Strike Out

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Come on, have a look now,” Terri said, walking around her desk to place the handwritten letter, application form, and drawing on Rennie’s desk. “How cute is that?” She pointed at the picture. “He even drew a picture of him and Zach.”

  Clenching her teeth, Rennie glanced at it. “Very cute.” She couldn’t deny that. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he had lousy taste in idols. Maybe she could contact the parents and convince them to accept a computer or gaming system instead. Those items were always popular.

  “He’s almost ten years old,” Terri said.

  The same age as Tyler. How would Zach relate to a kid the same age as their son? Could Rennie bear to watch it? Thank God Tyler had been blessed with an amazing stepfather… until last year when a cruel twist of fate took Nathan away from them. He was a hero, a first responder, who ran into burning buildings when everyone else was running out, screaming, crying, and praying for the people left inside. Nathan’s job was to save the lives of the people trapped inside those burning buildings. In the process he’d lost his own life, and Tyler had lost the only father he’d ever known.

  Her eyes drifted to the framed photo of Tyler and Nathan on her desk. People said time would heal her pain, but they didn’t understand just how deep that pain went. She knew she didn’t have enough days left on Earth to heal the hurt in her heart, and she suspected her son felt the same way. Nathan was his hero and hers too.

  “You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?” Terri said gently, placing her hand on Rennie’s shoulder.

  Releasing a shaky breath, Rennie said, “There’s rarely a day I don’t think about him.” Who was she kidding? Rarely an hour passed when she didn’t think about him.

  “You’ve never told me how y’all met.” Terri sat on the edge of Rennie’s desk.

  After nearly a year, she still had trouble talking about Nathan with anyone, even Tyler, who still needed to talk about him every night before bed. The therapist said it was important for her to welcome the dialogue as it was Tyler’s way of dealing with his loss, but holding back her tears as her little boy reminisced was getting harder and harder. He talked about the rides at the amusement park, backyard barbeques, trips to the zoo, baseball games… That was the thing Tyler missed the most—having Nathan coach his baseball team. Baseball was her son’s passion, and she couldn’t help but think he had inherited his biological father’s talent as well as an uncanny physical resemblance.

  “He was my next-door neighbor,” Rennie said, thinking back to the day they’d met. Her friend had been visiting and started drooling over the hot firefighter moving in next door. Rennie hadn’t been interested in dating anyone, but it was impossible not to fall in love with Nathan.

  “Ah, that’s so sweet.” Terri grinned. She picked up the framed photo from their wedding day. “He was hot. I can see why you’re not interested in moving on. He’d be a tough act to follow.”

  Rennie had gone out on a couple of dates in the past year—to appease her concerned sister and parents mainly—but both had been unmitigated disasters. She spent the entire time comparing them to the two men in her past, and they came up sorely lacking. In spite of the way her relationship with Zach ended, she couldn’t forget all of the qualities that had made her fall in love with him.

  “I’m not interested in dating because I have a son to raise and a non-profit to run,” she said, snatching the picture from Terri’s hands. “Leave the application on my desk. I’ll look at it after lunch.”

  “Rennie.” Terri smiled. “How’d you get that nickname?”

  Her assistant seemed determined to wreck her day by reminding her of people and events she was trying desperately to forget. “My high school boyfriend.” Zach had said the name Lauren was too uppity. Rennie was sassy and sexy, like her, he claimed.

  “And it stuck for all these years? He must’ve been pretty special to make that kind of impression.”

  The nickname wasn’t the only thing he’d left her with, but she would never tell Terri about her son’s biological father. She still couldn’t believe she was living in the same city as Zach again. She’d only returned after he’d been traded. She believed her son needed to grow up with his grandparents and aunt. Then Zach got traded back to the hometown team, and she wished she’d kept her distance. Living within a hundred-mile radius of that man was too close for comfort.

  “He was barely a blip on the radar screen of my life,” she lied, bending down to retrieve her purse so Terri couldn’t see her face. Rennie was a terrible liar. One of the curses of being a fair-skinned, natural blond was that she blushed too easily.

  “About the application…” Terri held up the drawing. “I really think we should—”

  “After lunch,” she said, rushing for the door. Rennie was a sucker for a sick kid with a wish and she knew she didn’t have a prayer of denying him, especially with tenacious Terri on his side. What am I going to do now? She ran down the three flights of stairs to the parking lot.

  ***

  Zach was sitting around the oval table in the boardroom of High Rollers head office, listening to his best friend and the company founder, Jaxon, drone on about their profits last quarter. Zach knew they were making a boatload of money, barely able to keep up with the demand for their upscale sports bars. That’s all he needed to know. Jaxon was the guy with the mind for business. Zach had provided seed money and he was still the celebrity face behind their now-famous brand, but he often felt that he didn’t contribute anything else. He was an athlete, not a businessman. Being stuck in a stuffy boardroom always reminded him of being sentenced to detention in school.

  “Are you listening to any of this?” Jaxon asked, tossing a pencil at Zach to get his attention.

  “He’s too busy thinking about that hot blonde he went out with last night,” their operations director, Grayson Barrett, said with a laugh. “Man, y’all were in the newspaper this morning. She’s hotter than hell. If you don’t want her, I’ll take her.”

  “Be my guest,” Zach muttered, reaching for his bottle of water. He hadn’t dated a woman who’d held his interest in years. Not since Rennie.

  “Y’all notice his dates always look the same?” Jaxon asked with a smug smirk. “Petite blondes with big blue eyes and huge…” He held his hands out in front of his chest as the rest of the guys laughed. Zach drained his water bottle and threw it at his friend, narrowly missing his head. “Man, if that’s the way you throw ‘em, the Yankees are gonna wipe the field with you on Sunday.”

  They’d been friends a long time. Jaxon was one of the few people who knew Zach’s type stemmed from his past with Rennie, and Zach was pissed off that Jaxon would joke about it. After a decade apart, that he was still comparing women to his ex was pathetic, but he’d accepted his fate years ago. He was one of those poor slobs destined to spend his life pining over the girl who got away. Literally. She’d practically vanished into thin air when she got on that plane. When thousands of dollars and two private detectives couldn’t find her, his family and friends finally managed to convince him she didn’t want to be found. He had to respect that no matter how much it hurt.

  “At least I can get a woman,” Zach said, trying to pull himself out of his dark mood. “When was the last time you had a date, Jaxon?” Zach knew he’d hit a nerve when his friend’s easy smile slipped.

  “Someone has to run this company while the rest of you dead-beats are out chasing skirts.”

  “All right, guys,” Grayson said, holding up his hands. “Can we get back to business?” When all the guys nodded, he continued. “I got a strange call a while ago.”

  “From who?” Zach asked, reaching for another water bottle from the cart behind him.

  “Some lady named Terri. She said she’s the assistant to the director of Sky’s the Limit Foundation. She was looking for you.”

  “Did you tell her to call my agent?” Zach was used to charities calling on him for autographed jerseys to raffle at their events. He was always happy to help
, but he didn’t have time to field the requests himself.

  “Yeah, but she was wondering whether you could stop by their office later. I told her I’d see what I could do.” Grayson looked uncomfortable as he shifted in the leather swivel chair.

  “Why the hell would you—” Zach sighed heavily. He took his baseball cap off and ran a hand over his cropped hair. “You told her I’d be there, didn’t you?”

  Grayson slid a slip of paper across the table. “There’s the address, in case you’re interested.”

  As if he had a choice after his friend had made the commitment on his behalf.

  ***

  Zach walked into the lobby of the non-descript office building a few hours later. Judging by the dated interior and worn carpet, he suspected he wouldn’t find an elevator. The wallboard inside the main doors told him Sky’s the Limit was on the top floor. Good thing it was only a three-story building. Mumbling about his lousy taste in friends, he took the stairs two at a time, hoping no one would spot him. He didn’t feel like fake smiling through another autograph session. He just wanted to hit the gym and work out some of his frustrations. High Rollers was having some big event he was expected to host that night, and while it was the last place he wanted to be, he was obligated to attend.

  His life seemed to be a series of one obligation after another, leaving little or no time for the things he wanted to do. Whenever he felt like griping about his schedule, he reminded himself that he’d agreed to that life when he signed his first professional contract. Besides, the multi-million dollar paycheck and being able to play the game he loved made it worth his while. He spotted the black plaque on the door at the end of the hall and turned the knob, hoping he would still have time for a full workout after the meeting. He smiled at the pretty brunette receptionist whose eyes widened when he walked in.

  “Oh wow,” she whispered. “You’re Zach Foster, aren’t you?”

  He was used to that reaction. Sometimes it still made him smile, but not that day. “That’s me. I got a call from a lady named Terri. She asked me to stop by.”

  “Oh, uh…” The young woman pointed at a closed door down a short hallway. “Her office is right through there. I think she just went to the restroom, but you’re welcome to wait for her.”

  “Thanks,” he said. He hesitated at the door, wondering if he should knock. He decided against it since the receptionist said Terri was in the restroom.

  “Oh my God.” Rennie looked up at him, her features frozen in disbelief. Rennie and the assistant apparently shared a small office, with a desk in each corner. “What are you doing here?”

  His heart kicked into overdrive. After ten long years, his body responded as though he’d seen her yesterday. She was still stunning, with long, straight blond hair and her bright blue eyes flashing emotions he couldn’t begin to decipher. “I got a call from Terri…”

  “Damn it,” she muttered, her fingers flying to her temples as though she was trying to ease a persistent ache. “I can’t believe she called you without telling me.”

  “Oh good, you came.”

  Zach turned to face a tall, exotic creature with short, straight black hair and wide-set brown eyes. She was tall enough to look Zach in the eyes, which few women did. The petite woman sitting behind her desk still stared at him as though he’d wronged her instead of the other way around.

  “You must be Terri,” he said, offering his hand. He was used to turning on the charm for the camera. Even though seeing Rennie made him feel as though he’d soaked through his designer T-shirt, he refused to let them see him sweat. “My buddy Grayson said you called the High Rollers office looking for me?”

  “Yes, I did.” She shot Rennie a look. “I was going to tell you, Rennie, but I wasn’t sure he would show. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

  Rennie. Zach’s gut clenched when he realized she still used the nickname he’d given her in high school.

  Clearing her throat as though she was trying to pull herself together, Rennie said, “Terri, I can handle the meeting with Mr. Foster. Why don’t you run over to the party supplies store and pick up the balloons for tonight?”

  “You’re not mad, are you?” Terri shot her boss a hopeful look.

  Zach could tell by their dynamic that Rennie was the director Grayson had referred to and Terri was her assistant. He wondered why Rennie hadn’t called him. She had to know if she needed or wanted anything from him, the answer would always be yes. He may have spent a lot of years lost in hurt, anger, and bitterness, but one look at her reminded him of the girl he’d fallen in love with… the girl he’d desperately wanted to marry.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Rennie said, obviously unwilling to let her assistant off the hook. “Please close the door behind you when you leave.” Rennie waited until her assistant left before she looked at Zach. “Well, this is awkward.”

  “What the hell, Rennie?” He’d been waiting years to ask her questions. “Why’d you leave me standing there—”

  “I don’t want to re-hash the past,” she said, holding up her hand.

  That’s when he saw the narrow gold band on her left hand. The air left his lungs in a rush, and he struggled to find words that wouldn’t come.

  As though she sensed the change in his mood, she dropped her hand to her lap. “I’m sorry Terri called you. I’m sure you’re a very busy man.”

  On unsteady legs, he made his way to the single chair across from her scarred metal desk. He couldn’t speak. He just stared at her, trying to reconcile the polished professional in front of him with the sexy, sassy girl who’d loved him whole-heartedly. “Why?” The single word would convey his meaning. She may not want to re-visit the past, but he deserved some answers.

  “Why did she call?” she asked, pretending she didn’t understand the question. “We got a letter from a little boy who’s anxious to meet you. He has a heart defect and”—she pushed the letter across the desk—“well, you can read it for yourself.”

  Zach scanned the handwritten words. They were shaky, outside of the lines, as though the boy was just learning how to write in cursive. He immediately thought of his nephew. Kevin’s little boy, Danny, was four, but he was anxious to learn how to print. He wanted to write stories like the ones his mommy read him before bed every night. God, he loved that kid. He hadn’t been a huge fan of children until he held his nephew for the first time. That little man captured Zach’s heart, and he’d had him wrapped around his tiny finger ever since. If mommy and daddy said no, Uncle Zach always caved to his demands.

  “Set it up,” he said. “I’ll have my people email you my schedule. Maybe he can come to a game, meet the whole team, get some autographs, pictures, whatever he wants.” He looked at her, losing himself in the memory of making love to her. He chastised himself for fantasizing about another man’s wife. Rennie was someone else’s wife, and that hurt more than the knowledge that he would never be free to touch her again.

  “Um, okay,” she said, almost as though she was scrambling to think of an excuse to avoid making it happen. “I’ll have Terri make the arrangements. Obviously we can’t work together on this.”

  “No, I guess your husband wouldn’t like it, would he?” Zach couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. His hatred for a man he’d never met swelled. His eyes searched her desk for some evidence of the man who’d taken his place. He saw their wedding photo. “I guess when you agreed to marry him, you meant it, huh?”

  “Don’t,” she said, conveying her hostility in a single word. “I said I don’t want to talk about the past. You don’t have the right to make me feel guilty for falling in love and building a life with someone else.”

  A fastball to the gut—that’s what it felt like when his Rennie talked about loving another man. “Fine, you don’t want to talk about the past.” He got to his feet and braced his weight on his clenched fists as he leaned over her desk. “You wanna pretend I never meant anything to you, that the years we spent together didn’t mat
ter? Fine. But if you want me to pretend I’ve moved on, I can’t.”

  She’d already stomped on his pride when she left him standing at the altar like a fool, waiting for her. He had no reason to pretend the years since had done anything to repair his bruised ego. Every beautiful woman he dated or slept with was a poor substitute for the one who threw his wedding ring back in his face in the form of a folded slip of paper.

  Sliding her chair back, she stared up at him, her eyes wide. “I never meant—”

  “What? To hurt me? To ruin my life? Well, you did!” The other people in the small office suite could hear his outburst, but he didn’t care. He didn’t intend to leave until she knew what she’d done to him.

  Her face hardened, and her remorse slipped behind a mask of indifference. “Don’t pretend to be the victim in all this. We both know you got exactly what you wanted.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “I left, and you were free to go back to the bachelor life you missed so much. No wife at home waiting on you, no kids demanding your attention.” Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “Is it everything you hoped it would be?”

  He was shocked she was cruel enough to remind him of the life she’d stolen from him, the life she shared with someone else. “My life is pretty goddamn empty without you.” He couldn’t believe he was baring his soul to a woman who’d made it clear she was done with him. Almost as though his subconscious was in control, the feelings he’d been trying so hard to suppress rose to the surface.

  “Yeah, I can see that.” She held up a newspaper photo of him with last night’s blonde. “I really feel for you.”