Strike Out by Cheryl Douglas Read Free Book Online

chin—“interesting.”
    “Okay, Davis,” Zach said, hitting his shoulder, “I can see the wheels turning. What are you thinking?”
    “Hold that thought.” Jaxon turned toward the man in the dark suit at the bar. Crooking a finger at his associate, Jaxon returned his attention to Zach and Rennie. “Let’s see what Matt has to say about this before we commit to anything.”
    Rennie was getting nervous. She knew Jaxon well enough to know that when he’d made up his mind, no one could change it. The question was what had he decided, and how did it affect her?
    “Hey, man,” Matt said, offering Zach his hand. “I wasn’t expecting you to drop by today. Thought you’d still be recovering from last night.”
    Rennie told herself she had no interest in what Zach did last night, or with whom, but she couldn’t help stealing a glance at him when he tipped his head back and groaned.
    “You ever do anything like that to me again, and I’m gonna kick your—”
    “Hey,” Matt said, holding up his hand to halt his friend’s threat. “Not in the presence of a beautiful lady.” He offered his hand to Rennie. “Matt Hudson. I’m the marketing director for High Rollers.”
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Rennie said, taken in by his genuine smile and understated good looks. “Rennie Alexander.”
    “How do you know this guy?” he asked, shifting his eyes toward Zach. “Please don’t tell me you’re dating. I’ll be heartbroken.”
    “Save it, Hudson.” Jaxon elbowed his friend in the ribs. “The lady’s married.”
    “Damn,” Matt muttered, seeming genuinely displeased. “The good ones are always taken. Why is that?”
    Rennie laughed, at ease for the first time since she walked through the door. “I’m not sure, but I’m pretty confident there’s one more good woman out there just waiting on you to find her.”
    “I like this one,” Matt said in a stage whisper to Zach. “Is she happily married?”
    “You know what,” Zach said, obviously not in the mood for Matt’s sarcasm, “I don’t have time for this. Whatever you have to say, spit it out so we can get on with our lunch, Jaxon.”
    “Touchy,” Matt said, raising an eyebrow at Rennie. “He always gets like this before his afternoon nap.”
    Trying to keep a straight face so Zach wouldn’t erupt again, Rennie winked at Matt before returning her attention to Jaxon.
    “Rennie is the director for Sky’s the Limit,” Jaxon said to Matt.
    Matt snapped his fingers. “Was it your assistant who called looking for Zach the other day?”
    “Yes, it was.” If Rennie could turn back time, she would gladly rewind to erase that mishap.
    “Anyway,” Jaxon said, nudging Matt, “Rennie was just telling us that she doesn’t have a venue for her event this Thursday”
    “What kind of event?” Matt asked.
    “It’s a fundraiser for a little boy, Sheldon. He’s autistic, and his family wants to get a specially trained dog to help him. We granted his wish a few years ago, and according to the rules, we can only grant one wish per child.”
    “But you still want to help him?” Matt asked, giving her a soft smile. “Sounds like you’re going above and beyond the call of duty, Rennie.”
    Lifting a shoulder, she said, “It’s nothing we haven’t done before. Our organization can’t pay for medical expenses or equipment, but we have a lot of experience planning fundraisers. The family is usually so overwhelmed caring for their child they don’t have the time or energy to plan something like this, even if they had the resources to pull it together.”
    “How will the dog help him?” Zach asked.
    Rennie looked up at him and immediately wished she hadn’t. She got a flashback of what it felt like when he pulled her into the empty locker room for a quick kiss to “tide him over” until school let out. “He… uh…” She tore her eyes away from his sensuous mouth and forced her mind to focus on his question. “Has no concept of