Strike (Completion Series) Read Online Free Page A

shook hands with one of his idols. I’m sure Reed was used to it , but I knew Jon would never forget this moment. Even Goth kids could like sports, and Jon loved baseball. When he released Reed’s hand, Jon immediately picked up his pants from the end of the couch and quickly pulled them on.
    “Did Bitsy sleep okay?”
    “Yes, umm, she hasn’t woken up. I fell asleep a few hours ago.”
    I saw Reed looking around the small space. Piles of books sat on the small foldout dinette, and there were a few boxes of food and a toaster on the three-foot-long counter. Bedding covered the couch because it’s where Jon slept. I slept in a double bed with my sister. Our home was a far cry from Reed’s mansion.
    “You follow baseball , Jon?”
    “ Sometimes.” Jon wasn’t giving anything away. He might know Reed was famous, and worship the player, but that didn’t make his baseball idol a good person. In our small dirt-poor world, we learned quickly to distrust everyone.
    Reed smiled. “I don’t see a television . Do you have one in the back?”
    I noticed the redness creeping up my brother’s face. “No. If I have time, I listen to the games on the radio.”
    Reed rubbed his jaw and I realized he did it when he wasn’t sure what to think or say. “Do you play?”
    “No …well, in the street around here I have, but I don’t play on a team.”
    Teams cost money and it should be obvious by our surroundings that we didn’t have money.
    “Jon has school in the morning and he needs to sleep, Mr. Tyler.”
    “I t hink you should call me Reed.”
    I didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t matter what I called him because in a few minutes, I would never see him again.
    “Whose school books are those?”
    Jon didn’t give me a chance to answer. “A few are mine.” He left it at that.
    Reed stepped closer to the table and looked at the titles.
    His left eyebrow arched as he read the title aloud. “ Analytical Concepts in Accounting .”
    Again, my pride got the better of me and my voice sounded stiff. “I don’t plan to work at Tasty Burger my entire life.”
    “How many classes are you taking?”
    He needed to leave , but I went ahead and answered. “Two each semester.”
    He turned to my brother. “What are your grades like, Jon?”
    “ Decent.”
    Reed didn’t seem put off by Jon’s monosyllable answers. “What subjects do you like?”
    My brother surprisingly said, “English, literature, and history.”
    I heard a slight rustle of material and was first to notice my sister; her little hands rubbed her eyes as she looked questioningly at everyone in the room. In two steps, I picked her up, pressing her head to my shoulder. “Hey, sugar, you should be sleeping.”
    She pushed her upper body away from me, her big eyes going to the strange man in our trailer. “Who are you?”
    I saw Reed’s reaction. Almost everyone had a warm fuzzy moment when my sister gave the big-eyed stare. She was as adorable as they came. It’s the reason Jon and I were so protective; Bitsy was our world.
    Reed gave her a soft, calming smile and lowered his voice. “I’m Reed. Sorry about waking you up.”
    “Sokay. Don Gato wanted his belly scratched.”
    I rubbed her hair. “I’m putting you back to bed, sugar.” I quickly turned and headed to the back.
    I could feel her little hand lift from my shoulder , and from the corner of my eye, I saw her wave to Reed. Laying her on the bed, I pulled the covers up. “I promise to be in soon. Go back to sleep and I’ll make your favorite pancakes in the morning.”
    “He’s pretty.”
    Out of the mouths of babes. “Yes, he is.”
    “Is he your boyfriend?”
    I knew Reed could hear every word through the walls. “No. He’s just a nice man who gave me a ride home. That’s enough—sleep or no pancakes.”
    “I love you , Jaycee.”
    My heart melted. “Love you too, sugar. Goodnight.”
    I slid the accordion door so only an inch remained open. I turned and looked at Reed.
    His deep