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“Cocky,” Ryan said.
Even with the distance between them, she could feel his eyes lingering on her. A little zip of excitement rushed through her body. What that was about she had no idea. Apparently the sexy little banter had momentarily made her ovaries and her brain swap places.
“Confident. It’s not cocky if you know you have the goods.”
“Ho ho, alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” Ryan called.
Peyton picked up a bat from against the fence and felt the weight in her hand.Please don’t strike out.That would be so embarrassing. She knew she was athletic, and the kids typically all wanted her on their team, but there was a big difference between playing with the kids and hitting the ball when you were being stared down by a major league pitcher. Even if he was lobbing in meatballs.
She walked up to the plate and took her position.Ryan stood confidently on the mound, smirking at her.
“Wipe that smile off his face, Peyton,” Shonda called from behind her.
“Yeah, hit a homer,” another voice, she thought might have been Darnell, yelled in encouragement.
Oh god, no pressure.She took a couple of practice swings.
“You ready?” Ryan asked.
She took her batting stance. “Yep, fire away.”
The first pitch sailed toward the plate. She swung and missed.Crap.A chorus of groans sounded behind her.
“You sure it wasn’t just cocky after all?” Ryan taunted.
Peyton narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “Keep it up,” she called back. She dug her feet into the earth to get a better position. There was no way she was humiliating herself in front of this man. Striking out was not an option.
“You ready or you want to get the tee out?” Ryan mocked. The players in the field and some of her own team snickered. What a bunch of turncoats.
“Pitch the ball,” she growled. She would not miss. She watched the ball and then, at the last second, chose not to swing as the ball soared beside the plate.
“Oh, getting picky now, huh?” Ryan teased.
“Well, I’m not gonna swing at garbage. I thought you were a professional. You’re using a bigger ball and you still can’t hit the plate underhand?” Peyton taunted.
“Ha-ha,” Ryan said.
“We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher,” her team began chanting.
“Geez, you all are vicious.” Ryan laughed. “The pressure is on.”
“Don’t choke,” Zander said from his place on second.
Ryan turned around and looked at his teammate. “Whose side are you on?”
Zander shrugged. “It’s Peyton.”
“Ah thanks, Zan,” Peyton called across the field.
Ryan looked at her and shook his head. A slight smile curled up the corner of his mouth. A little flutter zipped through Peyton’s stomach as she looked at him. The man truly was something to look at. She’d have to be blind not to see how gorgeous he was. Seeing him out here goofing around with a bunch of kids, trash talking and having fun, he was a whole other level of good looking. And not at all what she had been expecting.
She’d expected him to be a lot more like Simon had been when they’d first met. Simon had been willing to chat with the kids and toss the ball a bit the few times he’d been here, but there had always been a sense of separation between him and the kids. She’d assumed it was because the youth were a bit in awe of him and felt nervous. But now, seeing this group with Ryan she wondered if it was Simon who was stand-offish and gave off the vibe to the group that he wasn’t really there for them.
She’d never seen her group embrace a newcomer the way they had Ryan. And in such a short period of time. Maybe she’d underestimated him and what he could do for this program. He’d been a jerk to her, but if he was good to these kids, she could forgive just about anything.
“Alright, you ready?” Ryan called.
“Yep,” she yelled back.Focus, Peyton, you can do this.
