Chapter 77 Really Divorced?
When Matilda pushed through the windscreen and walked in, Danny and Rick immediately smiled and waved her over to join them.
In Stoneford Town, everyone was an outsider, and the few times they'd met had all been under circumstances where they were helping each other out. It was easy to build friendships that way. Matilda already considered them friends, so she walked over and sat down.
The diner wasn't fancy—she knew the owner well, and you grabbed your own utensils and served yourself soup from the pot by the kitchen.
Matilda brought over a steaming bowl of beef vegetable soup. The moment she sat down, Wentworth asked, "What's wrong with your foot?"
"Nothing's wrong." Matilda smiled.
Danny chimed in, "Did you hurt it when the van flipped? You can't ignore stuff like that."
Matilda gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Really, I'm fine. Just got some frostbite on my toes."
The frostbite made walking occasionally painful.
Danny frowned. "Frostbite? Why aren't you wearing snow boots? Every time I see you, you're in sneakers."
"Haven't had time to buy any," Matilda said.
Stoneford Town wasn't just outside delivery range—even mail trucks rarely made it out here. The styles she liked online wouldn't ship to this location. The little general store in town carried some, but not her size. She felt weird about buying kids' sizes, so she kept meaning to pick some up next time she went to the county seat. She just never got the chance.
Danny said, "Well, why didn't you say something? Next time we head to Countyville, we can grab you a pair."
Wentworth kept his head down, focusing on his soup without joining the conversation.
Matilda asked curiously, "You guys go to the county seat often?"
Danny nodded. "Sometimes for supply runs."
Matilda pressed, "Do you get days off?"
Danny grinned. "Of course. Besides weekends and holidays, we get family leave too. As long as there's no mission, we can rest up. Pretty flexible setup."
Matilda sighed. "That's better than me. Look at me now—I'm so busy I can barely find time to eat."
Rick shook his head. "Your clinic's too understaffed, but that's just how it is. What young person with an education wants to come back to a remote place like this? City life's so much better."
Matilda managed a bitter smile but didn't respond. Wentworth continued quietly sipping his soup.
After dinner, Matilda said goodbye to them at the entrance and was about to turn and leave when Wentworth called out.
"Matty."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Hang on a sec. I've got something for you."
The others couldn't help but exchange glances at Wentworth's behavior.
The military truck couldn't make it down this narrow street, so it was parked nearby. Wentworth jogged off, then came jogging back a few minutes later.
He was breathing out puffs of warm air as he pressed a plastic bag into Matilda's hands.
Matilda opened it to find a pair of army-green snow boots.
Even though it was dark, the others could see what it was too.
She looked puzzled. "These are... did you buy these?"
Wentworth explained, "I didn't buy them specifically for you. They were just sitting in storage. Our unit doesn't have any female soldiers, so these boots were just collecting dust. If I didn't give them to you, they'd probably get thrown out."
Matilda nodded and accepted them. "Thank you."
Wentworth said evenly, "Don't mention it." Then he turned and called out, "Danny, Rick—let's move out!"
Back in the military truck, Danny couldn't help stealing a glance at Wentworth, who was leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed.
Danny finally spoke up. "Captain, since when do we have women's snow boots in storage?"
Wentworth said casually, "I bought them."
Danny seemed unable to hold back. "Captain, do you have feelings for Dr. Spencer? She's out here all alone, and you're being so thoughtful—aren't you worried she might fall for you?"
Wentworth let out a cold laugh. "Fall for me? If she was going to, it would've happened already."
Danny carefully reminded him, "Captain, you're... well, you're a married man."
Wentworth just looked at him without responding. Danny didn't dare push further—Wentworth always kept proper boundaries. He should be able to handle his own affairs.
Back at the clinic quarters, Matilda kept glancing between the thermos Wentworth had given her and the snow boots.
She tried them on—perfect fit, not too big or too small.
She was still puzzled. 'Were they really just something he randomly found in storage?'
The style was definitely military issue—army green with water and wind-resistant leather outer layer, thick cotton lining that was incredibly warm, yet lightweight for walking. Wentworth had always been observant. It wasn't impossible that he'd noticed her lack of snow boots and found her a pair.
She hugged the thermos close and drifted off to sleep in its warmth.
Meanwhile, Wentworth was using the unit's landline, not having to worry about signal issues.
The call connected, and he said, "Charles."
Hearing Wentworth's voice, Charles asked, "Wentworth, still up this late?"
"It's still early here."
It was 10 PM there, which meant midnight in Phoenix City.
Charles yawned. "What's up?"
Wentworth asked, "Didn't Mom say she was handling my divorce paperwork? Is it done yet?"
"Nope. Since you're military, divorce requires approval. I heard from Mom yesterday that your unit keeps stalling—hasn't gone through."
Something flickered in Wentworth's eyes. "Not approved?"
"Not approved. By the way, didn't Matty go on some support mission? I think she's somewhere near you."
Wentworth said evenly, "I've seen her."
Charles laughed. "Now that's fate! You randomly get assigned somewhere, she randomly gets sent on support duty, and you two end up in the same place again. If that's not destiny, what couple could be that lucky?"
Wentworth said, "Charles, don't mention this to Mom."
"I'm not that loose-lipped."
After hanging up, Wentworth dialed Brian.
Brian picked up immediately. "Wentworth? Feeling better? Still having those bad insomnia episodes? When are you getting transferred back?"
Wentworth said, "Let's not talk about transfers. Let's discuss the divorce paperwork. I heard it got held up?"
Brian said cheerfully, "Yeah, I held it up. Didn't sign off on it."
Wentworth's tone shifted. "How... how did it get held up?"
Brian's voice turned serious. "Marriage isn't a game, especially military marriage. You can't just marry and divorce on a whim. When you got married, you said she was the girl destiny had chosen for you—you're not impulsive, so saying something like that meant you'd thought it through carefully. Rushing into divorce this fast—your mother must be pressuring you, right? So let's not rush this divorce. Let's wait a couple years. If you two truly have no feelings left after that, we can handle it as a natural separation."
Wentworth's grip on the phone involuntarily tightened.