Page 62 of The Game

I tried not to stiffen at the question as it dragged me back from sleep. "I got hit by a ball when I was sixteen."

His fingers continued their path until finally, he said, "I thought so."

He didn't stay. It wouldn't have been appropriate with my nephew sleeping down the hall. We'd laid and cuddled, words not needed between us, and then he'd gotten up and pulled on his clothes. I'd drunk in the sight of the Lancashire Lion naked for the last time.

"Thank you for coming to meet my dad," he said as we walked down the stairs.

"You're welcome," I'd replied but what I'd wanted to say was thank you to him, thank you for letting me into that private place he was so protective of, even if it was just for a couple of hours. I understood him so much better now.

"We are going to win aren't we, Rivers?" His nose skimmed my cheek as he turned to say goodbye. "This will be worth it?"

I flashed him a grin. "It's cricket. It's always worth it."

For the last time, the Lion pulled me in and kissed me until I wanted to never breathe again and then he pulled away and walked to his car.

I closed the door and then cried because in truth I knew that cricket would never mean that much to me ever again.

We breezed through our quarter finals, and Waller looked like he may forgive us all for the stress we'd put him under. The Lion kept quiet, kept his head down and played some of the best cricket he'd produced all season. That fat sweaty man who'd insisted he apologise publicly for something he didn't do was in the stands clapping away alongside his VIP guests. I threw him daggers with my eyes, but he was so self-obsessed he appeared not to notice.

After the game, Sammy and Scarlett bounded down the steps to the barrier above my seat. "Hey, get us down." Sammy waved at me, his cheeks were flushed and his freckles stood out under the floodlights.

Laughing, I stood and waved back. "I can lift you. I don't know about her." I waved at Scarlett who'd surprised me by turning up without her usual make-up, and wearing shorts and converse.

"Here, let me help them over." Bailey stepped up.

"Ooh." I tried to pull him back, but he was already there dragging Sammy over and then casting his dark eyes over Scarlett. She flushed and ducked her head as he leant over the railing, gripped tight under her armpits and hauled her over. Her face went very pale, and for a moment I thought I was going to witness her swooning, until she pulled it together, thanked him and then came to my side.

"Wow, he's solid," she whispered.

"Scarlett!"

"What? I'm sixteen. It's not like I don't know anything."

I shook my head. When I'd been sixteen, all I'd cared about was catching a cricket ball, preferably when it was hit by someone who never expected to get caught. I blocked the ancient memory and focused on the now.

I turned my eyes to Sammy who was running out into the pitch, his beeline direct for the man pulling a batting helmet off his golden hair. My heart gave a little lurch as I watched him wrap his arms around his waist and the Lion squeezed him back. Speckled blue eyes flickered in my direction, but I turned my back on them.

Scarlett started trailing the players back to the changing room, so I grabbed her by the elbow and kept her tight by my side. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Gemma and the team," I said steering away from where Bailey's tight buttocks were walking in front of her encased in hot pink cricket pants.

"Sammy," I shouted after the little guy, but he was on the shoulders of the Lion leading the jubilant team back into the base.

Shit. I tried to avoid looking at their retreating forms too closely.

The girl’s room was loud. The quarter-final win was snapping through the air like electricity. Gemma grabbed my arm and whirled me around, waving a pompom in my face which I batted away before it made me sneeze. "Think they'll give us all a pay rise next season?"

I shrugged. "You can only ask. You guys know your stuff."

Scarlett was standing there with her mouth gaping open as the girls paraded around in a state of undress, high fiving each other and all sorts. Maybe there was no safe changing room in the vicinity. "Are you coming for a drink?" Gemma called as she pulled a pale hoodie over her head and shook out her hair.

"Nope, I have parental responsibility this evening."

Scarlett groaned. "We could just go for one coke?" she suggested.

"Absolutely not. I promised your mum I'd have you home."

Gemma grinned and gave Scarlett a hug. "You dance by any chance?" she asked.

"No!" I replied on her behalf and dragged her away.