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With the ball sitting exactly how he wanted it, he stood and measured three large steps backwards and one to the side.

Using the bottom of his singlet, Carter wiped his face.

Geez, it was getting hot. Focus, Hendrix .

Why did the little voice in his head have to sound like Jonathan?

It used to be his dad’s voice. He missed it.

Carter was getting ready to start his pre-kick routine when a head bobbed up behind the posts, a ponytail sticking out the back of a black cap.

She came closer, her arms full of footballs, and he stood straighter.

When she was beneath the horizontal bar connecting the two goal posts that seemed impossible to get a ball through, she stopped and tossed the balls back one at a time.

They went everywhere. He darted left then right, trying to catch them as they spun different ways.

‘I’m going to have to show you how to pass a football properly, so someone can actually catch it.’

Indy laughed and a spark of hope mingled with relief.

That was a good sign. He glanced over each of his shoulders.

They were up the far end of the field, away from the trees that separated them from the volleyball courts and the equipment shed and other buildings.

No one was around but it wasn’t guaranteed to stay like that.

Why was she risking it? And why now? Especially after she’d given him such a serve about not outing them. Damn, she was confusing!

With only one football left in her hands, Indy walked right up to him.

‘Anyone could come down. Are you sure you want to be here?’ He couldn’t help the sarcasm that slipped out.

‘They’re all busy and I really need to talk to you.’

He raised a brow. ‘You do?’ Unease trickled down his spine. Was she going to call things off? She was. It was the only reason she’d risk it. So if anyone saw them she could say that they weren’t together and it’d be the truth.

‘I need to know, why me?’

‘Why you?’

She nodded. ‘Why do you like me? What can you possibly see in me that keeps you coming back to my door? Keeping our secret? Caring? You said the other night that it’s not just for sex and that there’s nowhere else you’d rather be, but why?

For all you know, I really could just be a gold-digging cougar. ’

‘Indy, stop!’ Understanding dawned on him. If she hadn’t been holding the football with both hands, he’d have grabbed one. ‘I like you. All of you, exactly the way you are. I knew within five minutes that you’re not like that. I’m sorry I didn’t say more to Jonathan. I let you down.’

‘No, you didn’t. I feel pretty stupid, because you did what I had always told you to and then I overreacted because everything Jonathan said hit every one of my insecurities. But it was also exactly what people will think if news of us does get out.’

‘No, they won’t.’

She glared at him, and he paused.

‘Okay, some might. But it’s not the truth.

We’ll know the truth. Indy, I hand-on-heart like you and want to spend time with you, for you.

Yeah, you give me whiplash sometimes with the way your walls slam up, but all it means is that you’ve been hurt, and I need to show you that you can trust me.

I like your sarcasm and smart mouth. You don’t take shit from anyone.

You’re incredibly capable, strong and independent but you’re also caring and considerate.

You’re a really good judge of character and I feel so grateful to be someone that you’ve dropped your defences for to let me see the real you.

Did I also include the fact that you’re smoking hot and when you smile, I just about keel over every time? ’

Her mouth twitched as she tried not to let a smile out.

He grinned for both of them. ‘I don’t care about you being older than me, or about where you come from. I want you.’

She closed her eyes, smiled and sighed. ‘Butterflies.’

‘What?’

She opened her eyes and, if possible, the blue of them seemed even brighter. ‘Every time I’m near you, I get stupid, giddy, little butterflies in my stomach. I think I’m kind of addicted to them.’

He laughed and pulled her to him. ‘I’m kind of addicted to you too.’

‘You’re all sweaty,’ she said, pushing him back with the football.

‘You would be too if you’d been trying to perfect your conversion kicks for the last hour.’

She threw the ball in her hands up in the air then caught it again. ‘So I’m assuming you didn’t come down last night because of something Beau said.’

‘Yeah, he made some smartarse comment about sneaking down to my girlfriend’s house and it just hit a little close to home. I don’t know if he saw us at the sheds or not.’ He waited as she tossed the ball up and grabbed it.

‘Hey!’ Her hands flew to her hips. ‘I have a staff meeting tonight after dinner, down in the staff area. I wish I could come up to you …’

Carter crinkled his nose as he spun the footy around on his pointer finger. ‘Your place is much nicer than that tiny room with Ethan snoring his head off across the other side.’

It was as if his world had been spinning all day, like the football, and as soon as they’d talked it out, everything was fine again. How did one person have the ability to affect him so much?

Indy snatched the ball from his finger and gestured to the posts. ‘I bet I can kick it better than your last few goes.’

‘How long were you watching me for?’ he asked indignantly.

‘Long enough.’

Carter bent over and snatched up another ball. ‘I’m going first.’

Heading back to where he’d left the kicking tee, he set up for another go.

Indy followed him, tossing the ball between her hands as she watched everything he did.

She was perceptive, he’d give her that. Staying quiet, he went through his routine.

As soon as his foot connected with the football, he knew it’d go through.

It was as though someone had traced a dotted line for the perfect path from his kicking tee, over the bar and between the posts and the ball had been programmed to follow it.

‘Yes,’ he muttered. He wouldn’t have been able to handle another miss. He turned to Indy. ‘Come on, then. I’d love to see you do that.’

‘Just you watch.’ She strode forwards, shoving him playfully to the side and lining the ball up like he had.

Carter pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing at the way she took three exaggerated steps back from the kicking tee, bent her knees and glanced between the football and the posts.

There was no way it looked like that when he did it.

She bit her lip, the only sign of any fault in her confidence, then stepped up to the tee and kicked.

Carter’s mouth fell open. He’d expected it to go a few metres, maybe bounce along the ground a bit like most rookies’ attempts.

Instead, it was as if the ball had grown wings—it flew straight over the middle bar on the same path his had.

The surprise on Indy’s face was comical. She slowly raised her arms above her head and turned to him. ‘I did it!’ With her arms still high, she ran around whooping and cheering.

It was the best thing he’d ever seen. Laughter poured from him as he ran after her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she let out a shriek of joy as he lifted her up.

‘How the hell did you do that?’

He spun her around, her high-pitched laughter pealing out like a wind chime. Lowering her to the ground, he misjudged where her feet were and she fell, taking him with her. They lay side by side in the grass, the sun shining down on them, laughter still on their lips.

Carter turned to her. ‘’Fess up, are you some professional footy player who trained at a secret overseas academy?’

She twisted to her side, propping her head up on her hand. ‘Yes, I travelled by spaceship and the football-loving aliens told me all their secrets.’

He shook his head, grinning, before sliding his hand around the side of her head and, with a little pressure, pulling her down so her lips met his. They were soft and warm. Her hand landed on his chest as the kiss deepened. Would he ever get sick of her? He seriously doubted it.

Shadows stretched across them from the gum trees that surrounded the field as the sun lowered and they pulled apart. Her blue eyes sparkled and he committed the image to memory.

‘I better go, I’m meant to be cleaning Blossom’s pen out with Mara and that girl won’t do anything unless I’m there.’

‘I’ll see you tonight.’

She pressed a quick final kiss against his lips before she took off.

Carter sat up at a much more leisurely pace and eyed the posts, all of his previous waylaid kicks forgotten.

He knew what he was doing, he’d done it a million times before.

He got up and took the kicking tee and a football closer to the sideline, levelling up the angle to di?cult mode. But he wasn’t worried.

Taking three steps back and one to the side, he let his arms swing as he lined up the shot. Rock back, push forwards, straight line, right placement. The ball bent like a banana a little left of centre but still went through.

‘Yes!’ He fist pumped the air.

Clapping from behind him caught his attention and he turned to see Ray walking across the field. When had he turned up?

Did he see Indy?

Carter kept the grin on his face.

‘Nice kick,’ Ray called. ‘With the strength and speed in our wings this season, they’ll have extra confidence knowing you can put the sideline conversions away.’

Carter nodded. ‘I want to up my percentage this season.’

Ray picked up a football and tossed it to him. ‘You were on 88.3 per cent last year. That was the best in the league. You want to beat that?’

‘Yep.’ Carter fell silent as he completed another kick, slotting it through the posts with ease. ‘Consistency is key for me and the team. I just need to focus and keep practising. Anything above ninety per cent would be the goal.’

He turned around to find Ray with his arms folded across his chest and his lips pursed, studying him. ‘Ninety per cent, you reckon. We better add it into your training schedule.’

For the first time since the grand final fallout, excitement for the season ahead flooded through Carter’s veins.