Thanks for all the lovely support, and as a treat here's the next little installment. Also thanks to threesummerdays, who gave me one of the closing lines of this chapter.
Malcolm and Harry were sitting in his living room, working their way through a bottle of scotch. "While I appreciate the chance to drink a fine single malt with an old friend, do you mind telling me why I'm here?" Malcolm asked draining his glass.
"Who called you?" Harry asked, eager to know.
"I'm not telling you," Malcolm said with a smile.
"Fine," Harry conceded, knowing at some point the would find out anyway. "I would imagine that you're here because of the… situation with Ruth." "You two still haven't sorted yourselves out have you?" Malcolm said knowingly.
"I tried," Harry said. He'd drunken more than was wise and could tell it was loosening his tongue. "She isn't interested in me Malcolm. She might have been once but not anymore."
"And what gives you that incorrect impression?" he replied simply, adding a splash more alcohol to his own glass before Harry took the bottle.
"Its not incorrect. I asked her to marry me and she said no. What more proof do you need?"
"Harry, you asked her at a funeral," he admonished lightly. "Did you think that was a good idea?"
"How did you know about that?"
"I meet up with Ruth every now and again ever since I left the service," Malcolm admitted. "I hated missing Ros's funeral so I went to pay my respects to her a few days later and Ruth joined me. She mentioned it then."
"What else did she tell you?" Harry asked quietly, eyes filled with sadness.
"That she had regrets and that day was at the top of the list."
"She didn't say that," Harry countered.
"No she didn't," Malcolm admitted. "But I could tell. I could see it in her eyes. She has so much sadness there Harry."
"I know," he replied. "Not today. New man on the grid, Christopher Miller seems to have taken her fancy."
"You are determined to feel sorry for yourself aren't you?" Malcolm said slightly amused.
"That's what alcohol is for," Harry replied, downing his drink in one.
"Trust me, she'll come back to you. In time."
"Mm," Harry said disheartened.
"If you love someone, set them free," Malcolm started. Harry smiled wistfully and continued the quote.
"If they come back to you, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were." Harry leaned back on his chair and his eyes were beginning to drift shut. Once closed Malcolm got up and put both glasses and the bottle on a side table.
"Trust her Harry," the retired spook whispered before quietly leaving the house.
That night Ruth was laying restless in bed. She couldn't sleep, which wasn't exactly unusual for her, but still annoying. Her mind flitted to the day at work and the most different aspect. Namely Chris. It wasn't that she was attracted to him, it was simply the difference of open admiration. She had never really had that before. Every man she had ever been interested in kept his thoughts to himself, Harry more so than anyone she'd ever met. It was nice and a novel feeling for her. To feel wanted. But Chris wasn't the one who made butterflies appear in her stomach. He wasn't the one who made her blood pressure rise with a raised eyebrow. It was Harry plain and simple. There was no other man for her in her life. No one else could even come close. No one else had the ability to wreck a marriage proposal so completely and totally.
"Stupid man," she said under her breath, rolling over and punching her pillow, attempting to get at least a few hours sleep.
I was checking the "set them free" quote and came across this one which I thought so wonderfully Harry and Ruth I had to share it... Both quotes used here are anonymous.
"I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you."