Page 27 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

‘Find anything good?’ said Ruby, stealing a chip and promptly regretting it. It was already lukewarm.

‘Too soon to tell!’ said her mum, peering closely at something that looked a bit like a torture device for dolls. ‘But I’ll win that trophy if it’s the last thing I do.’

‘I believe you!’ chuckled Ruby. ‘Right - I’m off to the Dolphin and Anchor.’

‘Okay,’ said her mum, not turning around.

‘Mum?’ said Ruby.

‘Hmm?’ said her mum, still scrubbing away.

Ruby paused. She wanted to ask if she looked alright. She wanted to ask if it was ridiculous to be nervous about meeting up with a boy she’d spent the happiest summer of her life with before breaking his heart. But… she couldn’t. That sort of thing didn’t come anywhere near Sally Hutchinson’s comfort zone.

‘It’s nice to be back,’ Ruby said quietly.

‘That’s good,’ said her mum.

Ruby let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the fishy-chippy-scented kitchen into the fresh air of the little back garden. Sure, it looked like it had a terrible case of chicken pox after her mum’s enthusiastic hunt for a buried “odd object”, but it was still quite pretty in the soft evening light.

That was the thing with Crumbleton - it was unfailingly pretty. It didn’t matter which way you turned, the place was picture-postcard perfect. It was why the tourists loved it so much. Back when Ruby felt like she was stuck here, its sweetness had been enough to give her toothache. Now, though - after her long, self-imposed exile - it felt like a balm on her frazzled nerves.

Heading through the narrow passageway and onto the high street, Ruby turned her steps downhill. The Dolphin and Anchor sat right at the bottom, just along from the City Gates. It was the only place in town with a bit of land attached. What used to be an old grass tennis court out the back now made for a shrub-lined garden - a good spot to nurse a pint or two in fine weather.

The hotel’s position was perfect for visitors from out of town who didn’t want to face the hill, and there was even a little carpark – a very rare thing in Crumbleton. If you were local, however, facing the steep walk home after a few too many drinks could be… interesting. Then, the uneven steps and quaint cobbles quickly turned into something of an obstacle course!

Shop windows gleamed at Ruby as she wandered past. The awnings might have been wound up for the night, and the signs on the doors flipped to “closed’ - but every single window display was perfectly lit.

Ruby paused for a moment to admire a display of bright lollypops that had been strung across the sweet shop window with clear fishing wire, making the tastiest and prettiest of candy curtains. As she peered through the glass, she could just about make out the same wooden shelving she remembered from childhood, holding jar after jar full of old-fashioned treats. If they’d still been open, she might have been tempted to nip in and ask for a bag of cola cubes. They were Oli’s favourites. As for her, she’d never been able to say no to those foamy bananas… even though they’d always made him pull a face.

‘Come on, Rubes,’ she muttered, stepping back and doing her best to drag herself out of memory lane before she got lost down there. It was time to face the present instead – the one that was waiting for her in the bar of the Dolphin and Anchor.

On one hand, Ruby was hoping that Oli would keep things strictly business. It would be easier if they just stuck to the topic of her book signing. On the other hand, though… she had a feeling she’d be secretly heartbroken if that’s all they ended up talking about.

‘Oh, grow up!’ she huffed.

The poor guy didn’t deserve to be met with her long-held mess of emotions. No doubt - as far as Oli was concerned - she was just a girl he’d once flirted with to make studying a bit more bearable. A fling that had taken him by surprise during that sweet, in-betweeny summer – after school and before college - when it had felt like all bets were off and the world was at their feet.

To Oli, she was probably just a distant memory… and in reality, that’s all he should be to her too. Instead, he felt like the start of a story she’d been forced to abandon. A tale she’d been aching to follow all the way to the final chapter… until the book had been slammed shut on her.

‘Breathe!’ she whispered, picking up her pace and focussing on the sound of her footsteps on the cobbles. She was working herself up into a proper tizz… and she wasn’t even at the bottom of the hill yet. She glanced at her watch and then put on a burst of speed before she was officially late. Poor Oli - the guy didn’t know what he’d let himself in for, did he?!

When the broad white frontage of the Dolphin and Anchor appeared in front of her at last, Ruby paused, panting a little as she tried to get her breath back. Her legs were twitching from the unaccustomed exercise - she’d been back for less than a day and she could already feel the effects of Crumbleton’s hill! It was no wonder Oli had become such a talented runner - living here was the best kind of training you could get!

As for her – she’d clearly spent far too much time sitting at her laptop. There had been plenty of dashing around recently though – but the problem with book events was that they inevitably involved cake somewhere along the line! Thank heavens this was the last event in her diary for a good long time. She needed some proper exercise before launching herself into the next book. If there was a next book.

Ruby shook her head – stopping the thought dead before it had the chance to drag her down into the doldrums. She should be excited! After all, her career had taken off in a way that most authors dreamed of.

Yeah – but you weren’t expecting the dream to be more like a nightmare, were you?!

Urgh! When had her head become so full of things she didn’t want to think about? It was like she had to tiptoe around inside her own brain, doing her best to avoid it all.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ruby shook her head in an attempt to clear it as she scanned the windows of the hotel. Her eyes flitted from one navy blue frame to the next, searching each golden square of light for Oli’s face.

No sign. Well… there was nothing for it but to head inside and face the music.

A wave of warmth and chatter hit her in the face as Ruby pulled open the heavy door and walked into the bar. She paused, blinking as she waited for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dim, golden light.

Several people turned towards her from their perches at the bar, and Ruby smiled and nodded at the various familiar faces. They all returned her smile before turning back to sip their pints.

---