“But everything isn’t that simple. Now that God’s calling has solidified again, I need to concentrate on finishing my degree and starting my ministry. And Seth…well, Seth has things he needs to focus on as well. He doesn’t need me distorting the picture and getting in the way.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that all came from you and not him.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I saw the way he looked at you. And as a man, I can tell you that guy has already given you his heart. He wants to be closer to you, not farther away. Nothing is in his focus like you are. It’s like tunnel vision.”
Then stepping away had been the right thing. She’d always been strong. Self-disciplined. Sometimes that drive and attention made her miss out on things, but it paid off as well. She craved nothing more than to be with Seth. Beside him, in close proximity, sharing the same oxygen. But then she’d be a distraction, and he wouldn’t be able to focus on what was really important. His sister and his reputation. His public witness.
So she’d be strong for the both of them. Even if it felt like her heart bled between her ribs and left her chest cavity empty. Because love didn’t serve self. Love put others first.
“I think you’ve forgotten one of the greatest advantages of being the youngest.” Michael interrupted her thoughts.
“What’s that?”
“Learning from all our mistakes.”
Her brows tilted up in question.
“You know how long I loved Jack before I told her or did anything about it? Too long. And you know why?”
“Because you were an idiot?”
“Because, smart aleck, I thought I was taking her best interests into consideration. I thought the best thing for her was to have a man that was whole, and not my sorry excuse for a carcass.” He rubbed at his stump above where the prosthetic was strapped to his leg. “But really, I was just being a martyr. Instead of protecting her, I hurt her with what I thought had been self-sacrifice.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
That penetrating gaze was back. “You know why.”
Yeah. She did.
“So,” he said. “What are you going to do now? Are you going to let a few obstacles get in your way, or are you going to step up and show Seth, and the world, what Amber Carrington is really made of?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Not now. Not yet.
Seth’s grip on the phone tightened. He wanted to hurl the thing across the kitchen and watch it break into a dozen satisfying pieces.
“I expect every player at the club pitch tomorrow, Marshall,” Coach McCallister repeated.
“We still have two more weeks of R and R before training begins for the new season.” Seth’s teeth clenched. Two more weeks to wait for Amber to realize what he’d known from almost the moment they’d met. That just as God had created Eve for Adam, Amber had been created for him. They were meant to be together, and whether that took her two weeks or twenty years to accept, he was willing to wait.
He’d just been hoping the time period was closer to the days than years spectrum and that his presence would help persuade her. While time was an aspect he was willing to accept, it was also one he hoped not to squander.
And now the clock had been fast-forwarded to zero.
Even if he found her as soon as this torturous call from Leon ended, he’d never be able to assuage her concerns and convince her that the best thing for them was to face whatever the world threw at them together. God, her, and him.
Somewhere in the Bible, he remembered reading about a three stranded cord not being easily broken. That’s what he wanted. To so interlock his life with hers, braided with the will of God, that nothing could separate them. No false paparazzo scandal. No family drama. No future concerns about her career or his. Because they’d face it all together and be stronger for it.
“You aren’t the only one on the receiving end of bad press. And while I’m inclined to believe yours more fiction than fact, I’m afraid not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Seth tilted his head back and let the sunshine coming through the window splash across his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Would those blokes never learn?
Leon cleared his throat, which turned into a hacking cough. “Look, Marshall. I don’t want to threaten you, but there is a penalty for not showing up for practice on time. Also…” He cursed, but the words came muffled, like he’d turned his head away from the phone. “I’m just going to say it. I need you to step up. Captain the team. Those twits are like sheep without a shepherd.”
Seth’s brows rose at Leon’s choice of words. “That almost sounds like you’ve stepped inside a church before, Coach.”
