserole dish was balanced in her arms.
“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” she protested, shoving the glass pan towards me before I could even get a word out. “I had so much summer squash and broccoli that I made three vegetable lasagnas this afternoon. I just dropped one off at Desi’s, so here’s yours.”
“You know you don’t have to apologize for food, Ma,” I laughed.
“Yeah, but if I keep making you meals, you’ll never learn to cook for yourself.” She leans back on the railing, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’m doing just fine. I can make the basics.” Which wasn’t a lie, even if I rarely cooked. “Stop worrying about me.”
She clucked her tongue, but then a sly grin took over her face. “So, you’re bringing Audrey to family dinner on Sunday? You must really like her.”
There it was. I knew the food was an excuse to pry just like I swear front porches were just gossip vessels in this town.
“Mmhmm,” was all I said, and all I intended to say.
“Rhett Anderson, you’re as stubborn as your father was.”
I shrugged. “I don’t want everyone making a big deal out of this. Or scaring her away, okay?”
“I promise. I will behave.” She scratched Mabel’s ears as the dog wandered on by, down into the garden beds to roll around.
“Is Kylan coming over tonight?” she asked, and I shook my head.
“I’m taking Audrey to the fair, actually.” My mom’s cheek twitches like she wants to say something that she shouldn’t. I know the look.
“Oh, well that’s something.”
Great, even my sixty-year-old mother thought my date idea was shit.
“Thanks Mom, I’ll see you this weekend.” I smile, hugging her, and she gets the idea that I don’t want to discuss it further. But she stops at the bottom of my porch steps, eyeing the dirt Mabel just rolled in.
“I still don’t understand why you won’t let me fix these garden beds.” She was exhausting a subject that was a losing battle.
“You know the last thing I care about is putting flowers in front of my house.”
“Honestly, a few shrubs and some milkweed would do wonders for your curb appeal.”
I smiled tightly, running my hand through my already messy hair. “Okay Ma, maybe next summer I'll let you have at it.”
She rolled her eyes, but patted me on the chest and waved goodbye, making her way to her car. I whistle for Mabel, who trots behind me into the kitchen as I place the lasagna in the fridge. Then I promptly go back outside, grabbing my ax and a stack of logs.
I’d already chopped enough wood for a summertime of bonfires today but if I stayed still for another minute, I'd lose my mind.
Mabel plops herself in the grass under the magnolia tree, watching me closely.
I’m usually a pretty chill guy; nothing really makes me nervous.
Not until I met a brunette woman with hazel eyes who has permanently taken up residency in every part of my damn mind.