‘What?’ It took her by surprise.
‘All the things we enjoyed: shared experiences, laughter, in-jokes and intimacy.’
‘Intimacy? Did I miss something?’
‘Not sex, Ruby. I mean our friendship. Familiarity that encourages a feeling of being relaxed and at ease with someone.’
‘I see. And you didn’t have that with Cordelia?’
‘Not at all. I knew I was happier in your company, although it is difficult to pin down exactly why.’ A frown crossed his forehead.
‘Gee thanks.’
‘And there was a note with Harry’s things,’ he said. ‘Which I believe is in your handwriting.’
‘Ah. I typed it but it felt too formal like that so I copied it out.’
‘But when?’
‘The nursing home called when you were in London. Harry asked me to do it and it’s entirely his words. I had very little to do with it,’ said Ruby. The note had been from the heart and full of love and a bit of fatherly advice.
‘It was especially kind of you. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ She wasn’t sure where this left things. ‘Does that mean it’s back to the dating drawing board for you then?’
‘No, Ruby. My analysis has shown that you are the key. It’s you who I want to be with.’
‘Wow,’ said Ruby, completely taken aback. ‘But you don’t believe in happily ever after.’
‘Maybe not but I believe in you.’
Ruby gulped down unexpected emotion at his words. It felt like a flutter of butterflies had been unleashed in her stomach. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘I know you are seeking someone spontaneous and romantic. And I am aware of my shortcomings in that area. I struggle with spontaneity; however, I can plan. The question is, despite my deficiencies would you be interested in pursuing a relationship with me? But before you answer, today is all about influencing that decision.’ He smiled and tapped the printed sheet.
She’d never heard of anything so romantic in her life. ‘Mr Walker, this is blatant manipulation.’
‘I’m afraid it is.’ He inched closer and she felt the warmth of his leg against hers and her breathing faltered. ‘Do you think it will work?’ he asked.
Ruby twisted in her seat. His face was very close to hers. His blue eyes watched her hopefully. ‘We have a friendship and one that I really value and don’t want to mess up. Dating crosses a line.’
He leaned back and she missed his closeness. ‘I see. Then I have a suggestion.’ She nodded for him to continue. ‘We spend the day together as if we are on a date as a couple. And at the end of the day we review it. A sort of post-implementation review.’
‘And if we don’t want to pursue a romantic relationship we stay as friends and forget today ever happened?’
‘Exactly. Do we have an agreement?’ He held his hand out for her to shake.
‘Has the date started?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Then let’s check something first.’ She gently pushed his outstretched hand out of the way and leaned forward until their lips met. The kiss was hesitant at first – tender and unsure. But it quickly intensified. Her body zinged as passion ripped through her. They pulled apart. ‘Bloody hell, Curtis! You’ve done that before.’
‘Of course I have.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I might be staid but I’m not dead.’ He pulled her back in for another kiss and she wished the train journey was a lot longer.
At St Pancras, their kissing was interrupted when they were shooed off the train by a cleaner. As they headed for the Tube, Ruby bubbled with excitement about the day ahead.
‘Perhaps you could refrain from pole dancing this time,’ said Curtis as they stepped onto a train.
‘Seriously it’s fun. You should try it,’ she said, twirling around the central pole. As the train took off Ruby spun out of control, but this time Curtis was there to catch her.
‘Thanks,’ she said, feeling safe in his arms as he steered her into an empty seat.
‘My pleasure,’ he said with a smile.
Their first stop was the London Eye. Ruby could hardly contain her excitement as they waited in the queue. They had their photograph taken and got ready to embark. As the pod slowly moved along the walkway towards them, Curtis took her hand and they stepped on together.
They found a spot and Curtis pointed out all the key buildings on the London skyline as they inched their way to the top. Curtis gripped the rail tightly and looked up river.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked and instantly wanted to kick herself. They weren’t even officially going out yet and she’d committed the cardinal sin of dating of asking a man what’s on his mind.
‘Good question,’ said Curtis. Thankfully he was apparently unaware of the unwritten dating code. ‘I was thinking that I might actually be a little acrophobic. Fear of heights.’ He nodded at the glass.
Ruby limboed awkwardly under his arm and popped up in front of him. ‘No problem. You can look at me instead.’
He chuckled. ‘That works for me.’ His eyes scanned her face. ‘You remind me of autumn.’
‘Is it the hair? It’s the hair, isn’t it?’ She twirled a tendril around her index finger.
‘No. You can’t miss autumn. It makes its presence known and frequently takes your breath away. You are truly beautiful, Ruby.’
It meant so much more coming from Curtis who was never spinning a line. She knew right there that she had fallen big-style for Curtis Walker. ‘Thank you. You’re not half bad yourself.’ She ruffled his hair, making him look a bit more boy band and a lot less tax inspector. Then she remembered Harry’s words and smoothed it back into place. ‘So, fear of heights is acrophobia. Not vertigo then?’
‘No, that’s a sensation, like dizziness, which can go with being acrophobic.’ She nodded. She had a sort of dizzy feeling right at that moment but it had nothing to do with how high up they were.
He glanced past her and closed his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him. That would help take his mind off the acrophobia.
When they were safely back on the ground they collected their photograph. Ruby was pulling a face and Curtis looked like he was posing for a passport picture. It reflected their personalities and Ruby knew it was something she was going to treasure.
They hopped back on the Tube and popped up at Leicester Square. She’d seen it many times on the TV when there had been film premieres but had never been. From there they dashed across busy roads and walked through ancient lanes and Ruby recognised where they were heading. Curtis stopped outside a shop.
‘I thought you might find something you like in here,’ he said, nodding at a display window. ‘My treat. As a bonus for all the work you did.’
Ruby scanned the shop front and her heart leaped – they were outside Kurt Geiger’s. ‘You’re paying me in shoes?’
‘If that’s okay with you?’ He looked unsure.
‘Yeah, that’s very okay with me.’
After trying on an obscene amount of footwear, she chose a pair of raspberry red Mary Janes and swung her bag happily as they strolled through Covent Garden. They made their way towards the restaurant they had been to the first time they came.
Curtis had reserved the same table. ‘This is definitely romantic,’ said Ruby, her heart filling up with happiness.
‘I have to confess. This part wasn’t my idea.’ Curtis scrunched his face up and Ruby held her breath. ‘It was Kitty’s.’
Ruby laughed. ‘You sought advice from Kitty?’
‘And Dot. Although she did suggest I buy you a new car and a property in the Algarve, which I thought a little extravagant.’
Ruby laughed. She loved those two ladies even more now.
After a lazy lunch they walked hand in hand through the tiny streets until they reached a corner where Curtis stopped. Ruby looked around. They were outside a theatre.
As Ruby craned her neck to read the signage, Curtis produced two tickets. ‘We have a
box for the matinee,’ he said.
‘Mamma Mia?’ He nodded. ‘Oh my gosh! I want to have your babies!’ she squealed and jumped into his arms.
‘Now that was something else I wanted to talk to you about,’ said Curtis but he was cut short by Ruby’s kiss.
Ruby almost skipped into Bloom with a View the following morning. Boomer scampered over and danced around her legs like she’d just returned from an expedition rather than her day off. He left her a little tiddle. She quite liked that she could reduce him to incontinence.
Kim sighed. ‘I’ll fetch the mop.’
‘No, no, I’ll do it,’ said Ruby merrily.
‘Hang on – someone is off-the-scale happy. What happened?’
‘I’ll put the kettle on – it’s a long story,’ said Ruby, failing to stop the smile spreading across her face.
Kim almost tripped over a bucket in her haste to join Ruby in the back room. She switched the kettle off and its excited burbles died. ‘I’ve waited a long time to see you looking this happy. Come on, spill.’
After the floor had been mopped they sat down and Boomer joined them. He sat with his chin on Ruby’s lap and stared at her adoringly while she recounted her day out with Curtis. Kim gasped, clapped and shed a small tear in all the right places.
‘And then we got the train home. First class.’
‘Are you seeing him again?’ asked Kim.
‘I’ll see him at Harry’s funeral on Friday, if that’s what you mean.’
‘You know it’s not. Come on out with it. What did you decide?’ asked Kim, leaning so far forward she was in danger of sliding off the stool.
‘Well.’ Ruby went a little coy. ‘I invited him in for coffee.’
Kim wrinkled her nose. ‘But you don’t drink coffee.’
‘I know.’ Ruby did something like jazz hands.
The door chimed. ‘Hello,’ called out Curtis.
Ruby smoothed down her hair, straightened her top and almost skipped into the shop.
‘I bought you both a sausage roll,’ said Curtis, holding up two Greggs paper bags. Boomer raced to greet him and danced under the sausage rolls as if trying to work out which one was his.
Curtis wrapped Ruby in a hug and kissed her tenderly.
Ruby stepped back and took her sausage roll. ‘You’re a keeper,’ she said.
Kim joined them. ‘Your mum would be so pleased you got your happy ending, Ruby.’
‘We all did,’ said Ruby, giving Curtis another quick kiss.
‘Apart from Cordelia, Lewis, Vince, Neil the sperm donor …’ said Curtis.
‘Okay,’ said Ruby, raising her palm to halt his list. ‘The people who really matter all got their happy endings.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘And hopefully there’ll be another one for someone when one day in the future we foster a child.’
Kim waved a hand at them, her eyes welling up with tears. ‘Stop! I can’t take any more.’
The door chimed and in walked Adrian. ‘I hope this isn’t a bad time,’ he started but he tailed off as he spotted that Ruby and Curtis were holding hands. ‘What did I miss?’ he asked. Boomer leaped about yelping his happiness at seeing Adrian and raced to get his rubber chicken, which he proudly presented to him. As soon as Adrian went to take it, Boomer raced off and began hurling it around the shop.
‘He loves tossing his chicken,’ said Kim proudly.
Ruby spluttered.
‘They hold an annual rubber chicken tossing contest in Iowa,’ said Curtis.
And right then she realised fairy tales came in all shapes and sizes and this was hers. ‘That’s good to know, Curtis,’ said Ruby giving him a squeeze. ‘That’s good to know.’
THE END
Acknowledgements
Hugest of Thank Yous to my fabulous editors Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks and Beth Wickington – I have so enjoyed working with you on this book. This extends to all the brilliant team at Avon who have managed to get yet another book published during the pandemic – no mean feat. And ongoing credit to my agent, Kate Nash, for being there throughout and continuing to reassure me.
Thanks to my fabulous dog owner friends Charlotte, Emma, Heather and Jane for a fun evening discussing the many antics their canine charges have got up to. A special thank you to Anne Marie Robinson-Gall of Anne Marie’s Florist in Dunchurch for her expertise and helpful insight into running a florist business. Any mistakes are entirely my own.
Big thank you to Alison May for suggesting a writing retreat to Retreats For You in Devon (highly recommended – by the way!) which kicked off the writing of this story and to Penny Gibbons for going to Comic Con with my daughter so I didn’t have to and instead could get on with the first draft!
Thank you to my fabulous and slightly bonkers writing friends – you know who you are! Thanks for the texts, chats, Zooms, RTs and shout outs – I appreciate every single one.
Biggest thank you goes to my family – I am so lucky to have spent the lockdowns with people I actually like as well as love to bits. You are the best.
Big shout out to everyone in the book blogging community for their continued support.
Deep gratitude to you my readers who have bought or borrowed my book and taken the time to read it. I really do appreciate it. I so hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I loved writing it and if you have a moment to leave a review that would mean so much – thank you.
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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
About the Publisher
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The Promise of Summer Page 33