Always There Page 5

  The car headed away from the view. “Can we see it?”

  Her voice was hopeful. He sighed. “All right. Just because you were very nice to my sister—most people aren’t.”

  After they reached the base of the hill, he took the first left and followed the wide dirt road. Sheep stopped their grazing and followed the car until it pulled to the side of the fence. As soon as he turned off the engine, Liana opened her door.

  “I don’t believe it,” she said.

  Mitch followed, amused by the enthusiasm. He looked past her. It’d been a long time since he’d been to this part of the McAllistair Farm and not since they erected the last captain.

  Liana had climbed up on the wooden fence and now balanced herself on the lower rung. Sunglasses on her head, her legs slightly apart, and her hands on her hips, she stared at the cutouts before her. Mitch’s interests were elsewhere. He knew she was beautiful, but at the ball, her pert behind had been disguised by her gown. Not so much now.

  She turned suddenly, and her smile demanded another type of response from him. But pulling her into his arms—for a taste of those lips that teased him all afternoon—would not be an appropriate thing to do at the moment.

  “Oh my... Mitch. Look at you. That’s brilliant.”

  He came to her side, leaned on the fence, and surveyed the handiwork of three generations of die-hard rugby fans.

  He stared at the cutout of himself. “It’s something.”

  “You look young there.”

  “I took the captaincy six years ago,” Mitch said. “It feels like a lifetime since then.”

  “This is one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen. So Tolkien-esque!”

  “My father was just a boy when the first one went up,” Mitch said, pointing to the cutout at the far end of the field. “That’s the only one McAllistair says he’ll keep for as long as possible. His granddad painted the image himself.”

  “Amazing!”

  “Yeah. Eventually, the rest of us will be replaced.”

  “Like in real life,” Liana said softly.

  Mitch nodded. “Like it should be. The legacy continues on long after us.”

  She turned on the fence and sat on the top rung. “It’s quite a legacy you’re creating for yourself as well.”

  Mitch folded his arms. Typically, he’d brush the comment aside with one of his standard responses. He sensed that Liana deserved something more honest. “It won’t be complete without the World Championship.”

  She nodded, understanding reflected in her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder, then grinned. “Well, go on. Climb over the fence and let me take a picture of you.”

  “What? No... no. That would be odd.”

  “Why? It’d be quite a picture. Surely your parents would have insisted on it.”

  “I’ve never seen this. I think Dad may have. He knows the McAllistairs fairly well.”

  Liana gaped. “What?”

  Mitch shrugged. “Believe me, there are a lot of images of me out there right now.”

  He turned to look at “Mitch Molloy” again. This younger version of himself, based on one of the first official pictures he’d taken as captain of the National Team, was supposed to convey what all the previous captains had: toughness and strength. Instead, he could see his youth and naïveté. If only I knew then...

  “Well, we just have to take one now,” Liana insisted. “Go on.”

  “Not a chance. Besides, you don’t have a camera.”

  “Actually, I do. I always carry one.” She jumped off the fence and ran to the car before he could say anything. She moved with the agility and speed of an athlete. He laughed as she came back, excitedly displaying the digital camera in her hand. “Liana...”

  “You’re not afraid of some sheep, are you?”

  Mitch scoffed. “No Kiwi is afraid of sheep.”

  “Well?” She nodded to the cutout, her eyes bright and hopeful.

  He sighed. “Okay, if you take it with me. I don’t want to be the only one in this picture. But it doesn’t go on social media. Agreed?”

  “Agreed. Though I’m sorry I won’t be able to boast that I’m in a picture with two ‘Mitch Molloy-s’! How many people can say that?”

  Mitch jumped over the fence in one movement and reached for Liana’s hand as she climbed over, immediately aware of the softness of her skin. He moved his other arm around her waist to swing her down and let her body slide down his... slowly. He swallowed at the thought of repeating the movement but with fewer clothes.

  “Thanks,” she said, slightly breathless. When she moved away, Mitch felt the loss of her body. He regretted not holding onto her hand. It felt right in his.

  Liana looked through her camera until she was satisfied with where they should stand. She held it out. “You have the longer reach, so you take it.”

  She scanned the sky. “Right—with the sun coming from that direction, we need to take it from this side of the field. But angle the camera like this to make sure you have the cutout in the shot.”

  He laughed. “Are you saying the ‘Mitch-cutout’ is more important than the real Mitch?”

  “For the purposes of this picture, yes.”

  “Are you always this particular with your players?”

  “No, I’m actually worse,” she teased.

  Mitch positioned the camera as instructed. It took five tries before Liana was pleased with the results.

  “This is great!” she said, looking at the last digital image. “May I share this with Guy? He’s going to turn green with envy.”

  “Or red from laughing too much.”

  “This is an amazing tribute from the fans.”

  He opened the passenger door for Liana. “Yeah, you’re right. In my mind, I’m really just a rugby player. I play a game for a living. I’m doing what I love. That’s already a privilege.”

  They were back on the road in five minutes. Liana kept her camera out, snapping scenery as they drove through the twists and turns of the valley.

  “Is this home, Mitch?”

  “Christchurch? Yeah, it’s home. Even if I have to move for work, eventually, this is where I’d return. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. My whole family lives here.”

  “Do you see them often?”

  “Fairly regularly. How about you? Where’s home?”

  “I have a house in the south of England.”

  Mitch glanced at Liana quickly. “To sound like a cliché, a house is not a home.”

  “I grew up in Devon, first in Exmouth then in Exeter.”

  “Were your parents from there?”

  “Mum was. Born and raised in Devon. Da was from Ireland. He played football at Exeter. They met when he was concussed in a match, and she was a nurse at the hospital. Da used to say he woke up to a face of an angel. And Mum would say it wasn’t her when he came to.”

  Mitch smiled. “Is that how you became interested in football, through your father?”

  “Oh yes. We were kicking the ball in the backyard as soon as we could walk.”

  “We?”

  “My older brother, Adam, and I. He was a pretty, decent player when he was younger. Between the two of us, we broke Mum’s kitchen window at least seven times.”

  “Did you play a lot?”

  She laughed. “Haven’t you Googled me?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Most people do a search on me. It’s all out there on the internet for anyone to find out.”

  “No,” Mitch said. “I didn’t ‘do a search’ on you. I don’t ‘search’ people generally. I try to get to know them personally.”

  “You’re a dying breed then, Mitch Molloy. But, to answer your question, yes, I played. I captained England’s Under-17s and Under-20s.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  “I’m not just a pretty face.” He smiled at her teasing tone.

  “No, you’re definitely more than ‘just’ a pretty face, Liana Murphy.”

  They glanced at e
ach other simultaneously. She flushed. “Thank you. No woman will ever tire of such a compliment.”

  Mitch slowed the car to turn into an unmarked driveway that led to a modern, ranch-style house surrounded by vast open spaces and tall trees.

  “Wow, this is nice!” Liana exclaimed. “I’m glad you’re driving. I think I would have missed that turnoff completely.”

  He parked his car between a silver sports car and a blue Ute. “Looks like we’re the last to arrive.”

  They walked up to the house, but before they could knock on the door, Connor opened it. He was about to say something when he was unceremoniously pushed out of the way by his wife. “You’re here! You’re here! I’m so excited you’re here! Welcome!”

  As Mitch entered the front door, Connor whispered. “She’s been looking out the window every five minutes for the last hour.”

  Architecturally, it was a simple house. A short hallway led into the living room which was casually decorated in hues of browns and cream, with a mix of both country and modern elements. A fire was burning, adding a soft glow. On the far wall, a collection of art pieces hung among framed family photos. What really drew the eye were the large sliding doors that opened to a wide deck. The Canterbury Plains dominated the skyline. A light cover of snow on the mountaintops looked iridescent in the twilight.

  Off the living room was a modern kitchen with a large island where Mitch spied two of his rugby teammates and... Elaine.

  “You know Blake and Elaine already, Liana,” Cat said. “This is Mano Palua. He also plays with the boys at the Club and on the National Team. And he recently showed us how brave he is by taking on Blake as a flatmate.”

  “Hey,” Blake protested as he came up to Liana. He reached for her hand and bowed. “Don’t mind her, Liana. I’m a great flatmate.”

  “No comment,” Mano said when he reached to shake Liana’s hand. “Blake has been talking nonstop about you since the End of Winter Ball. But I don’t quite believe one thing he said.”

  “Oh?”

  “That you actually remembered what he tweeted to you over a year ago? I’ve seen your Twitter feed. You have a lot of fans. More than our National Team.”

  “Well, I try to remember the compliments more than the criticisms,” Liana said. “Blake’s tweet was quite memorable.” She studied Blake. “Let’s see if I can do it justice: ‘In the midst of a million voices, she hears none but her own. One day we will say we were there the day she broke chains to the past.’”

  An unexpected rush of heat went through Mitch’s body. Was that... envy? He wanted the look Liana was giving Blake at that moment; he wanted to have her undivided attention. On his part, Blake looked like he was hypnotized. “That was word for word,” the young man whispered.

  Mano laughed out loud and patted Liana on the shoulder. “I stand corrected. I will never doubt you again.”.

  Mitch had been focused on Liana that he hadn’t realized Elaine had come up to him. He didn’t expect her light kiss on his lips. When they were dating, she wasn’t prone to public displays of affection.

  “You look well, Mitch,” Elaine said.

  Mitch searched the gray eyes in front of him. “Thanks. You do, too. Welcome back. Did you have a good trip? I thought you’d be in France longer.”

  Elaine put her arm through his. “So did I. But the editor decided to go for a different angle on the story, and I finished earlier. I missed you.”

  Mitch looked up and saw Cat’s undisguised look of shock; he turned slightly and caught Liana’s face, but her feelings were less apparent to him.

  * * *

  There was no reason for the sudden flash of irritation that went through Liana at the sight of Elaine leading Mitch out to the deck. Cat was less discreet about her own feelings.

  “You cannot tell me she thinks they’ve broken up for good,” Cat mumbled. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Please don’t tell me I said that out loud.”

  Connor shook his head before planting a kiss on his wife’s cheek. Mano and Blake simply shrugged before following Connor outside.

  Alone in the kitchen, Cat looked sheepishly at Liana. “I’m sorry. She gets to me for no real reason. It’s funny because before I met her, I would have said she was Mitch’s type: intelligent, ambitious, and discreet.”

  “Were they going out long?” Liana asked, accepting the glass of wine Cat offered.

  “Four months. That’s pretty long for Mitch, now that I think about it. He once told us that he’d only have time for a real relationship after he was done with rugby. Con had asked him why, and he said it just took up too much time.”

  “There is some truth in that,” Liana said, thinking of how her professional commitments affected her personal life.

  “Yeah, too bad, though. He’s one of the good blokes. It’d be nice for him to share this part of his life with someone. It can be lonely being the best.”

  Liana and Cat joined the group outside, bringing appetizers with them. Elaine remained at Mitch’s side. Liana wandered closer to the edge of the deck to admire the view. Despite the chilled air of a winter’s evening, it was comfortable thanks to the heaters scattered about.

  “Liana, I’m curious. May I ask?” Blake was at her side and leaned against the railing. “Be honest. What brought you to New Zealand? I mean, was it really the football? Things were going well in England for you. You qualified for the European League, but you walked away from that.”

  “It was just time.”

  “I don’t buy it.”

  “Blake....” said Mitch with a note of caution in his voice. He and Elaine had joined them.

  “No, it’s all right,” said Liana. “It’s a fair question, but the position with FANZ is really the reason. It was a good offer. Charlie Rogers was coming back to manage Exeter, so he would be the one leading the team to Europe and not me. I was always just the acting manager.”

  “But our national football team?” Blake asked in exasperation.

  Liana laughed. “You’re not a believer?”

  “In what?”

  “In miracles?”

  Blake paused. “I am. But I still don’t get it. You were working in one of the top football leagues in the world, but you head down here where there isn’t even a real domestic league. Our one professional team has to play in the Australian League. It feels like a step down,” he said.

  Liana’s finger traced the rim of her wine glass. Many people shared Blake’s opinion, but she could tell he was genuinely interested. “Some people would see it that way. I don’t. I think the Kiwis have a lot of promise. I’m here because I think I’m the person who can develop that potential.”

  Blake sighed. “But the European League...”

  “Okay. Here’s your question, Blake,” Liana said, countering his argument. “What would you do? Stay here and play in the home league, the proven road to being on the National Team? Or take the offer of triple the salary but play in France?”

  Blake’s answer was immediate. “Stay here.”

  “Why? It’s France. It’s good rugby and more money.”

  “It’s the best way to represent New Zealand.”

  Liana smiled. “Right. By staying here, you’ll be playing with and against, essentially, the best in the world, even for less money. I might have missed out on taking the team to the European League, but FANZ offered me a shot at managing a team to the World Cup. And for me, that’s the biggest stage of all.”

  Later that night, as they drove back to the B&B, Liana kept her eyes on the stars above. The scenery that had captivated her earlier was now hidden under the shroud of darkness. She was beginning to be familiar with this constellation; memories of a childhood spent staring at the night’s sky, just before bedtime, resurfaced. You’d have loved this, Adam....

  “Had a good time?”

  Liana glanced at Mitch who kept his eyes on the road. “Oh, yes. Connor wasn’t exaggerating. Cat’s an excellent cook. And everyone was most welcoming. Blake is especiall
y humorous.”

  “That he is. He’s quite the joker, but he is serious about his rugby.”

  “He must be. Is that why you and Connor have taken him under your wings?”

  Mitch smiled. “We don’t understand him, but we like him. He’s a good bloke. He’s talented and eager to learn. And he works hard.”

  “Well, you have a wonderful group of friends, Mitch.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been really lucky. But most people here are pretty decent anyway. Despite everything that has happened to the city this year, we’re a hardy, honest lot. Do you know many people in New Zealand?”

  “Outside of work and excluding tonight? Not a soul.”

  “That’s pretty brave, Liana, moving halfway around the world to a country where you don’t know anyone.”

  She smiled. “That’s an exaggeration. People do it all the time. I thought it was a rite of passage for all Kiwis to travel and live abroad for a while.”

  “I guess.”

  “Professional athletes—and management—go where the jobs are. You’re pretty rare to be able to stay close to home to make a living, you know.”

  “Weren’t you worried about being lonely?”

  Liana shook her head. “I never get lonely.”

  “Never? Everyone gets lonely.”

  “Do you? You must be recognized every five seconds when you’re out in public. I’d think being alone would be one of your favorite times. What do you do when you need to get away?”

  “I kayak.”

  “If you weren’t already pretty high up on the ‘cool’ factor ladder, this would push you up a few more rungs. Kayaking? Very impressive.”

  Mitch laughed. “You do that well.”

  “What?”

  “Switch the focus from you to me.”

  “Saw that, did you?”

  Mitch nodded, a smile still on his lips. “I’ve been in front of the media for a long time as well. Seems like we’ve both picked up a few tricks over the years.”

  “Seems that way, doesn’t it?”

  After Mitch parked in front of the B&B, Liana stopped him from leaving the car. “No, please. This is fine.”

  “Mum—and probably Felicity—would give me an earful if they found out I left you at the curb.”

  Liana smiled. “I will write you a note if it ever came to that.”