Page 22 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
‘Yes. I open the batting.’
‘Milton Road … Ladies?’
Ruby narrowed her eyes again. ‘Men’s. Although technically these days, it’s mixed.’
‘I know literally nothing about cricket.’
‘Actually, we have the Sunday Cup Semi-Final this weekend. Why don’t you come? It’ll be an education.’
‘I can’t, not with the café.’
‘The ground is only a ten-minute walk and the game usually finishes by twelve, one o’clock at the latest. Go on, you know you want to. You never know, you might meet someone. Loads of old guys play cricket.’
‘I’m not old!’
Ruby leaned forwards, lowering her voice. ‘Loads ofrichold guys.’
‘I think you need to start making coffee. Looks like we’ve got a couple coming in.’
As she went back behind the counter and pulled an apron over her head, Ruby smirked. ‘You’re just avoiding the issue,’ she said.
The morning had been nice but the afternoon a rainy, foggy affair, turning Sycamore Park into the setting for a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The steady stream of customers tailed off, and Madeline started to wonder whether closing early might not be a good idea. She needed to take Hazel to the vet for some vaccinations, and Ruby was always happy to go home early, because ‘You know, studying.’
As she stood in the open doorway, however, at just a little after four o’clock, looking out at the sodden patio with brave circles of dry underneath the table umbrellas which were not quite wide enough to protect the seats, she put one hand on the door, ready to pull it closed. At that exact moment, however, a figure appeared out of the fog: a tall man in a business suit. He carried a black umbrella in one hand, a briefcase in the other, his dress shoes clacking on the paving stones.
For a moment she thought he meant to continue around the gentle arc of the path towards the library and the theatre, but then he suddenly veered off and made a beeline for the café.
As he walked out of the fog, his face revealed, Madeline felt a knot in her stomach. She stepped back inside, waving for Ruby.
‘There’s a customer coming,’ she said. ‘Can you serve him. I really need to … go to the toilet. I think that second piece of carrot and caramel cake was one too many.’
Ruby scowled. ‘Ah, thanks for the info. No worries, I’ve got this.’
Madeline managed to get back behind the counter and into the little staff toilet cubicle before the man came inside. With her ear pressed to the door, she heard him order, heard him say he would sit in the corner. Madeline’s heart sank. That meant she either had to stay in the toilet for the next half an hour, or toughen up and face him.
And she wasn’t sure she could do that.
She hadn’t seen Rory at all since her return, and she had gotten used to it. But seeing him come walking out of the fog, looking all mature and stylish, had turned something inside her, something she had thought she had long ago left behind.
A longing, a craving, a little slice of heartache pie.
And maybe, just maybe, despite his tantrums and his attitude, she was still just a little bit in love with him.
13
Rekindled Fire
A little tapon the door.
‘Do you want me to call an ambulance? Or did you just run out of toilet roll or something?’
‘Just … a couple more minutes.’
‘It’s been forty-five. I’m officially doing overtime. You know, I’m pretty sure I remember you saying that was triple pay. Or was it quadruple?’
‘All right, all right, I’m coming out.’
But she didn’t. She cracked the door, then her hand froze, not allowing her to move it any further.
