Chapter 28
To Maia’s relief, and everyone else’s, the following week remained calm and calamity-free, although no one had confessed to stealing her clothes and locking her in the changing room.
If all went well this coming weekend, she’d play an entire game.
It was an away game, and the team was catching an early morning flight to Auckland.
“A birdie told me they picked you as team captain,” Jacey said when the family sat down for dinner the night before the game.
“It’s only temporary. Jan and I are co-captains. Amanda, our usual captain, hasn’t played for several weeks but will likely take over again. I’m fine with that.”
“Can we go training with you again next week?” Levi demanded.
“Sure, as long as your parents approve,” Maia said.
“Did you hear the we part of the sentence?” Megan asked drily. “Levi means him and his friends.”
“Oh.” At Henry’s slight nod, she said, “I’m fine with you tagging along, but you must keep up. I’m doing road training.”
“We can do it,” Levi cried. “Tell, Maia, Dad.”
“If you and your friends go with Maia, you must be on your best behavior,” Jacey said sternly. “Follow her instructions. And I’ll need to talk to your friend’s parents to ensure they give their permission. Which friends do you mean?”
Levi poured out seven names.
Maia’s mouth fell open. She’d resemble a momma duck with a gaggle of ducklings. Jacey and Henry shared a look, and Maia noted Gerard give a slight nod.
“Maia, if you don’t mind,” Jacey said, “I don’t think they’ll slow you down. They’re around Levi’s fitness level. If you’re worried, one of us will jog at the rear.”
“One of us?” London asked, her brows raised. “I hope you’re not including me in that tail-end group.”
“No, sweetheart,” Gerard said with a grin. “I think Jacey was volunteering himself, plus me and Henry.”
“Okay,” Maia said. “I look forward to putting you through your paces. We’ll run uphill and downhill along the course Isabella planned for me.”
“Now, I’m doubly certain I’ll be writing and unavailable,” Megan said.
London nodded emphatically. “Same.”
Maia chuckled. “I love running. It’s relaxing and gives me time to plot books or mentally work on gnarly problems.” She didn’t confess these days she constantly scanned her surroundings and feared she was losing her wits.
Last week, she’d imagined a big cat, and it hadn’t been an overfed and overindulged house pet.
This one had been black. Large. One moment, it had been there, and the next, it had disappeared, leaving her with doubts.
Her imaginary world had imposed itself on reality.
“Are you sure you want to take me to the airport?” she asked Henry. “I can drive and leave my car at the short-stay car park.”
“Maia,” Henry said.
“Uh-oh,” London said. “I’ve heard that tone before.”
Maia rolled her eyes. “Just checking.”
“Henry and I have an early meeting with a prospective client. Dropping you at the airport isn’t a problem,” Gerard said. “Besides, Henry would like a kiss for luck with our client.”
Levi pulled a face. “Yuck, swapping germs.”
There was a moment of startled silence.
“Levi,” Megan said. “Who told you that?”
“Olivia Mitchell tried to kiss me. She pounced when I wasn’t looking.”
Pounced? Kids differed from when she went to school. Admittedly, she’d attended an all-girls school, and there had been no kissing.
Jacey looked as if he were trying not to laugh. He cleared his throat. “What did you do?”
“I pushed her into the wall and ran away,” Levi said and shuddered. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Her mouth was slimy.”
“Did you make her cry?” Megan asked, her voice carrying a steely tone.
“No, she got me back at dodgeball.” Levi held out his arm. “I’ve got a bruise.”
“You will do nothing to pay her back,” Jacey said, sounding sterner this time.
Levi’s gaze darted to his plate, and Maia clapped her hand over her mouth to block her merriment.
Megan’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”
Maia made the mistake of glancing at Henry and saw he was having trouble not laughing.
Levi hung his head. “She sits in front of me in class. We were painting, and I dropped my pot of red paint.”
Megan groaned while Gerard and London were actively laughing, having given up the fight.
“Let me guess,” Jacey said. “It accidentally fell all over Olivia.”
“Yes,” Levi said. “It turned her white shirt red.”
“Emily is gonna hate me,” Megan muttered.
“She started it. I didn’t want her kiss,” Levi said.
“Fine,” Jacey said. “This is my advice. Avoid being alone with her to prevent any further kisses.”
“She kissed Tom last month,” Levi blurted.
“I see. London, I think we’ll have coffee tomorrow morning. Do you have time to come with me?” Megan asked.
“And skip parenting advice,” London quipped. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Ah, Megan,” Jacey said.
“No, Olivia can’t go around causing chaos,” Megan said. “Emily needs to know about her daughter’s actions.”
“Will she get in trouble?” Levi asked.
“About the same amount you’re in for tipping paint on her,” Megan said. “Now, eat your dinner. No! Don’t speak or you won’t go running with Maia.”
“Hey,” Maia said. “Innocent party here. I didn’t kiss anyone or toss red paint.”
“You can kiss me,” Henry said. “I won’t take revenge.”
“Eww!” Levi said, wrinkling his nose.
Maia chuckled along with the other adults. She’d never experienced this slice of family life and loved every moment. The arguments. The discussions and teasing. The shared laughter. She hadn’t meant to, but she was falling hard for Henry and his family.
Henry walked her into the airport terminal the following morning, and once she’d sighted her team, he kissed her. It was an affectionate kiss, but she clung briefly before stepping back.
“Is it weird I’ll miss you, even though I’ll only be gone for the day?”
“No,” he said gruffly, giving her another hug. “Stay safe.”
Her brows lifted. “Aren’t you going to tell me to play well?”
“You’ll give it your everything. That’s a given.” He stroked her cheek. “I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“Thanks.” His utter confidence in her had her throat tightening with emotion. His entire family believed in her. She stepped away and forced a smile because her emotional maelstrom threatened to spill over. “See you tonight.”
“Tonight,” he said and left with a wave.
Maia swallowed hard. She loved Henry and felt she had known him forever, which made no sense. She picked up her pace, pushing her frenzied thoughts aside to join her team.
“Is that your boyfriend?” Jan asked.
Maia noticed several girls paying close attention. “Yes,” she said, not embellishing her answer.
“Is it serious?” someone else asked. “He’s old. Does he have money?”
“Not that old. I met him when I moved to Middlemarch,” Maia said, trying not to sound defensive, but it was a touchy point because it worried Henry. Thank goodness they hadn’t stated their opinions when he could hear. She’d hate him to decide he was too old for her again.
“But he’s rich, right?” another woman asked.
“I’ve no idea,” Maia snapped. “Why would you ask that?”
“Do you call him Daddy?”
Maia didn’t see who uttered that gem and was relieved when their coaches approached.
“All right, listen up, ladies,” Cameron said.
Maia was glad of the interruption, although knowing her teammates, they’d return to the conversation.
She was coming to know her team. Even the standoffish ones were more accepting of her, but someone had stolen her clothes and locked her in the changing room.
Now this. Her relationship with Henry was none of their business.
The questions came as soon as they had tickets and passed through security.
Maia forced a laugh she wasn’t feeling and raised her hands in a stop signal. “Henry and I are new, and I don’t want to jinx our relationship. I like him.” She made a buttoning motion across her lips. “No more questions.”
“But he’s old. Age-gap romances are fine in books and movies, but they don’t work in real life,” one girl said.
“At least he’s experienced,” another quipped.
The teasing continued in the same vein, but Maia remained stubbornly silent and mentally pushed away their age-gap comments, even though they worried her.
None of their business, and they were wrong.
When they tumbled off the plane in Auckland, the women were in high spirits and eager to play the Auckland team.
Maia felt fantastic when she jogged onto the field.
The referee blew his whistle, and the game began.
It flowed, and it was clear they had gelled; their set-piece plays on point, and everything going well.
The tries came quickly, and each successive one spurred her team onward.
When the final whistle blew, they’d won by twenty points.
Amanda jumped off the bench and hugged Maia hard, beating the other reserves into squashing Maia by a hairsbreadth.
“That was such a great game. You played so well.” Amanda pulled away and hugged the other players, her face ablaze with triumph. “Those girls didn’t think you’d win. I played some of them in grades when I was younger. They’re arrogant and won’t take this well.”
Great. Something else for Maia to worry about—pissed rugby players coming at her.
“Excellent game,” a woman said from behind her.
Maia turned to spot the other team’s captain with her hand outstretched. She immediately smiled and accepted the sportsmanlike gesture. “Thanks, but you made us work for the win. The game could’ve gone either way at the start.”
“We’ll beat you next time,” the captain said, grinning.
“We’ll work hard to stop you.” Maia stepped forward to shake hands with the other team members, who stood behind their captain.
“You played an inspired game,” one woman said. “We couldn’t keep up.”
“Yeah,” another agreed. “We’ll be more careful next time.”
“I look forward to it,” Maia said, meaning it.
She glanced over her shoulder and found her team gaping in shock.
What the heck? Maia glowered at them and jerked her head, silently ordering them to fall into line and act gracious winners.
They glanced at each other before slowly moving.
Maia puffed out a relieved sigh when she heard murmurs behind her from her teammates.
Most of her team had disappeared to their changing rooms during their last games. Admittedly, it had been cold and raining. If appointed captain again, she’d line up her team and show they were gracious winners or losers. It showed sportsmanship and set a good example for younger players.
After the hand-shaking, the two teams parted, but Maia called her team together. “Thanks for the awesome game. We did everything right today. Let’s make it a habit!”
“Yes,” Amanda said.
After a moment of silence, the players cheered, everyone joining the celebration.
“Excellent job,” Rose said, breaking into their circle. “We still have elements to work on, but you listened at training, which makes me happy. You’re working together. Well done.”
Rose hurried off to meet with a group of men and women waiting to speak with them.
“We’ve got four hours before our flight,” one woman said. “I intend to go shopping.”
“I’m celebrating with drinks. A couple of fruity cocktails,” another said.
Maia scooped up her gear bag and jogged toward the changing rooms, hoping to grab a shower. Luck was finally on her side. After showering and dressing warmly, she pulled out her phone and called Bryce.
“Maia! I watched the second half of the game. You were awesome.”
She grinned. “Where are you? I have four hours before I have to catch my flight.
“I’m hovering outside the changing rooms and trying not to look like a perv.”
“Five minutes,” Maia promised, eager to see her friend. She packed her gear and double-checked to ensure she had missed nothing.
She found Bryce loitering outside, but he wasn’t alone. He had a redhead with him. Maia managed a smile before Bryce grabbed her in a tight embrace.
“Maia, it’s so good to see you,” he murmured against her ear. “I’ve missed you like crazy. Phone and online calls don’t cut it.”
“Missed you too,” Maia said, meaning it. Bryce was her sounding board, and they discussed everything and anything. She pulled back and smiled at the woman again. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”
“Yep.” Bryce’s grin was broad. “This is Sam. Samantha. We ran into each other in the university hall. Literally. I asked Sam out as an apology, and we’ve been dating ever since.”
“Sam, I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Bryce talks about you a lot.”
“I was going to drag Bryce off shopping,” Maia said. “But I won’t subject you to that.”
Bryce and Sam shared a look, and the intimacy between the pair surprised Maia. Bryce had always flitted from one woman to the next. He had a knack for remaining friends, but none remained in his bed for long.
“As long as you feed me, I’ll tag along. Why don’t we go to Sylvia Park? That’s nearer the airport, but it’s a great shopping center, and you should find everything you need. We can eat at the food court.”
“If you’re sure, that works for me,” Maia said. “Bryce?”
“My two favorite women together. What’s not to like?”
Bryce and Samantha dropped her at the airport, and Bryce gave her another tight hug.
“I like Sam,” Maia whispered. “You should keep her.”
“I intend to,” Bryce said.
Maia hugged Sam, too, before heading off to join her team. She’d purchased a suitcase and filled it with clothes, so she checked in by herself.
The flight home seemed endless. Maia ached from several hard tackles. It was a minor issue, but she craved a hot shower and Henry, in that order.
She pulled out her e-reader and immersed herself in a book. Once the plane landed, she took longer because she had to wait for her bag. She spotted Henry immediately, and he bore a scowl.
“Sorry for the delay,” she said. “Bryce and Sam took me shopping, and I bought a suitcase to pack my purchases inside.”
“Who’s Sam?” Henry said, his voice close to a growl.
No, it was a growl. She glowered at him. “Samantha is Bryce’s girlfriend. I hadn’t met her before, but I liked her. They watched the game, and we went shopping and had a meal before they dropped me at the airport.”
Henry winced. “Someone posted photos of you on social media, and they found their way into my feed. I was jealous because you looked so happy with that guy. I didn’t realize it was your friend, Bryce. Sorry. For a moment, I thought it was Samuel.”