21. She Saw His Friend #2
Ruth’s owlish eyes blinked at me. I forced a tight smile.
What else was I supposed to say? Curse Aiden because he’d never trusted me enough to share anything about his old life?
Been there, done that, had the scars on my heart to prove it.
And it did make sense. Aiden fit the bill of a police officer, right down to the way he stood at attention, watching everything, never rattled.
Why he needed to keep that a secret, I had no clue, but all the puzzle pieces snapped together perfectly.
“I can’t believe he didn’t tell you.” Ruth finished off her biscuit, chewing, lost in thought. “What else hasn’t he told you?”
“I’m guessing… everything?”
A frown dulled Ruth’s pretty features. “I shouldn’t poke my nose in where it doesn’t belong. He’ll be furious, but… Lola, he cares about you.”
I started to shake my head but froze, surprised when her hand darted across the table to land on mine.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but he does.
He’s too hard on himself. He has this idea stuck in his head that he’s some terrible person, and nothing I’ve ever said has convinced him otherwise.
But when he met you …” A shaky smile spread across her face.
“The change in him. Night to day. He’s happy for the first time in forever. Lola, you’re so good for him.”
“I’m not here to be good for Aiden. I won’t be his emotional punching bag while he figures out how to treat me like an actual person.”
“He’s not good with words—
“Ruth,” I said gently, trying to end this conversation without hurting her feelings.
“I know he’s botching everything and making it so much worse, but he is sorry. Maybe you could find it in your heart to give him another chance?”
I squeezed Ruth’s hand before pulling away.
“I know he’s your friend, and deep down, I think he’s a good person.
But the way he treated me…” I pressed my lips together to stop the tremble that always started when I let those memories get the better of me.
“Aiden’s apologised so many times. I think I’ve already forgiven him, but it’s just too hard to forget.
I don’t know if I can trust him not to hurt me again. ”
Ruth nibbled the edge of the biscuit, still and wooden, staring at her hand. She was only trying to be a good friend. Still, if she expected my heart to magically knit itself back together based on nothing more than Aiden’s promises—which he was terrible at keeping—I’d only disappoint her.
The silence in the kitchen itched like ants crawling up my spine. I wriggled in my seat. Ruth was my guest. No matter why she’d dropped by, no matter how much I didn’t want to hear about Aiden, I wanted her to feel welcome. I could get through this and be the bigger person.
I plastered on a smile. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before.”
She shook her head. “I don’t come in as much these days.”
“Do you live nearby?”
“I have a place about ten minutes outside of town. It’s nothing special. Probably not much bigger than this place. But I have enough land for a small hobby farm.”
“Do you grow anything? I’ve been trying to get started on my own herbs.”
She nodded. “I started with herbs, too. I have a few fruit trees now. A native beehive. Over the last year or two, I’ve been building up my vegetable patch.
Well .” Ruth’s eyes flipped to the ceiling.
“Except for the bits devoured by the possum. Aiden helped me put nets over the all-you-can-eat buffet, but somehow this one fluffy terror still finds a way in to gobble everything up.”
I laughed. And as the hours passed, I laughed even more.
Ruth and I got along easily. We chatted about everything—cooking, gardening, and silly stories about the locals.
Safe territory. She might have scolded Aiden for keeping secrets, but she kept her fair share, too.
There was no mention of her life before moving to Richmond or her accident.
But by the time the sun’s dying flames lit up my kitchen and Ruth stood to say goodbye, it was clear the two friends had never quite recovered from whatever tragedy they’d survived all those years ago.
I propped open the front door so Ruth could slip past. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a car to drop you home,” I said. It was still on my list. Soon. “If you’re walking, I’d be happy to keep you company.”
Ruth shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m going to stay with Harry’s mum tonight. She worries when the boys are away for work. Any distraction helps, and I have lots of gossip to share.” Her eyes widened. “But not about— you know —you and that big butthead.”
Laughing, I waved goodbye. Ruth started her uneasy journey, her cane clipping along the path, guiding every step.
She paused at the gate. “The bar has a Games Night coming up,” she called back. “They run one every six months or so. I haven’t been in years, but they’re super fun. Silly games, food… If you have a couple of friends, maybe we could pull together a team or something?”
“Sounds like a blast. Sign me up.”
Ruth grinned, a twinkle of mischief sparkling in her dark eyes. She was planning something, and it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to guess that one of the people she selected for the team would be tall, dark, and wearing flannel.