Strike Out (18 page)

“You were kissing in the picture,” Tyler said, looking confused. “I mean… really kissing. That was you, wasn’t it? It was next to another picture that looked just like you.”

Rennie touched her throat, searching for something to say to eradicate the awkwardness of the moment.

“You got me,” Zach said, raising his hand in surrender. “I was crazy about your mom.”

“You were?” Tyler asked, his mouth dropping open as he stared at his mom.

Rennie tried to tamp down her annoyance that her son was incredulous that a handsome, wealthy professional athlete could have had a thing for her. “That was before the hump on my back.”

Zach laughed. “Your mom was just about the prettiest girl I’d ever laid eyes on.” He sneaked a glance at Rennie. “In fact, she still is.”

If Rennie managed to hide her embarrassment about the picture, she couldn’t anymore. “You don’t have to say that, Zach.” She wanted to believe it, but that would be foolish. She’d seen some of the women he’d dated over the years. The list of beautiful women went on and on.

“It’s true,” he said, looking her in the eye. “Don’t ever question that.”

“So why didn’t you marry her if you liked her so much?” Tyler asked, crossing his arms.

“I wanted to,” Zach said quietly.

Rennie panicked. She wasn’t ready to have that conversation. She needed more time to prepare herself, to prepare Tyler. Surely Zach could see that. “Why don’t you go and get changed, Tyler? I’m starving.”

Tyler sighed. “Aww, but I wanted to hear about—”

“I’ll tell you the whole story someday,” Zach said. “I promise.”

***

Zach couldn’t remember ever enjoying himself more. Going to Tyler’s baseball games, family dinners, movie nights, and quiet nights at home was a routine he could easily see himself settling into. Zach wanted it all, and as he walked Rennie and Tyler to their door, he thought about how he could make that happen.

“You really didn’t have to follow us home,” Rennie said, dropping her keys into Zach’s open hand when he reached for them.

“It was my pleasure.”

“Maybe you could come over for dinner tomorrow night,” Tyler said. “Unless you have to be at a game or something.”

“No, it’s an away game.” Zach stole a glance at Rennie as he tried to gauge her reaction. He wanted to spend more time with them, but he didn’t want Rennie to think he was pushing for too much, too soon. “As long as I’m on the disabled list, I don’t have to travel with the team. In fact, they prefer it if I stay behind and keep my appointments with the physical therapist.”

“Don’t you have people who travel with the team?” Rennie asked, obviously trying to avoid Tyler’s dinner invitation.

“Sure, but the guy I’m working with is based in Arlington, and he’s one of the best.”

“I see.” She waited for Zach to unlock her door and return her keys. “Thank you for dinner and coming to Tyler’s game. It was a lovely evening.”

“So can you come to dinner tomorrow night?” Tyler asked.

“I’d say that’s up to your mother.” He smiled at Rennie. “Don’t feel you have to say yes because your kid’s got you backed into a corner.” He knew he wasn’t playing fair, but he wanted to spend more time with them. If he had to wait for Rennie to extend the invitation, he may be waiting a while.

“We’d love to have you,” she said, offering a tight smile.

He’d love to
have
her, but he couldn’t say that with their son looking on. One day, the truth would come out, and he’d have her alone. No guilt or remorse, just the truth that they were still attracted to each other and there was no point denying the inevitable any longer. They belonged together. “In that case, I’d love to come. But only on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Rennie asked, looking uncertain.

“You let me grill.”

She grinned, looking relieved. “You’re on, Foster.”

***

Zach felt restless sitting around his house. With his sore shoulder, he couldn’t do any of the things he normally did to pass the time. The pool and exercise room were off limits. He couldn’t shoot pool or play video games, and he didn’t feel like reading a book or watching TV. So he went to High Rollers, knowing at least one of his buddies would be there. Even though they’d built a posh corporate headquarters building in Arlington, one or more of them was usually at the bar keeping an eye on things—mostly sports highlights and the cute waitresses.

“Any of the boys here?” Zach asked the bartender.

“Yeah, Matt’s in the office.”

“Great, thanks.” Zach tapped on the door in case Matt was in a meeting with one of their employees. Even though his job was PR, he managed to get involved in just about every aspect of the business.

“Come in,” Matt called. He grinned when he saw Zach. “Hey, there he is. How’s the shoulder, man?”

“Okay.” Zach claimed the seat across from his friend. “It doesn’t look like I’ll need surgery, so I guess that’s a good thing.”

Matt frowned as though he was trying to decide whether he should take his partner seriously. “You
guess
that’s a good thing? Wouldn’t you be out of the game a hell of a lot longer if you had to have surgery?”

“Yeah.” Zach folded a leg over his knee then sat up straight again. He was antsy, which wasn’t like him. He’d been frustrated when he woke up to an empty bed. He wanted Rennie and Tyler there with him, where they belonged. She’d admitted she still had feelings for him. They shared a kid. Their passion still burned bright enough to shame the sun. To him, it was a no brainer, but she seemed determined to let the past dictate their future, and he didn’t know how to convince her that was a mistake.

“What’s got you so bummed, besides the injury?” Matt pushed the swivel chair back and laced his hands over his flat stomach.

“It’s complicated,” Zach said, knowing Matt would try to understand. He was sensitive, a good listener, the kind of person who was always there when needed. Even though Zach and Jaxon went back years, Matt was often the guy he came to with problems.

“Try me.” When Zach couldn’t find the words, Matt asked, “Does this have anything to do with Rennie?”

Zach looked up. He’d trusted Jaxon to keep his big mouth shut. “Did Jaxon say something?”

“He didn’t have to. I saw the way you looked at her when y’all came in here the other day.” Matt smirked. “I, uh, couldn’t help but notice the way you cut in when she was dancing with that dude at the fundraiser. Looked to me like you were jealous.”

“Of that loser?” Zach rolled his eyes. “Gimme a break, Hudson.”

“So, what’s the story with you two?” Matt pushed aside a plate holding a half-eaten sandwich.

“You know we were engaged, right?” Zach’s friends all knew a girl in his past had ruined him for other women.

“Jaxon may have mentioned she was the one who did a number on you back in the day,” Matt said quietly. “I can’t believe she came back after all these years. Man, that’s wild.”

“Yeah, it gets even better.” In Zach’s mind, Tyler made everything better. Whether Rennie liked it or not, they would always be a part of each other’s lives through their son. “I have a kid with her.”

Matt didn’t look as shocked as Zach thought he would. “How old?”

“Ten.”

“Huh.”

“Did Jaxon say anything to you about Tyler?” Zach would kill his best friend if he had told their partners his personal business before he was ready to let them in on it.

“No, not a word.”

“Yet you don’t seem surprised.”

“I’m trying to hide my shock,” he said, chuckling. “A kid? You have a kid?”

“Yeah.” Zach smiled the way he always did when he thought about Tyler.

“I don’t have to ask if you’re happy about it. Obviously you are.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You’re not the kind of guy who would bail on your own kid, so I’m assuming you didn’t know.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Ouch.” Matt sucked in a breath. “That must have stung. She didn’t tell you?”

“She had her reasons.”

Matt looked at him a long time. “How did Tyler react when you told him you were his father?”

“He doesn’t know yet. We’re going to tell him soon.” Zach would have liked to tell him last night when he’d asked questions about their past, but he could tell Rennie wasn’t ready yet. Maybe tonight she would be. He hoped so, because he didn’t know how much longer he could go on living a lie.

“Where do things stand with you and Rennie?” Matt asked.

Leave it to his friend to get to the heart of what was bothering him in fifty words or less. “I still want her.” Zach rubbed his eyes. After a night of tossing and turning, he was tired, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Rennie’s face.

“How does she feel?”

“I don’t know.  I think she’s still into me.” He used to know exactly what she was thinking and how she was feeling, but he couldn’t read her as easily anymore. She seemed wary, guarded, as though she felt she had to hide her feelings to protect herself, and he hated that. He thought of the kiss they’d shared in the parking lot. He knew he could lure her back into his bed, but that didn’t mean she’d stay, and he didn’t want her any other way.

“But you don’t know for sure?”

“We were out together last night: me, Rennie, and Tyler. It felt right, man. Like I was where I belonged.”

Matt smiled. “That’s a good feeling.”

It was the best feeling Zach had ever had, as though his life made sense. For years, his millions hadn’t bought him happiness. The beautiful women he’d dated left him empty the morning after. Even fast cars couldn’t turn him on anymore. Now he knew why. Rennie and Tyler were the missing pieces. Zach glanced around the office at the framed photos of the famous faces who’d visited their bars. Celebrities, athletes, politicians. High Rollers was the place to be. He was proud of the business they’d built. He was proud of his accomplishments as an athlete, but he wanted
them
to be proud of him. That mattered more than anything else. “Yeah, it is. I just want to make them happy.”

“How are you gonna make that happen?” Matt asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Zach sighed and leaned forward. “Ren and I have a long history. I let her down once, and she can’t seem to get over that.”

“How does she feel about you being a part of Tyler’s life?”

“She doesn’t want to get in the way of that.” Admitting another man had been
playing
father to his son was difficult for Zach, mostly because it was his fault it went down that way. “There was a stepfather in the picture. Tyler thought of him as his dad.”

“What happened? He and Rennie split?” Matt leaned forward, folding his hands on the desk.

“No, he died in a fire.”

“That had to be rough on them,” Matt said, gauging Zach’s reaction.

Matt obviously knew it was a sensitive subject and was trying to tread lightly. Zach appreciated the effort, but nothing could change the facts. He’d lost a decade with the woman he loved and the child they shared because some other guy was willing to step up and be a man. Someone else hadn’t been afraid to take on a role Zach hadn’t been able or willing to back when he thought baseball was the only thing that mattered. Now he knew better. “Yeah, it was. Rennie’s doing her best to try to get Tyler back on the right track, but I know she’s still dealing with a lot.”

“Maybe you should just focus on your relationship with your son for now,” Matt said. “Give Rennie a little more time. Support her when you feel she needs it, but don’t hope for too much, too soon.”

“Easier said than done,” Zach muttered. “Do you know how frustrating it is to have everything you’ve ever wanted within reach, but you can’t quite seem to get at it?”

“I have some idea,” Matt said, smiling. “Man, I know you’re impatient. You want what you want when you want it, but this ain’t gonna go down that way. Earning their trust is gonna take as long as it takes.”

Zach knew his friend was right, but it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He didn’t want to wait months—or God forbid years—to claim the life he wanted. “And in the meantime?”

“Keep your focus where it belongs. On your son. Your career. This business. Rebuilding a
friendship
with Rennie. Forget about dating other women—”

“You think you have to tell me that?”

Matt laughed. “Not really. If I were talking to Jaxon, it would be necessary to point that out, but not with you.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Zach said, smiling. At least he wasn’t as bad as Jaxon. He treated women as if they were interchangeable. Zach didn’t want to believe he ever would have gotten to that point, but who knew what might have happened if Rennie hadn’t walked back into his life. Bitterness and resentment colored a man’s perspective, and Zach knew that’s the reason he hadn’t been willing to give any other woman a fair shot. “So you don’t think I should tell Rennie I see a future with her yet?”

“Man, it’s way too early for that.”

Zach figured his friend was right, but when he thought of the years they’d already lost, it felt as if he was ten years too late. Zach sighed. “You’re probably right. Okay, I’ll take it slow. Play it cool. See how this all plays out.”

“Let me know how things go when you tell Tyler, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.” Zach got to his feet.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, buddy. I have a feeling I’m gonna need it.”

“Have you decided when you’re gonna tell Tyler that Zach is his dad?” Jackie whispered. They were watching their kids splashing around their parents’ pool. Mason was in the shallow end with Alyson while Tyler showed off by swimming laps.

Her parents had invited them over for a barbeque that evening, but when Rennie explained that she and Tyler had plans with Zach, her mother suggested lunch instead. Since Rennie didn’t feel like sitting around the house waiting for the seconds to tick by, counting down the hours until she would see Zach again, she agreed.

Her mother was inside making salad, insisting she didn’t need any help and her girls should just relax. Their father was manning the barbeque. The sisters had a rare moment for a little girl time, and Rennie wasn’t surprised her sister dove right in with the big question she’d no doubt been dying to ask ever since Tyler’s birthday party last weekend. “I don’t know. I spoke to Tyler’s therapist, and he thinks we should just bite the bullet and get it over with.”