Chapter 37
Derek
I hadn’t even realized it was raining. Until Mia told me it was, I hadn’t noticed the drizzle falling from the sky and the dampness settling over us.
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.”
Her thank you sounded relieved. I don’t know what she thought she had to tell me that would scare me away. I couldn’t think of one thing that would do that. Right now, I wouldn’t push her. She had to be willing to tell me when she was ready. No matter how curious I was, I wouldn’t force her to tell me the secrets which were obviously weighing her down. All I could do was hope that when she finally did open up, I was ready and able to hear them the way she needed me to.
“We should head back in,” I suggested, reaching down and lacing our fingers together. Mia might not know it yet, but I wasn’t about to let her go. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
“Sounds good.”
Together we headed back inside to join the circus. Intrigued glances fell in our direction, but I didn’t care. For the next half an hour, with Mia glued to my side, we walked around and chatted. I’d expected my homecoming to be awkward and people pissed at me for the way I’d reacted, so I was more than a little staggered when they seemed to just get it. While running away may not have been the manly thing to do, they understood without question that getting Zoe out of here and helping her get back on her feet had been my number one priority.
“So, I hear you’re coming home?” Parker enquired.
I should have known this was coming. I should have been prepared for it. Secrets in small towns never remained a secret for very long. “It seems that way,” I answered as nonchalantly as I possibly could.
“It will be great to have you home.” He slapped my back and something flooded me that I hadn’t been ready for. He was right. I was coming home.
“Mia, are you moving too?” Mitchell asked politely.
I didn’t know Mitchell and it prickled my skin that he was asking Mia a question like that. She was mine. I was standing right here. She was already claimed. Something I would obviously need to make crystal fucking clear if she agreed.
“We’ll see,” she replied, dropping my hand and manoeuvring herself so she was tucked under my arm. Maybe I didn’t have to claim her. Maybe she’d claim me instead. I was more than okay with that.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please take your seats.” The announcement came over the microphone and Mia led me across the room to a seat between her and Zoe. Without a word I linked my fingers with both women, one either side of me, and prayed they’d both understand. The last thing I needed right now was some misguided jealous cat fight.
Within moments dinner was plonked down in front of me. An unappealing serving of chicken breast smothered in watery gravy with a baked potato, a hunk of pumpkin, and way too many peas. Typical club food. It didn’t matter though. I had no intention of eating. I was terrified if I put anything in my stomach it wouldn’t stay there. It kept turning over and over with dread. This was what I’d come for. This was what I’d wanted to shelter Zoe from. Now was the minute that would be a test of how far we’d both come. All I could do was pray it was far enough.
“Tonight we’re here to honour the players who made our year great. We didn’t go as far as we would have liked, but there’s always next year.”
“Or the year after,” a heckler added from the back of the room, causing a wave of laughter.
“We want to thank everyone who contributed to this year’s success. Everyone from the ladies who worked the canteen, to the umpires who gave up their time to try to control us, to the coaches who tried to teach us everything and put up with their fair share of crap through the year. And everyone who played. Whether you played one game or every game, it doesn’t matter. You’re part of the team. We wouldn’t have been there without you….” The speech continued and I drifted off. I couldn’t help but think of last year’s dinner. It was the dinner that changed everything. Took everything. Destroyed everything.
Every year for as long as I could remember, Spencer and I would attend this night, usually dateless, and sit at the bar just quietly observing while everyone told exaggerated war stories and enjoyed the free-flowing booze. Tonight he wasn’t here with me. It sucked…more than I was ready for.
Mia must have known where my thoughts had taken me without me saying a word. Instead of calling me out, she just squeezed my hand and offered me a slight smile. It was enough to set me right again. To pull me from the depths of my pain. She helped. She mightn’t know it, but she did.
“And we’re here to award 2016’s Best and Fairest. This award has always been special. It’s voted by the players every round all year. They award their teammates votes each game, and at the end of the season the player with the most votes wins. This year though, this year it holds an extra significance. Spencer McLaren was loved by all. He was our captain and our friend. Now he’s not here anymore, but we are lucky enough tonight to have the people who meant the most to him. Jenna, his mother. Derek, his best friend, who will, a little birdie told me, be returning home shortly to once again take up his rightful place as the town’s police force. And Zoe. Zoe was Spencer’s heart his whole life. And for those of you who were lucky enough to see Zoe and Spencer together in his final days, you wouldn’t dare doubt that they’d found their way home to each other.” I stole a glance at Zoe, who wore a proud smile despite the uninterrupted tears that flowed down her cheeks. “From this day on, the Best and Fairest award will be known as the Spencer McLaren trophy.
The clapping started and people rose from their seats. For a moment we exchanged knowing glances before joining them. But instead of clapping, I hugged Zoe tightly before moving on to Jenna, and ending up with Mia in my arms. The moment was perfect. I’m not going to lie, it hurt like a bitch, but it didn’t matter. I loved Spencer. And it seemed that I wasn’t the only one.
“Want to get out of here?” Mia whispered into my ear.
“More than you can imagine.”
I’d done what I came for. There was no point staying for another second. In time it would get easier, but right now all I wanted was to get back to my hotel room and curl up with Mia in my arms and not think.
Quickly I let Zoe and Jenna know we were heading out and they promised they were fine. They were together and Zoe would be staying with Jenna tonight. After a quick invite for breakfast in the morning, I led Mia out the door and towards the hotel.
It didn’t take long before she was struggling to keep up with my long strides. “Would you slow down? Walking in these heels isn’t easy, you know.”
Without giving her time to protest, I swept her up into my arms and carried her down the street. Thankfully the rain had eased for the time being, leaving everything smelling fresh. It was a beautiful night and I had a beautiful woman in my arms. Nothing could beat this feeling. Nothing in the world.
