Page 15 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

There was one thing she was certain of, though - coming home to Crumbleton had been a spectacularly bad idea. She’d always known it would be the case - but she’d never expected it to be this bad!

Taking an abrupt turn to the left, Ruby dashed off the high street and scuttled down a narrow passageway between two cottages. She knew it led to yet another set of stone steps that came out just below the Crumbleton Times and Echo office.

Breathing a sigh of relief to be off the high street for a brief moment, Ruby took the uneven steps two at a time in her haste to see her friend. She knew she was risking more than a twisted ankle right now, but she didn’t care.

If she was lucky, maybe she could talk Caroline into grabbing her bag from the bookshop for her. While she was at it, perhaps she’d be kind enough to cancel the signing, apologise to her parents, and then book a taxi back to the train station too…

‘Stop being an idiot!’ Ruby huffed, ducking her head and nipping beneath a stone archway that led back out onto the high street. She dashed across the road before anyone could see her and straight into the tiny courtyard in front of the newspaper office.

Ruby hammered on the weathered, sage-green door while eyeballing the well-polished brass plaque that read:

Crumbleton Times and Echo.

General Dog’s Body: Caroline Cook

Ruby fidgeted. She really needed to get inside before someone spotted her and wanted to talk about the book. Or the old days. Or anything, really.

Shooting a furtive glance behind her, Ruby spotted Iris Tait ambling slowly over the cobbles. Quickly tucking herself in behind a large tree palm in a pot, Ruby held her breath as she peeped through the frondy leaves until Iris was out of sight. Then, without emerging from her hiding place, she stretched out her arm and hammered on the door again.

‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ came a familiar voice from inside. ‘Hold your horses unless it’s the scoop of the century!’

Ruby rolled her eyes and couldn’t help smiling as she tried to knock again, only to find her fist bopping around in thin air.

‘Ruby Hutchinson, you old baggage!’ laughed Caroline. ‘What are you trying to do to my pot plant?’

‘Use it as camouflage, mostly!’ said Ruby, relief flooding through her at the sight of her best friend. ‘Can I come in?’

Caroline didn’t answer, she just grabbed Ruby’s hand and yanked her across the threshold into a bear hug that was so warm and familiar it brought tears to her eyes.

CHAPTER 8

RUBY

‘Alright, my old mucker,’ said Caroline, thrusting a large glass of water in front of Ruby, ‘get that down you, and then tell me what on Earth’s got you so worked up!’

Ruby took the glass with trembling fingers and shot her friend a watery smile. She’d known Caroline since they’d both been in nappies… and this was her at her most gentle. As in - not at all. Caroline had always been like a bull in a china shop. It was a trait Ruby found weirdly comforting. Just the fact that there was something as steady and unchangeable as Caroline Cook in Crumbleton made Ruby breathe a sigh of relief.

‘Come on Rubes, out with it,’ said Caroline, crossing her arms. ‘Who do I have to sit on?! Was it your parents?’

Ruby shook her head. ‘I’ve not even seen them yet!’

‘Then who?!’ demanded Caroline, looking more than a little fierce.

‘Oliver. Evans.’ Ruby muttered the name between sips of water.

‘What’s my dear old cuz been doing to reduce you to tears!’ said Caroline, her eyes going wide with surprise.

Ruby shook her head and took another sip of water – mainly as a delaying tactic. Perhaps coming to Caroline hadn’t been the best idea after all. She really wasn’t one for tea and sympathy – and Ruby was on the verge of getting hysterical about a guy she hadn’t seen since she was a teenager. A guy she’d only dated for one summer. In secret.

‘I mean, I know you guys have got the whole old flame thing going on,’ said Caroline, ‘but seriously - it’s been years!’

Okay – mostly secret!

Ruby just stared at Caroline, not knowing what to say. How could she admit she was still in love with the same person she’d fallen for all those years ago – when she was just a kid? How could she own up to the fact that she hadn’t even dated – let alone had a relationship with anyone – since she’d left Crumbleton?

‘Look… are you going to give me the gossip or am I going to have to go snooping?’ said Caroline, perching on the edge of her desk and watching Ruby with hawk-like interest.

‘Off the record?’ said Ruby. It was a force of habit when it came to talking to Caroline.

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