Truly Home (Truly Series) by Hale J.J

Author:Hale, J.J. [Hale, J.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Ruth knocked on the door and waited nervously for Ollie to answer. She had been to Mr B.’s house a few times over the past year, ever since Mr B.’s health declined enough that he stopped working. Ruth always came with a box of chocolates as a nod to the chocolates he used to leave for her all those years ago. She gripped the box tight in her hand and wondered if she should knock again.

Before Ruth could make up her mind, the door opened to reveal a dishevelled looking Ollie.

“Sorry, I was trying to make dinner, and then Henry fell, and the place is a mess and I—”

“Mr B. fell? Is he okay?”

Ruth let herself in, closing the door behind her and following Ollie into the kitchen. Ruth glanced around as Ollie scraped what looked like the remnants of a charred curry into the bin. Ollie was right, the place was a mess. It would be endearing to see Ollie so ruffled, if it wasn’t for her concern about the fall.

“Yeah, he’s fine. He got up to go to the bathroom and naturally decided to leave his walker behind and not ask for help.”

Frustration was evident in Ollie’s tone. Ruth placed a hand on the back of Ollie’s neck and Ollie sighed, leaning into the touch.

“He’s okay. I just got a fright when I heard the thump. I was on track with everything, and I would’ve had plenty of time to clean up the mess, but I ran in to check and forgot all about the dinner. He was already getting back up when I got there. I got him settled again and checked him over, and apart from embarrassment, he was fine. By the time I got back down here our chicken curry, however, was not.”

Ollie placed the pot on the countertop next to the rest of the items used for meal prep. She turned, and Ruth saw her eyes brimming with unshed tears mixed with a hint of exhaustion.

“I’m sorry,” Ollie whispered.

Ruth pulled Ollie close, enveloping her in a tight hug. “If you’ve got cheese and bread, I make a mean toastie.”

Ollie’s body shook in Ruth’s arms as she laughed but didn’t let go. “We can’t have that for every date.”

Ruth pulled back slightly and donned her best serious face. “Don’t ruin a good thing.”

Ollie’s eyes dropped to Ruth’s lips, and she leaned in to kiss her softly. “You’re good at making me feel a little less of a mess.” Ollie spoke the words against Ruth’s lips and kissed her more.

“Oh, you’re definitely a mess. But you’re my mess.” Ruth said the words lightly, hoping to keep Ollie’s smile in place. She wasn’t prepared for the soft look that Ollie gave her at the words.

“Yours,” Ollie whispered.

The inflection in the word added a whole layer to the meaning, and Ruth almost looked away from the intensity of the moment. She had no idea how they’d wound up here so soon, but the undeniable depth of their feelings hung between them.

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