Whiskey and Country

Carter: Wait. Who’s the dog?

Carter: Is it safe to let Jack play with him?

Carter: Did you get a dog, Dah? You know he’s old, don’t you? I only left an hour ago. When will you have time to care for a pet? Are you okay? Do you need me to call you?

I sighed and smiled to myself.

Me: Don’t worry. The dog is harmless. Aren’t they cute together?

Me: FYI, didn’t adopt a dog. I’m fine. It’s just a neighbor’s old bloodhound. Stop worrying. Love you and be safe. See ya tomorrow xx

Carter: Good. Got scared for a minute.

Carter: Love you too. Kiss Jack for me

Nick gave Jack a red pail and shovel he’d bought. And my son busied himself collecting soil under Buddy’s watchful eye.

I put my phone away, and kneeling in front of the flower beds, I got to work, arranging them until they looked charming, as my nana would have said.

The next hour bled fast. I forced my thoughts to remain on the task, forbidding them to wander away.

With pride coursing through my veins, I stepped back to admire my work. Yeah, I hadn’t lost my touch over the years. Not wanting to throw out the small crate of leftover flowers, I ventured near the garage, looking for a bright idea. Rummaging around, I found an old tire and rolled it to the side of the house. After I stuffed it with soil, I planted the remaining flowers in it, creating a DIY pot. With my hands on my hips, I smiled at the result.

My eyes wandered to Nick, busy painting the door, and to Jack, Buddy by his side, piling pebbles. If only life could always be this simple. I hoped for nothing more. Peace, dreams, and love. And this. Quiet and family.

An air of sadness surrounded Nick, flashing in his eyes whenever he thought I wasn’t looking. It lasted only a second, but I was certain. The other night, at the store opening, I noticed it but didn’t make a big deal about it. As if he sensed my gaze on him, he cocked his head in my direction and smiled, the stretch of his lips erasing all traces of his inner melancholy and doing weird things to my aching body as it shone on me.

I cleared my throat, trying to look unfazed. “Jack, baby, are you coming inside with me? I’m going to cook dinner.” My son raised his eyes from his old friend to frown at me. “If it’s okay with Nick to use his kitchen.”

“No. No coming. Stay with Buddy, Mama. Pleeease. Buddy my friend.”

“I know, baby. But don’t you think Buddy could use a nap? I’m sure he’s very tired.”

Again, he shook his head. “No. Buddy not tired. Buddy wanna play with me, Mama. Buddy not sleepy.”

I huffed as I joined Nick on the front porch.

“Come on, Jack, we’ll invite Buddy inside.” He moved to face me. “No way I’m letting you cook dinner by yourself, Dahlia. You’re the guest here.”

“You sure?”

“About the dog or about you being a guest?” he asked in a teasing tone.

I slapped his arm, the same way I did with Carter, sucking in a breath at the familiarity of the gesture. Nick didn’t seem to notice my uneasiness because he jumped from the porch to get Jack and Buddy.

“Come on, little guy. Let’s go help your mommy out. Buddy will come with us, right, Bud?”

“Okay,” my baby said, slipping his hand into Nick’s as they walked together, Buddy trailing behind them.

Settled in the living room, Jack and the dog lay on their fronts side by side. I brought the bag of toys I carried from home. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me,” I told my son as he picked up his figurines.

“Okay, Mama. Buddy snoring. Buddy funny.”

“Everything all right?” Nick asked when I met with him in the kitchen. I nodded as he poured two glasses of wine, handing me one.

“Everything’s better than fine.”

We clinked to our friendship, our eyes locked, each consumed by the other.

“Thanks for having us,” I said.

“Thanks for being here,” he replied, his whiskey irises swallowing me. Whole.

* * *

Nick and I worked side by side prepping dinner. As if we’d been doing this every night.

“Look at them,” Nick said, signaling to where Jack and the dog played in the living room. Jack used Buddy as a playmat, running toy cars over his back as he lay peacefully. “They clicked. Best friends at first sight. It reminds me of two people who met recently…” He winked at me, and I melted a little more in his presence.

The words floated between us.

“Thanks,” I said, breaking the silence.

Nick stopped chopping broccoli to study me. He frowned. “What for?”

“This,” I said, gesturing to my son. “Jack’s happy, so I’m happy.” I rose to my toes and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Our eyes found each other, and for a long minute, we said nothing. Jack came running our way, and we recovered from our spell.

Nick held out his hand. “Come with me, little guy. Let’s go grab Buddy some food next door. I’m sure he’s hungry, and he’d like to eat dinner with us.”

With Jack’s tiny hand around Nick’s forefinger, they strolled outside. Nick had a soothing aura that Jack gravitated to. And it mesmerized me. My hands cupped my chest as I watched them, blinking tears away. My heart expanded, so big it almost erupted from my chest. Yeah, I could get used to a life like this.