The Heart of Rue - A Modern-Day Story of the Book of Ruth

Five

Five

Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, ~Ruth 2: 13

Comfortable

As summer rushes in and school is out everywhere, business at the café increases and the place is packed day and night, and despite Bo hiring extra help, I still finding myself running the entire shift. However, my tip total has increased substantially, so I will not complain. I am able to purchase more food on my own, and the nightly leftovers I take home have decreased. Some nights, I don't take anything, which didn't sit well with Bo at first, but I promised him that if we needed more, I would let him know. Over the weeks, his care and protection of us has grown immeasurably.

As have my feelings for him.

Bo visits us almost every other day, and he has attended church with us twice. He spends so much time at our place, I wonder how he can still run his business. And when he is there, he is never idle. The yard is immaculate, everything that had needed to be fixed in the house is repaired, my car continues to purr like a kitten because of his mechanic skills, and Nala mothers him so much, he now calls her Mom, which she loves.

One day while he is replacing a taillight on my car, I mention his business falling apart because of his absence. Laughing, he says, "Katherine took care things when I was in Denver and the walls didn't fall down, and I'm confident that they will stay standing now." He cocks an eyebrow. "Trying to get rid of me?" he teases.

"Now, why would I want to do that?" I ask, smirking.

Bo

"To keep me from getting too close," Bo wanted to say but didn't. "Because there is something between us, and I know you can feel it. Because you have lassoed my heart, and you're pulling the rope tighter by the second."

No, he can't say any of this just yet; he will give it more time. He senses that a part of her is afraid to let him in. But he is a patient man.

Instead of uttering what he really feels, he lightly says, "Because you're tired of your boss hanging around here when you already have to deal with seeing his ugly mug at work."

~~~~~

Ugly? Seriously?

"That's not possible," is the phrase that went through my mind. When his head immediately lifts from the task at hand and his eyes seek mine, I realize that I have just spoken my thoughts out loud. Embarrassed, I look away, not wanting him to glimpse the truth I've kept hidden, from him, and from Nala. I don't want Bo to know that thoughts of my dead husband have now been replaced by thoughts of him–his smile, kindness and care, his handsomeness, how I feel when I am with him, and how I ache with loneliness when I am not. With each passing day, my feelings for Bo grow. He has sown seeds of goodness in the fertile soil of my heart, and they are blossoming into something tender and real. I won't allow myself to think of the harvest. At least, not right now.

"Well, somebody's got to keep this place in tip-top condition, and your handyman skills are appreciated."

"Glad I can be of service." He makes a goofy face and I laugh, grateful for his comedic efforts to put me at ease.