Page 34 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

She nodded. ‘Sure fire way to check that she’s at least planning on turning up.’

‘How?’ said Oli.

‘I’ll offer her an alternative,’ said Caroline with a little shrug. ‘I’ll invite her to have lunch with me over at Crumbleton Sands. Good plan, right?’

‘No! Terrible plan,’ said Oli, shaking his head. ‘What if she cancels on me to hang out with you?!’

‘Hmm,’ said Caroline. ‘Well then, my old chum – that would definitely give you your answer. If that happens - you’ve got even bigger problems than you think!’

‘That’s really not reassuring!’ said Oli, letting out a surprised laugh.

‘You want me to send it or not?’ said Caroline.

Oli blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair again.

‘You seriously need to stop doing that,’ she said, her fingers flying over her phone screen. ‘You look like a porcupine.’

‘Okay - send it!’ he said, doing his best to flatten the spikes again. ‘But if she does opt for lunch with you instead - I’m totally gate-crashing!’

Caroline snorted.

‘Actually, wait!’ said Oli. ‘I’ve changed my mind!’

‘Too late!’ crowed Caroline. ‘Already sent it.’ She tossed her phone down onto her desk and shot him a triumphant grin. ‘You know, you should be thanking me anyway. If it wasn’t for me, you and Ruby would never have even crossed paths in the first place.’

‘We totally would have!’ huffed Oli. He knew he sounded like a sulky teenager, but he couldn’t help it.

‘Yeah right!’ smirked Caroline. ‘You were never off the sports field long enough to meet any girls… other than cheerleaders. There’s no way you’d have discovered our favourite bookish waitress – especially considering she spent all of her spare time either in the bookshop or in front of that typewriter of hers!’

‘Fine… you might have a point,’ said Oli. ‘But I’m not sure about thanking you. You’re basically owning up to the fact that it’s your fault I went to America with a broken heart and never got over it.’

‘Yeah right,’ muttered Caroline. ‘I’m sure you were sad and all that, but I bet you got over it fast enough.’

Oli shook his head slowly. His cousin couldn’t be more wrong… but did he really want to go there with her right now? Did he want the biggest gob in Crumbleton to know there hadn’t been anyone in his life since Ruby?

‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’ said Caroline, watching him closely.

‘Serious?’ he hedged.

‘About Ruby,’ she said, looking like the truth was dawning on her by the second. ‘You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?’

‘Love?’ spluttered Oli. ‘I never said love.’

‘You didn’t need to!’ said Caroline. ‘Wow… and just for the record, it’s not my fault.’

‘You introduced us,’ said Oli.

‘Yeah, but I wasn’t the one who sent you off to America and made sure all ties between the pair of you were cut!’ said Caroline.

‘That’s true,’ said Oli.

‘I still can’t believe he did that,’ said Caroline.

Oli nodded slowly.

‘I know it’s mean to speak ill of the dead and all, but Uncle Mike could be such a prick sometimes!’ said Caroline.

Oli let out a surprised snort of laughter. ‘If he could hear you now, you’d be in so much trouble!’

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