1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [96]
“I thought you said it didn’t matter.”
“It matters if it’s Nate.” He clenched his jaw.
Rachel was completely silent.
“Rachel?”
More silence.
He inhaled and slowly released his breath. “Either I trust you or I don’t. I choose to trust you. If you’d wanted to marry Nate, you could have. He wanted you and so did I. You chose me. Whether that was the right decision or not, you’re my wife… .”
“Yes, I am. I trust you, Bruce, and I expect you to trust me.”
“I do.”
“Good.” A moment later, she added, “He’s been a friend to me. That’s all. A friend.”
It wasn’t easy, but he had to believe she was telling him the truth.
“You talked to Jolene?” he asked.
“Yes, when she called me just now. I told her when we met at the library that she could phone me anytime, day or night.”
“Were you surprised she called you today?”
“A little, but she didn’t call me for her sake. She did it because of you.”
“It’s a start.”
“A small one.”
Bruce couldn’t disagree. “Can I see you again?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
He could argue, but decided against it. “Jolene said you’re thinking of moving to Portland.”
“I’m considering it.” She didn’t add any further information.
“Wherever you are, I’d like to be with you when the baby’s born.” That shouldn’t be asking too much. As the baby’s father, he had the right. All he could do was hope she agreed.
“We can talk about that later, okay?”
“Okay.” But he wasn’t willing to drop it.
Bruce could tell she wanted to end the conversation. “It’s Thanksgiving, Rachel, and before we hang up I want you to know that, despite everything, I’m grateful you’re in my life. I will always love you.”
“Thank you, Bruce.”
“Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
He noticed she hadn’t told him she loved him. Not that he’d blame her if she’d given up on their marriage…
He walked back into the living room, where Jolene sat in front of the television. He handed her the cell phone. “Thanks.”
She looked up at him. “I’ve been kind of a brat, haven’t I?”
At least she recognized her role in all this.
“Something like that.”
The timer on the stove indicated that the turkey was done. “Are you ready for dinner?” he asked.
She regarded him skeptically. “Are you?”
“Sure.” He’d make an effort; Jolene deserved that much. “After dinner, do you want to work on a jigsaw puzzle? Or we can play Yahtzee if you prefer.”
“Let’s do a puzzle. The one with the dogs playing poker.”
“Why not?” They’d worked on a different puzzle last Thanksgiving. Rachel had been with them then, and it was the best Thanksgiving in recent memory. Jolene and Rachel had cooked the meal together.
Bruce and Jolene sat at the table with their purchased meal. Neither of them ate much, although they made a pretense of being happy. They’d just finished putting the leftovers in the refrigerator when the house phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Jolene said, leaping on the one in the kitchen as if she thought it might jump up and run away.
Bruce smiled, observing that his daughter was almost back to the way she’d been a year earlier, before he’d married Rachel.
Rachel. His heart sank. He could pretend all he wanted, but he missed his wife.
“Dad,” Jolene said, holding the phone against her shoulder. Her dark brown eyes seemed twice their normal size. “It’s…Rachel. She wants to know if it would be all right if she came over for a little while.”
His heart rate automatically doubled. “Of course it would be all right. She doesn’t need to ask.”
“She’s asking me. She tried my cell, but I left it in my bedroom and didn’t hear it ring.”
“If she’s asking you, then you need to answer.” He gripped the back of his chair, waiting to see how his daughter responded.
“What if I say no?”
He closed his eyes. “I don’t know.”
She studied him, then returned the phone to her ear. “Dad and I were just about to start a jigsaw puzzle.”
He nearly grabbed the phone away from her, wanting to tell Rachel that this was her home and she could come anytime she wanted, no matter what he and Jolene were doing.
“We did one together last Thanksgiving, remember?