Chapter 18
The next morning, Maia bubbled with energy, her headache absent. A glimpse of her watch shocked her. Nine. She never slept this late.
The entrance swung open, and Henry stepped in, holding two mugs.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
Once she sat up and propped a pillow behind her, he handed her a mug. Tea, she discovered when she took a cautious sip. She smiled at him. “I feel great. The world doesn’t seem so fuzzy, and I don’t have a headache. I could train today.”
“No,” Henry said without hesitation. “Take off the week. Don’t push too hard or too soon. We can go for a walk this afternoon. Gentle exercise is better.”
Maia’s instinctive protest subsided. “You’re right,” she said with a heavy sigh. “But I worked hard for this contract. I feel like it’s slipping from my grasp.”
Henry sat on the bed, his expression full of sympathy. “We’ll walk to Sutton Salt Lake. Have you been there?”
“No.”
“Excellent. We’ll take two or three dogs and put them through their paces. Maybe do a little kissing and cuddling because it’s a quiet place.”
“Kissing and cuddling, huh?”
“Yeah.” He rose. “What would you like for breakfast? We had scrambled eggs and bacon, and I kept some aside for you.”
“I’d like that.” She hadn’t eaten much, hadn’t wanted food. Today, she did.
“Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen.”
“Where is everyone else?”
“Levi has gone to school. Dad and Gerard are installing a security system. London is at a meeting, and Megan is in her office writing. She writes in the mornings when Levi is at school.”
“You should’ve woken me.”
“You needed sleep. It’s helped since you’ve lost your pinched look. Ten minutes,” Henry said and exited the room.
Maia finished her tea. Henry was right about pushing her training. She’d have less chance of making the starting team if her stupidity sent her backward.
She showered, then dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to combat the cold, the last of summer vanishing into autumn.
Breakfast was delicious, and she enjoyed every mouthful.
She spent the morning pottering around with Henry, helping him with his dogs and on a security job.
Although the lure was strong, she kept away from her laptop and resisted reading or anything that might make her headaches and blurry vision return.
That set the pattern for the next week, and finally, it was time for her doctor’s appointment.
She sat in the team doctor’s surgery with Henry at her side.
She’d asked him to come at the last moment.
He’d looked surprised but hadn’t argued.
She’d wanted someone to hear the conversation.
Maia had no idea why, but she’d followed her instincts.
“Ah, Maia. You’re looking much better. How are the headaches?” The doctor appeared in his late thirties with short black hair, probing brown eyes, and a calm yet impassive manner.
“I haven’t had a headache for days,” she said.
“Blurry vision? Nausea?”
“None. I’m feeling good.”
The doctor gave her an assessing glance.
“I’ll clear you to train, but it should be non-physical.
Begin slowly and use honest assessment. If any symptoms return, cease activity and come to see me again.
I’ll let the team know they can ease you back into playing after another week.
The coach knows what to do. You’ll play for short bursts and not for the entire game.
The object is to get you back to full fitness without setbacks. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Maia said.
“Excellent. Call if you have questions. Your coaches and manager know the program for players recovering from a concussion.”
Maia stood, pleased with the positive outcome. “Thank you.”
She and Henry left the surgery.
“Do you need any supplies while we’re here? There’s a mall nearby where Megan and London stock up.”
“I’d like to purchase a decent coat—a waterproof one for our walks.”
“Let’s go, then.”
During the next week, Maia kept in contact with her coaches and attended their first team game as a spectator. It rained for the entire match, and she was pleased with her new coat. It kept out rain and cold, as did Henry, who created a barrier.
“Your thoughts?” she asked after they said goodbye and headed to Middlemarch.
“My honest assessment?”
“I expect nothing else.”
“Your team isn’t playing as a unit. They’re talented players, but they’re not gelling. They didn’t pass the ball. It’s like they’re worried a teammate will score instead of them.”
“And because they’re not team players, only the opposition are scoring.”
“Exactly.” Henry cast her a sidelong glance. “Why are you asking if you saw that?”
“I wondered if it was my imagination or if I truly was seeing the problem.”
“It’s the first game. The players need more time.”
“Perhaps,” Maia said.
“Are you attending training next Tuesday?”
“Yes, I’m ready to go. Eager.” She slid him a look. “I should move back to my house. It’s time to attack the lawns and make the place presentable.”
“Already done,” Henry said, sparing her a glance as he navigated traffic. “Jacey, Gerard, and I mowed your lawn yesterday. I meant to tell you, but we got distracted. I enjoy having you in my bed. Are you sure you need to leave?”
“Megan and London are probably tired of having me around.”
“They like you.”
“The funny stuff has ceased. You haven’t discovered more sweet wrappers?”
“Not a one, and I’ve been looking. Laura and Charlie do drive-bys.”
“They do?”
“They’re excellent cops and care about Middlemarch’s residents.”
“My time at Middlemarch wasn’t happy as a child. My aunt—she hated me. Resented me, but everyone has made me welcome.”
“Why? You were just a child.”
“My aunt and her mother disapproved of my parents’ relationship, and they tried to break up my parents.
My mother was pregnant when she married my dad, and his family accused my mother of trapping him.
I don’t know how much of what I heard was true, but my aunt became bitter.
After my parents died, she took her frustration out on me.
My dad had possessed money and put it into a trust for me.
My aunt couldn’t touch it, and once she learned that, she made my life hell.
I’m grateful to my parents for their foresight.
The money provided me with an excellent education and kept me, mostly, out of my aunt’s clutches.
But the way my parents constructed the trust, she had a say in what courses I took, and she pressured me to take accountancy.
I have a degree I don’t use because I hate spreadsheets. ”
Henry looked askance as he turned onto the main road. “But she left you her house?”
“She left it to charity, and they put it up for sale.” Her grin felt decidedly impish. “I bought it because I imagined her spinning in her grave. That makes me petty, but she made my life hell.”
Henry barked out a laugh. “I’m surprised you wanted to return to Middlemarch.”
“A little was revenge, but once I received my contract and needed to find somewhere to live, I thought of Middlemarch. It’s an okay commute, and the countryside appealed.
When I looked at the properties for rent and sale, I saw my aunt’s house.
I made an offer, and they accepted. It had been on the market for six months, and they were glad to be rid of the house. I got a fantastic deal.”
Silence fell between them, and Maia stared out the window at the passing scenery. The shopping center gave way to warehouses, then private residences. Soon, they were driving through the green countryside with hedges obscuring the view.
“When considering Middlemarch, I thought of you and your dogs.” She frowned, recalling the slight yearning that had twisted her heart.
It hadn’t been like her to sign the contract without a viewing, but since it passed an inspection, she had.
The house’s condition hadn’t been terrible.
Sure, the kitchen needed remodeling, but it was liveable.
“I’m glad you came,” Henry said, breaking into her musing.
“The first time you spotted me, you ran away.” She studied him, fascinated when a faint tide of red swept up his neck. Maia thought he’d ignore her comment, but he slowed the car and pulled over on a wide shoulder.
“You’re much younger than me. You’re at an age where you should go to parties, interact with different people, and learn what you want from your life. I’m past that stage.” He closed his eyes as if steeling himself to continue. “I’m happy with where I’m at with my business and my life.”
“But you’re lonely.”
“Yes, but that’s not a good reason to force you into a mold of my design.”
Maia chortled. “Listen to yourself and credit me with intelligence. Middlemarch is full of smart women creating opportunities for themselves. Megan writes her books. London has her online admin and her committee work. Isabella is a powerhouse and does varied things from personal training to fitness classes and helping Caroline in her dress shop. Then there’s Emily with the cafe.
Emily is one with her finger on the pulse.
That husband of hers might be big and strong, but he’s putty in her hands.
Those are a few of the local women I’ve met, and I wouldn’t call one of them dull or stuck in a mold. ”
“I want children,” Henry said.
“So do I, but not right away. I intend to play rugby as long as I can and my dream is to play for the Black Ferns. My plan is for about five years of rugby before any children. You’ll still be young enough to run around with your sons and daughters.
Jacey is a fantastic father, and there’s a huge age gap between you and your stepbrother. ”
Henry released a chuckle and shook his head. “Levi was a surprise for Dad and Megan. Not planned.”
“But everyone in the house loves that little boy. He’s blooming. Our kids would do the same.”
“I’d like to think so.” Henry restarted his vehicle.
Maia stared. There was something he wasn’t telling her.
She considered pushing, but something pulled her back.
Now wasn’t the time. Their relationship was new, and she learned things about Henry every day.
No, she’d bide her time and let events fall as they may, even though her curiosity would turn rampant.
She liked puzzles, and solving them was her specialty.