Page 4 of Saved By Love at Christmas
I patted his head. “It’s okay, Fred. I just need to save a friend. You’ll love her, and I know she’ll fall in love with you too.”
My role as a vet meant I was animal crazy. Fred was my latest rescue. Animals were a safer bet than people sometimes.Maybe Ruby should consider having one. They were great therapy too.
Tom was waiting at the door when I drove down the track to his home. He waved in greeting and hopped in beside me.
“Thank you for letting me come.”
“No problem, Tom. You beat me to it. I was about to call you when you rang.”
“So,” he said as we drove, “how did she seem to you?”
I knew I had to be careful how I responded. Ruby didn’t want him to know all the facts until she told him in person.
“She sounded very upset. I’m just glad she’s coming home.”
“Me too. I’m concerned about what might have happened to make her book a flight home this quickly.”
Tom was intuitive; he knew something else was up. Worry lines creased his brow, and his mind would be working overtime. He was more like a father to Ruby and had seen how domineering Jamie could be with her.
“I’m sure she’ll tell us when we see her. Let’s just look forward to getting our girl home.”
“Yes, son. You’re right there.”
* * *
RUBY
I’d done as Ben asked and messaged him at the airport, in departures, and when I got on the plane. It gave me comfort to know he’d be waiting for me at the other end. I couldn’t have gone through the stress of travelling by train or coach transfer home. When the plane took off, I gave a huge sigh of relief. I’d half expected Jamie to appear at the airport and drag me back to his home.
Knowing him, he’d almost certainly slept with another woman anyway, and by the time he got home, he’d probably have been too wasted to realise I wasn’t there. When the cold light of day hit, I hoped he’d forget about me and get on with his own life. As soon as I got settled, I’d get a new phone. For the moment, I’d resorted to blocking his number. I’d also blocked him on all my social media platforms; I didn’t want any contact from him at all.
My career had taken a nosedive after I met Jamie because he wanted me to concentrate on his projects. He’d demanded that I deal with his work exclusively. God, how stupid could I have been? My business was doing well, and I’d had several repeat customers. All that hard work had been flushed down the toilet. Because I was in love with the idea of being in love, I’d lost my integrity and myself. Blinded by a handsome face.
I closed my eyes to try and get some rest on the two-and-a-half-hour flight home. I hadn’t slept a wink in the hotel. My head had throbbed, and I was terrified that Jamie would track me down and take me back to his place. And if that happened… perhaps I wouldn’t have survived, or maybe I would have ended up in hospital with life-changing injuries. I looked forward to seeing Ben at the airport, and then my amazing grandad. I vowed never to be fooled by love again.
* * *
RUBY
After going through passport control and fetching my cases from baggage reclaim, I headed through customs. It was the end of October; Christmas decorations were already up, and festive songs echoed all around. I loved Christmas. It had always been my favourite time of year. At least I could celebrate it with those I loved from now on. Although, at that moment, I didn’t feel the least bit excited.
There were so many people waiting in arrivals, and fellow passengers pushed and shoved to get past me and to their waiting friends and relatives. I felt suffocated by the number of bodies around me. My head started to spin, and my breathing grew erratic.
When was the last time I’d eaten?
Oh, God. Please don’t let me faint.I moved as quickly as I could, eager to be out of the mad crush.
“Ruby!”
Glancing towards the sea of faces, I saw Ben waving enthusiastically at me. Beside him was my grandad. He looked pale and drawn. Tears blinded my vision as I stumbled over to them. My knees started to give way, probably through lack of sleep and stress, as well as lack of food. Two arms caught me. Grandad.
“It’s okay, love. You’re home now,” he whispered as he held me close.
I sobbed into his coat, my breath coming out in short, sharp gasps.
“I’ll take her cases. You look after Ruby.” Ben ruffled my hair.
“Come on, love. Let’s grab you a coffee and a sandwich on the way out.” His smile was warm.
