Places in My Heart (18 page)

* * *

Friday afternoon, Morgan made sure she had all the packets of information, then headed down to the conference room where her father, sister, brother and uncle were all waiting. She greeted everyone and took a seat. Minutes later, her father's assistant, Mrs. Avery, escorted in Mr. Porter. Morgan successfully concealed her surprise at seeing his clients, the Sandersons, enter behind him. Mrs. Sanderson was in a wheelchair being pushed by her husband.

“Thank you for coming,” Morgan said, gesturing the trio to the table.

“My clients insisted on being present,” Mr. Porter said.

After introductions were made, Morgan asked, “Would either of you like some coffee or tea before we get started?” They all declined. “I have the reports from both our office and from Mr. Metzler.” She passed out the copies. “You will see that both reports conclude the structural integrity of the rail is intact.”

“That doesn't matter,” Mr. Porter interrupted. “It still came away from the wall, and my client was injured as a result.”

Morgan smiled. “We're very sorry about Mrs. Sanderson's accident. To make things easier, if you turn to page seven, I took the liberty of recreating a timeline of events.” She waited. “According to the tracking receipt in your packet, the rails were delivered on a Thursday at 1:27 in the afternoon. Estimated installation time can be anywhere from two to four hours, depending on a person's expertise. I call your attention to the highlighted lines. Those are the dates and times the ambulance arrived and when Mrs. Sanderson was admitted to emergency.”

“All of this means nothing,” Mr. Porter said impatiently.

Morgan turned her attention to Mr. Sanderson and asked gently, “Mr. Sanderson, were there instructions included in the kit?”

“Yes.”

She felt really bad about what she had to do, but slid the instructions to the man. “Can you please tell me what the circled section says?”

He picked up the paper and his eyes widened. Mr. Sanderson glanced up at Morgan and lowered his head.

Seemingly confused, Mr. Porter looked from Mr. Sanderson to Morgan. “What is going on here?”

Morgan took the liberty of passing the attorney another copy of the instructions. “The circled portion clearly states in a large, bold and italic font to wait twenty-four hours after installation before using to allow the included glue to adhere to the surface. Less than ten hours passed between delivery of the rails and Mrs. Sanderson's injury. In addition, your client did
not
use our glue. Please turn to page eight. Tests conducted on the sticky substance on the ends of the rails seen in the photo indicate that Mr. Sanderson used an over-the-counter superglue. These results show that, while we sympathize with your clients, Gray Home Safety is not liable for Mrs. Sanderson's injuries.”

The couple looked crushed, and Morgan's heart went out to them. However, she was happy to prove her family's company hadn't been at fault. With nothing else left to say, Mr. Porter led his clients out. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her family's praise filled her with a sense of pride, and her father asked to talk to her alone.

“What is it, Dad?”

“I can't tell you how proud I am of you, sweetheart. Your tenacity saved us millions of dollars, not to mention our reputation.”

Morgan knew where he was headed.

“Honey, I really wish you would reconsider this whole agent thing.”

“Dad, this is what I want to do, and I may not get another shot. I have to take this chance. Otherwise, I'll always wonder
what if?
”

He sighed deeply and nodded. “And if it doesn't work out?”

“Then you'll be stuck with me here,” she said with a wry chuckle. They shared a smile.

“I love you, baby girl.” He engulfed her in a warm hug.

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Give 'em hell.” He winked and left her standing there.

With the late hour, Morgan packed up and went home. Having her family's blessings, especially her parents', meant a lot, and Morgan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. And now that the lawsuit had been cleared up, she could focus solely on the contract over the weekend. She was also anxious to see Omar, but he'd called to let her know that he might not make it over because his sister-in-law had been involved in a traffic accident. And with the start of training camp tomorrow, she resigned herself with having to wait to tell him her decision. She was ready to risk it all for them.

Chapter 18

M
onday morning, Omar eased down in his seat and waited for the tight ends meeting to begin. Luckily, the Cobras team management opted not to travel for camp, which afforded a player the ability to stay in the comfort of his own home instead of living in a hotel or dorm for weeks. After arriving at the practice facility at seven, he'd completed almost an hour of conditioning and strength training and had breakfast. But his thoughts were never far from Morgan.

He couldn't go to her on Friday because Serena had been involved in a car accident, and he'd gone over to stay with Brianna and RJ while Rashad accompanied her to the hospital. Thankfully, aside from some soreness, she was fine. But by the time they made it home, it was too late to visit Morgan. Then with the start of training camp Saturday, he hadn't had a free moment. Omar planned to call her tonight when he got back home, but most likely he wouldn't be able to see her until Wednesday at the meeting. As much as he missed her, it was going to take a herculean effort for him not to grab her up and kiss her like he wanted. He was curious as to how she would do with the team's owner, Lawler and the general manager, Green, especially since she would be shooting for the top of the cap and more money up front. Both men could be somewhat brusque. Then again, she had handled Roland with no problems. That coupled with the knowledge that they could be open with their relationship in a few days put a smile on his face.

“What's got you in a good mood so early in the morning, Drummond?”

Omar glanced up at his teammate. “What's up, Todd? It's a good day.”

Todd Elliot dropped into a seat, leaving one chair between them. “Must be. Heard you had a new agent, and she's fine as hell.”

“I hired her for her knowledge of the game, not for her looks.” He curbed the urge to say what he really wanted, but added, “Oh, and if I were you, I'd be careful what you say about her. I don't think her brother would take too kindly to it.”

Todd slanted him a glance. “Who's her brother?”

“Malcolm Gray.” Todd didn't get a chance to reply because the tight ends coach entered with one other player, but judging by the man's expression, Omar had gotten his point across. When the meeting ended, it was time to hit the practice field.

By the end of the day with the evening walk-through, he was more than ready to grab a bite to eat and go home. As he was leaving, one of his teammates called out to him.

“Wait up, Drummond.”

He shifted his duffel to the other shoulder and waited.

“Hey, man. I heard about what your agent is going for in your contract. I hope she can pull it off.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You haven't seen it?” He dug out his cell and brought up an article.

Omar read it, and his heart nearly stopped. He handed the phone back. “Thanks. I'll see you later.”

“Is she looking to increase her roster?”

“I don't know,” he said without turning around. And he didn't care. Once again, a woman only looking to use him for her fifteen minutes of fame had fooled him. This time it hurt more than he could have ever imagined.

* * *

Tuesday evening, Morgan tried to call Omar again. He hadn't responded to her text earlier, and she knew the team was done for the day. She had a new thought with respect to his contract she wanted to talk to him about before the meeting tomorrow. There was no practice, and she hoped they could have some time to talk afterward. The call went to voice mail.

“Hey, Omar. Give me a call as soon as you can. I'd like to go in a different direction than what we discussed. It would give you a little more money if we can pull it off, but I want to run it by you first. If we don't get a chance to talk tonight, we can talk briefly before the meeting. I'll be there at nine forty-five.”

She started to worry when he didn't return her call, but remembered that Malcolm often stayed to himself during camp, especially the first couple of weeks.

After a fitful night, Morgan dressed in a conservative gray skirt suit and black pumps, inspected herself once more and left. She saw Omar drive into the lot as she stepped out of her car. She waited for him to park and met him halfway. She smiled. “Good morning. Did you get my message?”

Omar drilled her with an angry stare. “Let's just cut the bull and get this over with.”

Morgan was taken aback by his tone. “I don't understand.”

“The next time you want to go all out for the media, leave me out of it.”

Dread uncoiled in her belly. “What the hell are you talking about? What media?”

“Don't stand here and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about,” he gritted out.

“I don't,”
she snapped.

“So, the media got that quote by themselves.” He spared her one last glare and stalked off.

Morgan was so outdone, she didn't know what to do. She fished her cell out of her purse and searched in sports news. What she found weakened her knees. She hadn't told anyone about her plans. How did the media get wind of those figures? They were the ones she initially talked to Omar about, but not the new ones. She caught up to him inside.

“I didn't do this, Omar.”

He ignored her and kept walking.

“You can't possibly believe I would do something like this,” she whispered harshly. “And if you had responded to my calls and messages over the past two days, you'd know that.” The office door opened and team's owner, Mr. Lawler, waved them in. Morgan schooled her features and placed a smile on her face. “Good morning, Mr. Lawler. Morgan Gray.” She turned to the general manager and nodded a greeting. “Mr. Green.”

“Ms. Gray, it's a pleasure. Good to see you, Omar. Please have a seat.”

Omar shook hands with the men and sat. “Same here.”

Morgan took a couple of calming breaths to rein in her temper. She was sorely tempted to walk out and let Omar deal with it on his own, but that would just ruin everything she had worked to accomplish. Never being one to cower, she decided to meet the challenge head-on. “It has just come to my attention that there have been statements in the media supposedly made by me regarding these negotiations. I assure you I did not release any information, but I
will
find out who did.” She skewered Omar with a look.

“We appreciate your candidness, Ms. Gray,” the owner said.

“Thank you.”

Mr. Green nodded. “I don't have to tell you how integral Omar is to our team.” He proceeded to provide a long list of Omar's accomplishments, detailing how well he fit with the team currently and within the future vision. He gave high praise for the way Omar had filled in last season with the injury of one of their receivers.

Morgan waited until he finished. “I agree that Omar has filled a critical role in the Cobras organization. And my client is prepared to continue bringing the same dedication this season in that role.” She smiled inwardly when she saw the moment they understood.

Mr. Green's brow lifted. “Are you suggesting we move Omar to the wide receiver position?”

“You said it yourself—he's a valuable asset. We all know that Colin won't be returning for the first half of the season, at best. It's a known fact that without him, you're weak on the left side. I know it and so do the other thirty-one teams. Until my client stepped in last season, you were O-and-four.”

“Granted, we're grateful for the way he's played for us, but changing positions is just not done.”

“Not according to the three other teams who have been ringing my phone.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw surprise cross Omar's face. “Or the ten games he played as your wide receiver last season. And at a great bargain to the team, I might add.”

“I'm not sure we can do this.”

“Omar's numbers were second only to Marcus Dupree's...in the league. He went over and above, and is the reason you made it to the playoffs. This is his home, and he's committed to winning. He knows the playbook. The time it would take for you to develop another player could cost you a trip to the playoffs. Do you want to risk missing the opportunity to bring a Super Bowl win to your fans?” Morgan remained calm on the outside, but on the inside her heart raced and butterflies danced in her belly. She could see the wheels turning in both men's heads and almost feel their surrender. When it came, she wanted to shout for joy.

“We're willing to settle for sixty million over the next four years, which is a bargain compared to the eighty million he's worth, plus a signing bonus, performance incentives and more guaranteed money.”

After several more minutes of discussion, the meeting ended with handshakes. As she and Omar pushed through the doors leading to the parking lot, Morgan thought she might burst from excitement. The only thing marring this perfect moment was the tension and anger between her and Omar. Once they were near her car, she stopped and rounded on him.

“Do you actually believe I would risk your career and mine by being foolish enough to brag to the media about a potential contract? Even if I were that arrogant, I wouldn't do it, because I love you.” She chuckled bitterly. “Funny, you said that I had to trust you in order for this to work. Too bad that only goes one way. I guess I'm not the only one acting as judge, jury and executioner. Congratulations. You get to end your career at home and as a wide receiver. I'll mail you the forms so you can exercise the exit clause. Then you can be free to find a more trustworthy agent.” Not bothering to wait for his response, she spun on her heel, covered the short distance to her car, got in and drove off without a backward glance. Only when she hit the freeway did she acknowledge the pain surrounding her heart and let the tears fall.

Morgan moved through the office like a ghost for the remainder of the week, closing out the case and working with Siobhan on press releases. She'd also had to field questions from the media regarding her entrance into the world of sports management. Through it all, she kept a smile on her face.

At the family dinner Sunday afternoon, Morgan picked at her food. Animated conversation flowed around her, but she couldn't muster up the energy to contribute. Her family had decided to have an additional get-together to celebrate her successes at the company and in negotiating her first contract. And since there was no football practice, Malcolm joined them. He watched her like a hawk and had been reluctant to leave her side for one moment, so much so that he had helped with the cooking.

“Morgan, I heard that you signed on another player,” her father said. “How many is that now?”

“Two.” Less than three days after news broke about the deal she had brokered for Omar, two of his teammates had called her—the star quarterback, whose current agent would be retiring from the business due to illness, and a defensive end in his second year who would be a force to be reckoned with in coming years.

“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” her mother asked, studying Morgan critically.

“I'm good, Mom. Just coming off an adrenaline high. I think I might take a few days off next week and get out of Dodge for a bit.” Omar's cabin flashed through her mind, along with everything they had done over their weekend. The sadness that had been her constant companion since Wednesday threatened to overwhelm her once more, but she forced it back. It was time to move on.
If it's time to move on, why haven't you mailed those papers?
She signed the papers dissolving her and Omar's partnership, but had not sent them to him as yet. Because part of her knew that sending those papers would represent the end of their relationship.

* * *

Omar should have been celebrating...in more ways than one. He couldn't get over how Morgan turned Green's words on him and had the man believing he'd just gotten away with the deal of the century. Because of her, he would be back to his preferred position, and at an average yearly salary that damn near doubled his current one.

But the general manager wasn't the only person whose words had come back to haunt him. Omar kept seeing the hurt in her eyes when she had thrown his back in his face. Had he judged her unfairly? And if he was wrong, how did the media get a direct quote from her? He pondered the question for the entire ride home and still didn't have an answer by the time he arrived. He knew his family was awaiting news about the contract, but in his present mood, he didn't feel like talking and sent a group text. All he wanted was to go back to three days ago when everything in his life had been perfect.

Over the next three practice days, Omar tried to bury his emotions in order to get through the daily grind. Not an easy feat when player after player, after offering congratulations, made mention of Morgan. It only served to make him miss her more. He'd even had a couple of inquiries whether she would be willing to take on new clients. He could only answer, “You'll have to ask her.”

The more he thought on it, the more he realized that he might have made a mistake. None of what he read came up in the meeting. He had finally listened to the message she had left regarding a new direction, and it only conjured up more questions. He'd picked up the phone several times but didn't know what to say and hung up before the call completed. Despite the distance between them, the love he felt for her still burned bright. His nights were filled with memories of her smile, the kisses they shared and the most erotic game of “Madden” he'd ever played. And each morning, he woke up hard and reaching for her.

After practice ended for the day on Saturday, Omar showered and made his way to the lot. His steps slowed upon seeing Malcolm leaning against Omar's truck. “Not today,” he muttered. Actually, he was surprised it had taken this long for Malcolm to approach him. “Something on your mind, Gray?”

“My sister didn't do what you accused her of. You're my teammate and a friend, but my brothers and I promised ourselves that the next guy to break our sister's heart would get his ripped out. So far, she's managed to save your sorry ass, but don't count on it lasting. If she sheds one more tear, all bets are off.” Malcolm straightened from his position and strode off.