Ruby resisted the pull to apologise. This was another week in London and it was kind of all her fault. ‘Of course. Whizz over the details and I’ll have a natter to them.’
‘Natter? You need to establish what their requirements are and …’
‘Curtis. I was joking. Chill out. I’ve got this.’
‘Of course. I will email you their details.’
‘Great. And shall we catch up when you’re back from London to talk about the ring?’ Ruby giggled. ‘We sound like Hobbits.’ She switched her voice to Gollum. ‘My precious.’
Curtis cleared his throat. ‘Yes. That’s fine.’
‘Okay. I’ll pick you up from the station on Friday night. Text me what train you’re on.’
‘Actually that—’ But she ended the call. Ruby wanted to see him as soon as he was back. She felt like she’d been waiting to do this for a while already and she didn’t want to waste any more time. If he said yes, this time next week she could be pregnant.
Friday in the flower shop was a good one. They’d had a steady flow of customers, all of whom had been happy ones, which added to the general feeling of excitement bubbling away inside Ruby. Today was the day. She’d had multiple trial conversations with Seymour standing in for Curtis where she’d put her well-thought-through plan to him and responded to all of his possible counter-arguments, making her feel ready for the real conversation. Although she feared Seymour would prove to have been slightly easier to convince than Curtis. One whiff of catnip and he was anybody’s.
Kim seemed to be having a day of two halves. She’d told Ruby that her shower had packed up and the plumber couldn’t come until Monday but on the plus side Adrian was picking her up from work and they were off to see Boomerang together. Ruby had noticed this had become a regular thing as long as Adrian’s train got in on time.
An older gentleman came into the shop and Ruby went to serve him.
‘Hello, how can I help?’
He checked his list. ‘Do you have any chlamydia?’
Ruby blinked and tried to avoid Kim’s jiggling shoulders as she failed to control her laughter. ‘Well, I hope not.’
‘Why, is it not very nice? Because my wife wants some.’
Ruby pressed her lips together to compose herself. ‘It depends exactly what you’re after. Can I get a look at that list?’ she asked. He handed it to Ruby. The writing was appalling and it did look like she’d written trailing chlamydia. ‘I’m going to take a guess that she’s after trailing clematis. And if it’s wrong, keep the receipt and bring it back. Okay?’
‘But is it the same thing?’ He looked quite concerned.
‘No, it’s not. Trust me, clematis is a lot nicer. Chlamydia isn’t pretty at all.’
He cheered up. ‘Okay then, that sounds grand.’
Ruby sorted him out with a purple flowering plant and managed to keep her giggles inside until he was completely outside the shop.
She raced to the back room where Kim was doubled up with laughter. ‘You were no help,’ she scolded.
‘That was a corker. I’ve had someone ask for pee on knees instead of peonies before but never chlamydia.’ Kim pulled herself together. ‘Although I did know a Births, Deaths and Marriages registrar who swore blind someone wanted to name their baby Chlamydia.’ That set them off again. The door chimed and they both peeped their heads out to see who it was.
Adrian waved back at them. Ruby was relieved it wasn’t the elderly man changing his mind and coming back to insist she give him chlamydia.
‘I’ll just be a minute,’ said Kim. She pulled her head back through the beads and straightened her top. She pulled her lipstick from her pocket and added a quick sweep across her lips.
‘Only a friend, huh?’ whispered Ruby and Kim gave her a playful swipe before she strode nonchalantly into the shop.
‘Hi, Adrian, I made up a bouquet for Justine.’ She produced the bunch of mixed roses with a flourish.
‘They’re lovely. I managed to catch the earlier train. I’m a bit early, aren’t I?’
‘That’s fine,’ said Ruby, joining them. ‘You go; I’ll lock up. I’m not picking up Curtis for another hour and a bit. I figured I’d sit here and read my book until I need to get him.’
‘You sure?’ asked Kim.
‘Of course. You two kids go and enjoy yourself,’ said Ruby with a friendly smirk.
Kim stuck her tongue out at her as she went to get her bag. ‘And you’ll cash up and everything?’
‘No, I’m planning on leaving the money strewn around the shop and the door wide open with a sign saying, “Help yourselves”.’
‘That’s not funny after all the burglaries.’ Kim gave her a long-suffering stare.
‘Sorry. Of course, I’ll do everything,’ said Ruby. ‘Go, quick before I change my mind.’
‘Thanks, you’re a star,’ said Kim as she headed for the door.
‘Bye,’ she said, waving them off.
Ruby checked her watch – ten minutes to closing. She started to pack up the shop. It wasn’t likely she’d have any more customers but there was always the odd one who wanted to grab some flowers on the way home. She sorted out the stock, tidied up, hoovered the floor and wiped down the surfaces until the little shop was all spick and span. She put all the old stock to one side and wrapped them up into two makeshift bunches. They weren’t good enough to be used tomorrow but they would cheer up Curtis’s dad’s nursing home and as it was near the hotel, she planned to drop them in on the way. She figured it also wouldn’t do any harm to have Curtis on her side before she asked him the big question.
Ruby cashed up. She flicked the lights off in the back room and picked up her bag ready to leave. The bell chimed. Sod it, she thought, she’d forgotten to lock the door and turn the sign over.
‘Sorry, we’re closed,’ she said, stepping into the now sparse-looking shop. A man she would have put in his fifties was standing right up against the door. She smiled but he didn’t – if anything he looked on edge. Alarm bells started to ring in her head. All the talk of recent burglaries filled her mind. Her exit was blocked. She’d never seen this man before. Her eyes darted to his hands checking for weapons – nothing obvious. She straightened her back. This was one of those moments she really wished she was tall. She raised her chin and her voice. ‘I said we’re closed.’
He scanned the shop. ‘Is the owner here?’ He leaned to one side to look past Ruby towards the back room.
‘No …’ As soon as she’d said it she wished she hadn’t because now she’d told him she was all on her own. Alone and vulnerable. Her pulse started to thud in her ears. She weighed him up. If it came to fight or flight, he had the weight advantage. She stepped towards the back room. If she had to, she’d grab the scissors off the wall and wield them like a ninja. Or at the very least, a mildly dangerous harpy. ‘She’ll be back any minute.’ Ruby blurted it out in the hope he’d fear being interrupted and leave.
‘Right. Then I’ll wait.’
Nooooooo! That was not part of the plan. She was trapped in the shop with a burglar. There was no way out. Kim wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Was that when they’d find her body? She was seriously panicking now. ‘You can’t wait because I have to be somewhere.’ Her throat was dry, making her voice sound all wobbly. Show no fear, she told herself as she gripped her bag to stop her hands from shaking.
‘You all right?’ he asked.
‘Actually, no, I’m not. I need to leave.’ She snaked her hand into her bag. If she could reach her phone without him seeing maybe she could dial 999. Would they be able to work out that she was in a hostage situation?
‘How long is she likely to be?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know exactly. She will be back. But you can’t wait.’ She was making no sense. She bit her lip as she rummaged around her bag with one hand. It was extremely difficult to identify items when you couldn’t see them. She had far too much rubbish in her bag. She found something squishy – eurgh, what even was that?
He stepped forward and Ruby thought her heart was going to leap out of her chest. She pulled the first thing she could from her bag and waved it menacingly. They both stared at the rubber chicken. For a moment Ruby was as confused as the burglar. Then she remembered it was the toy she’d bought for Boomerang.
She threw it at his head, shot to the back room and grabbed the scissors. She spun around to find he had followed her.
‘That’s far enough!’ she shouted and she made a stabbing action with the scissors. Although it would have been more menacing had she opened them up.
‘Whoa. Calm down. I’m not after any trouble.’
‘Then why did you barge in here and corner me?’
‘The shop was open and you were acting a bit strange.’
He had a point. ‘That’s not the point. Who are you and what do you want with me?’
‘I’ve come to see Kim. I’m Vince.’
Can’t wait to see what happens next? Click here to find out what happens in part three …
Keep Reading …
Confused by her life prospects, Ruby decides to go to Curtis with a proposition …
Click here to find out what happens next in part three …
A big family. A whole lot of secrets. A Christmas to remember …
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Regan is holding a winning lottery ticket.
Goodbye to the boyfriend who never had her back, and so long to the job she can’t stand!
Except it’s all a bit too good to be true …
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Life’s not always a walk in the park …
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Join Daisy Wickens as she returns to Ottercombe Bay …
Click here to find out more.
Escape to the Cotswolds with Beth and Leo …
Click here to find out more.
Tempted to read another heart-warming romance by Bella Osborne?
Click here to find out more.
As the sun begins to set on Sunset Cottage, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom …
Click here to find out more.
About the Author
Bella Osborne has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full-length novel.
In 2016, her debut novel, It Started at Sunset Cottage, was shortlisted for the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year and RNA Joan Hessayon New Writers Award.
Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz and planning holidays.
She lives in the Midlands, UK with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping).
Also by Bella Osborne:
It Started at Sunset Cottage
A Family Holiday
Escape to Willow Cottage
Coming Home to Ottercombe Bay
A Walk in Wildflower Park
Meet Me at Pebble Beach
One Family Christmas
Other titles in The Promise of Summer serialisation:
Part One: With this Ring …
Part Three: Thanks A Bunch
Part Four: Here Comes The Sun
About the Publisher
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HarperCollins Canada
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India
HarperCollins India
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www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
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Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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www.harpercollins.com
The Promise of Summer, Part 2 Page 9