Nicky has a secret. She fled Hamburg at the age of fifteen, and found sanctuary in sleepy Maidenhead, where her café, Ruby in the Dust, has become a success. But now, as Maidenhead modernises, and Corporista Coffee PLC engulfs the town, Nicky is falling behind on her rent and facing eviction. With all these worries hammering at her heart, she certainly isn’t looking for love.
When Alex crashes into her life with promises to help turn the business around, Nicky is sceptical. But there’s more to Alex than the waster he’s become. When Nicky’s nasty landlord challenges Alex to save the café in three months, Alex can’t resist, and they lay down a bet that could end up costing the penniless Alex a fortune.
Can Nicky put her pride aside to work with Alex and save Ruby in the Dust, before it becomes yet another corporate coffeehouse? And can she come to terms with her secret, and allow herself to fall in love with Alex, even if it means facing her deepest fears?
Snuggle up with a cuppa, and enjoy the warmth of Ruby in the Dust!
Genre: FICTION / Romance / GeneralRuby in the Dust has a 4.4 star ranking on Amazon.com, from 14 reviews.
One
Zach sat on the bench outside Marks and Spencer, waiting. Alex was always ten minutes late, but today Zach was just glad to hear that his friend was alive. Alex’s dad had been frantic when he’d phoned from the hospital at five o’clock this morning, demanding to know why his son had decided to go for a late-night motorcycle ride. Zach had no idea what was going on with his friend at the moment.
This paint-peeled metal bench meant a lot to Zach. It was where both he and Alex had experienced their first kiss – though not with each other. But Alex had gone too far and tried to put his hand up Emily’s jumper, so she’d thrown the contents of a bottle of Diamond White in his face. Alex had laughed it off, but these days he’d be devastated by such a thoughtless waste of alcohol.
Zach scratched his stubble and stared at the chewing-gum-stained street. A familiar pair of tatty Adidas Gazelles stepped into view, causing Zach’s heart to lurch with relief. He stood and pulled Alex close, holding him for longer than would be considered manly. But they’d never worried about things like that.
They broke apart. Zach inspected his weary friend. “What were you doing on the motorway at two o’clock in the morning?”
“About a hundred miles-an-hour, I think.”
“Alex, I was worried about you.”
“Please, Zach, I’ve already had one interrogation this morning.”
“The police gave you a hard time?”
“My mother.”
Zach winced – Carowyn insisted on interfering in Alex’s life, despite him being twenty-seven.
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Alessandra Arfanotti
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by A. Fernandes
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Author review: An absolute pleasure to work with - thank you Andreia for everything! :) |
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Spanish
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Translation in progress.
Translated by Elisa Sierra C.
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