Page 1 of Taking the Pitch
prologue
JUDD
I fucked up.
Bad.
Like the most ultimate fuck up I could ever pull right now fuck up.
How?
Oh, let me tell you.
It all started at my brother’s engagement party.
CHAPTER ONE
judd
“Cheers to the happy couple,”I say, finishing my speech, holding up my beer.
Shouts ofCheers!go up around me and we all take a drink with me, finishing mine off.
I make my way to the open bar and order another. While I’m waiting, I turn around and lean my elbows against the bar, looking around at everyone who showed up for my brother and Lucy. It’s not a huge crowd, but they wanted to keep it small, just the important people in their lives. Tony and his whole family are here. Lucy’s best friend, Kara, and her son, of course. Garrett, who isn’t fooling anyone with the way he’s giving Kara looks from across the room.
We see you, buddy.
Reese, Brent, Duke…which is surprising, he never comes to these things; the recluse that he is. A few other guys from the team Kessler’s friends with and their dates, wives, girlfriends, whatever.
Coach Dixon and his wife and daughter Charlie, who also runs the team’s PR department.
Coach raises an eyebrow at me from across the room and I tip my head towards him.
The bartender sets my drink on the bar, and I turn and grab it, taking a swig while I finish my perusal of the room.
Aunts, uncles and cousins from our side round out the body count. Apparently, Lucy’s family disowned her when she got pregnant with Hudson. What fuckheads do that to someone? Especially someone as sweet and amazing as Lucy?
Jared Cox, that’s who.
Shaking my head, I take another drink of my beer as I think about the guy who I used to call my friend. The things he said about Lucy when he and Kessler got into that fight during their league game last season were shocking. I knew he was known to go through women.
It’s not a secret. A lot of ballplayers sleep around, but abandoning your kid? And to toss Lucy to the side like that? No. I told that motherfucker where he could go the last time he called me up. Then I blocked his number.
Dad comes over and claps me on the back. He orders a beer for himself and a white wine for my mom.
Leaning on the bar, he looks out over the crowd with me. “Good turnout,” he notes, tipping his head towards everyone.
“Yeah, everyone they invited showed up for them,” I say, taking another drink.
Feeling Dad’s gaze on me, I turn towards him. “What?”
“You good, Son?” He looks at the beer in my hand and back at me.
Reaching out, I clap his shoulder. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine, just celebrating the happy couple.”
He grabs his drinks from the bartender. “Okay, but ease up on the drinks, yeah? Maybe switch to water?”
“Sure, Dad,” I tell him. He nods his head and heads over to where Mom is fussing over Lucy.
