Page 13 of Taking the Pitch (Love & Baseball #2)

CHAPTER TWELVE

judd

It’s poker night at Kessler’s house and I’ve shown up early to talk to Lucy. I haven’t seen Amelia since the gym incident yesterday and I don’t know how to proceed with her from here without going to her apartment and making her talk to me. Which probably wouldn’t go over well. I don’t want to push her. I’m afraid I did that yesterday, but I couldn’t stop myself from telling her how I felt.

I know it’s too soon to have those feelings. Too soon to think of a future with the tiny blonde spitfire every time I think of her. But I can’t help it. Every time I close my eyes, I see Amelia’s gorgeous face and the word ‘mine’ pops into my head. Kessler says it’s a Davis family trait. Apparently, my dad’s side of the family has a history of ‘love at first sight.’ I mean, I’ve heard the story of how my parents fell in love while I was growing up and witnessed Kessler and Lucy’s relationship. I just never figured it’d happen to me.

Throwing my Jeep into park, I turn off the engine and sit for a minute, staring at the house my brother had remodeled for Lucy in secret. When Kessler told me he bought a house for a woman he just started dating, I’ll be honest, I thought he had completely lost his mind. But now? Now I can totally see what drove him to do it. I scrub my hand over my face and get out. I hope Lucy can give me some insight on what to do next because I’ve got nothing.

Opening the front door and kicking off my shoes at the entry, I holler a ‘hello’. When I first came to their house after moving back, I knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. When Lucy answered, she asked if I knocked at my parents’ house. I told her I usually just walked in or went to the backyard. Lucy just shook her head and told me I was family and that I never needed to knock because I was always welcome. I decided then that she was my favorite sister. It didn’t matter that she’s my only sister. When I look up from putting my shoes on the rack, I see Lucy’s blonde head poke up from behind one of the couches in the living room.

“Oh, hey Judd,” Lucy says before a massive yawn takes over her face.

“Did I wake you?” I wince, hoping I didn’t. “Where’s Kessler?”

She shakes her head and waves me off. “No, it’s fine. I was just resting my eyes for a minute. He took Hudson to Kara’s. He and Kade are having a sleepover.”

Which means she was, in fact, sleeping. “Shit, Luce. I’m sorry. If I would have known, I would have been quieter.” Walking over to the couch, I sit on the opposite end of the couch Lucy is on. Angling my body so I can look at her. Her long blonde hair is mussed from sleep, but other than slight shadows under her eyes, she looks good, maybe even better than when I saw her on Halloween.

“You’re fine, Judd,” she says before another yawn takes over her face. “I was reading and must have fallen asleep.” She looks around for her book. Lifting the blanket on her lap, we hear a thud as the book hits the floor.

“I got it,” I tell her, leaning forward and scooping the book up from where it fell. I look at the cover and chuckle. Amelia’s name is on the cover.

“Are you laughing at my book?” Lucy asks as I give her back her book.

“No, not at all.”

“Because I’ll have you know, Kessler has read some of her books too, and he says they’re pretty good.” She points a finger and narrows her eyes at me. “Don’t make me sic your brother on you, Juddson.”

Raising my hands in surrender, I tell her, “No judgment here, Lucy.” I don’t mention that Amelia is, in fact, the woman I came to get her advice on. I want to keep that information to myself just a while longer.

Seeming to believe me, Lucy tosses her book on the reclaimed wooden coffee table Hudson and Kessler built this summer from old boards we saved after tearing down one of the dilapidated outbuildings on the property. Watching Kessler do things with Hudson our dad did with us when we were his age brought up feelings I didn’t know I had. Like jealousy because Kessler gets to have this experience and fear that I never will.

Hearing a throat clear, I pull myself out of my thoughts and look at Lucy, who’s looking at me expectantly. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

Lucy rolls her eyes like she’s annoyed, but gives me a smirk. “I asked what exactly you wanted my advice about. Kessler said you met a girl that you’re interested in, but apparently, she’s not interested in you, but really couldn’t give me any more information than that.”

I tip my head. “Yeah, well at the time, there wasn’t any more information than that.”

She raises an eyebrow. “And now there is?”

I nod. “Now there is.”

“Well… Give me all the details and I’ll see if I can help.” Lucy settles back into her pile of pillows behind her and tucks the blanket back around her, getting comfortable while I start at the beginning of the story about how I met Amelia.

“You kissed her in the elevator? Fuck, that’s hot,” Lucy says, fanning herself. She’s sitting up, attention fully on me. Her blanket was discarded halfway into me, telling her about the events that happened in the club. She props her chin up on her hand and sighs, a far off look in her eyes. “That’s the stuff romance books are made of.”

If she only knew the person I’m interested in, is in fact her favorite romance author.

I run my hands through my hair, tugging at the ends. “So now that you know everything, what do you think I should do? She’s obviously interested, right?”

Lucy tips her head back and forth, chin still in her hand. “I mean, yeah. It sounds like she’s interested, but it also sounds like she’s stopping herself from letting it go any further than it has. She could just be afraid that if she starts something with you and it doesn’t work out that her program would suffer.” She shrugs and sits back, tucking her legs underneath her. “It’s a valid worry. We know you would never revoke assistance even if things went sideways with you guys, but she doesn’t. Like she’s pointed out, she’s only known you for a few days. Sounds like you need to show her who Judd Davis is.” Lucy points at me and gives me a pointed look. “The real Judd, the Judd we all love, not the playboy player the trash magazines write about.”

We both know the magazines she’s talking about. She and Kessler were prime targets in one particular magazine that is owned by the dad of one of the kids on Hudson’s baseball team. Unfortunately, scandal sells, and my past isn’t exactly pristine. Being the top pitching prospect of my year put me in the spotlight. My series of one-night stands kept me there, when my talent should have been what people focused on. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve started to realize I wanted more than what I was allowing myself to have and slowly my sex life faded out of the harsh spotlight. Which in turn has kept my latest transgression out of the spotlight, so far.

“What made you finally give in? The moment that you finally decided Kessler was worth taking a chance on? Trust that he wouldn’t hurt you?”

Lucy sits quietly, staring at the coffee table, eyes unfocused, like she’s playing a movie in her head. She breathes out a small laugh and her eyes flick up to mine. “It wasn’t just one moment. It was a series of moments. Him texting me every day just to let me know he was thinking of me, making sure I had my favorite coffee delivered to me from my favorite café, coming back early from a stretch of away games, and making it to Hudson’s championship game.” She pauses and quickly wipes a tear from her eyes. Voice cracking when she says, “He was there when he didn’t have to be, claimed Hudson and I as his, and made sure everyone knew it too. Even before he found out I had been thrown to the sidelines all my life by people who I thought loved me.”

Fuck. I rub my chest, trying to ease the ache that’s appeared. I knew Lucy had a rough past, but damn when she puts it like that… I’m glad she and Kessler found each other.

She lets out a huge sigh. “Anyway, enough about us. What are you going to do to show Millie you’re in it to win it?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

I bark out a laugh and scrub a hand down my face, rolling my head to look at the spunky blonde who will soon be my sister-in-law. “Fuck, I don’t know Luce. What do you think I should do?”

Pulling her top lip into her mouth, she nibbles on it while she thinks. Her lip pops out from between her teeth when she says, “Maybe, just try to be her friend for now.”

The sound of a door opening has us both turning to look as Kessler comes through the garage door, tossing his keys on the counter. “Hey baby,” he says, a smile breaking out over his face as he looks at Lucy.

Lucy gives him a matching smile. “Hey.”

“Did you just want Kessler as your friend?” I ask, watching them give each other eyes from across the open concept house.

Lucy snorts and a look of hunger passes over her face as Kessler walks from the kitchen to the couch we’re sitting on. “No, I wanted to jump his bones. Still do if I’m being honest.”

“I don’t know what we’re talking about, but I agree,” Kessler says, bending over and giving Lucy a deep kiss. Lucy hums contentedly, running her fingers through Kessler’s hair.

“God, get a room,” I groan, throwing a pillow at them and hitting the back of Kessler’s head.

Kessler flips me off with the hand that’s not currently tangled in Lucy’s hair, making me chuckle. Breaking the kiss, he looks up at me. “Last time I checked, this was our house and all these rooms are ours.”

Lucy laughs and lightly hits Kessler in the chest with the back of her hand. “Be nice. Judd was just asking me for advice before you rudely came over and mauled me.”

Kessler looks down at her and wiggles his eyebrows. “I didn’t hear you complaining.”

Rolling my eyes, I tap the top of Lucy’s feet and stand from my seat. “Thanks for the advice, Lucy.”

“Anytime Judd. Keep me updated.”

I give her a salute with two fingers and make my way down the hall towards the game room where the poker table is set up. Leaving the two lovebirds to make out before all the guys get here.

“Okay assholes, the name of the game is high card flush,” Reese says, flicking out the cards to us.

Since moving back and joining the Silverbacks, Kessler and his close group of friends, my teammates and Garrett, have taken me into the fold, including me in their monthly poker nights. I really never clicked with any of my old teammates. Not that I really cared. I liked my team well enough, and we played well together, but I’ve always wanted to play for the Silverbacks and grew up watching them and going to games with my dad and Kessler. What kid doesn’t grow up dreaming of playing for their home team?

To say I’m finally where I want to be is an understatement. The only thing missing is someone to share it with. But I’m working on that.

Pain shoots up my right leg and I reach under the table to grab my shin. “Ah, fuck.” I look around and all four sets of eyes are on me. “What the fuck was that for?” I ask, shooting a glare at Kessler.

“I asked you twice if you wanted to keep your cards,” Reese says.

“Okay, but did you have to fucking kick me so hard? I have to pitch with Sanders this week, and I don’t need to explain to him why I’m not extending forward in my stride.”

Austin Sanders is the best pitching coach I’ve ever worked with, but he has zero tolerance for excuses. If my leg is sore from fucking around and affects my pitch, he will not give a fuck.

“Don’t be a little bitch,” Kessler says, not looking up from his cards. “When you squat for a living and have the knees of a 60-year-old, then come complain to me. Until then, fuck off and decide if you want to keep your cards or change ‘em out.”

Garrett snorts from Kessler’s other side. “I wouldn’t brag about making your living on your knees, bro.”

Kessler backhands Garrett in the chest but pulls his hand back and shakes it. “Fuck man, you got armour under there?”

Garrett flexes. “Nope, I’m just a man.”

Snorts of laughter erupt from around the table. “If that’s the case, why haven’t you asked Kara out?” Reese asks, raising his eyebrows at Garrett.

“What the fuck does that have to do with anything?” Garrett asks, setting his cards down on the table and narrowing his eyes at Reese. He may be Ex-Navy, but it seems even SEALs get embarrassed judging by the red creeping up his neck from under the collar of his signature black T-shirt.

Reese either isn’t scared or doesn’t give a shit about breathing air because instead of backing off, the dumbass keeps going. “Well, last time I checked, men have balls,” he says, “and if you had said balls, you would have asked Kara out by now.” Reese shrugs. “But, since as far as we all know, you haven’t, that must mean you, in fact, are not a man.”

Silence surrounds the table as we all look from Reese’s smug face to Garrett’s progressively red one until Reese breaks the silence by barking out a giant belly laugh.

“I’m just fucking with you,” Reese says, slapping a hand on Garrett’s shoulder and giving him a shake. “Man, you shoulda seen your face. I thought you were going to stroke out.” Wiping moisture from the corner of his eye, he adds, “Plus, we all know Kara’s out of your league.”

The tension around the table is broken as Garrett chuckles and slaps Reese’s back, a little harder than normal judging by the way Reese winces. “Ain’t that the truth,” Garrett says, picking his cards back up off the table.

With the beat-down averted, we get back into the game. Changing out cards and making our bets. “I fold,” Brent mutters, tossing his cards onto the table and picking up his phone. He’s been on it non-stop since he got here and he’s not his normal chatty self.

I tap him with my foot, tipping my chin at him when he looks up. “Everything good, dude? You’ve been quiet since you got here.”

He releases a heavy sigh and scrubs at his face. “Just sister drama.”

“Which one this time?” Kessler asks, flicking his eyes from Brent back down to his cards. Brent has four sisters. Two older and two younger. Leaving Brent smack dab in the middle to deal with them all.

“Cass,” he says with a sigh. I see Reese tense out of the corner of my eye as Brent continues on. “Her dickwad of a boyfriend dumped her, again .” He runs his hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. “I don’t know why she keeps going back to him. It’s like he gets off on fucking with her emotions. We’ve all told her he’s a piece of shit and that she deserves better, but she never listens to us. She just sticks up for him and tells us he’s just misunderstood. ” He snorts. “He’s just a fucking prick who gets off on belittling people and stringing my sister along.”

I’ve met Cass a few times. She’s the one who helped Lucy and Kessler plan their engagement party and is also planning their wedding. She seems sweet, if not a little shy.

“Want me to help you kick his ass?” Reese asks from across the table. His posture seems relaxed, but I can see the tendon popping in his jaw as he pretends to look at his cards. “He doesn’t even have to know it’s us.” His eyes bounce to Garrett, a bit of an unhinged gleam in them. “Seal boy can give us some pointers on how to do it quickly and quietly.”

“Call me Seal boy again and I’ll show you firsthand what I can do,” Garrett mutters, still looking at his cards.

Kessler shakes his head and rolls his eyes, tossing his cards down. “Fold. I don’t have shit.” He stretches and gets up from the table, heading to the mini fridge in the corner. “Anyone want anything while I’m up?”

Everyone shakes their heads, mumbling their responses. “I’ll take a water,” I tell him, before turning my attention back to Brent. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing I really can do. She’s a big girl, and as much as it sucks to see her hurting, she’s old enough to make her decisions, whether we agree with them or not.” He releases another heavy sigh. “I just have to stand by and watch and be there for her when she needs it.” He turns in his seat and looks over at Kessler. “You know what? I changed my mind. I’ll have a beer.”

Kessler grabs two beers and my water out of the fridge and sets them down in front of us. Brent twists the top off and downs half of his before coming up for air.

“Okay Garrett, it’s just you and me. What are you packin’?”

“Three hearts, queen high,” Garrett says, revealing his hand.

“Fucker,” Reese says tossing his cards down, revealing three spades, with the highest card being an eight.

“Who’s the man now?” Garrett asks, collecting his winnings and stacking the chips.

“Whatever, the night’s still young,” Reese says, shuffling the cards to be re-dealt.