Page 48 of Safe Hands

“Now, now, ladies. Don’t fight over me. There’s plenty to go around.”

They each rolled their eyes.

Jenna jogged away, calling over her shoulder, “I’m setting up cones. Try to keep up.”

“I guess I’m the lucky one, then.” Carly dropped to one knee to tie the lace on her old boots, hoping they’d last through whatever plan Jenna had cooked up. The pitch still felt quiet, but maybe she was being oversensitive. “Are numbers always this low, or is it just because Jenna’s coaching?”

“Definitely Jenna.” Lauren hoisted a sack of balls and led the way to the goal. “Our manager’s away with work this week. I can introduce you on Sunday, if you fancy coming to watch another game.”

Carly nodded, picking up a ball of her own. “I suppose if I’m going to fully check out the team, I should come along. Wouldn’t be doing a thorough job otherwise.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we, Lloydy?”

“Steady,” Carly warned.

Then she dropped the ball and volleyed it cleanly into the top corner of the net.

“Jesus,” Lauren said. “Tell me again how you’re easing yourself in?”

Carly smirked. “Just giving you something to aim for.”

And everyone else something to take note of.

17

Lauren

Carly’s voice echoed in Lauren’s head: something to aim for. The opposition had taken that literally today. Only one place above them in the table, they’d spent most of the match hammering shots at Lauren’s goal, and The Blues had ground out another draw despite Jenna scoring three excellent goals.

Lauren returned to the bar after changing, hair still damp from the shower, leaving cool trails down her neck. Everyone else had beaten her in, and the room was busier now, players clustered around tables and trying to get a plate of hot chips before they all disappeared. She scanned for Carly, hoping she’d stayed, but her stomach leapt when she saw who Carly had chosen to sit with in the meantime.

“You’ll catch your death,” Paige said, blowing over the top of a steaming mug of tea that had just been handed to her. By Carly.

“Thanks, Mum. I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Are you joining us?” Paige kicked out a chair at the small round table they’d found in the corner, away from the main group.

“Why aren’t you with Becky?” Lauren asked.

“Becky’s stuck in a committee meeting. Carly rescued me.”

“Kind of her.” Almost certainly with a motive. “What have you two been talking about?”

“Don’t worry, not you,” Carly interjected, as ever having seen right through the question. She placed a hand on the back of her chair, her coat already slung over it. “I’m just going back to grab Paige some crisps. Can I get you anything?”

Lauren hesitated. “I’ll come with you.”

She shot Paige a look that told her to behave, then joined Carly as she waited behind a group from the opposition.

“Another good game for you,” Carly noted, craning to see over them. “Shame about the result.”

“How can it be a good game for me when we barely drew?”

“Because individually you played well. Better to focus on the positives rather than—”

“The gaping hole in defence we need someone great to fill.”

Carly laughed. “Subtle. But I told you, I haven’t made up my mind yet.”