Cassie's Choice

by Donna Gallagher

  Riley could still hear Rook’s laughter as he went through the players’ door to the change rooms. A million miles away, still lost in thought over the morning’s events, he walked straight into Brodie, Caitlin standing by his side.

  “Making a habit of running me over, son? I’m a pretty big bloke, hard to miss. I think you may need to get your eyes checked if this keeps happening.” As per usual Brodie also gave Riley a friendly but heavy-handed thump on the shoulder. “So, is this a new fashion thing I’ve missed the memo on?” Brodie asked sounding amused.

  Riley gave his sister a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Hi, sis, good to see you, and before you ask as well, the hair is a long story. But it was worth it and I will be going back to my original colour first chance I get.”

  Caitlin returned his hug, the top of her head just reaching Riley’s chin. He could still remember the moment he’d grown taller than his big sister, but it still felt funny her being so much smaller than him, especially since she had been his protector and parent figure for so long. Riley had these two to thank for so much in his life and he wanted them to be the first to know he and Cassie were back together. Without Brodie’s sage advice, it might not have happened.

  “I wanted you both to know that Cassandra Davies and I are back together and I should warn you that we plan to make it a permanent thing. I love her, always have.”

  It was all a bit shmultzy and delivered in the worst possible place, under a footy stand, but Riley meant every word. He just hoped his sister would approve. Her tendency to worry over him had not abated just because he stood taller than her.

  “Congratulations, son, I couldn’t be happier. Glad you sorted it all out,” Brodie said, extending his hand in Riley’s direction so they could shake on the news. “I need to get into the coaching room. Riley, why don’t you fill Cait in on your recent worries? Take my wife to her seat for me while you chat. Honey, I will see you after the game. I love you.”

  As was the norm, the kiss Brodie and Caitlin shared made Riley feel awkward. It was always like that between the two of them. Passionate. Made you want to give the couple some privacy. Then it was over and Brodie was striding away.

  “So, brother dear, why don’t you fill me in on what’s been going on in your life? Might I add it’s about time and I really like Cassie? I think you make a great couple. I’ve been very worried about her.”

  Caitlin always knew what was going on around her, her caring personality winning her many friends. It was just like her to worry over Cassie. And Riley loved that about his sister. She truly was a remarkable woman and one he tried hard to make proud of him. The conversation he was about to have with her would be hard, but deep down Riley knew Caitlin would understand and support him. She, like Brodie, would try to shoulder the blame for not noticing the struggle he’d had after the assault. It was who she was. It was up to Riley to convince her that everything was going to be okay. And it would, he would, because Riley knew his life was about to move into a brand new chapter. With Cassie by his side.

  * * * *

  Cassie was sat in the wives’ box when she noticed Riley enter, accompanied by Caitlin. She had spent the time chatting with Mandy Thomson and Emily Andrews while they all waited for the game to begin. Emily was filling Cassie in on all the gossip about her brother Dylan and Sarah Flynn, the Jets social media manager. It looked like the couple had worked out their differences as well. Cassie was pleased to hear the news. She hadn’t mentioned anything about her and Riley’s reunion yet—the women were used to seeing Cassie in the wives’ area. It was where she sat when she came to the games with Pippa and Rook. The other Jets players’ wives and partners never made her feel unwelcome—they were such a friendly group.

  Mandy had only just mentioned her concern over Caitlin’s late arrival. Usually the wives were seated for at least forty minutes prior to a game—Mandy and Caitlin, being the coaches’ wives, often even earlier. Cassie had known at once the reason behind Caitlin’s delay, but had not commented on it. The thought that Riley had told his sister they were back together was unsettling. Her stomach began to churn. What if Caitlin disapproved of their relationship? While Riley was a grown man, Cassie understood that he held his sister in high regard and would be torn if there was any tension between them all.

  Her concerns were short-lived as Riley strode directly towards her, pulling her out of her seat and taking her into his arms before crushing his lips to hers. The kiss was just as every other—scorching. It absorbed her, made her weak at the knees and when it was over and Riley stepped away, it left her unsteady on her feet and craving more.

  Cassie had been unaware of the sounds around her as she had been swept up in Riley’s arms. Now that she was coming back down to earth she could make out the background noise of giggling and whistling. She was in the wives’ box and they had all witnessed her and Riley’s hot kiss. Cassie felt her cheeks flame, knew they would be turning a bright red colour.

  “I’m glad to hear you and Riley have sorted everything out, Cassie,” Caitlin said, wrapping her arms around her.

  Cassie submitted to the hug, relieved that it seemed Caitlin was okay with the news. In fact, Caitlin’s hug was so tight Cassie could hardly breathe.

  “I would love for us to have a chat sometime so I can apologise for not sensing Riley’s worries sooner,” Caitlin whispered into her ear. “Not now, though. Let’s just celebrate the good news.”

  “C’mon, sis, let go of her, I don’t think Cass can even breathe.” Riley’s comment set the other wives off giggling again, and finally Caitlin let her go.

  “Haven’t you got somewhere else to be, little brother? You just leave Cassie in our capable hands. We’ll look after her. Won’t we, Mandy?”

  The look of horror on Riley’s face was priceless. “Just great. Now I can spend the whole game worrying about what embarrassing stories from my childhood you can dredge up. Please, Cassie, just ignore them.”

  Cassie gave Riley a quick peck on the cheek “It’s okay, Riley, I think they told me everything I needed to know years ago. You just go do what you have to do and don’t give us another thought.”

  “Not think about you? Never gonna happen, babe, but if you think you can get away with just giving me a kiss on the cheek before I go, you are way off.”

  Their parting kiss was a passionate display, Riley apparently not caring who was around, who might see—Cassie too swept up in the moment to care much either. This was everything she had dreamt of. Being in Riley’s arms, a future before them—she hoped the kiss would go on forever.

  Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

  League of Love: Sarah’s Soldier

  Donna Gallagher

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “So how goes the twittering?”

  Sarah couldn’t hide the smile that formed as Brodie James again used the wrong terminology. No matter how many times she had tried to explain what she did as digital media coordinator to the Jets rugby league team, Brodie—the coach, and for all intents and purposes her boss—still had no idea what she was talking about.

  “That would be ‘tweeting’, Brodie. It goes well. We’ve just reached twenty thousand followers on Twitter and our fan page membership is still rising steadily. You really need to open up your own Twitter account—that way you can see the impact social media is having on the game for yourself.”

  Sarah had had the same conversation with Brodie before, more than once, so she was a little startled when his response was more positive than ever before.

  “Yeah, I know. Cate keeps saying the same thing. She loves the whole tweet phenomenon, always has her nose stuck in her phone reading or clucking away at those tweeties.”

  “Twitter and tweets, Brodie,” Sarah corrected again.

  “Yeah, but I don’t like her idea of names for me. Cate reckons ‘at dinosaur’ or something. That’s one of the reasons I called you in, Sarah. I was hoping you could give me a lesson on using this Twitter thi
ng and maybe help me get a more flattering name. My modern wife needs to learn that her husband is no dinosaur.”

  Sarah pushed away the laugh that threatened as she imagined Brodie’s beautiful wife teasing her sombre husband. Not that Sarah could imagine Caitlin James would be serious—it only took one look at the couple together to realise that they were deeply in love. Brodie’s affection for his wife was about the only emotion easy to read on the usually taciturn man’s face. Brodie was known for his calm, disciplined ways. He could be relied upon to keep a clear head and act accordingly—it was one of the reasons he had made such a successful transition from player to coach. The players respected him and treated his words almost like gospel, which explained the Jets’ winning streak over the past few seasons, in many people’s opinions.

  Sarah decided that she would jump all over this request. While many of the younger players in the competition tweeted regularly, Sarah could only think of a couple of coaches who used Twitter. Having Brodie join the ranks would certainly boost the Jets’ followers.

  “It would be my pleasure, Brodie. Glad to see you’re joining the modern age, no matter what Caitlin may think.” Winking, Sarah pulled her chair around to sit beside him at his desk. “Right—first things first, a name that’s more befitting of you.”

  Sarah’s fingers flew across Brodie’s computer keyboard. @CoachBJames—yes, this is perfect, she thought as she created Brodie James’ Twitter account. Simple and straight to the point, just like Brodie James.

  Sarah spent half an hour going over the basics with Brodie, suggesting a few people he might like to follow and reminding him that what he tweeted would be available to the public. She knew Brodie wasn’t an idiot, but Sarah wanted to make sure he understood everything that needed to be learnt about Twitter. By the end of the lesson, Brodie had followed his wife, @CaitlinJ10, and some of the players from the Jets. Sarah had used the Jets’ Twitter account to welcome Brodie to Twitter.

  JetsRugbyLeague: Hey, Jets fans! I have special news. I would like to welcome our illustrious leader to Twitter—@CoachBJames. Follow now, everyone.

  Sarah was pleased to see that within moments Brodie’s account had reached over one hundred followers. She laughed at Brodie’s shock over the immediate response and helped him create a few tweets about upcoming games and the latest developments at the club. She was pleasantly surprised to see that @CoachBJames was taking to Twitter like a duck to water.

  “Think I’ve created a monster.” She giggled as she watched him send a private message to his wife that was just a little suggestive, and fell into a fit of full-scale laughter as he waggled his eyebrows at her, the adorable smile on his face an expression she wasn’t usually privy to.

  “Enough of this, Sarah. There was another reason I called you in.” Brodie pushed his keyboard away, his voice becoming more businesslike, more Brodie-ish. “Have you been filled in on the Anzac weekend game against the Hawks?”

  Sarah opened her iPad and brought up her calendar. She had the information Brodie was talking about stored away in her digital lifeline. The Jets and Hawks were dedicating their game to honour Anzacs past and present. The day was going to be filled with entertainment and ceremony befitting the event, with the culmination and highlight of the day being just before kick-off when, by Black Hawk helicopter, a soldier would deliver the game day trophy and ball to the opposing teams’ captains.

  Sarah had already offered her assistance, in any way needed, to the Jets’ publicity team. She had pieced together a few videos of the players talking about what Anzac Day meant to them, and had also received a tape from a few serving soldiers, wearing their Jets supporters gear and wishing the Jets success on their upcoming match. So she was uncertain why Brodie had asked to see her specifically.

  “Yep, I’ve been given all the relevant info. Why, is there something you need me to do?”

  “Well, Sarah, as a matter of fact, there is. This is still somewhat confidential, although not for much longer, I’m guessing.” Brodie’s comment caused Sarah’s interest to spike. “As of this morning, Steve Clark has been sacked by the Jets’ board of directors. Steve has been leaking confidential information to the media. This has left us in quite a mess, considering the amount of work involved in pulling together the Anzac Day game. We were wondering if you could step up and take over his role for the short term, until we can find a replacement for Clark.”

  Sarah’s breath hitched as the implications of Brodie’s words began to sink in. She was horrified to think that Steve Clark had been so disloyal to the Jets club, players and fans, but in all honesty found that she was not at all surprised. Sarah had always thought Steve Clark was a bit of a jerk. He had tried, on more than one occasion, to undermine her role, telling anyone within earshot what a waste of time it was to have a dedicated social media person at the Jets, and that he was capable of coordinating all media, publicity and promotions. His opinion that Twitter and Facebook were just a fleeting fancy had been proven more wrong every day by her success.

  Could she do this, though? Sarah was not really a people person—well, not face to face. She was bold and courageous towards life from the keyboard of her computer, but in reality, out in the real world, Sarah was shy and reserved. Not that it showed in her appearance.

  “What we need from you, Sarah, is to oversee the day, to keep an eye on the various corporate rooms, make sure the hosts are doing their jobs, co-ordinate the television and print reporters’ needs. You will also be responsible for looking after our guest of honour—make him feel welcome and show Soldier Boy around the ground. Introduce him to a few of the team members. Maybe take him up to the sponsor boxes and corporate dining rooms. Look, I know this is a big ask, but I’m confident that you can help us pull this day together. It’s a bit short notice, but what do you say, Sarah? Will you help us out with this?”

  What is Brodie thinking?

  Sarah had decided that the coach had lost his mind. Did he not see her? She was the exact opposite of what would make a soldier feel welcome. Yes—some condescending, staid and disciplined soldier would take one look at her watermelon-coloured hair, the metal piercings on her face and through her nose, and dismiss her immediately. But how could she let Brodie down? He had been so accommodating. Even if he didn’t understand much about what she actually did, Sarah owed it to him to at least try. It was one day, a few hours—surely she could pull it off.

  Sarah could handle the media and reporters. She knew most of them through Twitter anyway. Trevor Hughes would probably be the television presenter and she had met him on many occasions, Trevor being married to the Jets’ captain’s mother, Laura. The hosts for the corporate rooms had been doing their jobs all season, so probably wouldn’t need much help.

  “I will do the best I can, Brodie. I just hope I can live up to your expectations.”

  “Great—thank you, Sarah. You are doing me a great favour and I won’t forget it. I owe you big time. Let me know if you need anything. Don’t hesitate…”

  The relief on Brodie’s face was clear. Sarah knew the man had enough on his plate already. Expectations were high for him and his team of rugby league players to keep reproducing their winning form of late. She just hoped she wouldn’t let him down. It had been a long, long time since anyone had shown faith in Sarah, relied on her. Fear of failure created pterodactyl-like creatures that flapped and swooped in her gut. She excused herself from Brodie’s office and hurried back to her little cubicle in the main office area.

  Already the talk amongst the office staff was full of Clark’s termination. News sure did travel fast, she thought as she sank into her swivel chair, logged into her email account and found the reason for the chatter. Brodie sure hadn’t wasted any time confirming her new duties, Sarah mused as she read the email he’d sent to all the Jets’ staff and team. It outlined what he expected of everyone in their support of her, and briefly touched on Clark’s employment termination as well.

  “Think I need to make a running sheet of
what I’ll need to do on the day,” Sarah mumbled to her computer screen. “It’s all in the preparation,” she added, quoting one of the coaching staff’s favourite lines. She busily opened half a dozen different screens, then began to familiarise herself with the outlined plans for the day.

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  About the Author

  Sydney-born Donna Gallagher decided at an early age that life needed be tackled head on. Leaving home at fifteen, she supported herself through her teen years. In her twenties she married a professional sportsman, her love of sport—especially rugby league—probably overriding her good sense.

  The seven-year marriage was an adventure. There were the emotional ups and downs of having a husband with a public profile in a sometimes glamorous but always high-pressure field. There were always interesting characters to meet and observe, and even the opportunity to live for a time in the UK. Eventually Donna returned home a single woman, but she never lost her passion for watching sport, as well as the people in and around it.

  Now happily re-married and with three sons, Donna loves coffee mornings with her female friends, sorting through problems from the personal to the international. But she’s on even footing with the keenest man when it comes to watching and talking rugby league.

  Donna considers herself something of a black sheep in a family of high achievers. Her brother has a doctorate in mathematics and her sister is a well-known Australian sports journalist. An avid reader, especially of romance, Donna finally found she couldn’t stop the characters residing in her imagination from spilling onto paper. Naturally, rugby league is the backdrop to her spicy tales of hunky heroes and spunky heroines overcoming adversity to eventually find true love.