Page 48 of Coming Home to Crumbleton

A dollop of pure happiness slid into Ruby’s stomach.

‘We’ll see,’ she said grinning at him before taking a sip of coffee.

‘Can I ask you something?’ said Oli.

‘Anything!’ she said.

‘How come Bobbie and Ben didn’t come here with you?’ he said. ‘I mean - I’m not complaining - those two are mildly terrifying. I’m just surprised they abandoned you on your last stop after travelling all over the world with you.’

‘They wanted to come,’ said Ruby, ‘but I really didn’t want to come back to Crumbleton at all.’

‘Yeah, I know,’ said Oli, ‘don’t remind me!’

‘Sorry!’ she chuckled. ‘Anyway, it was the only way I said I’d agree to it - on my own or not at all.’

‘But why?!’ said Oli.

‘Honestly?’ said Ruby. ‘Because I wanted to make sure there would be no one around to stop me if I decided to make a break for it before the signing.’

‘You’re not serious?’ said Oli.

‘Deadly,’ said Ruby. ‘But I promise, I’m not going anywhere, so you can breathe!’

Oli let out a long, jokey sigh, but something told Ruby he wasn’t quite done with the questions just yet… and she realised that she really didn’t mind. She no longer had anything to hide. In fact, she was ready to share pretty much everything with this man.

‘So… why’d you stay away for so long?’ said Oli. ‘I wanted to ask you yesterday, but I didn’t want to…’

‘Spook me?’ said Ruby.

‘Exactly!’ laughed Oli. ‘Though to be fair, if finding me snoring in the woods didn’t do that, I should have known pretty much anything else would be okay!’

‘Yeah, you have a point,’ she laughed.

‘Anyway,’ said Oli, ‘you didn’t know I was back in Crumbleton, so I know you weren’t just doing it to avoid me, so…?’

‘I was avoiding the ghost of you,’ she said softly. ‘The ghost of us, really. I had the best times of my life here… and the worst. I didn’t want to deal with a bunch of memories. Ultimately, I couldn’t deal with facing what I’d lost.’

‘I get that,’ he said nodding. ‘It was kind of the same-but-opposite for me. Best and worst memories of my life right here in Crumbleton… but I wanted to wrap the whole lot around me like a blanket. I wanted to remember.’

Ruby got to her feet and walked over to him. Without saying a word, she dropped into his lap and wrapped her arms around him, not caring that they were in full view of the windows.

‘“She swallowed her tears. After all, this was just the beginning.”’

Ruby closed her book and silence descended on the shop.

People were squeezed into the space, spilling from the chairs, leaning against tables and even perched on Oli’s desk. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared back at her.

Ruby shifted her weight, from one foot to the other – uncomfortable in the deafening hush. Should she say something? Should she tell them that was it – she’d finished? Should she-

A roar rose from the crowd, and suddenly the shop was filled with clapping and cheering and calls for “More! More! Another chapter!”

Ruby stared around as a strange rush of emotions hit her in the chest. Gratitude, pride… and…

Her eyes went to her mum and dad in the front row. Both of them were clapping along with the rest, and they were staring at her with identical looks of wonder on their faces. Ruby smiled back at them even as she bit the inside of her lip to stop her face from crumpling. She was close to losing it, and her dad nearly pushed her right off the edge as he mouthed three words at her.

Proud of you

Ruby felt a bit like she was adrift in a sea she was only just learning to swim in. She stared around again, this time searching for something - or someone - to anchor her.

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