Page 7 of Melting His Grumpy Heart
“Give him a treat, and he’ll be your friend for life.” Jake handed a biscuit to Ru. Monty had already had more than his day’s allocation, but the need to make some kind of amends to Ru pressed down on Jake; plus Ru needed to get used to being around the dog.
“Monty. Come on. Come and say hello properly.”
Monty came forward before stopping and looking up at Jake as though asking for permission. Jake nodded. The dog closed the gap and snaffled the treat from Ru’s hand. It was gone in seconds. Monty rolled onto his back, baring his pink stomach.
“What did I tell you?” Jake said, watching Monty wriggle around.
Ru laughed and tickled the dog’s belly.
The sound caught Jake off-guard. Bright and free, it transformed Ru’s face, lighting up his eyes. For a moment the shadows Jake had noticed earlier disappeared completely, replaced by simple joy at Monty’s antics.
“He’s utterly shameless.” Ru grinned as Monty squirmed beneath his touch. “Aren’t you, boy? No dignity whatsoever.”
“He’s got you wrapped around his paw already. But don’t let him fool you, because he can be a manipulative little bugger.”
“Oh, I’ve come to recognise manipulation when I see it. My ex, he was the grand master.” Although his tone was light, Ru’s lips curved downwards and he kept his eyes averted.
The casual remark hung in the air between them.
He. Jake absorbed this confirmation of what he’d already suspected, although the faded ‘PRIDE in London’ lettering on Ru’s sweatshirt was a giveaway.
Jake looked towards the window. It’d stopped snowing, but it was only a temporary reprieve and would be coming down hard again before the day grew old. He’d seen brutal winters before, but this one, barely halfway through, was already topping them all. His gaze shifted back to Ru, startled to find the younger man looking at him, his gaze steady.
“The snow’s stopped, so do you think there’sanychance, in the next day or two, that I’ll be able to get to Bobblecombe, or at least to the nearest town with a station?”
“No, I don’t.” What else could he say? The chances of Ru getting away—with his help, because the guy’s car was dead, awaiting burial—had been at zero earlier, but now they were sliding well and truly into the negatives.
Ru nodded, his expression resigned as though he’d already known the answer. He looked out of the window and shivered as he wrapped his arms around himself.
“You’re cold.” It wasn’t a question. The farmhouse, for all its solid construction, could be drafty in places, especially during a hard storm like this one.
“A bit,” Ru admitted, rubbing his arms. “It’s fine though. I’m just not used to proper country cold. London never gets like this.”
Without comment, Jake strode from the kitchen, returning moments later with a thick, navy blue cable-knit jumper.
“Here,” he said, thrusting it at Ru. “This should help.”
Ru blinked in surprise, then accepted the garment with a grateful smile. “Thank you. That’s really kind.”
“Can’t have you freezing to death in my kitchen.”
Ru pulled the jumper over his head, emerging with his hair even more tousled than before. The garment was comically large on him, the sleeves extending well past his fingertips, the hem reaching almost to mid-thigh. But the relief on his face, as the thick wool enveloped him, was immediate and genuine.
“Better?” Jake asked, trying to ignore the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of Ru wearing his clothes.
“Much,” Ru agreed, snuggling into the jumper’s warmth.
“Normally, I’d have the fire going by now, but?—”
“You’ve been completely thrown out of your routine by finding a waif and stray making themselves at home in your barn.” Ru’s lips twisted in a wry smile.
“I suppose you could say that.”
“Well, this particular waif and stray is very glad you found him.”
Jake answered with a sharp nod. He had no idea what to say. Had he always been like this? Maybe, because he’d had the wordsterseandsullenthrown at him more than once. He’dnever been one for wasting words, preferring to say it like was, but those things? No, not before?—
He cleared his throat. “You must be hungry.” Along with neglecting to get the fire going, there had been no breakfast, either. All he’d given Ru was a begrudging cup of tea. He glanced at the wall clock, surprised to see it was nearly lunch time. What did the guy eat? Not much, from the looks of him. He was, but only just, on the right side of skinny but it would only take a few missed meals and he’d be well and truly across the line.
