Rules Of Different Games

Chapter 28- Tears

Dru Brown

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"Shit. You fucking broke her. Ruthie doesn't cry. Fuck I didn't even know she knew how to cry. Fix her." Devan yelled.

I panicked, running towards Ru to grab her to me. I hugged her tightly, pulling her into my chest. "Ru, what's wrong I thought you'd be happy."

"I-I.....you.....we...."

I broke her. I broke little Ruthie Ann Finn. I've known this girl all my life and never once have I seen her speechless. I really was at a loss.

"I'm going to give you a bath and then get you dressed, Ru. We have to go to brunch."

She nodded and held on to my big body as I carried her into the bathroom where Devan was already running water for a bath. I pointed to the lavender bath gel and Devan poured some in the water creating bubbles that bounced around the large tub.

Ruthie was still naked from the night before, thankfully, and I lowered his small frame into the bathtub. She was a real trooper and let me and Devan bathe her fast and efficiently without complaint.

"Dru, she hasn't said anything in a really long time. Is she okay?" Devan asked once we were back in the bedroom dressing a catatonic Ruthie.

I shrugged. "I'm guessing she's in shock. I'm not sure."

"This isn't what I expected." Ruthie said, finally waking up from her daze.

"What?" Devan wondered as she started to brush Ruthie's hair.

"Dru runs from everything. You hide from everything. I bury my head in the sand and go fishing. None of us deal with anything. And here we are talking like real adults willing to move in together. Isn't ... .doesn't it seem fast?"

I chuckled a little while sitting down next to her. "23 years is not fast, child. It's slower than molasses."

Ruthie blinked a few times, wiping her face of a few scraggly tears. "What?"

"I've loved you for 23 years. And I'm only 24, almost 25. That's a long time to love someone. And lord knows I've been patient. I'm done being patient, Ru. You're mine and you're staying here. And Devan and you have your thing and I respect and like Devan. Therefore this is how it's going to be. And you just have to suck it up, toots."

Ruthie pushed me in my arm. "Fine. Bossy butt. But what about the tabloids? What about your career?"

I shrugged. "I'm in the home stretch. I've got 4 months until my contract is up and they don't want to resign. I'm okay with it."

That was a bitter, but small lie. I was asked to resign for another four years with the stipulation that I'd keep certain things out of the media. I declined their offer and decided to use my earned degree for better things. Like marketing and or maybe PR. Maybe I'd coach like Devan. Maybe I'd stay home and run the ranch like my parents want me too.

Either way I was coming home to be with my girls.

"Ruthie?" Devans sweet voice caught both of our attention.

I turned to Devan who winked at me and cupped Ruthie's face in her hands. "For the last four and a half years this is all you've dreamt about. If you say no now I'm spanking you. And not in the good way that you'll like."

Ruthie pouted and cried some more as we left my house to head over to Miranda's. Once we turned down the road to the old highway Ruthie gasped. She saw the old men at her pond building a new shed and a dock.

"Dru, you didn't!" She yelled.

I laughed. "I did. Jackson and George let their wife drive drunk and crash your truck. So, they got the brothers to help rebuild you a shed, a dock and maybe some chairs to fish off the bank in."

I expected a hug, but all I got was more tears.