Strike Out Read Online Free PDF Page A

days a week, so they shared carpool duties. “I told him to knock first.”
    “It’s okay.” Rennie laughed as her son threw his arms around her neck. “Thanks for bringing him by. I’ll pick the kids up tomorrow. If that works for you?”
    “That would be great. Thanks.” Karina waved as she closed the door behind her.
    “Hey,” Terri said, crooking a finger at Tyler. “I have a secret to tell you.”
    Rennie watched her son move in close enough to hear Terri whisper. His big dark eyes widened and his mouth fell open, revealing two spaces where baby teeth had been.
    “Mom, did you really meet Zach Foster today?”
    Oh no. With a dozen butterflies flitting around in her stomach, Rennie forced a smile. “Sure did, buddy. How cool is that?” She definitely should have told Terri about her history with Zach. Tyler would be relentless about asking when he could meet one of his baseball idols.
    “He was here, in this office, standing right about where you are,” Terri said, adding fuel to the fire as she looked at Tyler’s neon green and black Skechers.
    “No way,” he whispered, staring at his mother. “Mom, why didn’t you keep him here so I could meet him?”
    “What would you have me do, Tyler, handcuff him to my desk?” A wave of heat moved up her neck when she remembered the time they had experimented with handcuffs. Zach had just bought his first condo and they were enjoying the luxury of privacy…
    “Hello?” Terri snapped her fingers in front of Rennie’s face. “Are you still with us?”
    “Sorry, I was just thinking about something else.” Something she had no business thinking about in the presence of her child—correction, their child. “How was school today?” Rennie hoped there hadn’t been any more incidents. Tyler was a good boy, but he’d been acting out lately, trying to get attention in class and instigating trouble on the playground. Their therapist thought it may be the result of residual feelings about losing his father. How would Tyler feel if he found out he not only had a father his mother had never told him about, but his father was none other than baseball superstar Zach Foster?
    “It was okay,” Tyler said, wrinkling his nose. “The best part was gym.”
    “Of course it was.” Rennie rolled her eyes. Tyler was definitely Zach’s son in that respect. He had been born wanting to throw a baseball, not to mention all of the other sports he played when time allowed.
    “Hey, I made sugar-free cookies last night,” Terri said. “You want one?”
    “Can I, Mommy?” Tyler asked. She was Mommy when he wanted something, Mom when he was trying to act cool in front of his friends or teammates.
    Checking her watch, Rennie said, “Just one. You have baseball practice in an hour, and I’m making your favorite for dinner—beef fajitas with whole grain wraps.” She conned him into eating protein by telling him it would help to build the muscles he’d need to become a professional athlete.
    “Can I chop the veggies?” he asked.
    He liked to play with the new slice and dicer she’d bought to cut down on meal time preparation. She was usually in a hurry to get a decent meal on the table after baseball practice. He’d been trying so hard to help out around the house since Nathan died. It broke her heart to see her baby feel he had to take on the role of her protector when his only thoughts should be of school, sports, and spending time with his friends. “Only if I’m there to supervise. You know the rule.”
    “Yeah, I know the rule.” He smiled when Terri offered him a cookie in a paper napkin. “Thanks.”
    Rolling his eyes at his mother he said, “I don’t know why you won’t let me do more stuff on my own.” He took a bite of the cookie. “I’m not a baby, ya know.”
    Terri and Rennie shared an amused glance. Terri had a nine-year-old daughter, so she knew the challenges of trying to survive life as a single parent.
    “I thought you said you’d always