A little bit of an in between chapter, but necessary.
"Dad are you completely insane!"
"Thank you Catherine," Harry said as he continued to pack clothes in is suitcase.
"You've known this woman for what? Four days? And you're flying halfway across the world so you can spend another seven days in her company! Do you not see how crazy that is?"
"It's not any of your business Catherine, but I knew her twenty five years ago. I worked with her, and then she had to leave the country," Harry said. "I've come across her again and she's invited me back to America. I am going, no matter what you think."
"Dad you're nearly eighty years old!"
"I am well aware of how old I am, thank you very much," Harry said tersely. "I also know that I am old enough to make my own decisions Catherine."
"Oh come on!" Catherine said in exasperation. "You're going to go traipsing after someone who didn't care enough about you twenty years ago to even stay in the same country as you! Do you not see how crazy that is?"
"Catherine Elizabeth Tyler, I am your father and no matter what I do, I do not deserve to be spoken to like that," Harry said firmly and loudly, having come to the end of his tether. She looked slightly abashed and Harry continued. "You know what I used to do for a living. At the time, she was being set up. We both were and she took the fall for me. Instead of one of us languishing in prison for years on end, she made the choice to leave the country to protect us both. To protect me. Neither of us wanted her to go and I hated saying goodbye to her. This is the first time I've seen her since she left London all those years ago. I am not going to apologise for it."
"Dad…" she said, her voice changing to a much softer tone.
"I know I'm old," he said. "But I am not infirm or incapable and I haven't lost my mind. I know what I'm doing."
"I didn't mean to imply… I just think you're making a mistake," she said quietly.
"If I am, then I am," he said. "Come on Cate, did it never occur to you why I never remarried after I divorced your mother?"
"Seriously? You've been waiting for her all this time? I find that hard to believe." Harry smiled at his daughter indulgently for a moment.
"I never thought I'd see her again," he admitted. "But now I have, I'm not going to stop going to America with her just because its soon. And I don't want to argue with my daughter about it."
"I don't want to argue with you either," Catherine said. "I just want you to be careful. She might be a gold digger for all you know."
"Most gold diggers don't wait thirty years," Harry said. "I'm old, I'm not stupid."
"Sorry dad," she said, biting her lip. "I just worry. And I know how much you hate America."
Harry smiled slightly. "I hate Washington and New York," he said. "And about ninety nine percent of the US."
"What's the one percent you like?" Catherine asked.
"Honestly? The one percent where she is," Harry said. "Sorry."
"So I'll see you in a week?" Catherine said.
"Yes," he said. "Providing Connecticut doesn't swallow me whole." Catherine smiled.
"I'm sure you'll be fine," she said.
"Mm," he agreed. "Now I have to pack."
"I'll go and leave you to it," she said. "Have a safe flight." Harry smiled at his daughter as she left and continued packing. He didn't care what Catherine thought, he was going to America, and he was going to have a most enjoyable trip.
"Right, that's that last call for my flight," Ruth said on the phone. "I have to go. I'll see you in ten hours in New Haven?"
"Or thereabouts," Harry agreed on the phone. "It's going to be a long flight." She couldn't help but notice that he sounded nervous.
"I didn't take you for an anxious flier," she said.
"I'm not," he said, speaking quietly so no one could overhear him. "But I can't help but look closely at everyone, checking for spies or potential terrorists. I saw far too much in my career Ruth, it makes me nervous. It's ridiculous and I know air travel is safe."
"I know Harry," she said. "But that's nice to think about before getting on a plane," she added sarcastically.
He chuckled at her. "I do have to go," she added seeing an air hostess looking at her watch. "After all this I'm not missing my plane."
"Bye Ruth. See you in the enemy state."
"Oh Harry, what am I going to do with you?" she asked happily, getting up and showing her boarding pass and passport to the woman behind the desk. "See you in the US."
"Bye." She put her phone down and boarded the plane. Once sitting in her seat she realised that she must have been one of the last to board, and knew she'd cut it rather fine. But as the plane took off, she felt glad to be on it. And happy to know that in a few hours she'd be back in America with Harry. It was a glowing prospect.
Ruth checked the arrivals board and saw that Harry's flight was on time as scheduled. He was coming in in forty five minutes, so she had time to kill. She went through the airport shops, mindlessly window shopping. It didn't seem all that long when her mobile rang and Harry said he'd landed. She met up with him and was so pleased to see him that for a moment all the crowds of people vanished from her sight. Instead all she saw was him. Before thinking about it she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.
"I haven't been gone that long," he said into her hair.
"I know." She parted from him and noticed the bags under his eyes. "You look tired."
"I was sat next to a mother and her screaming toddler," he said. "I haven't had a moments peace for eight hours. It's nice to be free."
Ruth smiled. "My cars not too far away," she said. "Come on."
They spent most of the car journey in silence, Harry too tired to talk, Ruth too nervous to. This had taken their relationship to the next level, and all they'd shared were a few kisses. A few kisses and thirty years when they had both thought of the other so frequently that no other romantic relationship had stood much of a chance. But now she'd invited him to her home, in a country that she was perfectly well aware that he hated to spend time with her. She wanted him to be here, and was looking forward to the week ahead, but she couldn't stop the nervousness that was coursing through her. Luckily Harry was too tired from his restless flight to notice, so she had time to pull herself together.
By the time she parked outside her house she was feeling much calmer and her mini panic had subsided. She looked at her house, feeling how much had changed in only a week.
"It's a nice house," Harry said honestly.
"Well it's private," Ruth said. "I didn't want nosey neighbours. And it's a nice town too."
"I'm sure," Harry said. They got out of the car and went into the house.
Dropping their cases by the door Ruth looked at Harry and couldn't help but see him trying to stifle a yawn.
"Go to bed," Ruth said easily. "You're clearly tired."
"I don't want to be bad company," he said. "I'm sure you didn't invite me to your home just to sleep." Ruth raised her eyebrows at him. "And I just realised how that sounded," Harry said. "That's not what I meant."
"I know," she said easily. "Go to sleep. My bedrooms through there," she added, pointing in the right direction. "I don't have a spare room, only Claire's single bed. So I hope its okay if we share?"
"Of course," he said, too tired to think of the implications from this. "Thank you. Goodnight." He leaned over and brushed his lips over hers gently and so sweetly. Ruth smiled as he walked into the bedroom, leaving her on her own.
She sighed happily to herself before going back outside to get the post. She sorted through it and then got herself something to eat (she had some ready made salad in the fridge which hadn't gone off). When she'd finished and felt sleep calling her. She went to her bedroom and saw that Harry had already drifted off. He lay on one side of the bed, leaving her plenty of room and his steady even breathing filled the room. Smiling she undressed and got into bed next to him. It was a testament to how much travel tired her that she didn't even think about the fact she was lying in bed with Harry. All she did was close her eyes and almost instantly drift off to sleep.
Hope it wasn't too much of a let down! Hopefully it'll pick up in the next chapter.
