Mia was silent for a while, then got up to leave. Quietly, she shut the light off, and Hazel said, “Please don’t tell anyone about Ruston and me. He doesn’t need that getting around. I will not be the reason his job could be in jeopardy.”
As she lay in the darkness in a tight ball, she let the tears run down her face as she cried for the relationship that never had a chance. For the man whose touch could calm her and turn her on at the same time. For the future that always feels just out of reach. Then for the past that she couldn’t change.
CHAPTER5
Friday had beena long day waiting for the wedding rehearsal. He was pretty sure Hazel would be in attendance tonight—full meal and a full bar could draw just about anyone. After spending an hour mingling with the attendees, all the while searching for her blonde pixie cut, he gave up. She was a no-show. If he could leave, he would.
Once the meal had started, he noticed that her book club was having the most fun at this get-together. Even the bride, who sat next to the groom at the head table, looked bored and wished she could join her friends.
The ladies laughed loudly again and drew the eyes of the wedding party before they started to shush themselves again. At least someone was having a good time.
Taking another drink of his pop, he turned to the bride’s father, who he was seated next to. “Are you excited for the wedding tomorrow?”
“Truth?” the father, Patrick Beckett asked quietly. “Not really. It’s been just Natalie and me since her mom passed away when she was six. I don’t know how to feel about letting someone else into our family.”
“You never thought of remarrying?” Ruston asked. He knew Natalie was twenty-three, and for seventeen years, he had been alone.
“Once, but life got in the way. Since then, it just never really got there again.” He looked down the table at the woman who had spent months creating the flowers for the wedding.
“Faith? Since when?” They always sat together at church, but he assumed it was because they were neighbors and friends.
“Oh, close to ten years now,” the older man admitted a little sheepishly.
“And you never thought about marrying her?”
“Oh yes, many times. First, Natalie wasn’t ready, then there was the accident and recovery. Then it just got lost in life. We’re comfortable with it now.”
“What accident?” Ruston had never heard of Patrick being in an accident.
“The accident,” was all Patrick said. At Ruston’s puzzled look, he added, “When Natalie was seventeen, she was in a major car accident. One car rollover. The driver had been drinking; they all had. Natalie spent almost a year in Fargo recovering. Many surgeries. We thought we had lost her many times. She only had a twenty-five percent chance of survival that first week. I really never thought I would see this day.”
“Wow.” Ruston had never heard of it. Even if it had happened years before he had moved to town, he would have thought it would have come up.
“Yeah, a lot of people don’t talk about it. It was a heavy blow to the community. Four kids didn’t graduate that year. Three were dead.” Patrick looked out at the crowd of kids who might have been there, who might have been affected by it.
“When did it happen?” He didn’t want to know why he was so interested, but he was.
“November fifth. I will never forget that day.” Patrick watched his daughter eating in the distance. She must have felt his eyes on her because she smiled at him.
Once eating had ended, the rehearsal started. Making sure everyone knew what to do and when to do it. The book club sat in the back of the pews, heads together, chatting and laughing.
With everyone knowing what to do, he dismissed them, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen cheered and took off. That left the bride and groom alone at the altar with Ruston. Natalie turned to her groom and said, “Jason, I need to talk to Pastor Ruston.”
The groom just nodded and walked away to his friends. Ruston took a breath and asked, “Do you want to talk here or in my office?”
“Office.” She glanced over her shoulder. He saw the book club looking at them, whispering to each other before he turned and led her to his office.
Walking in, he led her into the room and then closed the door behind them. “What can I do for you, Natalie?”
She sat down in a chair. “It’s about Sunday night. I feel bad about what happened with Hazel.”
“What happened with Hazel?” He knew he shouldn’t pry, but he did. He wanted to know what had caused her so much distress.
“I really don’t know. We were talking, and I guess the conversation turned to growing up together. Then the conversation turned again, and I could see and hear her going deep into herself. I think she carries around so much guilt, too much guilt. Some of it should be on me.” She went silent and looked down at her hands.
“Does she do it a lot? Go deep, as you say?” He sat down on the corner of his desk.
“I don’t know,” Natalie admitted. “We’ve only been friends for the last few months again. Before that, we couldn’t be in the same room without her having a panic attack. For years. I feel bad about it, but I can’t do anything about it.”