Chapter 53
Chapter fifty-three
Rhett
Mabel hasn’t stopped going in and out of the damn dog door every five minutes since I installed it two weeks ago. It’s enough to drive a man crazy. I’m about to lock it through the app when I hear my name in unison coming from the driveway.
“Uncle Rhett!” Jessie and Jenna call out as they run clumsily in their pink rain boots towards me.
“What are you supposed to be, a unicorn or a princess?” I ask, pulling the wings attached to Jessie’s back.
“I’m a fairy unicorn queen, obviously!” She flips her hair, and my sister strolls up behind them, carrying a casserole dish, rolling her eyes at me.
“Don’t even ask. She hasn't taken those wings off for five days now, and I can’t do a thing about it.”
“Noted,” I nod, going back to focusing on the grill in front of me.
It’s finally cooled down outside with the start of October just days away.
There’s a slight breeze in the air that wasn’t there a week ago, a promise of changing leaves, a slowdown from summer.
I’m usually a fall person. I love the cool weather, when I am not drenched in blankets of humidity in my workshop or melting in my old truck.
But an uneasiness has overcome me these last few days that I just can’t shake. It’s driving me fucking nuts.
“Thanks for hosting dinner here tonight, honey. My oven is still on the fritz.” My mom saddles up next to me.
“It gives me a chance to grill. I didn't get to do that much this summer.” I bite my lip, not wanting to open an invitation into that subject. “I’ll stop by after my appointment Tuesday to fix it. It’s probably the sensor.”
“Whatever you say, baby. It gives me a break from cooking,” my mom replies, winking at me. The girls run by, the dogs chasing them through the grass.
“What’s different back here?” my mom asks, pushing her sunglasses up into her hair, which is piled messily on top of her head. The same way Audrey used to wear it. The thought flickers through my mind, uninvited, and I shove it away before it can take hold.
“I finished lining the garden with pavers, hauled some junk away, and started power washing the house. Me and Ky are going to paint it this Friday after work,” I rattle off.
My mom’s eyes grow wide, and she smirks, popping a blueberry from the salad into her mouth.
“Don’t say it, Ma,” I add, half joking as I turn to check the sizzling steaks.
“I’m not…I'm glad you’re getting stuff done.”
I turn off the flame, placing the steaks on a wooden board and bring them to the table, avoiding eye contact with the one woman who can read me like a damn book. “I had other priorities. I was going to get to it all eventually,” I reply roughly.
“Why the sudden change?” Her voice is cool and light, but when our eyes lock, I know my irritation is glaringly obvious.
“You know,” I mumble, and she offers me a small shrug and sad smile.
“Dinner’s ready!” I call to the girls who come running towards us, pink blurry visions of messy blond hair and fairy wings. Mabel’s on their heels, hopeful she’ll get a trim of meat.
“How’s work going Rhett, you busy again with new clients?” my sister asks. Both she and my mom are watching me closely as I slice into my steak.
I feel like an ant under a magnifying glass and my shoulders grow tense.
“It’s going. I’m busy,” I add slowly, knowing what she’s not saying.
You barely worked this past month. What the hell is going on? Are you back to normal or do we need to worry about you?
Desi smiles real big and says, “Good, I’m glad. Good to stay busy!” She was talking to me like I was one of her daughters and I groaned, barely audible enough for them to hear over the music playing. I also installed outdoor speakers for the workshop and movie nights outside.
Solo movie nights.
“Hey girls,” I said, and the twins looked up at me from their dinner plates.
“I have a whole new setup for the outdoor theater. Maybe one of the weekends your mom will let you come over and do a movie night.” Their eyes light up, and they turn to their mom, toothless grins spreading on their small faces.
“Mom, can we, please?” they beg in unison.
My sister nods, “Of course.” But then she turns her attention to me. “A real outdoor theater? That’s pretty fancy for you, Rhett. Sounds like the perfect date night set up.”
Scoffing, I point my fork at her. “Great Desi, you can borrow it anytime you want for a date.”
“Mom, you have a date?” Jenna asks horrified and I laugh, but Desi doesn’t think it’s funny. Her eyes narrowed at me.
“I have no dates set for the foreseeable future. But you might, you never know.” She pinches her lips together. She couldn’t accept her big brother likes his solitude.
Or was trying to get used to it again.
Shit was finally getting done. She should be happy for me. I’m not at Bourbon Barrel drinking my paycheck away, bringing strangers home to my bed.
“Okay, let’s change the subject, yeah? Cool, thanks.” I flash a toothy, shut the hell up grin to the whole table, and my mom perks her head up.
“Oh! There’s new paper in the windows of the old butcher shop.”
“Huh?” I take a sip of beer, gazing at her.
“I was in town running errands today and saw a crew of guys going inside. There’s paper covering the windows and the rent sign is gone. No one knows what’s going in there, but I heard at the post office someone bought the entire space in cash. Rumor is it might be a bakery!”
My sister starts to respond to my mom, but her words are drowned out by the sinking feeling washing over me.
Every town needs a good bakery; it’s just a fact, Rhett.
A low laugh booms from my chest as I bring the bottle to my lips, shaking my head.
“This is a cruel joke, right?” I mumble to the universe.
I take another cold shower after my family leaves and settle in for the night.
Tomorrow will be a long day of catching up on invoices and drafting plans for a new client.
As I pull a pair of shorts from the dresser, I pause longer than usual to examine myself in the mirror.
My blue eyes look somehow duller, lacking their usual spark.
My summer tan remains, a permanent reminder of the time I spend outdoors.
Lately, I’ve been spending my evenings on the front porch with Mabel, staying out there until I’m fighting off sleep.
It’s far better than being inside, where the memory of Audrey haunts me at every turn.
Her ghost isn’t just in the house but in everything I do. I used to enjoy simple nights alone, walks with Mabel along the meadow, it was all enough.
But that’s the thing about enough. Once you get a taste of better, it’s pretty damn hard to go back to enough.
“Alright Mabel, let’s go,” I call out as I walk through the house, hearing her groan from the couch. I set down my drink, glaring at her, reaching my hand into her treat bin on the counter.
What the hell is this?
There’s a container I never noticed before. A glass to-go container full of the blueberry biscuits.
“How the hell?” I open it, checking to see how fresh they are, when Mabel suddenly appears at my feet, one ear flopped over the top of her head.
“When did these get here?” I question her, scratching my head.
They can’t be that old. Audrey had to have brought them when she picked up the boots. The ridiculous rhinestone cowboy boots.
I shake my head, not wanting to picture her in my house. I throw one at Mabel, who catches it in the air. I snatch my beer, and march to the porch, letting the screen door slam behind me.
She is everywhere.