Hearts Divided (Cedar Cove #5.5)(24)

“Fine, then,” she muttered. If he thought so little of her, then he could do as he wished. She didn’t want to be with a man who didn’t care about her feelings, just his own.

Nine

True to Paul’s word, Ruth didn’t hear from him after their Tuesday-night dinner with Carley and Brian. The first day, her anger carried her. Then she convinced herself that Paul would contact her before he left for Camp Pendleton. Not so. Paul Gordon—correction, Sergeant Paul Gordon, USMC, was out of her life and that was perfectly fine with her. Only it wasn’t.

A week later, as she sat in her “Theories of Learning” class, taking notes, her determination faltered. She wanted to push all thoughts of Paul out of her mind forever; instead, he was constantly there.

What upset her most was the cold-blooded way in which he’d dismissed her from his life. It seemed so easy for him, so…simple. She was gone for him, as if she meant nothing. That hurt, and it didn’t stop hurting.

Ruth blinked, forcing herself to listen to the lecture. If she flunked this class, Paul Gordon would be to blame.

After class she walked across campus, her steps slow and deliberate. She felt no urge to hurry. But when her cell phone rang, she nearly dropped her purse in her eagerness. Could it be Paul? Had he changed his mind? Had he found it impossible to forget her, the same way she had him? A dozen more questions flew through her mind before she managed to answer.

“Hello?” She realized she sounded excited and breathless at the same time.

“Ruth.” The familiar voice of a longtime friend, Lori Dupont, greeted her. They talked for a few minutes, and arranged to meet at the library at the end of the week. Four minutes after she’d answered her cell, it was back in her purse.

She was too restless to sit at home and study, which was how she’d spent every night since her last date with Paul, so she decided to go out. That was what she needed, she told herself with strained enthusiasm. Find people, friends, a party. Something to do, somewhere to be.

Although it was midafternoon, she took the bus down to the waterfront, where she’d met Paul the first night. That wasn’t a smart idea. She wasn’t up to dealing with memories. Before she could talk herself out of it, Ruth hopped on the Bremerton ferry. A visit with her grandmother would lift her spirits in a way nothing else could. Besides, if Helen felt strong enough, she wanted to hear the rest of the story, especially the role her grandfather had played.

As she stepped off the foot ferry from Bremerton to Cedar Cove, it occurred to Ruth that she should’ve phoned first. But it was unlikely her grandmother would be away. Even if she was, Ruth figured she could wander around Cedar Cove for a while. That would help fill the void threatening to swallow her whole.

The trudge up the hill that led to her grandmother’s house seemed twice as steep and three times as long. Funny, when she’d been with Paul, the climb hadn’t even winded her. That was because she’d been laughing and joking with him, she remembered—and wished she hadn’t. Alone, hands shoved in her pockets, she felt drained of energy.

Reaching 5-B Poppy Lane, she saw that the front door to her grandmother’s duplex stood open, although the old-fashioned wooden screen was shut. The last remaining tulips bloomed in primary colors as vivid as the rainbow. Walking up the steps, Ruth rang the doorbell. “Grandma! Are you home?”

No one answered. “Grandma?”

Alarm jolted through her. Had something happened to her grandmother? She pounded on the door and was even more alarmed when a white-haired woman close to her grandmother’s age came toward her.

“Hello,” the older lady said pleasantly. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for my grandmother.”

The woman unlatched the screen door and swung it open. “You must be Ruth. I don’t think Helen was expecting you. I’m Charlotte Rhodes.”

“Charlotte,” Ruth repeated. “Helen’s spoken of you so often. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“You, too,” Charlotte said, taking Ruth’s hand. “I’m happy to make your acquaintance.”

Ruth nodded, but she couldn’t help blurting out, “Is anything wrong with my grandmother?”

“Oh, no, not at all. We’re sitting on the patio, talking and knitting. Helen’s counting stitches and asked me to get the door. She assumed it was a salesman and my job was to get rid of him…or her.” Charlotte laughed. “Not that I’m much good at that. Just the other day, a Girl Scout came to my door selling cookies. When I bought four boxes, she announced that every kid comes to my house first, because I’ll buy anything. Especially for charity.”

Ruth grinned. “I think my grandmother must be like that, too.”

“Why do you think she sent me to the door?” Charlotte joked. “Your grandmother’s decided to knit a Fair Isle sweater. It’s her first one and she asked me over to get her started.”

“Perhaps I should come back at a more convenient time?” Ruth didn’t want to interrupt the two women.

“Nonsense! She’d never forgive me if you left. Besides, I was just gathering my things to head on home. My husband will be wondering what’s kept me so long.” Charlotte led the way through the house to the patio.

As soon as Ruth stepped onto the brick patio, her grandmother’s eyes lit up with pleasure. “Ruth! What a welcome surprise.”