Page 88 of The Hellion and the Captain
Chapter Thirty
Since her teammates already knew her identity, Emmaline declined joining them in the bathhouse, instead finding Lily, who stood outside the bathhouse door, waiting to wrap her in a gentle embrace as soon as she saw her.
“Oh, Emmaline,” she said, her eyes wide. “What a game. Are you all right? What did your brothers say? Congratulations on winning the game! Oh, my goodness, it is all too much.”
They laughed together as Emmaline nodded.
“It is a lot at once, isn’t it?” she said. “I am fine, although I will have a sore shoulder for a while.” Rhys was still carefully watching her, so she didn’t want to say how much it was paining her. The doctor had been right. Running had only made it all the worse, but it was still worth every bit of extra pain. “My brothers were not pleased and basically threatened me with losing my freedoms. And thank you.”
Lily nodded. “How did the doctor treat you with the rest of the team there?”
“Well, that is a story in itself,” Emmaline said, biting her lip as it was becoming harder to tell the story with the throbbing pain. Rhys seemed to understand as he quickly explained to Lily the team’s discovery of her secret.
“We should go home — wherever that means to you,” he said to Emmaline, concern on his face, and she shook her head.
“I would like us both to have this moment with the club,” she said. “I have a change of clothes. My own clothing, as Emmaline. Since the team knows, once they are finished, I will change and let’s go to the pub — at least for a short time.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
Lily helped her once the other men had left, promising to see her shortly, and soon enough, they were pushing through the heavy green door of the familiar red brick building.
Emmaline wasn’t surprised that her brothers hadn’t taken Rhys up on his invitation to join them, although she was eager and happy to meet Rhys’s parents. He didn’t hide the fact that he and Emmaline were more than friends.
His mother leaned in, lowering her voice. “Were you on the football field?”
Emmaline exchanged a glance with Rhys. “Why, yes, actually I was.”
“Good for you,” his mother said with a smile, and Emmaline could see where that part of Rhys that had accepted her and helped her came from. His father had clearly passed down his silent gruffness, for he didn’t say much during their conversation, although Emmaline caught him eyeing his son proudly more than once.
“To our newest recruit!” Tommy called out as he stood from the table, a glass lifted in the air. “Who led us to become FA Cup champions!”
Emmaline’s cheeks heated as she waved away his words.
“Oh, Tommy, I hardly think?—”
“Just say thank you,” came Rhys’s whispered voice in her ear as he raised his glass along with the rest of the players.
“Thank you,” she finally said, dipping her head and raising her own glass. “To all of Manchester Central — a true team if I have ever seen one.”
The men cried out loudly in response, and Emmaline nearly hid her face in her glass as she drank with them.
It had helped lesson the pain, but she knew that while they had become champions and could now move forward with their lives, there was still so much they needed to address. She glanced over at Rhys, who stared at her adoringly.
She had a feeling, however, that they could handle it – together.
Rhys had hated watching Emmaline walk into her house alone.
Despite the late hour, he had offered to bring her home with him, to find somewhere else to stay, or to go into her house with her.
She had gratefully declined all his offers, telling him that it was best this way, as it would create the least amount of resistance for them to achieve what they truly wanted.
Even still, he arrived at the Whitmore residence the next morning earlier than he knew would be considered proper calling hours. He couldn’t wait another moment to speak to her family – particularly her father – and to ensure all was well after their discovery.
He was led into the drawing room, where he found the entire Whitmore family sitting together, tea and scones in front of them.
“Rhys!” Emmaline said enthusiastically, walking over andtaking his hand before leading him to sit down next to her on the sofa. “I am so glad to see you.”
