“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.”
