Final Score

by Michelle Betham

  He slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for another hug. ‘Yeah. I kind of get that, kiddo.’

  As soon as she saw Mr. Whelan approaching, she was up and out of her seat. He was still the same, kind-looking doctor she’d seen yesterday, and even though he had a smile on his face, and she wanted to smile too, she really did, she didn’t feel as though she could do that just yet. Not yet. ‘I didn’t think you’d still be here,’ she said, folding her arms against herself. It was becoming a bit of a security blanket, that arm-folding thing.

  ‘I have actually been home, if I’m being honest.’ He was still smiling. ‘But I came into work early because I had a feeling Jim would wake up at some point this morning. Have you been here all night?’

  She nodded.

  ‘You really should get some rest.’

  ‘That’s what we’ve all been telling her,’ Ronnie sighed, standing up beside Amber, his hand resting lightly in the small of her back. ‘Is everything alright?’

  ‘Well, from what I can gather by talking to him just now, he seems remarkably fine. He’s tired, of course. But, outwardly, he seems to have suffered no lasting damage.’

  Amber breathed an audible sigh of relief, determined not to cry any more. It was just too exhausting.

  ‘We will, however, have to run quite a few tests, to see if there’s any obvious reason why this happened, and we’ll be doing that over the course of the next few days. We’ll also be keeping him in hospital for a little while yet, so, you really should think about going home and getting some rest, Amber.’

  ‘Did you hear that? Are you gonna listen to him?’

  ‘Yes, thank you, Ronnie. I’m not five.’ She turned her attention back to Mr. Whelan. ‘Can I go back in and see him?’

  He nodded, smiling again. He had the most comforting smile, which was probably good, given his profession. It certainly had the knack of calming her down. ‘Of course you can. We’ll keep checking in on him, and we’ll get started on those tests in a little while. You think about what I said now, okay?’

  She gave a brief nod before leaving Ronnie’s side, walking back into Jim’s room. He was sitting up slightly now, his chest still wired up to that machine, and there was a drip in his arm too. But he looked okay. He looked like the man she loved.

  ‘Are you alright?’ he asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

  ‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that? And I’m fine. Just tired of people nagging me to get some sleep – and don’t you start, okay? I’ve had enough from him out there.’ She jerked her head in the direction of Ronnie, who was leaning over the desk at the nurses’ station, obviously keeping them all amused because they were laughing at whatever he’d just said. And one or two of them seemed to be looking at him with more than a hint of lust. She’d almost forgotten what an attractive man Ronnie White actually was.

  ‘He just cares about you, Amber.’

  ‘I know,’ she sighed. ‘And I’m grateful, to all of them, for being here. Because I was so scared, Jim.’

  ‘Can I let you into a little secret?’ he asked, taking her hand, his thumb gently stroking her wedding ring. ‘So was I.’

  ‘Oh, baby,’ she leaned forward, her lips gently brushing over his.

  ‘I won’t snap in two, Amber.’

  She looked at him, and he smiled – that all-encompassing, full-on smile that got to her every time. Every, single, time.

  ‘I nearly died. I think the least I deserve is a proper kiss, don’t you?’

  She smiled, too, leaning forward again, resting her mouth against his a little harder this time. And it was like she was kissing him for the very first time all over again. She had the same butterflies in her tummy; the same feeling of light-headedness; the same overwhelming feeling of complete love for this complicated, hard-to-understand man.

  ‘You’re really going to have to start taking things a bit easier now, you know that, don’t you?’ she whispered, snuggling in against him, his arm sliding around her shoulders.

  ‘I’m not gonna be some invalid, Amber. I mean, I feel kinda rough right now, but hopefully that won’t last.’

  ‘Look, I know how crap it is when people start nagging you to do things you don’t feel much like doing, but this is important, Jim. This is your life we’re talking about here. And I really don’t want to lose you. So, please. Just – just start taking things a bit easier.’

  He kissed her forehead, his hand rubbing her shoulder. ‘You’re cold.’

  ‘I’m fine. And stop changing the subject.’

  He took her hand in his, his fingers once more rubbing her wedding ring, his eyes looking down. ‘What happened, Amber? With Ryan…’

  ‘No. It’s over, okay? All of that, forget it. I’ve spoken to Ryan, and it’s over.’

  ‘Is it?’

  She felt those tears start falling again – tears of relief, this time – and she closed her eyes as his mouth once more covered hers, his kiss calming her. And just to feel him there and know that he was real, that he was okay; that was enough. It was enough to make her realise what she had to do. ‘It’s over.’

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  ‘Debbie! There’s a case of pink champagne just lying here in the kitchen. Where’s it come from? Because I’m absolutely positive I didn’t order it.’

  ‘Oh, sorry, hon. That was me. I got Gary to drop it off before he…’ She stopped talking, and Amber looked at her, a slightly wary expression on her face.

  ‘You can say it, Debbie. Gary dropped it off before he went over to Ryan’s. I’m well aware he leaves for L.A. today so you can all stop trying so hard not to mention it.’

  ‘Pretty rough timing, though, don’t you think?’ Debbie said, pulling a bottle of champagne out of the crate. ‘I mean, I know you probably wouldn’t have wanted him here today anyway. Where do you keep your champagne flutes, chick?’

  ‘Cupboard behind you. And I’m not sure Ryan would have wanted to come to mine and Jim’s vow renewal even if I’d asked him. But, yeah. You’re right. The timing is a bit off.’

  ‘You’re not gonna let it ruin your day, are you?’ Debbie asked, pulling the cork out of the bottle with a pop so loud it made Amber jump.

  ‘No, of course I’m not gonna let it ruin my day. Debbie, I care a lot about Ryan. But his leaving… I’m kind of used to it now. Well, more than I was before, anyway. I mean, Rico’s had him around for an extra couple of months, and that was more than I could have wished for. He was the biggest help to me while Jim was in hospital. But, I always knew he was going to have to leave at some point.’ She shrugged. ‘And today’s the day.’

  ‘Have you said goodbye?’ Debbie handed Amber a glass of pink champagne, and Amber took it, taking a long sip.

  ‘Rico and I went to see him last night.’ Amber stared down at the floor. ‘Seeing him with our little boy, Debbie… it broke my heart.’

  ‘Oh, chick… come here.’ Debbie pulled her in for a hug, and Amber held onto her, glad of that hug. But she was determined not to cry or even get upset at the thought of Ryan leaving. It was the way things were meant to be. She knew that now. ‘He’s gonna miss Rico’s first birthday, Debbie. That’s what hurts the most.’

  ‘We’ll have a huge party for him, chick, and we’ll video it and make sure Ryan gets to see it all. He won’t miss a thing.’

  ‘At least he saw him take his first steps. That’s something.’

  ‘They grow up so fast, don’t they?’

  Amber nodded, taking another sip of champagne. ‘It doesn’t feel like five minutes since I was sitting there, panicking that Ryan was going to miss the birth altogether. And now we’re just a couple of weeks away from Rico’s first birthday. Another year gone, just like that.’

  ‘And what a year, huh?’

  Amber looked at her friend, smiling slightly. ‘What a year.’

  Debbie gave her another quick hug. ‘I’m so glad you spent the summer back up north.’

  ‘Well, with Jim being ill, and ever
ything else that’s been going on, I wanted family and friends around us. It just made sense to rent this place and stay here. Endleigh United have put Colin in temporary charge of the team until Jim’s fit enough to return to work, which he thinks he is but I’m not so sure about. And I think the rest has done him the world of good. Although, I know for a fact he’s still been in constant contact with Colin. He thinks I don’t know what he’s been doing, but I know.’

  Debbie smiled, topping up their glasses. ‘He’s one of those men you can only keep down for so long, hon.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’

  ‘What about the pre-season tour?’

  ‘Oh, he thinks he’ll be back in charge by then. And I doubt I’ll be able to stop him, if I’m honest. But, at least it’s only a tour of Germany, so it’s not like he’s having to fly halfway across the world, because then I would have been putting my foot down… Jesus, listen to me! I sound like the kind of nag I hate.’

  ‘You love him, chick. And after what he went through, of course you’re worried. Anyway, can’t you go with him? On this tour?’

  ‘I’ve got to get back to work myself, Debs. So, we’ll be going back home, to London, next week. Try and get everything back to normal as soon as possible.’

  Debbie raised her glass, and Amber did the same. ‘To resuming normality.’ Debbie smiled.

  ‘I’ll second that,’ Amber sighed, taking another long drink, just as her phone started ringing. She leaned over to see who it was, picking it up and answering it the second she saw it was Jim. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Jesus, Amber, baby, can you please stop asking me that every time I call you?’

  ‘You want to stop me from worrying? Then try doing as you’re told.’

  ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you, too. And I’m sorry. I’m nagging again, aren’t I?’

  ‘Yeah, but I’ll live with it. Sometimes it’s actually quite a turn-on.’

  ‘You shouldn’t even be thinking about that just yet.’

  ‘Amber, honey, Mr. Whelan said if I can climb a flight of stairs without anything feeling wrong, then I can have sex. And that was a month ago. You’re killing me here.’

  ‘Have you called me because you want sex?’

  Debbie couldn’t help but look up as Amber said that.

  ‘Yes, actually. Baby, you have no idea… the stress of not having sex is actually worse than having it. And I’m sure Mr. Whelan…’

  ‘I don’t believe you… You’re seriously gonna lay medical guilt on me?’

  ‘What’re you wearing?’

  She threw her head back and sighed, but she couldn’t help smiling. Almost two months without sex wasn’t just frustrating for him, it had pretty much been a killer for her, too. ‘I’m not sure I should be doing this right now. I want you fit and well when I walk up that aisle.’

  ‘I’m assuming it’s way too early for you to have your dress on?’

  ‘Of course it’s too early. I’ve only just got up. We’ve got hours yet. I’ve only just stepped out of the shower.’

  ‘So… you’ll not be wearing all that much, then?’

  She couldn’t help smiling again. ‘I’m not naked, Jim. And I’m not even gonna pretend that I am.’

  ‘I’m outta here,’ Debbie said, heading out of the kitchen. ‘I’m going to see if my mum and your dad are managing alright with the kids.’

  Amber leaned back against the counter, playing with the belt of her bathrobe. ‘Are you really okay, Jim?’

  ‘Baby, I’m fine. Really. Brandon’s looking after me, so quit worrying.’

  ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you, too… Look, I can’t do this any more. It’s been two months, and I swear, honey, I am about to freakin’ explode. I can’t get married feeling like this… I’m coming over.’

  ‘Jim!’

  ‘I’m only around the corner, so, give me ten minutes and I’ll be right there.’

  He’d hung up before she could say anything. She just stared at her phone, a slow smile starting to creep across her face, that familiar tingle building up in her thighs. Yes, the house was full of people, but she didn’t care. She was going to make love to her beautiful American man after way too long, and she couldn’t wait.

  ‘What’s got you looking so happy?’ Debbie asked, eyeing Amber slightly warily.

  ‘Are the kids alright?’

  ‘The kids are fine. Your dad’s pretty much done in, but I’m sure he’ll find his second wind by the time we leave for the church. So, I take it Jim’s okay, then?’

  ‘Jim’s good, yeah. What time’s make-up and hair getting here?’

  Debbie checked the clock on the wall. ‘Another couple of hours yet. Why?’

  ‘No reason. Just trying to make sure we’ve got time to fit everything in.’

  Debbie narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re acting weirdly now. Maybe you should lay off the champagne until later.’

  Amber picked up her glass and downed the last of her drink. ‘I’m fine. Anyway, I love that feeling a glass or two of bubbly gives me. It just takes the edge off.’

  ‘The edge off what? And where are you going?’

  ‘Upstairs. I’ve got a busy day ahead, so, a little lie-down before it all gets going won’t hurt, will it?’

  ‘I worry about you sometimes… here.’ She handed Amber the half-empty bottle of champagne. ‘Take this. And drink it slowly.’

  Amber smiled, clutching the bottle in her hand as she ran out of the room and back upstairs. All of a sudden she felt like an excited kid on Christmas morning as nothing but the thought of being close to Jim took over.

  ‘Amber!’

  Debbie yelling up the stairs interrupted her daydreaming, and she ran back downstairs, raking her fingers through her hair as she almost bounded back into the hallway.

  ‘I think this belongs to you,’ Debbie said, jerking her head in Jim’s direction as he stood beside her, looking tall and handsome in jeans and a dark shirt, his face carrying a few days’ worth of stubble, his hair pushed back off his face. Amber felt her stomach flip over and she had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from groaning out loud. Oh, God, she loved this man so much. How the hell had she managed to keep her hands off him for all this time?

  ‘Do you two not know it’s bad luck to see each other before the wedding?’

  ‘We’re already married, Debbie,’ Amber pointed out, her eyes not leaving Jim’s. And he was giving her the kind of smile that was making her thighs ache for him. God, he was hot! ‘So I’m not sure all that stuff applies, really.’

  Freddie came out of the living room, Rico in his arms, his eyes going straight to Jim. ‘Something wrong?’

  ‘No. Nothing’s wrong,’ Jim replied, still not taking his eyes off Amber. ‘I just came to see Amber.’

  ‘Why? I thought you’d both decided not to see each other today until you got to the church.’

  ‘That’s what I thought, too,’ Debbie said. ‘But it would seem these two have got other ideas.’

  ‘Okay, well, you’ve seen her now, so….’

  ‘No, he hasn’t, actually, Dad.’ Amber smiled at Jim, holding out her hand, which he took, letting her pull him up the stairs. ‘We won’t be long. I promise.’

  Freddie looked at Debbie, both of them exchanging a surprised look. ‘Are they…?’

  Debbie shrugged, then nodded. ‘Amber Allen, I’m ashamed of you, chick! In front of your dad, too…’

  ‘We’re not doing anything in front of anybody, Debbie,’ Amber shouted down the stairs. ‘We’re keeping it all strictly private.’ She pulled Jim inside the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her, leaning back against it. ‘Or as private as it can be. In a house full of people.’

  He smiled, digging his hands in his pockets as he moved closer to her. ‘You’re almost naked,’ he whispered. ‘You could have told me that much.’

  ‘You don’t know what I’ve got on under this robe, though. Do you?’

  He smiled again, reach
ing out to gently touch her cheek. ‘I’m hoping, very little.’

  ‘Oh, I can go one better than that,’ she whispered, her breathing already starting to quicken as his mouth moved closer to hers.

  ‘I have waited too long for this,’ he breathed, his mouth brushing across hers so lightly she couldn’t help but gasp loudly, pulling him even closer by his shirt. ‘Way too freaking’ long.’

  She was lost in his kiss within seconds, his body pressed against hers, his erection strong and hard against her thigh. ‘Baby, are you sure…?’

  ‘Amber, honey, I’m fine, okay? I’m not ill any more, and I won’t break if you touch me. I just want to make love to you and feel human again. I just want to feel like your husband, because I love you. I love you so, so much.’

  ‘And you have to realise how terrified I was, Jim. How scared I’ve been these past few weeks. Because, if I’d lost you…’ She felt totally unexpected tears start to fall down her face, and he kissed them away, which just made her cry even more.

  ‘This isn’t how I envisaged this.’ He smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

  ‘I’m sorry…’ She looked up into his eyes. ‘I can’t even pretend to understand what you went through when Carrie died, but… but I know that if I’d lost you, I’m not sure I could have carried on. So… so some of what you must have felt back then, I can almost feel that same pain you must have felt. Because, for a few terrifying minutes, I felt it, too.’

  ‘Oh, baby…’ He pulled her in against him, holding her tight. ‘Baby, believe me, I’m not going anywhere. You won’t get rid of me that easily, I promise you that.’ He looked at her, stroking her tears away with his thumb. ‘I promise you.’

  She smiled, because, after everything they’d been through, only now could she really believe him when he promised her something. His stay in hospital had given them both time to think about everything that had happened, how close they’d come to losing each other all over again. It had given them both time to realise what was really important – and what needed to be pushed aside for the sake of their future. It had put a lot of things into perspective. And now she knew he would never let her down, never hurt her. He wouldn’t do that now. He wouldn’t. ‘None of this should have happened, Jim.’