Think my husband is flirting with our tenant

Dear Pastor,

I have written to you before and I was satisfied with your answer. Now, I am writing to you again on a different matter. I am 31 years old and I am pregnant with my second child. I am unable to work. My husband rented the small side of our house and we are using the rent to help us pay bills. He rented the small side to a young woman, who is a friend of one of my brothers.

She has never been late with the rent. Sometimes my brother visits her, but she says they are not lovers; she says they are just good friends. This girl complained to my brother that my husband wants to have an affair with her and whenever he sees her, he winks at her. I told my brother that I did not believe her.

My brother told me not to tell my husband what she said, but I could not keep that to myself. I had to tell my husband. My husband called her and, in my presence, he asked her if he had ever told her that he would love to have an affair with her and she said no. He asked her about the winking of his eyes and she said that my brother was only making trouble. I feel so disappointed in this girl.

I believe my husband, but my mother always told me not to swear for a man. My husband told her that he was not interested in her and all he wanted was his rent. I told my husband he should not say that to her because he was embarrassing her.

B.

Dear B.,

I suppose your brother told you about what this girl said because he did not want your husband to become emotionally or sexually involved with her, so his intentions were to cause you to give your husband a word of caution. She said your husband was always winking at her. It is not difficult for me to believe that your husband winked at this girl, but she did not flirt with him, so perhaps it was an innocent wink.

Some people may say I am silly to believe that, but it is better to look at it that way than to cause contention. Your husband might have been flirting, but flirting may or may not lead to an affair. And now that you know what your husband did, he will be very careful in how he deals with this tenant.

Pastor