I'll Catch You by Farrah Rochon Page B

the business and no one wanted to take a chance on me.”
    “When did it change from you taking a chance on me to the other way around?” she asked.
    “When I discovered just how much I needed someone like you in my corner. As much as I want there to be something more between us—and, believe me, I want that really bad—I need you as my agent even more. I need you to fight for me.”
    Not just for him, but for his brother, Derek, too. Payton would be his key to making sure Derek could remain at Marshall’s Place.
    Payton reached across the table and covered his hand. She gave it a firm squeeze.
    “Fight for you is exactly what I’m going to do.”

Chapter 8
     
    P ayton held a folded edition of The Post over her head in an attempt to shield herself from the rain that had been falling in a steady downpour for most of the day. She made sure her car doors were locked and headed for the Linden Avenue Recreation Center. Even though the mini-football camp was scheduled to end in less than an hour, Payton was relieved she was able to get here at all. Her meeting with the representative from Electronic Sports Gaming had lasted longer than she’d anticipated.
    The raucous yells indicative of middle schoolers riding high on sugar and unexpended energy greeted her as she entered the rec center’s front door. She wasn’t sure how much Cedric and his teammates had been able to accomplish in the rain, but from the sound of things, the kids were having a great time.
    Payton walked through the short entryway and into a bevy of activity. She recognized the Sabers players instantly. Besides the fact that they were twice as tall as the room’s other occupants, she’d also studied the backgrounds of each one of them. She knew the rookie linebacker, Percy Johnson, could have scored a much better deal than what his agent had gotten for him. Payton was biding her time before she approached the young player.
    She spotted Cedric at what appeared to be the same time he noticed her. He jogged toward her, a half-dozen kids following in his wake.
    “You made it,” he greeted her.
    “Barely,” she replied. “It’s pouring out there. But I’m here and ready for some football.”
    Cedric caught his lower lip between his teeth—and wasn’t that the sexiest thing she’d seen all day. He shook his head. “Sorry, but you’re too late. The flag football game ended about an hour ago.”
    “And we won,” one of the kids who reached just past Cedric’s waist said. He high-fived another little boy, while the other kids in the group glared at them. Payton figured they had been on the losing team.
    “So what’s left?” she asked.
    “We’re just running through a few more drills. These guys—”
    “And girls,” one of the girls said.
    “Sorry.” Cedric smiled down at her. “These guys and girls didn’t know there would be a quiz at the end of today’s camp,” he finished.
    “Quiz?”
    “A test?”
    The kids scurried away like bits of paper flying in the wind.
    “You sure do know how to clear a room.” Payton laughed.
    “I was kidding about the quiz. I knew that would send them running.” He grinned, looking over at the kids who had already joined the other groups. “They’re a good bunch. Other than a couple of near fights over the ball, we haven’t had any problems. To be honest, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
    “Better than spending your weekend off in Atlantic City?” Payton asked.
    “Much better.” His brown eyes sparkled with amusement. Payton was no match for their magnetic pull. He caught her gaze and held it captive. Delicious little butterflies fluttered around her stomach, and her skin tingled with sparks of the electricity that snapped between them.
    “Hey, C-Man!” A little boy with crooked glasses ran up to Cedric and tugged on the hem of his shirt. “Do we really have to run sprints if we miss three passes in a row?”
    Cedric’s gaze finally broke away from hers. He looked