THE PROMISE OF SUMMER
PART THREE
Thanks a Bunch
Bella Osborne
Copyright
Published by AVON
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2021
Copyright © Bella Osborne 2021
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2021
Cover illustration: Shutterstock.com
Bella Osborne asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008464905
Ebook Edition © June 2021 ISBN: 9780008331320
Version: 2021-06-04
Dedication
To Charlotte Ledger for being the first editor to take a chance on me, for continuing to champion me from the sidelines and for being one of the loveliest people on the planet.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Keep Reading …
About the Author
Also by Bella Osborne
About the Publisher
Chapter Twenty-One
Ruby was a bit dazed. She was sitting in her car just outside the train station, staring out of her windscreen but not really seeing anything. All she could think about was Vince. Vince – the husband Kim said was dead, but it appeared was very much alive and who, once she’d stopped waving the scissors at, had got her a drink of water to help with the shock. The living, breathing man who she thought had come to rob the shop and murder her, but it turned out only wanted to see Kim, his wife. None of it made any sense.
Someone tried the passenger door handle and she screamed. She’d been miles away, trying to understand what Vince had told her.
‘You all right?’ asked Curtis, sticking his head in the car.
‘No. I’m not. I’ve just had a conversation with a dead man,’ said Ruby.
Curtis scanned the back seats. ‘Is he still here?’
‘What are you on about it?’ She didn’t need Curtis going all obtuse on her.
‘I thought maybe you thought you saw a ghost.’
‘Something like that. Get in and I’ll tell you on the way to the nursing home. Then we’re going to the hotel bar, where we are going to have too much to drink and I’m going to tell you a story that will melt your brain. Then I’ll get a taxi home.’
‘That crystal ball of yours has been worth the money,’ he joked.
She scowled at him. He quickly got in the car and did up his seatbelt.
They had been driving for a few minutes before it registered with Ruby that Curtis hadn’t queried her setting out her plans for the evening and inadvertently his. Her head was far too full of Vince for her to contemplate raising the donor issue and that hitched up her annoyance at Kim even further. She’d tried to call her after Vince had left the shop but it had gone straight to voicemail. That was probably for the best. She wanted to see Kim face to face when she challenged her about this.
‘It’s occurred to me that there may be a reason why you want to get drunk. Is there something wrong?’ asked Curtis.
‘I didn’t mean to take over your evening. I can drop you at the hotel if you like?’
‘The plans you have outlined for the evening are fine but that doesn’t answer my question. Is there something wrong?’
‘You are going to wish you’d not asked,’ said Ruby, pulling up outside the nursing home. ‘I’ll tell you later.’
Inside it was dinner time and the staff were charging about trying to ferry everything from the kitchen while it was hot. Ruby held up the flowers, feeling bad for interrupting.
‘I just thought these might cheer up some of the residents,’ said Ruby to a stressed-looking young woman carrying a full gravy boat.
‘That’s such a nice thought. But I’m afraid I don’t know when I’ll be able to put them in water.’
‘If you point me to some vases, I’ll do it,’ said Ruby.
‘Okay. Straight through those doors. Round to the right, you’ll find the cleaning cupboard. Top cupboard, top shelf. Help yourself.’ And with that she sped off.
‘I’ll go and have a quick five minutes with Harry if that’s okay?’ asked Curtis.
‘Sure.’ Ruby went in search of the vases. She noticed she was grinding her teeth – quite rare for her to do it while she was awake. That’s how cross she was with Kim.
She arranged the flowers into three separate vases and by the time she had tweaked the last arrangement she could feel the tension leaving her jaw. Flowers always had a calming effect on her. Ruby took one vase through to the television lounge where a few residents were eating off trays. Nobody looked up. But then to be fair the shepherd’s pie did look and smell particularly good. Ruby took the second vaseful into the dining room and was greeted like a returning hero by Dot.
‘Look who it is and those flowers! Are they for me?’ Dot’s face lit up and Ruby instantly felt bad.
‘They’re for all of you to share.’
‘They’re beautiful. Here, let’s have a sniff.’ Ruby wafted the blooms under Dot’s nose.
‘Gaw-jus,’ she said. ‘Now sit down and update us on everything.’ Dot picked up her fork and carried on with her meal but her eyes never left Ruby.
‘Oh, what the hell,’ said Ruby. She needed to get it all off her chest. She recalled her encounter with Vince, including wielding the rubber chicken in his face, which she got out for demonstration purposes and had the room in uproar. By the time she’d finished her story and the ladies had gasped and hooted in all the right places Ruby was feeling somewhat unburdened. She caught sight of the clock.
‘I need to dash. But I’ll be back soon. I promise.’ She gave Dot and Kitty a quick hug and jogged off to get the last vase of flowers.
She headed upstairs and found a door with Harry’s name on a laminated card slotted into a holder. An odd reminder of how easily replaceable those name tags, and the room occupants, really were. She knocked on the door.
Curtis appeared.
‘I brought these for your dad,’ she said, offering him the vase.
‘You can come in if you like?’ As usual he was hard to read but she got a sense that maybe he wanted her to. She went into the room and closed the door behind her.
‘Harry, this is Ruby who I was telling you about,’ said Curtis. Harry’s eyes fluttered open.
Harry gave her a thumbs up. ‘The antibiotics seem to be working,’ said Curtis, sounding flat.
‘That’s good then.’ Ruby pulled up a chair. ‘If you keep on like this, you’ll be back training for the London marathon soon enough. Or at the very least you’ll be able to join the others in the lounge.’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘Oh, now hang on a minute. Am I sensing that you don’t get on with someone?’ Harry didn’t react. ‘Or … is it the opposite? Is there a someone who you do get on with? Perhaps you’d like to get on with them even better. A certain lady of the female variety. Maybe Dot?’ Harry’s eyebrows jumped. ‘Or Kitty?’ Harry started to laugh and it instantly turned into a hacking cough.
Curtis scowled at Ruby as he got to his feet and helped Harry into a more upright position.
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Ruby, feeling mildly panicked that she’d triggered the coughing fit.
Harry pulled off the mask. ‘He said you were feisty. He’s not wrong, is he?’
‘To be fair I’ve been called a lot worse,’ said Ruby.
Harry’s breathing was laboured and he needed to pause before speaking again. ‘Thank you for the flowers.’
‘I work in a florist’s – it’s one of the perks. Don’t go thinking Dot has a rival for your affections. I don’t want to get mixed up in a love triangle.’
Harry beamed back at her before Curtis replaced the oxygen. ‘I think we should probably go.’
‘Lovely to meet you, Harry. Keep up the good work,’ she said. Harry gave her another thumbs up and she could see he was smiling.
They walked back to the car. ‘How do you do that?’ asked Curtis, shaking his head and glancing back at the nursing home as if he was trying to figure something out.
‘Do what? The flowers? It’s just practice. The trick is not to try to be symmetrical with blooms. You—’
‘Not the flowers. The chat. Despite having known him for over half my life I frequently have no idea what to say. I had been sitting there in silence for at least five minutes. But you … You’re able to chat to a complete stranger about … actually I have no idea exactly what you were talking about but I know that’s the most animated I’ve seen him in weeks. It’s the first time he’s smiled in a long time.’
‘Oh.’ For once she didn’t know what to say. ‘Gift of the gab, my mum used to say.’ She tilted her head. ‘Verbal diarrhoea my teachers called it.’
‘I think it’s a gift.’
‘Thanks,’ said Ruby, liking how good she felt about herself right at that moment.
Kim hadn’t been out of the shop all day, but she had seen that it had been chucking it down all afternoon. Thankfully the evening had brought a brief respite although it was still cloudy. Kim and Adrian were waiting for Margaret to let them in.
‘I like your top,’ said Adrian.
She’d had a good rummage through her wardrobe and discovered a few nice things she’d forgotten all about. She wasn’t sure when she stopped thinking about what she was wearing but she was conscious that, of late, she’d been living in jeans and T-shirts and she was enjoying the change. ‘Thanks. I’m planning on keeping this one on tonight.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Adrian scrunched up his shoulders. ‘Not that it was a problem last time. And it wouldn’t be in the future. You know … if you wanted to take your top off.’
Margaret flung open the door and scowled at Adrian, clearly having overheard their conversation. ‘Everything all right?’ She addressed her question to Kim whilst Adrian ran a finger around his collar.
‘All good,’ said Kim. ‘Keep that pac-a-mac to hand,’ she added, smiling at Adrian, and they went inside.
‘We had the canine psychologist here for Boomerang today,’ said Margaret, her voice gruff.
Kim spun around. ‘How did it go?’
‘Well … that’s debatable. I think you’ll notice a change in him. Anyway …’ Margaret marched ahead.
‘What does that mean?’ asked Adrian.
‘I have no idea.’
As they approached, the usual barking started. Margaret shouted and the barking dwindled except now there was one lone ear-splitting solo echoing around the yard. Kim and Adrian looked at each other. ‘Boomerang?’
They reached his kennel and received their answer. Boomerang was sitting in the outside run, and for a moment Kim was overjoyed to see him looking calmer but he had his head back and was howling at an ear-bleeding pitch.
‘Blimey,’ said Adrian, putting his fingers in his ears.
‘Boomerang,’ said Kim but she got no response. ‘Boom – er – ang,’ she called in a singsong voice.
The dog stopped howling and looked at her.
‘I say, someone has the magic touch,’ said Margaret. ‘Shall we try taking him for a walk?’
It took a while to get the harness on him. He was overexcited and bounced around like Tigger after a couple of red bulls.
Eventually they were ready to venture out on a walk. Kim held on to the lead tightly whilst Margaret snapped instructions at her. It was beyond stressful. The dog was pulling hard and Kim was surprised by how much power he had. He wasn’t a big dog but his power-to-weight ratio was impressive. As was his ability to have his front half off the ground most of the time, like he was trying to take off. Boomerang seemed to think he was in a race and was determined to be first across the finish line.
‘Tell him, heel!’ insisted Margaret.
‘Heel,’ said Kim. Boomerang continued to strain against the lead. It was making Kim’s arm ache.
‘I don’t think he’s listening,’ said Adrian.
‘Pull the lead back and tell him,’ said Margaret and Kim caught sight of her shaking her head. She was doing her best.
‘Heel!’ she said firmly and gave Boomerang a tug.
Underfoot it was slippery thanks to the rain and for a moment she skidded. Her heart leaped but she regained her footing. Over the last few days she’d thought about what it would be like to take Boomerang out on lovely long walks – having her arm tugged out of her socket had not featured in those daydreams.
They were doing the same circuit they had done with the Yorkshire terrier and the Labrador – and now they were on the homeward stretch. Kim was looking forward to relaxing the muscles in her arm.
‘You okay?’ asked Adrian.
‘Yes, fine,’ said Kim. She figured if he was going to be her dog, she had to get used to walking him. ‘I’m sure he’ll calm down.’
Margaret snorted a laugh and at the same time Boomerang went into overdrive, catching Kim unawares. She had the lead looped around her wrist as Margaret had instructed, which was good as it meant when the dog lunged, she didn’t let go or rather couldn’t let go. But this was also bad because the jolt coincided with a particularly slippy bit of track and Kim slid along for a moment like she was water skiing before reaching a grippy bit where her shoes stopped and Boomerang kept going. Propelling her face first into a muddy puddle.
‘Boomer!’ spluttered Kim. For the first time the dog seemed to respond. He turned around and jumped into the puddle with her, finishing off the job of covering the rest of her in mud.
Adrian was laughing so hard she thought he’d rupture something. And she could imagine the sight she looked, which set her off too.
‘Come on, Boomerang,’ said Margaret sullenly, taking the lead from Kim and marching off ahead.
Adrian helped Kim to her feet and she dripped muddy water back to the kennels.
‘I think that was positive,’ said Adrian. They both studied the mud dripping from Kim. ‘I meant specifically the part where he came when you called him Boomer.’
‘Maybe he doesn’t like his name,’ mused Kim.
‘I l
ike Boomer better.’
‘Yes. Me too,’ said Kim, flicking some drips off her chin.
By the time they got back, Margaret had already put Boomer back in his kennel and fed him.
‘The Yorkshire has been rehomed but the Labrador is still available and we’ve got a Beagle cross called Sherlock I don’t think you’ve seen,’ said Margaret, locking the pen.
‘Er, I’m only having the one dog,’ said Kim.
‘Wonderful.’ Margaret looked relieved. ‘Which one?’
‘That one,’ said Kim, pointing at Boomer who was now back to cavorting up and down the length of his enclosure.
‘You still want him?’ Margaret looked aghast.
‘Of course,’ said Kim. ‘He’s a handful but I’m not giving up on him just because of a bit of mud.’
‘Terrific. He’s come on leaps and bounds thanks to all your efforts. If you’re absolutely sure I’ll get the papers. And you can take him whenever you like.’
‘Great. But not tonight,’ said Kim, indicating her muddy coating, which was starting to dry in places, giving her a certain crusty quality.
‘Of course. Tomorrow?’
‘Yes. Okay.’
‘Wunderbar!’ said Margaret in a dodgy German accent and she almost skipped off.
‘I need to get home and in the shower,’ said Kim. ‘Oh, crap.’
‘Problem?’
‘My shower died on me this morning. Plumber can’t come out until Monday. Maybe I could get in the washing machine.’
‘Come over to mine. You can have a shower and while your clothes are on a quick cycle, we can have a take-away. How about that?’
It sounded perfect. ‘I usually only do naked take-away on a Sunday but …’
‘I’m sure I have something that would fit you. Unless you really wanted to do the naked take-away.’
‘I could be persuaded as long as it’s nowt too hot …’ said Kim. ‘That’s a burn I wouldn’t want to have to explain at hospital.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
The hotel bar was sumptuous and swish. Ruby was making her way through a bottle of wine when Curtis joined her, freshly showered and without a tie – his only nod to this being an informal meeting.
The Promise of Summer, Part 3 Page 1