“Yeah, well, I’m not all heathen. Though if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
“Your secret’s safe. But, as the coach, don’t you think you’re more shepherd material?”
His laugh turned into another cough. “This old wolf? I’ll nip at their heels and you lead them to victory. And I’m not talking about to the altar here, Marshall. I’m talking about a Champions League win.”
Could Seth push? Maybe buy a few more days?
“Tomorrow, Marshall. I’m serious.”
Before he could utter another word, the line went dead.
He sealed his lips against words he would have used in the past and pounded a fist to the butcher block counter.
There wasn’t anything for it. He needed to talk to Amber. Now. Inform her he had to leave, though he didn’t want to, and convince her to pray about them. Together. As a couple. No excuses.
He tapped on her name in his phone and waited while it rang. And rang. Voicemail picked up, but he didn’t want to say everything in a message. Ending the call, he dialed Mila. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hallo,Seth.”
“Mila, is Amber at the center yet? I need to speak with her.”
“Sorry. Her brother came to visit, so I gave her the day off to spend with him.”
He gripped the edge of the kitchen countertop. “She won’t be in at all?”
“Not today. Why? Problem?”
“You could say that. I hate to say it, but I have to fly back to England today. I know I agreed to help at the center a couple more weeks, but my coach is insisting we all start training early.”
“And this is why you wish to speak to Amber? I will tell her, Seth.”
Not everything. Mila couldn’t tell her everything. “Thanks,” he said on a sigh and hung up.
If he’d known that the last time he’d talked to Amber was going to be thelast time, would he have said more? Shown her the depth of his love instead of just putting it to words? He’d wanted to kiss her so badly on so many occasions. When she’d glowed from making the goal on the first day they’d met. When she’d challenged the turns on the Autobahn and raced away with his coherent thoughts. When she’d turned Yara into a fairy princess and woven a story so hypnotic as to quiet even the most haunting of memories.
Every day they’d spent together had been the best day of his life. If he didn’t convince her to take a chance on them, would he be relegated to living in his memories? Maybe if he had kissed her, it would be enough. A single kiss to feed him for all his days.
He closed his eyes and waited for his pulse to calm. For his reason to return. Because therehadbeen a reason why he hadn’t kissed her yet. He respected her too much. Loved her too much. And though he’d never profess that he knew much of the Bible after such short a time being a Christian, he did know one thing—love was patient.
And so he’d wait. Never take, but only give when she was ready to receive.
He had to hope it would be enough. That she would eventually come to the same conclusion he had—that they were better together than they were apart. Or would she always justify her reasons for them staying apart? Put other people and other things ahead of her own happiness. Her own feelings.
Because whether she admitted it to herself or not, whether she said the words back to him or not, heknewshe loved him as he loved her.
“Something wrong?” Kayla walked into the kitchen, tying off the end of her long plait.
Seth set his cell on the table and glared at it with contempt. “Coach called. Seems I’m commanded back to the club tomorrow. Or else.”
Kayla pulled down a mug and poured the pot of tea he’d prepared earlier, finishing it off with a splash of milk. “I thought you still had a couple of weeks.”
He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I thought so too.”
She blew over the top of her mug and took a small sip. “I’m going to assume the dejected look on your face is due to a certain American?”
He tossed her a look, half warning and half plea.
“If she’s as smart as you claim, then she’ll see what’s in front of her face. If not, then give her one of your infamous heart-stopping smiles and a wink. She’ll be so overcome by your charms she’ll follow you back to England and fling herself at you like one of your many groupies.”
