"I don't have a problem sitting with you. Unless," she tilted her head a little, lifting an eyebrow, "you're going to talk through the ballet."
"Talk?"
His forehead wrinkled and his eyes narrowed a little at her as if he was trying to look inside her head to read her thoughts.
"No. I don't talk during the ballet." Then he lifted an eyebrow. "I'm kind of a pro at these ballet shows... In case you were wondering."
"A pro, huh?"
His arms were still folded across his chest and when he shrugged, it looked like he was getting even bigger and broader in the shoulders than she'd seen before. "I've got my frequent sitting points in some cramped chairs."
"And I'm pretty much a newbie. So, I could probably use some guidance to make sure I don't make a fool of myself and embarrass Katie."
"Embarrass her?" Nick shook his head. "Hardly." He unfolded his arms and gestured toward the room on the other side of the mirror. "She'll be over the moon. I know she wanted to ask you to come and see the show. It's been a while since she's had someone coming to see the show besides me."
There was a sadness in his voice at the end of his words, and he looked away for a moment.
Ruth's heart went out to him.
She didn't know the details of how they'd lost Katie's mom. The subject hadn't come up before, and she certainly wasn't about to bring it up.
The last thing she wanted to do was upset Katie.
She was so sweet and wonderful.
The last thing she wanted to do was bring Katie any hurt or harm.
The door to the room opened up and the director in the room leaned out and smiled at Nick. "I know you're not our Mother Ginger this year," she said with hope in her voice and eyes that seemed to say the door was open for the future, "but you know what she does and the kids are having some trouble imagining what it'll be like with a person in the middle, do you think you could... come in and help?"
He winced. "I'm afraid of those stilts. I don't want to fall on the kids."
Ruth saw the look on the other woman's face. It was like she was a happy shark smelling blood in the water. She wasn't scary to her, but to Nick?
"No stilts. Just walk in sideways, little steps."
She smiled with her teeth pressed together and her eyes blinking quickly.
Ruth tried to smother her laugh and ended up coughing instead.
Nick turned to glare at her, but Katie leaned out of the door, her own hopeful smile on her face. "Please, dad!"
Ruth knew it before Nick did that he was going to say yes.
Katie didn't even give him a chance to say no.
She stepped out of the room in her dance wear, her pointe shoes making these hollow clip clop sounds like a dainty ponyand grabbed her father's arm. "We just need to try it once with you."
Nick started to follow her, his steps hesitant at first, but he picked up speed and entered the room.
Just before the door closed, Katie turned around to look at her dad with a big grin. "Or twice."
The door closed before Nick could turn around and leave, but Ruth knew he wouldn't disappoint his daughter.
He might have seemed gruff and distant with her, but he was always paying attention to his daughter and taking care of her.
There was a moment when Ruth thought of leaving, but as soon as she saw Nick take his place in the middle of a bunch of giggling little girls, her heart and her ovaries exploded.
He'd always looked manly and yes, sexy, but at that moment when the music started and he began to sidestep right along with that group of little girls across the back wall of the dance studio, Ruth knew she'd completely lost her heart.
