Should I end my friendship with a male friend?

When I was in high school about 18 years ago I had a guy friend that I talked to everyday and hung out with after school. I was seeing someone else at the time so we were just friends. He moved away about a year later and didn't even tell me. I recently got back in touch with him via facebook and we have been chatting on the phone and through texting for about a month now. I am married and he is recently divorced. My husband was feeling a little insecure about my recent phone calls to this friend but I explained to him that it is strictly friendship and nothing more. I told my friend about my husbands concerns and he thinks we should stop talking to each other. My husband said that he is ok with it when he realized it was platonic, but now my friend doesn't want to talk to me fearing he will cause my husband and I to split up. I don't want to lose touch again for another 18 years because we are such great friends, but I do not know what to do. How can I just end it and let it go?