Page 44 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

‘Shh!’ said Ruby, shuffling closer to him. Reaching out, she placed a gentle hand on his knee. ‘It’s perfect.’

‘But I-’

‘I love it,’ said Ruby firmly, catching his eye and holding it. ‘I had so much fun with the clues.’

‘Really?’ said Oli, his face starting to relax.

Ruby smiled at him and nodded, feeling a strange sense of pride that she had the power to wipe away his frown lines and replace them with a tentative smile.

‘The first one was a toughie… but after that, I got into the swing of it,’ she said, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. ‘You know, it was a seriously sneaky way to get me to do all the hard work - shopping for our date while you snuck off for a nap!’

‘I didn’t mean to fall asleep - I was so nervous I barely slept last night,’ said Oli, suddenly looking like an eighteen-year-old again. ‘I got here way too early to set up… and then all I had left to do was wait and wonder if you’d come.’

‘Of course I came,’ said Ruby.

As she said the words, she suddenly realised how true they were. Wherever Oliver Evans was – she wanted to be there too. The only way she’d managed to ignore the constant magnetic pull of him all these years was to build an impenetrable defence between her present and her past. Now, parts of that protective wall had started to crumble and the forces were at work on her once more - as gentle as the tide and subtle as lightning.

The pair of them were… inevitable.

With the realisation came another dose of awkwardness, and Ruby suddenly realised she still had her hand resting on Oli’s leg. She quickly pulled away and reached for the basket.

‘I think I got everything!’ she said brightly.

‘Did Kendra crack and tell you everything?’ said Oli with a small smile. ‘She was so excited that you were going in this morning!’

Ruby smiled more easily again. ‘Nah, she was brilliant… though I think our private Q and A tomorrow might just be her grilling me about today and extracting as many juicy details as she can get!’

‘Just tell her you don’t kiss and tell!’ chuckled Oli.

‘Is there going to be kissing?’ said Ruby lightly, drawing the paper bag of bakery goodies out of the basket and setting it between them without making eye contact.

‘You tell me,’ said Oli.

He suddenly sounded a bit out of breath, though it could just be a yawn trying to body-snatch him.

‘I… um… well…’ said Ruby.

Oli sniggered.

‘Git!’ she said, nudging his leg with her foot.

‘Wuss!’ he retorted.

‘Am not,’ said Ruby.

‘Prove it!’ said Oli.

‘Fine. Maybe I will,’ said Ruby. ‘When you least expect it.’

‘Something to look forward t-’

Ruby didn’t even let him finish the sentence. She turned towards him, pressing her lips against his - a dare she’d just won rather than the kiss she’d been dreaming about for years and years.

‘Ha ha!’ she laughed, pulling back to crow at his surprise, only for him to reach up and gently cup her face in his hands.

‘Ha ha,’ he said slowly, his voice gravelly as he leaned in to kiss her properly.

This time, it wasn’t a dare between two teenagers. This was six years of longing and hope and regret and desire. The remains of Ruby’s defences dissolved, and she melted into Oli.

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