Page 39 of Saved By Love at Christmas
“Hmm, even then. I honestly wondered if I’d ever see it again.”
“It is kinda magical, isn’t it?”
“What, the smell?”
I chuckled. “No, the creek. We had such fun down here, didn’t we?”
“We sure did.”
We continued walking until we could turn left or right. Left would take us closer to the small boatyard with several houseboats, and farther on would be the woods where you could take steps up close to Martlesham church, or through a wood which would take you to old Martlesham. The right would take us past a stable block and then onto a road which we could double back on and end up back in Woodbridge. Ruby chose left. She had hold of Fred’s lead, and he pulled her to the left.
We stood and stared out over the water. There were egrets and swans on the water. The mournful sound of a sparrowhawk could be heard. We glanced up to see it hovering over the fields, probably on the lookout for mice or other small animals.
“When the weather’s better, we’ll bring a picnic with us. We can sit here and talk about all the fun we used to have.”
Ruby’s answering smile lit up her face. “That would be lovely.” She took on a faraway expression and then laughed.
“What?”
“I remember when we went in the woods after it had been raining. I got stuck in the mud, and when I tried to get free, my feet came out of my wellies. I was stranded there.”
I laughed too. “Yeah, I remember that day.” And I did, as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. “I went to your rescue, and when you leapt into my arms, we both ended up on the ground covered in mud.”
“That’s right. My poor Nan nearly had a fit when we went home. Her floor was covered in mud. She made us strip, and you had to wear some of Grandad’s clothes until your parents came to pick you up.”
We laughed, the sound echoing around us, making the egrets take flight. Ruby’s face was flushed, eyes alive with mischief.
“As I remember, we were both grounded for a week.”
“And Marie was cross with us because she didn’t have anyone to go out and play with. Such happy times.”
She glanced wistfully in the direction of said wood.
“Oh, no. Not today. Especially not with Fred. If he gets covered in mud, he’ll make sure we are too.”
“I guess you’re right. Time to head back?” she asked.
“Yes, I think so. Plus, you need to meet my ladies.”
CHAPTER13
BEN
After Ruby grabbed her overnight bag, we drove to my home, laughing as Fred snored in the back.
“His snore is really loud. No wonder you don’t let him sleep in your bedroom.”
I scratched my head and grinned. “Yeah, I couldn’t bear to go through that again.”
She turned to look at me. “What do you mean, again?”
“I remember sharing a tent with you and Marie in your garden. I don’t know who snored louder, you or her.”
“Hey, not nice.” She punched my arm playfully.
“Sorry, but you girls sounded like a thunderstorm.”
We got out of the car and Ben opened the back door. Fred headed straight for his basket, curled round, and went to sleep. The sound of more snoring filled the air.
