Page 68 of The Penalty

“Go say hello if you want. I’ll hang back here.”

“Yes ma’am.” He kissed me. “Don’t move.”

Four sets of eyes widened in disbelief when Xavier sauntered over to them and introduced himself. My heart swelled with pride watching him. Then it almost stopped when he crooked a finger, signaling for me to join him.

“Gentlemen, this is my girlfriend. Victoria, say hello to the star players from Empire State FC.”

They spoke at once, telling me all about their youth soccer league based in Buffalo. One of the boys was the goalkeeper, so he peppered Xavier with question after question about training, conditioning, and game preparation.

Before saying goodbye, I took a few pictures of the boys with Xavier.

“Still managed to be the center of attention all the way out here in the Adirondacks,” I teased.

Xavier appeared thoughtful. “These are the moments I truly enjoy. Being recognized by the players who will shape the game for the future is exciting, especially here in the States where football continues to grow.” He draped an arm over my shoulders. “Meeting my idols when I was their age definitely inspired me to keep going.”

“Was there a time you wanted to quit?”

“Never. My desire to excel and be noticed outweighed any doubts.”

“Do you still run into the players you admired when you were a kid?”

“Now? All the time.” His eyes lit up. “One of them is the manager for England’s national team. Playing for him is an absolute dream.”

“You’ll have to introduce me when I’m in Paris.”

He grinned. “Maybe.”

We walked around for another hour, stopping in a few shops here and there. By the time the sun started to sink into the horizon, I was ready to get back to the house.

“Excited for tomorrow?” Xavier asked, banding his arms around me while I stood at the kitchen counter and unpacked the shopping bags. One can never have too many touristy shot glasses.

“Depends. Did you get me a birthday present?”

He held me tighter. “Several.”

“Do I get a hint?”

“One of them is something you specifically asked for.”

Curiosity got the best of me. I turned to face him. “Is it you?” I stood on my toes and pressed a kiss to his grin.

“I’m not telling you.”

My heart warmed seeing him relaxed. Last night, during my unexpected breakdown, he’d comforted me with such calm patience. Except for the few minutes when he’d appeared tense and determined about something. I thought I might have misread it, but I saw the same expression on his face this morning.

We still had another half hour before the fireworks started so I made the executive decision to cool off in the pool.

Xavier was writing in a notebook when I walked out onto the terrace after changing into my bikini. I’d seen him do this a handful of times over the last couple days when he thought I wasn’t looking.

“What are you up to?”

“Getting some ideas down for a new renovation project I’m starting.”

“Really? When do you start?” I paused in front of him.

“Probably next month.” He didn’t look up from his notebook. “It’ll be a lot of work with football starting, too. Might take longer than usual.”

“Is the house in bad shape?”

---