There she was. The woman who had haunted his dreams for over a year, from the moment he had first seen her one evening at a dinner held at Colin and Lily’s.
The first night that he — Tommy Ward, the man who could charm any woman of any age, of any status — hadn’t been able to work up the courage to even speak to her.
Minnie Draper.
The second time he had seen her, she had been posing as the companion of the person known at the time as his teammate Emmett Williams, although he had turned out to be a fraud and none other than Emmaline, who was now married to the captain.
After a few pints of liquid courage, he had spoken toMinnie more than he should have that night, considering that she was allegedly with one of his teammates.
But now — now she was fair game.
He grinned.
He had seen her the other day on the docks when he had been running an errand, but she hadn’t spotted him. Even if she had, it would mean nothing to her, considering she would be no stranger to admirers. He had followed her into the warehouse like a lovesick puppy, had watched the way she had interacted with the irate supplier.
It made him want her all the more.
Seeing her with her parents, all dressed in their finery, their carriage as opulent as any noble’s, he had also been reminded that her life was far removed from his and she would have no lack of deserving suitors.
“Good thing I was with you all today or you lot would have been in trouble,” he joked, pushing Minnie from his mind as they walked into the room, and he lifted his shirt over his head.
His cotton uniform had trapped the heat of the September sun against his skin. While he would have preferred a cold bath at the moment, he would make do with towelling off in the water basin and changing into a fresh shirt.
“Did you save all the goals and hold off all the defenders as well, Tom?” Rhys asked, raising a brow, and Tommy laughed, aware that his teammates knew he was jesting, for the truth was, this club meant everything to him.
He would do anything to continue playing football, especially with the men who were standing beside him.
Even if he didn’t share all of his secrets with them.
The letter he had received yesterday morning was sitting on his desk in the small room above the blacksmith shop where he apprenticed, not far from his mind despite his best attempts to focus on football and the men before him.
Perhaps he would have to distract himself with something else tonight. Or, rather, someone else.
“Everyone headed to The King’s Head?” he asked, looking around, finding answering nods.
“’Course,” was the resounding response, and he eyed Colin and Rhys.
“Your wives coming?”
Rhys snorted. “Do you think Emmaline could be kept away?”
They laughed at that, for their captain’s wife had become as much a part of their team as any other player.
“She bringing any friends?” Tommy asked, deciding that there was no point in trying to dance around the topic. His teammates were all well aware of his interest in Minnie Draper.
“I have no idea if Miss Draper will be there,” Rhys said wryly.
“But she was with the ladies at the match tonight,” Colin added, wiggling his eyebrows. “So, chances are good, Tom.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Rhys interjected, and Tommy clutched his chest.
“I’m hurt, Captain. Would Miss Draper not look like perfection on my arm?”
“Until you left her for the next woman to catch your eye.”
Tommy scoffed, pretending to be mortally wounded.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Rhys,” he said confidently. “For no one could surpass Miss Draper.”
