Page 30 of Saved By Love at Christmas
“Morning, Sandra. Anything wrong?”
“Have you seen those scratches on your car?”
I closed the driver’s side door and saw a couple of very large scratches that went right across the paintwork. How the hell had they got there? I hadn’t noticed them yesterday. The only place it could’ve happened was outside my house. Come to think of it, Fred had barked in the middle of the night, but it was only a half-hearted bark like he did when he was dreaming. Now it had me wondering if some idiot had done it on purpose and Fred had heard them.
“How do you reckon they got there?” she asked, coming closer.
“I have no idea. I haven’t hit anything. Probably just an act of mindless vandalism.”
During my lunch break, I’d speak to the mechanic who usually worked on my car. I was sure he’d be able to help sort it out.
CHAPTER10
RUBY
I finally crawled out of bed around midday. I stretched, yawned, and opened the curtains. It was a crisp, sunny winter’s day. I was already looking forward to our trip to Notcutts. After getting washed and dressed, I went downstairs in search of Grandad. As usual, he was in the kitchen, baking. He’d just closed the door of the aga.
“Good to see you up and about,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Great, actually. I guess putting up all the decorations and thinking about my work again have had a super effect on my mood. More importantly, what goodies have you just put in the oven?”
He rubbed his hands with glee. “Homemade sausage rolls with caramelised red onion chutney, and mince pies with homemade mincemeat.”
“Oh my God. How long do I have to wait to eat them?” I groaned.
Grandad chuckled at me. “Half an hour in the oven, then a few minutes to cool.”
“But that’s far too long. I’ll die of starvation before then!” I gazed longingly at the aga, willing them to cook quicker.
“Why don’t we have some of my special veggie soup and bread while we wait?”
“Perfect,” I said, already heading to the cupboard to grab the soup bowls. “Let’s do this.”
After we’d filled ourselves up with all the home-baked goodness, we got ready to head to Notcutts. It was quite busy when we arrived. There were only a few spaces left in the car park, and people were milling about, heading towards the café and the indoor area. This was a popular place to go.
When we got out of the car, I linked arms with Grandad. “I know we usually have something to eat in the café afterwards, but I’m still stuffed from lunch. Do you fancy just having hot chocolate instead?”
“I think so. We’ll burst if we eat anything else.”
I had to agree with him on that point. “Anyway, we’ll have plenty of time to visit again. Then we can have a piece of cake or a yummy scone.”
“I like the way you think. Now, come on, Ruby. Let’s go and look at the Christmas display.”
I was certain Grandad was more excited about this trip than I was. We walked through the back entrance, looking at all the winter plants on offer outside.
“Do you think the front garden could use some of these pretty winter pansies?” I asked as I held a pot of them in one hand.
“That’s a great idea. They’ll bring a bit more colour to the flowerbeds.”
“Along with all the Blackpool illuminations already in place. Hi, Ruby. Hi, Tom.”
I hadn’t even seen Ben. I was too engrossed in studying the plants. His smile was wide, eyes bright, and I liked the five o’clock shadow he was sporting. My heart picked up the pace, and I felt my cheeks glowing.
“You should see what we’ve done inside the house, Ben. I dread to think what the electric bill will be like. Anyway.” Grandad grinned at him. “What brings you here?”
He had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Well.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m searching for a few extra decorations too.”
My eyes went wide. “Ben Driscoll, the guy who leaves it all until the last minute. What has got into you?”
