“It’s finally your turn to run the inn on your own,” Ruby told her with a teasing look. “I bet you’ll be calling before the end of the day with questions.”
“I will not.” Megan pointed a fork in her direction. “Just because you and Elle have handled most of the business end of things up until now doesn’t mean I can’t do it.”
“I’m just ribbing you,” Ruby said. “Call anytime you want. I’ll be missing you by then anyway.”
Flynn watched, fascinated by the easy rapport between them. He was glad to know Ruby had Megan—and Elle too—in her life back home. He knew what it was like to have that kind of bond. He shared it with Pippa to a greater degree than his other siblings, but also with Aidan, who’d been his best mate since childhood and who Flynn would be working with for the next few weeks as he designed Aidan’s new home.
They finished their meal, and Megan and Jake said their goodbyes. She and Ruby hugged before they headed out, leaving him and Ruby alone at the entrance to the café.
“I guess this is where we part ways too,” he said.
“I suppose it is.” Ruby went up on her toes and kissed him, not a quick peck on the lips, but a deep, delicious kiss that reminded him of all the reasons he wished he didn’t have to let her go. Finally, she stepped back, her smile tinged with the same nostalgia he was feeling. “Thanks for these last two days. It’s been amazing.”
“It really has.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of connection with someone I just met before.” Her hands were still clasped in his. “And I really would like to keep in touch. I mean, at least a few messages here and there to let each other know what we’re up to. That’s not weird, is it?”
“I think it would be weirder if we didn’t, don’t you?” He squeezed her fingers. “I would genuinely like to hear about the rest of your trip, and to keep in touch after that, even if we have to limit our relationship to being friends.”
“That’s what I was hoping for too. Well, I guess we’d better just get this over with, then.” She leaned in and gave him another kiss. “Goodbye, Flynn.”
“Goodbye, Ruby.” He drew her in against him, holding her close for a long moment, and then he let her go, walking briskly down the street to hail a taxi.
7
Ruby stood in the entrance to the café, sucking in deep breaths that did little to calm the jittery feeling that had overtaken her. Her heart raced, and her palms had gone damp where they clutched her satchel. Yesterday had been magical, exactly the kind of adventure she’d dreamed of. Now, she was really and truly alone in London, alone in a huge, bustling city an ocean away from home. And she was absolutely terrified.
Before she knew what she was doing, her feet were already carrying her toward her hotel. She speed-walked the whole way there, halfway winded by the time she made it to her room. She put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and turned the deadbolt before flinging herself face down on the bed, coughing as she caught her breath. The sheets were a rumpled mess, and they smelled like a mixture of sex and Flynn.
She’d thought yesterday was the first day of her solo adventure, thought Flynn—being little more than a stranger—was part of that adventure, but now she realized he’d been a crutch. He’d led the way yesterday, guiding her, keeping her on track. Now, she had to do what she’d intended to do from the start and create her own journey.
At that moment, she would have given anything for the comfort of her laptop, to bury herself behind its screen and come up with a detailed itinerary for the rest of her day. But that was exactly why she hadn’t brought it. She was supposed to take this week to teach herself how to fly blind and appreciate the moment.
Carpe fucking diem, Ruby.
She grumbled at herself, thumping her fists against the mattress. She’d been on her own for all of fifteen minutes, and she’d already locked herself in her hotel room and thrown a pity party for one. Of course, she could make an itinerary on her phone, butnotdoing it was the whole point.
She sat up and glanced around the room. Her red dress was still tossed over the chair from last night. The whole room was a mess, really, and she’d never been able to tolerate a mess. That was one thing she could fix. Resolutely, she got up and hung her dress in the closet before straightening up the rest of her things. Then she got her satchel off the desk and put her e-reader, a bottle of water, and a granola bar into it. She freshened up in the bathroom and unbolted the door.
Look out world, because Ruby’s solo adventure had just begun.
Outside, she paused on the sidewalk, wondering where to go. Truthfully, she was exhausted, and the damp weather had given her a bit of a cough. She and Flynn had been nonstop yesterday and then up half the night. Today seemed to call for a quieter approach. She remembered him mentioning a park with views of the city, and that sounded like exactly what she needed this morning. Google suggested Hampstead Heath might be what she was looking for, so she set out.
She walked to the Underground station and stood there, staring at the huge map in front of her. So many colors. So many different lines. An overwhelming maze of trains to choose from. Truthfully, she had no experience riding public transportation. She could spend hours analyzing a transit system of this size, figuring out the best routes to get herself everywhere she wanted to go.
Since that was out of the question, she consulted her phone to find the closest subway stop to Hampstead Heath. She swiped her card without difficulty and rode the escalator down to the platform. A train was already sitting in the station, and she ran to catch it, wedging herself in with the crowd and trying not to step on anyone’s toes. She’d ridden four stops before she realized she was going the wrong way.
Frustrated, she got off at the next station and boarded a train headed in the opposite direction. Almost an hour later, she exited at Kentish Town, so flustered by her subway ride that it took her several long minutes to get her bearings and locate Hampstead Heath. On her way into the park, she stopped to buy a small blanket. She walked aimlessly for a little while, enjoying the scenery. Eventually, she climbed Parliament Hill and spread her blanket over an open patch of grass. She sat, legs extended before her, and took in the view of the city below.
Now, this was more like it. She reached into her satchel and pulled out her phone, snapping a quick photo of her surroundings to share on social media.
Totes jealous!came the text from Megan.We’re about to board.
Have a safe flight, Ruby responded. She got out her e-reader and lay back to read. The sky overhead was still heavy and gray, the air cool but not uncomfortably so. Hopefully, it didn’t start pouring while she was out here. She made it through a chapter of her book, but soon the words began to blur before her eyes, and she shut them, just for a moment to rest.
The next thing she knew, a shriek startled her awake. Her eyes blinked open, focusing on a group of teenagers nearby, playing a raucous game of soccer. She rolled onto her belly, fumbling for her phone to see how long she’d been asleep, and holy crap, it was past noon already. She’d slept away the whole morning.
Irritation prickled in her chest, because surely she ought to be doing something more productive with her day than sleeping in a London park. But no, she was not going to feel guilty about this. Her reasons for being tired this morning were exciting and adventurous, and anyway, this was her trip to do whatever she wanted, no judgment from anyone else, including herself. Obviously, she’d needed the sleep.
