“At my last doctor’s visit I learned I have an iron deficiency.” It didn’t help that she hadn’t been able to keep down a meal. Her morning sickness lingered for most of the day, making her feel too queasy and uncomfortable to eat. She’d lost weight when she should be gaining.
“I’m glad you got in touch.”
“I probably shouldn’t have.” Only Rachel didn’t know who else to contact. She couldn’t reach out to her friends; they were the first people Bruce would approach. This separation was difficult enough without dragging her friends into the middle of it.
“I meant what I said,” Nate continued. “If you ever need anything, call me. You know I’ll do whatever I can.”
When the waitress came over to the table with a coffeepot, Nate turned over his ceramic mug and she filled it.
At his words, tears of appreciation sprang to Rachel’s eyes. “I know …”
“What can I do?”
She wasn’t sure. “Like I said in my email, I … I’ve left Bruce and Jolene.” It went without saying that this fit right into her stepdaughter’s plans. Undoubtedly Jolene was ecstatic about having her father to herself again.
“So it’s come to that?”
Rachel’s dark hair fell forward as she looked down. “I … talked to Teri and she wants me to move in with her.”
“Are you going to?”
“I can’t. That’ll be the first place Bruce goes. I told him I was moving in with a friend …. At the time I thought I might take Teri up on her offer, but I can’t do that to her. She and Bobby have their hands full with the three babies.”
“Three?”
“Teri had triplets.”
Nate laughed. That seemed to be a common reaction when people heard about the triplets. “She always does everything in a big way, doesn’t she?” he murmured.
He knew Teri, so he also knew that if anyone could handle this, it was her friend. But capable though she was, Teri didn’t need a miserable friend to deal with, in addition to caring for three babies.
“So, if you don’t move in with Teri, where will you go?”
“I … I don’t know.” All that mattered was getting out of the house as fast as possible. She got a hotel room, but that was far too expensive to be a permanent solution. At this rate she’d drain her bank account in a week. Besides, it wouldn’t take Bruce long to discover where she was, and once he did, he’d do whatever he could to convince her to return home. Rachel couldn’t allow that to happen, not while the situation with Jolene was still unsettled.
Nate sipped his coffee in thoughtful silence. Eventually he said, “You could always move in with me.”
Rachel’s head shot up. That wasn’t even a consideration. If Bruce learned she was living with Nate he’d feel blindsided. Besides, it would give Jolene more ammunition to use against her. “I’m grateful for the offer, I really am, but I couldn’t possibly do that.”
“Why not?”
“Nate, I couldn’t…. What would Bruce think?”
“Do you need to tell him?”
“I …” She opened her mouth to object, then merely said, “He’d want to know.”
“Of course he would, but you don’t have to tell him everything. The only important thing here is that you’re somewhere safe and that you’re taking care of yourself.”
Rachel stared at him. “Are you suggesting I lie to my husband?”
“Not lie, exactly. I’m saying don’t fill in all the blanks. As it happens, the house I’m sharing belongs to a friend of mine. I have a room, but there’s a third bedroom available. Unfortunately, Bob’s deployed right now, so it would just be the two of us. If you’re uncomfortable with that, I understand.”
She exhaled, feeling torn. His idea did seem like a good solution, but she could only imagine how Bruce would react if he discovered the truth. For obvious reasons, the two men weren’t on the best of terms.
“It might help you decide if I tell you I’m seeing someone.”
Actually, that did help. “Is it serious?” Rachel asked.
Nate shrugged. “Serious enough. I’m out with Emily three or four nights a week. You’d have the house to yourself most of the time.”
“What kind of rent does Bob charge?”
Nate mentioned an amount that was more than reasonable, then added, “You wouldn’t be expected to cook or clean or anything else if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Oh.” She nibbled her lower lip as she considered his suggestion. He’d given her an option she hadn’t expected.
“Before you answer, why don’t you come over and check out the place.”
Still, she hesitated.
“You want to get away for a while, don’t you?”
She did, and Nate knew that.
“Someplace where Bruce and his daughter would never think of looking?”
She nodded slowly.
“Don’t worry about me,” Nate told her once again. “I loved you, Rachel, I really did, but I’ve moved on. However, I care about you, which is why I brought up this arrangement. If you’re concerned about what might result from the two of us being in the same house, then let me assure you right now, nothing’s going to happen.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll go see the place.”
“Good.” He left money to pay for their drinks, then slid out of the booth.
Rachel stood and immediately felt dizzy. She would have stumbled if Nate hadn’t grabbed her elbow.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
She closed her eyes and tried to remember. “A while ago. I’m fine.”
“No, you aren’t. Listen, no arguments. Once you’ve toured the house, I’m fixing you something to eat.”
“You cook?”
“I’m surprised you don’t remember that I’m a man of many talents.”
His smile was just the salve she needed, his friendship the mainstay that would see her through this upheaval in her life.
She followed Nate to the Bremerton address he gave her. The house was in a nearby neighborhood, convenient to the navy base. The two-story structure, built after the Second World War, had a large front porch and shuttered windows. It was meant for a family.
Unexpected emotion swelled up inside Rachel as she looked at the house. Her mother had been a single parent and her aunt had never married. All her life Rachel had yearned to be part of a family. When she married Bruce, she’d felt as if she finally belonged. She had a husband and a stepdaughter and they were bonded together by love. It didn’t take long for that dream to shatter and now, once more, she was on the outside…. The baby stirred, and she pressed her palm against her stomach, hoping her child would one day know the love of a father, a mother and a big sister.
“Would you like to come in?” Nate asked, again clasping her elbow as though he feared she might crumple onto the pavement.
Without answering, she accompanied him up the walkway to the steps.
“I do my best to keep the place neat,