Page 101 of Play On

“How come? She’s a princess. Gorgeous. Sweet. Educated. Has a job,” I tack on for good measure.

Noah shoots me a look. “You have a job, too. Don’t discount that.”

More feelings build within me for this man. How can I have all these feelings in such a short period of time?

Because he’s amazing, that’s why.

“Okay, I’ll allow that,” I say. “But if she were single, wouldn’t you find her fascinating?”

“As a friend? Sure. I really like Bella. But as someone to date? No. She doesn’t have that butterfly energy I didn’t know I needed until I met you.”

SA-WOON.

“Stop, you’re making me blush, Saucy Shorts,” I say happily.

“I think you like when I make you blush.”

Oh yes, Noah, I do.

I turn and look along the stone ruins and stop when I spot something. “Noah! Do you know what I spy with my little eye?” I ask. “A MURDER HOLE!”

I’m about to lead him over to it when I hear his name being called. “It’s NOAH DARBY!” a young voice says.

Noah’s hand flinches underneath mine. I quickly glance up at him, and I can tell he doesn’t even want to turn around to acknowledge the fact that he’s been spotted.

“However you want to handle this is fine with me,” I say, squeezing his hand in mine. “If you want to keep walking, we can, but if you want to acknowledge your fans, I’m one hundred percent okay with it.”

He exhales. “I don’t know how you are so understanding.”

I smile at him. “Because I’m special. You told me so yourself.”

The anxiousness etched in Noah’s face slips away and he turns around. I do, too, and I see a boy around the age of ten, wearing a Stonebridge United shirt, staring at Noah as if something magical from above just descended down upon Dorset.

“I told you, Dad, it’s Noah Darby!” he shouts excitedly.

The boy is with his mum and dad, with the mum holding the hand of a little girl who looks to be about five.

“I am,” Noah says cheerfully, moving over to the boy and dropping down so he is more on eye level with him.

Then I can’t believe what happens next.

The little boy starts to cry.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” he says, tears streaming down his face. “You’re my favourite player ever and I never thought I would ever get to meet you!”

Now I’m going to cry.

“Well, mate, I’m so glad we were able to meet up today. What’s your name?”

“John,” he says softly, still staring at Noah as if he’s a mirage.

Now other people begin to crowd around, but Noah zones all of them out to focus on John. “How about we take a picture together? I can sign your shirt if you want me to.”

“Oh, you’re so kind,” his mum says. “He will never forget this, Mr. Darby.”

I know she’s right. Noah’s kindness to this little boy is creating a memory for him that will live in his mind forever.

I offer to take the pictures with his parents’ phones, so they can all be in the picture and have multiple ones. Then I retrieve a Sharpie pen from my bag and Noah scrawls his name on the back of John’s shirt. He takes selfies with a few more people, and then we go back to the murder hole as other people go on their way to explore the ruins.

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