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If Ruth thought her heart had been beating hard a few minutes earlier, it didn’t compare to the way it pounded now She could barely breathe Never had she looked forward to e of her bed in her tiny rooraph she kept on her nightstand Paul’s i she sahen she woke and the last before she turned off her light In four months, he’d become an important part of her life Noith his return to Seattle, their feelings for each other would stand the real test Writing letters and e- on a face-to-face conversation At the sa views on the war in Iraq would co sent for additional training, he ht soon be stationed there

At the end of his letter, Paul suggested they meet at 6:00 pm on Saturday, April 17, at Ivar’s restaurant on the Seattle waterfront She didn’t care what else was on her schedule; any conflicting arrangein her ho over the computer keys as she co would keep her away While she was nervous at the prospect ofout of the printer when the phone rang Absently Ruth grabbed the receiver, holding it against her shoulder as she opened the desk drawer and searched for an envelope

"Hello?"

"Ruth, it’s your grandenuinely pleased to hear fro to call you and I haven’t I’randuilty I’ you to lunch"

"When?"

"In a couple of weeks--on Sunday the seventeenth if that works for you I figured I’d give you plenty of tiht we’d sit out on the patio, weather perrand the water with the lighthouse in the distance Her grandparents had lived in Cedar Cove for as long as Ruth could reon, Ruth had visited the sh the years "I’ve wanted to get over to see you"

"I know, I know, but unless we both plan ahead, it won’t happen In no tiree and then you’ll ret the missed opportunities I don’t want that"

"I don’t, either" Her Grandma Shelton was Ruth’s favorite relative She ell educated, which wasn’t particularly coe, and spoke French and German fluently Her father hadn’t said e, and one of the reasons Ruth had chosen to attend the University of Washington was so she could get to know her grandmother better

"I can put you down for lunch, then?"

"Yes, that would be perfect" Her gaze fell on Paul’s letter and Ruth realized that the date her grandested was the first weekend Paul would be in town He’d specifically asked her to keep as much of that teek period free as she could She wanted to spend tirand at my calendar and--"

"Is there a conflict?"

"Not…exactly I’ve sort of got a date," she said, assu each other It would be ideal if he could join her "It isn’t anything official, so I--"

"Then you do have so co anyone special Who is he?"

The question hung there for a moment before Ruth answered "His na" She would’ve explained, except that her grand about this" The words were spoken as if thereuntoward about Paul that Ruth didn’t want to divulge

"No, Mo that she hadn’t actually mentioned Paul to her parents She’d decided it wasn’t necessary to enlighten thes about Paul to her family would be difficult when everyone knew her stand on the war More importantly, she wasn’t sure how she felt about him and wouldn’t be until they’d met

So far, they were only pen pals, but this was the ht, the hts each and every day

"Grand to Mom and Dad because I haven’t officially randmother hesitated "Is this one of those…those Internet relationships?" She spit out the word as though al or unsee like that"

"Then why don’t your parents know about hihanistan" There--it was out

Her announce with that?" Helen eventually asked

"No…"