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I lurked on the sidelines until I caught Will’s eye. He whispered something to Freya, then jogged over.
“What did Richard say?” he asked, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. The sun was so scorching that even the short distance he ran made him melt from the heat.
“McCoy made a complaint about me. He told Richard I’ve been bitching about him.”
Will let out a laugh of disbelief. “That was a fast move, even for McCoy. Richard didn’t believe him, did he?”
“I don’t think so, but he couldn’t be seen to be ignoring a complaint.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about this too much, Leah. Richard doesn’t like McCoy any more than the rest of us but he thinks the world of you.”
Richard had taken me under his wing from the beginnin
g, perhaps because I was so far away from home, he seemed quite protective of me. However, having the boss on my side wouldn’t last long if I couldn’t find a way to work in blissful harmony with the team hero.
“I’m not worried as much as annoyed. Being friendly to McCoy might kill me.”
“It’s a sacrifice we all make,” Will said dramatically, making me laugh. “You wanna hang out after work?”
“Depends. Freya, Bree and I plan to abuse the facilities this afternoon. We’re swimming and hot-tubbing but you’re welcome to join us.”
Bree was the bubbly, ditzy wife of Jude Collinson, the team’s goalkeeper. She often travelled to away matches with us, mainly because at just twenty years old, she didn’t like being left at home alone. I couldn’t blame her. Rattling around in their enormous house even with security at the touch of a button was enough to make anyone uneasy. We formed a friendship during my first week when she came to me for help after she broke a nail. I couldn’t help her, obviously, but she thought my accent was “like, totally awesome,” so she stayed around to chat.
Bree really likes to chat.
“Hmm, and interrupt girl talk?” Will asked. “I think I’ll pass.”
****
I sank into the warm water, letting out a small sigh of relief as a stream of bubbles massaged my back. The day’s tension began to slip away, replaced by calm.
The silence was perfection. Instead of shouts and whistles, the only sounds were the hot tub’s low hums and the small ripples created by the jets caressing my tense muscles.
I didn’t care that Freya and Bree were late, or that I’d had another crappy day. All that mattered was closing my eyes and letting the waves wash my worries away.
Think happy thoughts. Family, friends, cupcakes, designer handbags. The sound of my niece and nephew laughing, the smell of clean laundry.
The scent of a freshly showered Radleigh McCoy.
Startled, I opened my eyes
It was bad enough I had to share a city with him, I didn’t want him invading my head space too. I closed my eyes again and tried to shove him out by picturing my home in England. Whenever my new life got a little crazy, I let my mind take a trip to familiar shores. There was a distinct irony to the habit because the idea of living in the Cornish countryside again made me shudder. The images of Cornwall’s lush fields and stunning sea views however, always put me at ease. Visions of McCoy faded, and I transported myself to the glorious beaches of Newquay where I’d spent many hours sitting on the soft sand, listening to the gentle sounds of the ocean.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Wake up!”
The sound of Freya’s voice made me smile and without opening my eyes, I said, “I’m not sleeping, I’m exorcising a demon.”
I heard Freya and Bree climbing into the hot tub, and Freya laughed. “McCoy?”
“Yup.”
“What did that meathead do now?” Bree asked, forcing me to lift my eyelids.
Her green orbs widened with interest and she was literally bouncing at the idea of hearing some gossip. Her red curls swung around her shoulders, the ends dipping into the water. “Ooh, is he still hitting on you?”
“You don’t have to sound so happy about it.”
“Leah, it’s flattering! He thinks you’re cute, which you totally are.”
