Ruthann grinned at the memory. She couldn’t remember where she’dfoundthe rotten eggs, but the childish zeal at getting back at her brother and Nate was as clear a memory as if it had happened yesterday.
They walked along, the railroad tracks and the town off to their right, and the hurried river to the left. The scent of spring was all around, fresh and new and full of promise. When Ruthann looked up at Nate again, his eyes had closed briefly as he seemed to breathe it all in.
Ruthann paused next to him. He seemed at peace for the moment, as if the past six years had never happened. “I’m glad you returned home,” she said, trying to push the hesitancy out of her voice. If she were honest with him, perhaps he would be the same with her.
He glanced down at her and smiled. “I am too.”
Ruthann’s heart skipped. The way he looked at her as he said those words . . . Was he happy to be homebecauseof her?
Before she could determine what to say in return, his hand found hers, his fingers winding in between her own.
Ruthann drew in a breath. This was different from when he took her hand in church. There, it had been reassuring, combining them in a united front against the curious looks of everyone around them. But out here . . . It served no purpose other than to show affection.
Could he know how deliriously happy this simple gesture made her? It was as if nothing existed aside from their two hands, wound together.
“I don’t know how or why,” he said. “But being with you makes the memories I’d rather forget fade somewhat.”
“The memories from the time you were away?” she asked gently. She didn’t know what had happened that had changed him so much, but it was ever-present, always lurking in the shadows behind his carefully chosen words and guarded smiles.
He nodded. And then smiled, not in as carefree a way as he did at nineteen, but instead tinged with a sadness that Ruthann ached to understand. But it was a smile nonetheless, and with it, he raised a hand and pressed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His fingertips grazed her cheekbone, and Ruthann shivered.
Nate smiled again, the ghost of the past less evident this time, and they continued on their way. As the water churned and raced below, Ruthann found her thoughts strangely anchored. And her heart blossomed with hope.
Her marriage to Nate felt more real today than ever. Was it possible that the dream she’d held so close to her heart for so long could come true? Nate kept so much inside. Ruthann knew she’d barely scratched the surface. Did she dare imagine that one of those feelings he held so closely guarded might be love for her?
And just as the thought crossed her mind, a crack of thunder sounded in the distance.
Ruthann jumped—and so did Nate. Behind them, the sky had grown dark, and the gentle breeze turned into a wind.
And then the rain came, as fast as the river below them. Ruthann squealed in surprise as the drops began to fall. Looking up at Nate—who appeared just as surprised—she began to laugh.
Nate laughed too, with a reckless abandon that made Ruthann’s heart soar, despite how soaked her clothing was becoming. He tugged her hand, and they began to run.
Back home, together.
Chapter Twelve
