Page 15 of Saved By Love at Christmas
“Okay,” I promised.
“Here you go, love. A good strong cup of tea.” Grandad stood there with a tray holding three mugs.
I looked at Ben and we laughed at the same time. Grandad’s bemused expression made us laugh harder.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“I love you, Grandad. You always know that tea is the greatest healer.”
We all laughed then. It was cathartic after the stress from earlier. Ben left soon afterwards, promising to call me tomorrow. Watching him leave hurt. I wanted him to stay and make me laugh. To make me forget the past, but he had commitments. I was just grateful to have him in my life.
* * *
BEN
On returning to work, I found it difficult to focus on much. If I’d been in one of the consultation rooms dealing with animals, my concentration would’ve been fine. But I was working with some of the business aspects of the practice and my attention kept on slipping. Seeing Ruby in such a vulnerable state had hurt me. My heart ached so much for her. But unless she reached out to me and told me all about her experiences, I’d have to remain patient. I was just thankful I was there for her earlier.
By six o’clock, I was ready to go home. I hadn’t slept for over twenty hours, and I wanted a shower and bed. Before that, Fred would need to go for a walk. The poor boy would think I’d forsaken him. When I got in, he was jumping up and down, tail wagging so fast it was like a blur.
“Hey, big guy. I’m sorry. We’ll go for a good long walk. How does that sound?”
He barked loudly and stood by the coat hooks where his lead was kept.
I stroked his head and pulled down the lead. “I thought this would make you happy.”
The doorbell rang. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I just hoped it wasn’t going to turn into another callout because I was beat. I was surprised to see Ruby standing there with a tub in her hands. I just caught Fred before he leapt up at her.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
“I’d made so much stew and dumplings that I thought you might like some. Call it a thank-you-for-rescuing-me-earlier present.”
My smile widened at her thoughtfulness. “Thank you. I haven’t made anything for dinner. This will be great.”
She handed it to me, and Fred took that opportunity to sniff around her feet. Then he jumped up at her.
“Fred! Sorry; he knows not to do that to people.”
She laughed with delight when he licked her face and whined as she stroked him. “It’s fine. He’s beautiful, aren’t you, boy?”
I went through to the kitchen and placed the stew on the counter. When I returned to the front door, Ruby was kneeling, rubbing Fred’s belly. His eyes rolled back as he enjoyed all the attention.
“Fred, you’re such a playboy.”
Ruby laughed. “He’s adorable.” She looked up, noticing I had a coat on.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold you up. I’ll leave you to your walk.” She went to leave.
I didn’t want her to go, though. We’d spent so much time apart that I wanted her to stay. “You can come with us if you like.”
She gifted me with a beautiful smile, and her eyes had some of their sparkle back. It made me happy to think I’d brought that smile to her lips.
“Thanks. I’d like that.”
We headed down my front garden and towards a path that would lead us closer to the water. Fred stopped every five minutes to sniff at the grass.
“So, you finally got one of the dream houses we talked about when we were younger. I was surprised when Grandad said where you lived now.”
“Yes. I was really fortunate. I’ve only been living here for three months. It still needs a lot of work, so it was a little cheaper.”
