Chapter 20
Anderson hugged his sister-in-law.He didn’t see her much since he stopped coming to Grand Forks every weekend. She was just as beautiful as she had been when he had met her and brought her home from college to meet his parents. But since that day, he had lost interest in her. She was just his brother’s wife now and had been for years. Glancing at Ruth, he wondered if his feelings for her would fade like that. But oddly, he knew they would not. He didn’t even think that they would ever dim.
Noel handed the baby to Anderson and turned to Ruth. “I am Noel. You must be Ruth. When Kim said Andy was bringing you over today, I knew I had to see who had captivated Andy so much.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Ruth smiled as she said it, but Anderson could tell she was in her prim and proper secretary mode now. Her emotions were closed, and he couldn’t understand why.
“And this is my husband, Jonathan.” Noel pointed at the man holding a three-year-old little girl who looked more like her mother than her father.
“We have met,” was all Ruth said, but her tone made Jonathan go pale. He could see his brother had taken her threat seriously, which was a good thing.
“Supper is almost ready, so why don’t you guys go set the table in the dining room, and us girls will get everything ready?” His mom sensed the tension and was trying to defuse it.
His mother’s idea didn’t work. The tension was still there as the roast and potatoes were served. Ruth was able to keep up with the conversation going around the table better than he could. All he could think was that he had done something wrong to change her mood. After they were done eating, he draped his hand over Ruth’s chair and rubbed her back with his fingers. He felt the tension in her body, and she pulled away from his touch.
They said goodbye to everyone and headed out, making excuses about the drive. The tension followed them into the car, and he wondered if anyone else had noticed it. Maybe because he knew her moods, he noticed that hers had changed so completely from when they had first arrived.
As the miles slipped by, the pickup cab was silent, except for the radio playing quietly. As town drew close, he asked, “What is the matter, Ruth?”
“Nothing.” She would not look at him.
“Is it Jonathan? Did he do or stay something?”
“No, he wouldn’t do or say anything in front of his wife or dad.” She shot him an angry look.
“What then?”
“You don’t know, do you?”
“Apparently not.”
Turning back to the window, she quietly replied, “Once Noel came in the room, you forgot I was there. All your attention was on her.”
“I never forget you are there,” he assured her.
She was focusing on the fields outside her window when she again whispered, “You are ashamed of me.”
“Why would you ever think I am ashamed of you?”
“You didn’t want to introduce me to someone you used to love.” She looked out the dark window, still not meeting his eyes.
“She did it before I could. Noel is just that way. She takes over when she comes in. I am just so used to it that I let it happen. I am sorry.” He hoped she would forgive him for his lapse, but it really was how Noel had always been. It was why she and Jonathan were a perfect match.
“You don’t think I do anything at the office. I know I don’t work all day, but I do everything you ask of me and everything that needs to be done,” she accused.
“I know you do a lot. You are just so efficient that I don’t notice it,” he argued back.
“You laughed at the thought that I could be smart enough to sell insurance. I am surprised you didn’t tell them I barely graduated from high school or that I am stupid.” She turned to him with her hurt blue eyes.
“You have never given any indication that you would be interested in selling insurance. You even said yourself you didn’t want to sell it.” He pulled up in front of her apartment.
“Maybe I would one day, but you don’t think I can. Then you made fun of my apartment as if you need to own grass for it to be a home. I think I have made my place a home. It has more square footage than that place you rent,” she insisted.
“How would you know? You have never been there,” he questioned, letting her anger get the better of him.
“I have too,” she hissed.
“Once.” And they hadn’t stayed long.