Page 19
A buffer between husband and wife.
Ruth switched on the ultraviolet light and sat beside him. “That summer you came with Harlan…” She trailed off, then looked at him, as if she already knew where his thoughts were. “Did you suspect?”
“That Violet and Harlan were messing around?” He shook his head. “No. Not at all.” He took a long swig, the lager cool and sharp as it slid down his throat.
“I did.”
Ronan studied her for a long moment. “I’m sorry.” He paused. “How?”
Shrugging, she said, “Just a feeling. You spoke of her one night. He looked … guilty.” She huffed. “It wasn’t the first time he cheated.”
Ronan went still.
He’d known Harlan as a brother-in-arms, a man he’d trusted with his life. He’d never seen the other side — the one who could look him dead in the eye and speak with love about Ruth, about how she held their family together when deployments pulled him away.
Ruth spoke again. “I often wonder … if I’d said something, maybe they’d still be alive.” The cheating spouses had spent an illicit afternoon in a nearby town after sneaking off the military base — only to perish when an earthquake struck, collapsing the building around them. Rescue workers found their naked bodies side by side in the rubble, exposing their affair.
“You can’t go around thinking that,” Ronan said quietly. “It’s not on you.”
“I know.” She set the bottle on the armrest and sighed. “Why did you move here, Law?”
She was braver than him, going straight for the issue he was skirting. He leaned back and tipped his face toward the sky. It wasn’t as dazzling as the desert far from civilization, but the stars still put on a respectable show. The night was otherwise quiet — just the distant hum of a passing vehicle and the sharp zap of insects meeting their fate.
“It’s the only place that seemed right,” he said.
“But not because of me?” she pressed. “Davey and Michaela?”
“In part,” he admitted. “But not the way you mean.”
She studied him. “You don’t need to feel responsible for us.”
“I don’t.”
The answer came too quickly.
She raised her brows, holding his gaze a moment longer.
Ronan shifted. “Not so much responsible as…”
He swore under his breath. “You’re my teammate’s widow, Ruth. Just because Harlan died the way he did doesn’t mean I won’t look out for you.” He paused, choosing his words more carefully. “Making sure no one takes advantage of you. That the kids are okay.”
His jaw tightened. “But today Nate said something that made me realize people might … misunderstand my reasons for being here.” He held her gaze. “I’m sorry if you did, too.”
Ruth stayed quiet for a long while, doing nothing more than turning the bottle around with her fingers. “You’re a good man, Ronan. It would be easy to slip into a relationship with you.” She lifted her head, giving him a steady look. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
Ronan nodded once, unsure what else to say. Somewhere down the block a car passed, headlights briefly cutting through the dark.
Ruth picked up her bottle and took a long swallow. “You should head out,” she said quietly. Not a dismissal, just an acknowledgement that things were different now.
“Yeah.” Ronan pushed to his feet. “I should.” His gaze drifted toward the house. “I’d still like to be around for the kids. Catch a few games. A piano recital, maybe.”
“Without expectations.”
“Yeah.”
She nodded once. “They’ll like that.”
“Good.” He hesitated, then added, “Good.”
