Swinging Strike (Cessna U Wildcats Book 1) Read online

  SWINGING STRIKE

  Dating the hot athlete? Yeah, Been there, Done that…

  Braxton Smith.

  Cessna University’s baseball captain.

  Naturally talented.

  Sinfully gorgeous.

  And exudes enough arrogance to fill a stadium.

  That same cocky attitude is what landed him in my anonymous gossip column.

  Believe me, I, Cara Gonzalez, don’t want anything to do with him.

  But he’s everywhere.

  In my class.

  In my dorm.

  In my mind.

  I left this type of drama back home.

  Transferring to Cessna University is my chance for a redo.

  And regardless of his rock-hard abs and panty-dropping smile,

  Arguing with an athlete isn’t one of my goals.

  My instincts betray me, though.

  This attraction feels different.

  Stronger.

  I have no choice but to stand my ground.

  Because this time, I’m afraid I’ll not only be hurt.

  I’ll end up gutted.

  SWINGING STRIKE

  Cessna U Wildcats Book One

  Kimberly Readnour

  Rae-Allen Publishing

  Copyright © 2020 by Kimberly Readnour

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for references.

  ISBN: 9781654110079

  Cover Design by Daqri Bernado of Covers by Combs

  Developmental Editing by Tex Thompson

  Editing by Kelly Hartigan (XterraWeb) editing.xterraweb.com

  Proofreading by Virginia Carey, Kaitie Reister

  Printed by Createspace

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  On Deck: The Novella Offer

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Join Kimberly Readnour’s Newsletter!

  Behind the Count Excerpt

  Second Chance Hero Excerpt

  Impossible Love Excerpt

  Also by Kimberly Readnour

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  On Deck: The Novella Offer

  Pick up your FREE novella today for joining my newsletter, and be among the first to learn about my new releases and giveaways. Find out more after you read Swinging Strike.

  Chapter One

  CARA

  How bad can prison be? I mean, seriously. The jail cell can’t be smaller than the dorm I’ll be calling home next week. And like the residence halls, they dish out food I don’t have to cook, and they provide a recreation room and workout center. Hmm, the latter isn’t much incentive. I’m not into lifting weights. Nope, I leave that burden to my brother. He’s the athlete of the family. I tap my fingers against my lips, pondering my options. I suppose the workout center would be necessary. I’ll need to get tough. Build my endurance or suffer being someone’s bitch. Oh my God, I’m totally going to be someone’s bitch!

  “What the hell are you thinking about? Your face is all contorted.”

  My gaze flicks across the white, linen-covered table and lands on a pair of matching brown eyes. They stare back at me as if I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps, I have. I straighten in my seat and clear my throat.

  “I was wondering how bad prison life would be.” I bite back my grin as my brother’s eyes widen. His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Wow, I’ve rendered him speechless for once.

  “Do you plan on committing a crime?” The evenness of Mia’s tone makes her sound like a seasoned detective. As if this type of questioning is asked every day. I freaking love that AJ and she got together. Her sassiness is the perfect complement to my brother’s cockiness.

  “Perhaps. If I can’t come up with something.” I push my overpriced, half-eaten manicotti away and fall back into my chair. The food at Dida’s Italiano Ristorante is good, but I’ve lost my appetite. School hasn’t even started, and the assignments are swallowing me whole.

  “What are you talking about?” The wrinkled brow and gruffness to AJ’s tone is a stark reminder of home. He’s always been protective of me but nothing in comparison to Mom. If it were up to her, she’d bundle me up in bubble wrap and never let me leave. That level of protection is what drove me to have the worst year of my life.

  “It’s this assignment. Remember when I told you I was going to be Cessna University’s latest gossip columnist?” I ignore AJ’s dumbfounded look and continue when Mia nods. He wouldn’t have known. When I shared this great news, AJ was on his way home from a long road trip. “Anyway, I talked to Alan, the editor-in-chief-slash-professor, and he wants something written by the first week of school. How am I supposed to come up with something that quickly? School hasn’t even started.”

  “What gossip column? What does that have to do with becoming a veterinarian? Did you switch your major again?”

  “No, I didn’t change.” I roll my eyes at my brother’s accusation. Veterinarian school has always been the end goal. Not that he would know. “If you remember, my minor is in communications. Since I didn’t choose my minor until transferring last semester, I had to take what classes were available. My adviser talked me into this class, which means working for the newspaper.”

  Getting into veterinarian school is extremely competitive. With the hit my grade point average took, I desperately needed to beef my transcript. I picked communications to learn how to write grants. At the time, the plan sounded ingenious. Now, not so much.

  Mia pauses, her fork, filled with lobster risotto, dangling midair. “You have to write an article before school even starts?”

  “Uh-huh, and I don’t see how that’s possibl
e. What kind of dirt can I dig up from home? It isn’t like a story is going to land in my lap.” I wave my arms in the air as my voice rises. “This is why I want to strangle my editor. Personally, I think Alan hates me. He holds a grudge for some reason. I wouldn’t be surprised if he assigned this impossible task in an attempt to set me up to fail.”

  AJ’s hardened expression makes me shrink back into my chair. I know that look. He wears it when he thinks I’m being overdramatic. But I’m right this time. AJ’s not around to witness how the guy treats me.

  “I’m sure that’s not the case. He doesn’t even know you. How about watching football practices? Maybe, you’ll see something there to write about.”

  “The rumors don’t have to be bad, do they?” Concern lines cross Mia’s forehead. “I mean, I can’t imagine this being a good morale booster.”

  Her question makes my stomach churn. When I first was assigned this project, I thought it’d be fun. Exciting even. But the more I think about it, the less thrilled I become. I’ve been on the receiving end of rumors back in Philadelphia. It sucks.

  “I brought that point up when Alan called, but he dismissed my concerns rather quickly. I think he has something against athletes. Maybe he was the last kid picked for teams during gym class?” Sort of like me. Whatever his excuse, the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I pick up my nearly empty glass of water and frown. The waitress hasn’t checked on us for a while now. “If I was still working here, this glass wouldn’t be empty.”

  “Because you were such a stellar waitress?” AJ deadpans, and Mia about chokes on the bite that made it into her mouth.

  “I wasn’t that bad.” I know he’s teasing, but his words hit close to home. I may not have been horrible, but I wasn’t that good either. It takes a lot of skill and patience to wait on the public. I have tolerance in spades; it just happens to be for the four-legged variety. “Besides, you’re the one who didn’t want me working, remember? The reason behind me quitting and all.”

  “And I stand by what I said. You need to enjoy these last two years of undergrad.” His sincerity softens my heart, if only momentarily. “Have you talked to Mom lately? She was complaining the last time I talked to her.”

  “Not lately. I’ll call her tomorrow.” I grab my glass to wet my dry throat and curse the emptiness. My relationship with Mom has been strained for the last couple of years. AJ’s my go-to guy, but I hate it when he slips into the moderator role.

  “Sorry, everyone,” Lexie, my best friend and ex-work buddy, says as she enters our private room carrying the much-needed water pitcher. “It looks like I’ll be your waitress now.”

  “What happened to the last girl?” I ask, but it’s pretty easy to guess.

  Lexie’s lips flatten to a thin line, and she clears her throat before speaking. “She’s finding another source of income.”

  “Seriously?” I give my brother a pointed look. “I told you Mr. Monroe is impossible.”

  “Fine, fine.” He laughs, putting his hands up in mock defense. “All I know is, when you were working, I walked up to one pissed-off customer and a red-faced manager.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not my fault the woman married an asshole.” The pitcher I had been carrying accidentally spilled on her, dousing the entire front side of her shirt with ice-cold water. I had tripped forward when her husband’s hand landed on the back of my thigh. “It also wasn’t my fault she wore a thin white shirt with a thinner bra.”

  Everyone laughs but me. I still feel bad and don’t blame the lady for being embarrassed—she could’ve cut glass with those diamond-hard nipples that would’ve made her a clear winner in a wet T-shirt contest—but she didn’t have to be so mean. She demanded they fire me on the spot. Before I followed Mr. Monroe to his office that night, my brother waltzed into the restaurant. His presence was all it took for the ice queen to melt. Turned out, she was a huge Dodgers fan. Go figure. A few sweet words and an autograph later, my job was secured, and Monroe’s “word” was nothing more than a meaningless warning. My brother, the starting catcher for the Dodgers, saved the day. Or saved me. Again.

  I suppress a sigh and fake a smile, trying desperately to ward off the tingling sensation sweeping up the back of my neck. I steer the conversation back to my current problem. “I’ll go to campus on Monday and find out when the football team practices. Maybe, I can find something worthy to write about.”

  “Sounds like a good plan. The bigger question is… Are you going to be biased when it comes to the baseball players?” AJ quirks an eyebrow, knowing full well what the question does to me. I don’t take the bait. Let’s face it, I’m not.

  “Are you going to win and make it to the playoffs?”

  Mia laughs as AJ grumbles. “We’ll make it.”

  “You can’t afford to lose any more games, Gonzalez,” I chide.

  “I know. We’ve got this.” After the rocky start to the season, his team sits with a one-game advantage ahead of the Giants for the wild card race. And yes, the wild card is the team’s best hope at advancing. Arizona sits comfortably on top of the division with a six-game lead. Mathematically, the Dodgers aren’t eliminated, but it would take a miracle. The Diamondbacks are tough this year.

  “I have no doubt my team will pull off the win,” Lexie chimes in.

  AJ waves his hand toward the traitor. “See, right there. Now, she’s a true fan.”

  “Whatever. My heart belongs to the Phillies.”

  “Yeah, I’m a little torn,” Mia admits, shooting me a wary glance before gnawing on her lips. I hate this. I hate that she feels guilty at the mere hint of her brother. The ugliness surrounding our breakup shouldn’t involve her.

  “At least you’ll be rooting for the Dodgers in the playoffs. The Phillies don’t stand a chance this year.” The slight condescension in AJ’s tone raises Mia’s eyebrow, but who can blame him? Mia’s brother took AJ’s position. There isn’t any love lost between Drake and AJ. I hate him for my own personal reasons. But despite Drake’s excellent performance, the team hasn’t had a stellar season. It’s a far cry from the previous two years.

  “Don’t jinx us,” Lexie fills in as she pours AJ’s water.

  “You’re the one who had all the faith in us not less than three minutes ago,” AJ huffs.

  “That’s different. That’s me.” She turns toward Mia’s glass, fills it, and then sets the pitcher on the table. “Are you excited to start school next week?”

  “Yes, it’s long overdue.”

  “I’m proud of you, Mia, for going back. I can’t believe both my girls will be in school together,” AJ boasts and looks proud. There’s only one major difference—AJ isn’t paying for Mia’s schooling like he is mine. Not that he didn’t try, but she refused his help. I’m not in the position to turn down his charity. My brother always comes to my rescue. I think about the problems I had last year. The problems I caused. My throat suddenly dries, and I reach for the now full glass of water. Mia smiles warmly at me, but she’s a stark reminder of my past mistakes.

  My gaze darts around the room reserved for celebrities and famous people. Maybe, I should be honored sitting here secluded from the public, but all I feel right now are the walls closing in. And what is up with the temperature? I think Mr. Monroe has the heat cranked up despite the eighty-degree weather. Lexie seems to take notice of my sudden demise. She nudges my shoulder and motions for me to follow.

  “I’ll be right back,” I tell AJ and Mia and follow Lexie out. When we exit the room, I take a deep breath. “Thanks, girl.”

  “No problem. I have a drink order I need to get in.”

  I follow her in silence. Talking, scratch that, thinking about my ex makes me anxious. It’s been several months. I’ve had plenty of time to get over him. And I am over him. It’s just embarrassing how I got so wrapped up in him. Moving to California and transferring to a new college is supposed to be my new start. Sort of like a do-over. I’m not sure how writing a gossip column plays into that.

/>   We reach the bar, and Lexie places the drink order with a new bartender. I’m not exaggerating. Keeping help around here is impossible.

  “The real reason I wanted to drag you here is the delicious man candy alert in section D. He’s one of CU’s finest.” She turns to me with a pale blonde eyebrow raised, challenging me to look.

  I laugh while securing the bobby pin working loose from my bun. As if the promise of a hot guy isn’t enough of a lure, she tosses in Cessna University’s finest dessert to hook me. How could I resist a peek? With skills that would make Ethan Hunt jealous, I slip into recon mode and shift my gaze past the open bar. My old boss stands next to the kitchen entrance in deep “conversation” with a busboy. Poor kid. From his doe-eyed expression, it looks like he’s taking the heat that used to be reserved for me.

  “Hurry up and look already,” Lexie says through a laugh. “Monroe’s attention span is short. He’ll be up in my face next.”