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“I’ll let you know.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Sloane’s lips. Then another. Then one more.

Every part of Sloane broke into applause.

“The trouble with you is, you’re very difficult to leave, even when I’m mad at you.” A final kiss before Ella stepped back. “But for now, it’s time to go back to the real world.”

CHAPTER24

Ella eased her car into the cemetery, then flicked on the heater. The windscreen had suddenly frosted up, and she was almost afraid to get out lest she get lost in the fog that had descended. As she’d driven further north and west, the weather had got decidedly worse. Having grown up here, she was used to it, but it still caught her off-guard. She was a city girl now, living in the centre of Salchester. She easily forgot what it was like living by the bracing northern coast. Despite all of that, driving through the sign that told her she was now in Midcombe always made her smile. No matter where she went in the world, this would always be home. Where her aunt and uncle lived. Where her mum was buried. She steered her car up the cemetery road, and cut the engine near to her destination.

Her mum’s grave was well tended, as Ella knew it would be. Her Aunt Ursula brought new flowers every week, and Marina made sure the plot was the most manicured in the cemetery. Ella wouldn’t say she was competitive, but if there was a prize for the best-kept grave, Marina was going to win it. She knelt and wiped the marble gravestone, the cold seeping through her thermal gloves. Her mum had loved this weather. There was nothing she liked more than frost and snow. Christmas was her favourite time of year. Ella had vowed to keep up her love of it after her mum died, and not let her death ruin it. She’d mostly succeeded, thanks to her family’s help. She placed her bouquet of pink roses at the foot of the grave, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, just like her mum always told her to do.

“If things get overwhelming, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and count to ten. It will always be clearer when you reopen them.”

Ella did as she was told. However, when she reopened them, she wasn’t sure it had worked. She’d spent the past two days in bed with the world’s best striker, someone she really shouldn’t be sleeping with. Yet, it had seemed like it was almost inevitable from the moment they met. When they kissed, she wasn’t surprised. But Sloane’s response to Nat had been a wake-up call. She wasn’t sleeping with just anyone. She was sleeping with someone who was important to her job.

Maybe she could tell Lucy she was just doing this to add extra motivation for Sloane, to keep her happy so she could keep scoring goals for Rovers? She smiled at the thought. Lucy wasn’t stupid. She’d been around enough football teams to know relationships were commonplace.

But Ella had never slept with an athlete. Until now.

She blew out a long breath and held her mum’s gravestone tight.

“Happy Christmas, Mum.” Her breath misted around her. “I’m a little late, but I only drove over this morning. Would you believe I’ve had no cheese at all this festive season?” In fact, it might be the only one where she’d lost weight, due to eating very little and burning calories in the best possible way. That thought made her smile. But even though her mum was no longer with her, she wasn’t going to share that kernel of information. She might be dead, but they were still mother and daughter.

“I’m also in a bit of a quandary. I’ve met someone. I really like her. She’s kind, caring, fantastic at what she does, and I know you’d like her.” That was always the kicker in situations like this. That her mum would never get to meet the person who meant something to her.

There was no denying it.

Sloane already meant so much.

“What’s the problem then, you might be asking? We’re from very different worlds, and I’m not sure how that’s going to work. She’s loaded, and I know you never trusted people with money.” Ella pressed on the front of her coat, and felt the necklace against her bare skin beneath.

“But more than that, she’s probably leaving at the end of the season. It might not even be her choice to stay. But Ihaveto stay. I’ve worked all my career for a job like this. I love it so much. But am I making things harder by getting involved with Sloane?”

But even as she said it, she knew it was pointless. She was already involved with Sloane, like it or not. She’d fallen for her long before they slept together. When they’d gone to watch Kilminster United. When Sloane had given her a makeover. When Ella had stopped her crashing into oncoming traffic. When they’d shared sunsets.

It didn’t matter what her mum thought, or what Ella thought. She was already in trouble, because she was already up to her waist in feelings for Sloane.

Yes, she might be leaving in six months.

Yes, she didn’t know exactly how she felt about her.

But now she’d spoken about it out loud to her mum, Ella knew exactly how she felt about Sloane.

She’d fallen hard for the first time in forever.

That fact just made everything doubly complicated.

Fuck.

CHAPTER25

“Did you like my present?” Layla sat opposite Sloane in the canteen, a grin on her face. “Wasn’t it perfect?”

Sloane laughed. “It totally was. A year’s subscription to some delicious coffee, delivered monthly. Perfect for me. Does it mean I have to stay here for another year, though?” That was the first thought that ran through Sloane’s mind when she opened it. Her contract ran out in June. This coffee contract ran out next December. Did Layla know something she didn’t?

They talked about their Christmases, Layla describing hers as “hectic but fabulous.” It was her first with children and family staying with them, so Sloane could well imagine.

“How was yours?” Layla scooped up a forkful of chicken noodles.