Hopelessly Devoted to You by Jill Steeples

Author:Jill Steeples [Steeples, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472096494
Publisher: Carina
Published: 2014-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

After a pudding of apple pie, Finn’s favourite, lovingly made to order by Jan, Ruby cleared the dirty dishes from the table.

‘Thank you so much. That was the most wonderful lunch. Go and sit down. I’ll clear all this away. It won’t take me long.’

‘Are you sure, love?’

‘Absolutely. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for us.’

‘I’ll help you,’ said Finn, standing up and kissing Ruby on the back of her neck, sending a delightfully squidgy sensation down her backbone.

‘You don’t have to,’ she said smiling, looking over her shoulder at him. ‘Why don’t you go and sit with your mum and dad?’

‘I’d much rather come and help you. Besides, they’ll both be asleep in five minutes.’

Finn was right. By the time they’d filled the dishwasher, washed up all the pots and pans, dried them off, put them away in the cupboards and wiped down the surfaces, they peered into the living room to see Jan and Gerry snuggled up together on the sofa, both fast asleep.

‘Come on, let’s leave them to it. It’s a beautiful day out there. Let’s go for a wander.’

Finn took her by the hand and led her outside. They walked down the path that threaded through the sweeping green lawns and down to the end of the main garden where an ironwork archway framed with yellow climbing roses led to a second, less well-cared for area. There was an old bench that had seen better days, a shed, various unused plant pots, and then to one side a large vegetable patch and to the other a wild garden area.

They sat down on the bench still holding hands. The sun was warm on Ruby’s bare arms and she had that nicely contented glow that came with having drunk a couple of glasses of wine and eaten a huge roast dinner, feeling fully satiated.

‘I know your mum winds you up at times, Finn, but she doesn’t mean anything by it. She’s just overjoyed that you’re better—we all are! And it’s only natural that she’s going to be proud of you. You’re her only child after all and she has got plenty to feel proud about.’

‘I know. Just sometimes it’s a bit too much.’ He stretched out his long legs in front of him, clasping his hands behind his head and offering up his face to the sun. ‘It’s probably me. I think I’m probably a little less tolerant than I used to be. I love her dearly, but sometimes her constant chattering drives me round the bend.’

‘Well, that’s understandable, but we all just want the best for you, Finn.’

He dropped his hands to his side searching for hers again.

‘Yeah, I get that. With you, though, I can just be myself. I don’t have to be a performing monkey. If I don’t want to talk I don’t have to. If I want to disappear off for a couple of hours then I can. It’s almost as if you don’t expect anything of me and I like that.

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