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Ruth looked at the guys and said, “I was telling Mia that I want to keep the wedding to ourselves. Just get married later. I want the church wedding.”
Rafferty looked at her. “So, nobody will know you’re actually married?”
“Yes. Can you guys do that? For me?” Ruth pleaded, looking from Mia to Rafferty.
“Are you sure, Angel?” Rafferty meet Mia’s eyes as he asked. Was he thinking about telling people about their wedding? Because she wasn’t. Not ever.
“Yes, Rafferty, as sure as I hate that name. Stop it. Both of you, actually,” Ruth said to Mia and Rafferty.
Mia looked up in confusion from the bag of muffins with one already in her hand. “What? Me?”
“Yes, from now on, you two do not call me that. It’s Ruth,” she told them.
Mia took a bite of muffin and said with a full mouth, “Just not Ruth Miles?”
“Correct.” Ruth nodded.
“Where are we going to say we spent the weekend?” Rafferty asked.
“Ruth and I went on a little vacation,” Anderson provided.
“I was sick,” Mia said, finishing her muffin.
“I went to visit a college buddy since Anderson had the day off.” Rafferty made up an excuse easily, too easily as he grabbed the bag from Mia, just as she was reaching in to get another muffin.
By the time they got on the plane, Mia had to change the name she called her friend, hide her friend’s marriage, lie about what she did all weekend, and hide the fact that she got married. Maybe she should have just said no to this trip.
To top it off, this time she had to sit with Rafferty instead of the bride. Apparently, the bride and groom wanted to sit together. Odd, since the other bride and groom didn’t. Or at least the bride didn’t. They were a few rows behind the happy couple, so they could discuss their impending divorce.
Mia took the window seat and ignored him until they were in the air. Once the seatbelt sign went off, she stated, “I want a divorce.”
“Can’t we just give it a try? See if we’re compatible?” Rafferty joked, though it didn’t sound like a joke. It was definitely a joke though.
Rolling her eyes, she leaned back into her seat, trying to get comfortable. “No, and we will also be keeping this under wraps. No need for the entire town to know my business.”
When the flight attendant came by with drinks, they declined.
Rafferty crossed his arms. “We’ll have to, or else we’ll have to tell on those two.”
“Once I move to Grand Forks after Christmas, I’ll get a lawyer, and we’ll get it done down there. Nobody will ever know.”
“You’re still leaving?” he asked.
“Yes, before the new year.” Which was probably starting to not look like a reality anymore It was only a few months away, and she was nowhere near ready to leave her business yet.
“You do realize it is mid-October, right?” Rafferty reminded her.
“I do. I have some irons in the fire.” Actually, she didn’t. She’d tried to hire a manager for months, but with no luck. Managers for small cafés were in short supply in Landstad or anywhere close. In reality, she was having enough trouble keeping waitresses lately.
But suddenly, she had more motivation than before to move away from Landstad. She needed a new life and a divorce. At this point in her life, she could be married for a few months; she had nothing else going on. Hadn’t for a long time now. And she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
CHAPTER16
Rafferty’s legwas bouncing under his desk. Time couldn’t go fast enough. This morning he had woken up determined to win his wife’s heart. But he couldn’t do it alone.
Finally, the clock ticked to noon. Jumping up from his desk, he told Anderson he would get lunch, something Anderson almost always did. But he needed an excuse to talk to Ruth alone. Since he would drop lunch off for Ruth, it was covered. Also, he wanted to see his wife, and she was, as always, where the food was.
Today was their one-week anniversary, and he hadn’t seen her since Tuesday. That was two long days ago to be without his bride.
