“I mean, you don’t have to go all-in, just a little singing or something. Just fake it,” Natalie said, as if Hazel hadn’t told her to not talk.
“Quit talking,” Hazel said again.
“Do you like his hair curly or straight? I mean, he looks handsome with it all combed, but when it curls, you know,” Natalie continued, even though her boyfriend was just on the other side of her.
“Natalie, we are in church,” Hazel hissed.
“Just saying, Haze …” Her words dropped off as Sam slid his arm around her and covered her mouth with his hand. The move made Natalie turn her attention to the man on the other side of her.
Looking up at her husband, Hazel decided she liked his hair curly better. She hadn’t told him yet, but he might already know. Today she might have listened to the sermon, but Natalie had talked the entire time. Or maybe she wouldn’t have, because she hadn’t in years. As he talked, he noticed her looking at him and smiled. She was unable not to smile back at him.
Closing his bible, he announced a song was going to be sung, and the organist started the play the familiar tune. But today, she was unable to sing the words out loud that were playing in her head. Even for Ruston.
So far, she could sit here for him, but being a part of it was going to take time. If it ever happened at all.
CHAPTER26
Later in the week,plans had changed from an evening at home alone to a trip down to Grand Forks to see Tess and Math’s new baby. Ruston had talked Hazel into them driving separate from the rest of the book club so he could spend some time with Thomas. The guys would grab a meal while the ladies looked at the baby.
At the last moment, Natalie and Sam joined them. It seemed Natalie could still push Hazel around, and sometimes it was a good thing. Natalie and Sam made the car ride jovial.
So at 6:00 p.m., Hazel dropped off Ruston, John Henry, and Sam for their man’s night. Thomas took them to a popular restaurant in town. The place was busy and maybe too loud for a little boy, but he seemed to be doing okay and happy to be with Ruston.
Even though the men had seen each other less than two weeks before, they had a lot of catching up to do. After rehashing the wedding for a few minutes, Ruston asked, “Did you ever call that woman from the dance?”
Thomas looked confused. “No.”
“You should. You’ll like her. Everyone likes her,” Ruston said of Mia. She was what Thomas needed in his life. They had similar personalities, and both were extremely outgoing.
“I don’t remember her,” Thomas admitted with a frown.
“Brunette, shorter,” Sam replied, knowing who Ruston was talking about right away.
“Nope.” He shook his head in confession at them both.
“Still hung up on Kit then?” Ruston laughed, knowing what was really happening. The man had admitted who he had spent the night with, and Ruston had broken it to him that she was not exactly who he was looking for. Except suddenly, his best friend wasn’t looking for a woman who was his type anymore but at the blonde former resident of Landstad.
“No, she’s just a coworker,” he said firmly.
“Wait! You work with her? You never said anything about that.” Ruston laughed at his friend. He had it bad. It would be sweet revenge if Ruston wasn’t so happy for the man.
“You never asked,” Thomas said with a shrug.
“I’ve always gotten along with her. She’s nice. Have you been seeing her?” Sam asked, joining in the conversation.
“Just at work. Because we work together,” Thomas reminded him.
“How about the kids thing? And she’s older than you,” Ruston pointed out.
“We’re not dating, we just talk. At work. We’re work friends.” Thomas was not admitting to anything, but Ruston knew him well enough to see that his friend was very into the blonde. And it was rare that Thomas spent more than a week with one woman, in his bed or even on his mind. Kit seemed to have been different in more ways than the obvious.
“Okay, I’ll drop it. For now. Can I tell Hazel yet?” Ruston asked, hating that he hadn’t told her that Thomas had hooked up with a local. Not that Hazel would care, but she would spread the word to her friend, who was related to Kit.
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“So you keep saying.”
“I will definitely not tell Natalie, or the entire town will know. I know my woman well.” Sam chuckled at his own outgoing fiancé.