Page 49 of The One She Can't Forget

“You know, this is something we’ve never actually done before,” I said as we sat down.

“Oh, I guess I hadn’t thought about that. We were pretty serious about that whole secret thing, weren’t we?”

A sugary-sweet voice came from across the room. “Well, look what we have here! Is there something I haven’t heard about you two?”

Ugh. The last thing I wanted to deal with was Gladys.

“Hi, Gladys,” I said with no warmth in my tone. “I believe you know my girlfriend, Monica Storm?” I couldn’t hide the pride in my voice at the statement, despite my irritation at the interruption.

“Girlfriend?” I could see the wheels turning in Gladys’s mind. She was a teller at Minden State Bank, and I knew that by tomorrow afternoon, half the town would officially know that Monica and I were together. Much to my horror, she yelled across the small restaurant, “Dolores, did you know about this? Monica Storm and Jake Barrett are dating!”

Heads turned from every corner. On second thought, maybe it wouldn’t even take until tomorrow.

Another woman sidled up to the table. “Oh, leave the poor kids alone, Gladys. They don’t need you all up in their business. Remember, he who minds his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” I was amazed how Miss Ruth’s chiding tone was somehow still full of love.

Gladys harrumphed and swished away from the table, her flowy dress skimming the edges of the chairs as she passed.

“Good for you, dears. Just try not to mind the busybodies. We’re all just happy to see you happy.”

Monica smiled at Miss Ruth, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. After she left, I reached across the table for her hand. “Hey, everything okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Just a long day. I should probably go to bed after dinner.”

I was disappointed because that meant my day with her was over, but I nodded. “Of course. Whatever you need.” I looked around at the familiar faces in the restaurant. There was Gladys, obviously, with her friends. Luke and Charlotte Brand were across the room, tucked into a corner booth and deep in conversation.

Pastor Justin was at the counter, picking up takeout and chatting with Harold Wells, Nathan’s dad. I wondered if they were discussing the update about Nathan and Rebecca. I realized I hadn’t told Monica about Bryce’s text.

“Bryce texted me today. Nathan left Rebecca and the boys.”

Monica’s gasp was followed by a soft exhale of sadness. “That’s awful. What happened?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to speculate.”

That was true. I didn’t want to gossip, but I did know that Monica was friends with Rebecca. It wouldn’t be long before she heard anyway, and it was very likely Rebecca would need some support.

We sat for a silent moment before Monica’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand. Nathan’s a good man, isn’t he? He works hard. He goes to church with them. Why…”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I guess you can never really know what is going on in someone’s head. I know he loved her and the boys. So, I don’t understand either. I couldn’t imagine ever getting to a point where I turn my back on my responsibilities like that.”

“Well, maybe Rebecca got tired of feeling like aresponsibilitythat was holding him back.”

I raised my eyebrows at her confrontational tone and held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Whoa. I don’t think there’s a reason for us to fight, is there?”

Monica sagged. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I guess it also makes me a bit worried.”

“How so?”

She tipped her head back and forth. “Rebecca mentioned that she always felt like Nathan was more carefree and fun before they got married. He was fun and a bit of a jokester. Kind of irresponsible.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Nathan Wells? Captain Wells? Are we talking about the same guy? Because he’s the stodgiest, most uptight guy in the department. She said he was a jokester?”

I was struggling to wrap my mind around the idea that Wells had ever been different from the complete square I knew him as.

She nodded. “That’s how Rebecca described it. But if two people who have been together since they were basically kids and built a life and family together can’t make it work, what hope do we have?”

The way she asked the question made it clear that she was talking about the two of us, and I nearly jumped out of my chair to reassure her. “What? No, sweetie. They have nothing to do with the two of us. Sure, they’ve been together a long time, but it’s not the same thing at all.”

“Right. They have a connection spanning years, and we’ve barely got a few months. What if five years down the road you decide me and our kids aren’t worth it anymore? What if being with me sucks all the fun and carefree spirit out of you?”

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