Page 18 of The Hellion and the Captain (Scandals and Scores #2)

Chapter Sixteen

E mmaline recovered quickly enough, especially with a good deal of icing her ribs and resting through the week, as much as she would have preferred to practice and do… other things with Rhys.

But they had their first game in the FA Cup coming up that weekend, and he told her that they needed her at full strength.

As much as she wanted to argue, the fact that a team competing for the Cup would need her was nearly incomprehensible.

When she finally took the field feeling nearly as well as the previous week, she had to begrudgingly admit that he had been right, even if she had missed her time with him.

Despite this being the first game of their Cup quest, the team they played was new to the tournament, and they easily beat them to the point that Rhys told the team to stop scoring goals and instead try to pass to each player before sending the ball through the goal posts.

Colin bristled at that, for it was in his very nature to score, but he agreed, and when the game was over, between Emmaline’s rest and the fact that no one had spent the game trying to send her to the ground, Emmaline was riding a high she hadn’t felt in days – in fact, since she had been intimate with Rhys.

She accompanied Colin to speak to Lily after the game, saving her time in the bathing room afterward so that she could change by herself before she wholeheartedly agreed to go to The King’s Head for a drink with the rest of the team.

She and Colin shared an amused glance, for he knew of the little surprise she had planned for tonight. She hadn’t even told Rhys about it yet.

Truthfully, she was a little nervous about how he would react. It wasn’t so much that she was worried he would be concerned about it. She was wondering if he would enjoy it a little too much, for she didn’t entirely believe what he had to say last time.

“Well, we’ll leave you to dress, Emmaline,” Colin said as he and Rhys were, as always, the last to leave. Rhys hesitated as though he wanted to stay, but with one final smouldering glance over his shoulder at her, he followed Colin out the door.

Emmaline understood. With their lack of solo practice time, it had been far too long since they’d had the opportunity to spend more… quality time with one another.

When she emerged from the dressing room, it was Colin and Lily who awaited her.

“Expecting someone else?” Lily teased as Emmaline tried to fix her expression into one of gladness to see them.

“Of course not,” she said, frowning and looking down at herself. True to his word, Rhys had not only outfitted her in clothing to wear during the practices but also a small variety to don after the matches.

Emmaline enjoyed wearing men’s clothing on the field for the freedom of movement, but she had to admit that, as much as she didn’t miss the confines of most of her undergarments, she would have liked to have the opportunity to wear something more feminine for Rhys.

He had been seeing far too much of her as Emmett and not nearly enough as Emmaline.

“Emma—ett!”

Emmaline whirled around, wondering who had discovered her identity, but broke out into a wide smile when she saw who awaited her.

“Minnie!” she said, embracing her friend, who was practically glowing with excitement.

“I could hardly wait for an opportunity to accompany you,” Minnie said, her light hair tumbling in beautiful tendrils around her face as though she had placed them perfectly, falling into step with Emmaline, taking her elbow.

Emmaline was taller than most women, which gave greater credibility to their disguise. “How should we act?”

Emmaline stared at her. “I don’t know, Min. If we were truly a couple, it is not as though we would be physical with one another in a public setting, would we?”

Minnie glanced over at Colin and Lily, who walked just ahead of them toward the awaiting carriages. While they both attempted to ignore that comment, when Lily glanced back at them, her cheeks were a mild shade of pink.

“We are newlyweds,” Colin finally said, although he didn’t turn around. “That’s different.”

“Right,” Emmaline said, rolling her eyes to Minnie. “We should come up with a story. Although we have been friends for ages, I have just begun to court you. Our parents know one another. It is always best to stay as close to the truth as possible, is it not?”

“Agreed,” Minnie said as they entered Colin and Lily’s carriage.

It was an older model that had once belonged to Lily’s father, and he had gifted it to them soon after their marriage.

“Now, Emmaline, I have been longing to know how you’ve gotten away with this.

Is Colin the only one who knows the truth? ”

By the time they arrived at the red brick King’s Head, they had filled Minnie in on all that had occurred over the past few weeks, although Emmaline most certainly left out a few details – particularly anything to do with Rhys, besides the fact that he knew her secret and had reluctantly agreed to help.

After Colin held the door for them to enter the King’s Head, they immediately spotted the team across the room.

“He’s the big one, with the beard?” Minnie said, looking him over from across the room, and Emmaline felt that twinge in her stomach, the very one she had hoped to ignore.

“That’s him,” Emmaline said, watching the way he sat back and looked over the team with quiet confidence that she admired.

As gruff as he was, as much as he used that confidence to lead the team, she had also grown to appreciate the quiet grace he held himself with, the way that he led the team by actions just as much as he did words.

“Hmm,” was all Minnie said in response, although she still kept her eyes on Rhys.

It was already crowded, as all in the neighbourhood knew where to find the players after a game, particularly a win.

Everyone was there to celebrate, and the team was in the middle of it all.

Emmaline usually welcomed a crowd, but tonight she felt a sense of uncertainty, for it suddenly seemed like too many eyes were on her, especially with a woman like Minnie on her arm.

“Thornton, Williams, over here!”

Tommy’s voice cut through the crowd, and they all followed in Colin’s wake as he forged a path ahead toward the table. Milton, the barkeep, seemed to miraculously appear, as though he could transport himself from one side of the tavern to the other at will.

He set two mugs of ale and two glasses of port for the ladies on the table before he disappeared once more, and Emmaline had never been happier that she actually enjoyed the taste of the more common drink.

She took a sip before putting it down and looking up – right into Rhys’s very amused blue eyes. She lifted one corner of her lips in a smile just for him and caught his slow wink back at her.

Emmaline was brought back to the moment when an incessant tapping began on her arm, and she turned to find Tommy staring at her.

“Who’s that?” he asked without any pleasantries, and Emmaline realized that Rhys had distracted her into nearly forgetting Minnie.

“My apologies,” she said. “I should have introduced you.”

“Tommy Ward,” Tommy said, leaning over her and holding out his hand. “And just who might you be?”

His interest was obvious, and while Emmaline was amused and would love to see where this could lead, she was also well aware that, as Emmett, she wouldn’t take kindly to another man showing such interest in the woman on his arm.

“This is Minnie Draper,” Emmaline said firmly. “We have been friends for years but have grown… closer as of late.”

“I see,” Tommy said, pressing his lips together, although he didn’t look completely defeated. More... challenged.

Rhys told himself to stop looking at Emmaline because, at the moment, she was not Emmaline at all, but rather Emmett. If he wasn’t careful, others would question his intentions toward the player on his team, just as Victor had.

But it was hard to stop. In fact, he had no idea how the others on the team didn’t see who she truly was. He supposed that they saw what they wanted to see, what they believed, and at the moment, many of them were too busy looking at Minnie.

Unfortunately, Emmaline was at the opposite end of the table as he was, but he couldn’t stop watching her sitting back and laughing with Colin, Lily, and Minnie – her friends.

She quieted a bit when Tommy joined them, and by the way he was leaning over Minnie, Rhys wondered if Emmaline had found herself in a situation she couldn’t handle.

He waited for her to look at him to help, but when no question came, he decided to leave it.

Nothing came of it until he rose to find Milton, and Tommy rushed over to him, looking one way and then the other.

“Something the matter, Tom?” Rhys asked dryly.

“It has to do with Emmett.”

“Oh?”

Rhys continued toward the bar, stopping when he reached it and leaning back against it as he waited for Tommy to say whatever he was insistent on.

“The woman he’s with – Minnie.”

“What about her?”

“She’s beautiful.”

“Have you not seen her before, at Colin and Lily’s party?”

“I did see her there, yes, but I thought she would never consider a man like me,” Tommy said earnestly. “But if she’s with Williams, surely she would consider me ? Williams is fine, but he’s not... You know.”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Rhys, the man doesn’t even seem to care that I’m flirting with his girl.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to start something with a teammate who would go after the woman he brought with him.”

“I was just testing out her interest, you know? And she does seem interested, Rhys. So, what does that say about Williams?”

“I’m not sure what it says about Williams, but it certainly says something about you,” Rhys said, fixing him with a look, annoyed that one of his players would consider taking his teammate’s girl – as fake as that relationship might be.

“Aw, Rhys, don’t be like that,” Tommy said, and Rhys rolled his eyes. Tommy never took anything seriously, but sometimes he needed to learn what was appropriate.

“Don’t mess with Emmett’s woman,” Rhys said firmly. “And don’t question a teammate like that. A divided team is an unsuccessful one.”

“You’re right, Rhys,” Tommy said, his head dropping to his chest. Sometimes, Rhys forgot that some of these men were so used to looking out for themselves that they forgot what it meant to be part of a team. “Should I apologize to Williams?”

“I think Williams will be just fine,” Rhys said. “Maybe back off a bit.”

“That I can do,” Tommy said with some relief.

Rhys kept himself distanced from Emmaline the rest of the night, fearing that he might overstep, but he mustn’t have done a great job of it, for Lily walked up to him later on, a gleam in her eye.

“See something you like over there, captain?” she asked, and he straightened.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” she said, disguising her laugh by bringing her drink to her lips. “Luckily for you, you’re not the only one staring.”

“Others are staring at Emmaline?” he said, looking around, ready to do battle.

That only made Lily laugh harder. “No, Rhys! They’re staring at Minnie. ”

“Minnie?” he said, confused for a moment. “Oh. Your friend.”

“Yes,” she said, placing a hand on her hip, cocking it to the side as she studied him. “You really have it bad, don’t you?”

“Just leave it alone, Lily,” he muttered, and she nodded, although that didn’t prevent her parting shot as she left.

“In case you were wondering,” she said. “It’s not one-sided Rhys. Not even close.”

They were words he couldn’t stop thinking about the rest of the night.