Change Ups: A Novel of Love, Loss, and Baseball

By Jeremy D. Perry

Jason Boyd, a star athlete on his high school baseball team dreams of a Major League career. As he enters college, he is poised to capture the future he has always dreamed of. He has the love of his life and a baseball future within his grasp. As he plays baseball, the dream never materializes. He loses his girlfriend of four years and graduates with no future. After reestablishing a relationship with his high school sweetheart, his dreams begin to come true. But at what cost? Will Jason be able to hold onto his marriage? And what happens when once more his dreams are ripped out of his hands? Can Jason lean on those around him and find his way? Can a faith in God sustain him through losing what he treasured most?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385000470

Jeremy D. Perry

Jeremy Perry, author of Change Ups, is a career acquisition professional, husband, and father of three. As the son of a pastor and a former military man himself, Jeremy has traveled the United States and the world. Though widely traveled, his adopted home state of West Virginia has always been near and dear to his heart, inspiring the voice of his heart-felt stories. Change Ups is set in the beautiful mountain state and reflects a love of the place and its people.

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Copyright © 2023 Jeremy D. Perry.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

WestBow Press

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations are taken from King James version of the Bible, public domain.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0046-3 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0047-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023910661

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/12/2023

CONTENTS

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

CHAPTER 54

CHAPTER 55

CHAPTER 56

CHAPTER 57

CHAPTER 58

CHAPTER 59

CHAPTER 60

CHAPTER 61

CHAPTER 62

CHAPTER 63

CHAPTER 64

CHAPTER 65

CHAPTER 66

CHAPTER 67

CHAPTER 68

CHAPTER 69

CHAPTER 70

CHAPTER 71

CHAPTER 72

CHAPTER 73

CHAPTER 74

CHAPTER 75

CHAPTER 76

CHAPTER 77

CHAPTER 78

CHAPTER 79

CHAPTER 80

CHAPTER 81

CHAPTER 82

CHAPTER

1

For most of his adult life, Charles Boyd had found himself at one end or the other of a tractor. He had worked his farm for the last 22 years, supporting his wife and growing family. He had been raised in Pond Gap, West Virginia, a small town that exemplified the middle of nowhere. From the time he was born, he had lived in a two-bedroom, ramshackle house with a collapsed front porch. He had two brothers who had shared the same bedroom as he until he turned 17 and set out on his own. He hitched a ride 30 miles to Charleston where he found work stocking at a Shire’s retail store. He spent each day unloading trucks and filling the storeroom with goods from places he would never see with his own eyes – even some as far away as Europe and Asia. Two years later, at 19, he met Brenda McMullen.

Brenda had started working at the soda shop two fronts down. While he had never been a soda drinker, Charles found he started having a taste for the sweet drink and the service. It took two weeks for him to work up the courage to say hello and then another month before he could ask her out. Part of the wait, he would tell his kids over the years, was that he didn’t have a decent jacket. He wanted to look good if he was going to take out this auburn-haired beauty. On a warm September evening, Charles Boyd accompanied Brenda McMullen on their first date. Two months later he asked her to marry him and two months after that, they became Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boyd. Now, 23 years later, they found themselves blessed with four children of their own. Together, they had watched as each of their children grew and became the boys and girl they were – the men and woman they were becoming.

Their oldest son, Mitchell, had his life mapped out completely by the time he was ten while their youngest son, Justin, didn’t know what he was going to do in the afternoon. Their middle son, Jason, had been driven his entire life to succeed in everything and so far, it looked like their youngest, Mindy – the only girl – was following in his steps. They talked about their children and dreamed the dreams of parents, wondering where they would all end up. They both assumed with a bit of sadness that one or two would end up far away. They were almost certain that Jason would move to far off places. It just seemed to be in the cards, as they say.

It wasn’t that Jason had any serious desire to leave West Virginia; he didn’t. He had been born and raised in the mountain state and had no real longing to be anywhere else. But someday he would leave; and he – like his parents – knew that fact from an early age. To anyone who didn’t know him, Jason was your average teenage boy living in rural West Virginia. He and his family lived outside the city of Charleston about four miles into the middle of nowhere where they managed a small farm. He grew up with two brothers and a sister. His brothers were on either side of him; one older, one younger.

His sister was the youngest of all of them and therefore the princess of the family. Most of the time, the boys hadn’t minded.They had doted on her almost as much as their parents had, Jason most of all. The Princess would complain later in life that growing up with three overprotective brothers was a bit of a pain, especially when it came to dating. She would talk about how horrible it was to share a bathroom with boys. She would complain about the smells and the sounds. But on the inside, she felt more than blessed to have grown up with them and loved each one deeply.

Jason’s older brother, Mitchell, was two years older than he was. Mitchell had graduated with honors from high school, receiving a full ride scholarship to West Virginia University. When he graduated college, he planned to attend medical school and become a doctor. Through his second year of college, he had thus far maintained his straight-A average and was well on his way to realizing that dream. Everyone knew Mitchell would succeed; that’s what he did. He was smart, good-looking, and extroverted. It was clear to his parents and anyone else that knew him, Mitchell would succeed at anything he wanted to do.

Since he had entered third grade, becoming a doctor had been Mitchell’s sole dream. He was the type of person who knew what he wanted and had his entire life planned out for himself. He had worked hard in school to earn a scholarship to WVU and would work even harder in order to go to the medical school he chose. To describe Mitchell as Type A would be an understatement.

Jason’s younger brother, Justin, was in his freshman year in high school. He was smaller than both Mitchell and Jason – standing only 5’10" – but strong as an ox. He played second string on the high school football team and wrestled in the 151 weight group. He was a better wrestler than he was a wide receiver, but he enjoyed both, knowing that neither would last beyond high school, or college, if he were lucky.

He studied because he had to, but had no real plans for the future. Justin was more of a free spirit and would go where the wind took him. Sometimes it meant wanting to be an artist, other times a forest ranger and at other times a missionary to foreign lands. His parents watched him and wondered what would come of him. He was a good kid, but he had no direction in his life, and he was okay with that. After all, he was only 15.

Mindy was in middle school. She was pretty and smart and athletic. Like Jason, she was naturally gifted when it came to sports and tried everything. Mindy played volleyball, softball, basketball, and was in karate. She was looking forward to high school in a few years when she could try out for the sports teams there. She felt pretty good about her chances, even though she was just in sixth grade. She knew she was better than most middle school girls, so by the time she reached high school, she felt she would be one of the best.

Being in sixth grade, Mindy’s plan for life was to be a teacher or a nurse or a cashier… From one day to the next she changed her mind, deciding to be whatever seemed fun at the moment. Like they did with Justin, her parents watched and thought about Mindy often, wondering what their little girl would do when the time came.

When it came to their second child they had little doubt about what the future held. Jason had poured his heart and soul into one thing almost from the time he could walk: baseball. He had started in Little League when he was old enough and had played baseball constantly ever since. As a junior in high school, he had been captain of the team and was being looked at by several college scouts and he thought that even a few farm teams for the big boys were watching. That year, he had led his team to a State Championship win. They had lost in the third round of the regionals and missed a shot at a national championship. This year – Jason’s senior year – the team wanted to go back, and everyone knew that Jason was their ticket.

At exactly six feet tall and weighing 168 pounds, Jason was a formidable pitcher. Over the years he had played right field, short stop, and second base before settling into pitching. He had the reflexes to make short plays that were near impossible. His strike out record for his junior year had been phenomenal, carrying seven no-hitter games in the season and an overall Earned Run Average, or ERA, of 3.2 – giving up an average of only 3.2 runs every nine innings of pitching.

Currently, he had five viable options for continuing ball into college, two of which were full-ride scholarships. On his dresser in the bedroom he shared with Justin were information packets and letters of intent for West Virginia University, where Mitchell was attending, Vanderbilt, which was close to where his aunt and uncle lived in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Louisville, and Pitt, both of which he had already decided against.

One final package sat alone on his dresser; set apart as Jason considered his future. This was from a small Christian college in the heart of Ohio, one his pastor had introduced him to the previous year when he took all the teens for a campus visit. The scholarship was only half, but if he could work while he was in school, he could still afford the private school tuition. He had been thinking long and hard about that small college for the last year. Without baseball, there was no way that he would even have the opportunity to attend there, if he decided to. If he chose to follow that path, without baseball, he would owe so much in college debt when he graduated that he would never get out.

He also thought about the opportunities that came with going to a bigger, more sports-noteworthy school like Vanderbilt, WVU or Louisville. A small Christian college in the middle of Ohio farmland wasn’t the smart choice for reaching the major leagues, but at the same time, there was something about it that Jason felt drawn to. Besides, he knew there were a few players that had been drafted from Mount Vernon over the years, so it wasn’t unheard of.

He still had time to think about it, so the letters would sit on his dresser for a while longer. Besides, there were other things on his mind these days besides college and as he heard the front door open and a cheery hi come ringing down the hall, he smiled. One of those things had just walked through the front door.

CHAPTER

2

Kendra White had been Jason’s girlfriend for the last two years. They had started dating during their sophomore year and been together ever since. She had been in his American History class where they began flirting ceaselessly with each other. Flirting turned into romantic interests and in a few weeks’ time, Jason asked her out. Since then, they had spent every Friday night, most Saturday evenings, and Sundays together. If you saw one, chances were good that the other would be there as well.

Jason has invited her to church with his family and would drive to pick her up every Sunday morning, even after she got her own license and car. She lived just inside of town, so every Sunday morning Jason would drive the four miles to her house, pick her up, drive the five miles from there to church, and then take her home after they had dinner. She had instantly become a part of his family; the second daughter to the Boyd parents and a big sister to Mindy, who immediately considered her such.

Kendra was shy and quiet most of the time. She wasn’t athletic and had spent her time playing trumpet in the high school band. She was five foot six inches with blond hair and blue eyes. Compared to some girls she was pretty, but compared to most girls, she was really pretty. They were a good-looking couple and had been voted King and Queen of the prom. Truthfully, most people expected them to graduate and marry, which was exactly what Kendra dreamed of as well. Jason was sure he was in love with her and had plans of marriage on his mind as well. At the same time, he still had to think about college and his career afterward. Another consideration about Mount Vernon was that Kendra wouldn’t be able to go with him, and that was making it hard for him to make the decision. He didn’t want to leave her behind.

It was a hard decision, especially since WVU was closer and offering a free ride. Jason had no desire to be away from Kendra. They had spent one week completely apart since they started dating and neither could imagine spending more than that, unable to see or touch each other. Leaving these thoughts behind, he jogged down the hall and found Mindy harassing Kendra in the kitchen.

Where’s he taking you? What are you guys doing tonight? Do you really like him? You could do so much better, you know? Mindy was badgering Kendra with questions, firing one off after another. Jason wasn’t certain he had ever seen his sister with nothing to say. Do you guys kiss at the movies? Do you sit way in the back all by yourselves? Do you share ice cream cones? Do you… Hey!

Jason walked in behind her and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground, cutting off her interrogation.

Mindy screamed. Put me down, Jason! Put me down.

Instead, he smiled at Kendra and said, I’ll be right back.

He flipped Mindy around and over his shoulder with ease and quickly walked to her room, where he dropped her onto her bed and tickled her until she couldn’t breathe. Then he walked out the door and closed it behind him. Through the door he yelled, …and stay there.

When he walked back into the kitchen he wrapped his arms around Kendra and kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in days. When they broke their kiss, he stared at her and simply said, hi.

For almost the entire time since they had begun dating, they had been hot and heavy. Their physical relationship was well beyond what either of their parents would approve of. In fact, Jason was pretty certain Mr. White would do terrible things to him if he knew what Jason did with his daughter. There had even been a few scares of pregnancy over the years, but so far, they had held off on that disaster. Sure, they both knew that they shouldn’t be doing the things they were doing, but they were young and in love, so they let themselves get carried away.

Jason grabbed his wallet and took Kendra by the hand. They walked back out the door and started toward the barn. Before they left for their date, Jason had to take care of some work. They were going out to eat and then to see Good Will Hunting, the new Robin Williams movie. Thirty minutes later, Jason was moving the last bale of hay as Kendra watched him while they talked. He walked over to where she was sitting and leaned in kissing her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close as they kissed. His hands began to roam over her body and she laughed, breaking their kiss and pushing Jason off her. Taking both his hands in hers, she said, We need to go or we’re going to miss the movie.

Who cares, he said as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

She laughed more and pushed him back again. Come on you beast, let’s go eat. Maybe afterward you’ll get lucky.

Fine, he said, but we’re taking your car.

She laughed as she led him out of the barn. That’s ‘cause you don’t have one of your own, smart guy.

When they got to her car, a 1987 Mustang that her dad had restored, he opened the passenger door and let her in. He then slid behind the wheel after adjusting the seat for his frame. The keys were still in the ignition, as he knew they would be. Leaving the keys in the ignition was a bad habit of her. Luckily, so was not locking her car door. Jason started the car and Def Leppard blared from the stereo. He looked at Kendra and ejected the tape, switching to his station where George Strait was singing, and tossed Hysteria into the back seat.

Better. Something you can actually understand, he said.

Kendra just rolled her eyes and smiled. "One of these days I’ll get you into some real music instead of that redneck stuff you listen to."

Never gonna happen, he said as he put the car in drive and hit the gas. Besides, you know Darold has tried for years.

Darold Gibson was Jason’s best friend and had been since Mrs. Ross’s fourth grade class. Darold was from in town like Kendra. He was a black kid that had made Jason laugh the first day they met. Since then, they had been inseparable, often getting into trouble together and spending more than one afternoon in detention together over the years.

I don’t think what Darold has in mind is music, either, Kendra said with a shake of her head.

"Well, I certainly wouldn’t call it music, but either way, I’m driving, so I pick the music," Jason smugly retorted.

They drove and talked and laughed. Between shifting gears, Jason would hold her hand or put his hand on her leg. He just couldn’t keep his hands off of her. When they pulled into Applebee’s, Kendra raised her eyebrows and teased Jason, Oh? Not McDonalds? Must be a special night.

We’re doing it right tonight, baby. No expense spared, Jason laughed in response.

He parked beside a gray Chevy Caprice Classic.

Looks like the captain is here, Jason said as they got out of the car.

When they walked in the door, Darold was waiving them over to the booth.

Darold stood and gave his buddy a hand clasp half hug before they sat.

What’s up, cap’n? Jason said as he sat. Jason had started calling his friend cap’n when he first bought the large Chevy he drove last summer. He would jokingly call the Caprice Classic and boat and therefor Darold was the captain.

At least I have a car, brother. What’d you do? Walk here? Darold shot back.

Nah. I got me a girl with wheels.

…and you better be nice so she keeps coming around, Kendra joined in, elbowing Jason playfully.

That’s right Jason. She may be your girl, but she don’t have to let you ride her pony. Angela James, Darold’s girlfriend, had meant pony in reference to Kendra’s Mustang, but she saw the look on Jason’s face and knew he took it completely differently. This made her smile and begin to laugh.

Jason raised a finger and opened his mouth to say something. He closed it again and shook his head. You know, I don’t even know what to say to that comment.

They all laughed and began looking over the menus.

The waitress came by and they all ordered.

Over dinner they talked and laughed and had a good time. It was their senior year and they tried to enjoy every single minute of it. Next week the baseball season started. Technically, the season had started with training and practice, but the games started next week and eventually the talk made its way to baseball.

You ready for this year? Angela asked.

Before Jason could answer, Darold jumped in, Girl! You know he’s ready! That’s my boy and he is the best! Nationals this year, baby!

Jason pumped his hands like he was quieting a crowd of cheering fans. Now, now, he said, I’m not the best. He paused for effect, and then said, just second best.

Both the girls rolled their eyes.

So, you decide where you going to school next year? Darold asked. Jason really didn’t want to talk about this right now.

Kendra looked at her boyfriend who looked at her.

Um, I haven’t quite made the decision yet, was all Jason could say.

Kendra looked back at her food and picked her fork back up. The table got quiet.

Darold started telling one of his stories about when the two of them got in trouble for skipping school to go fishing in junior high. They all began to laugh at how Jason’s own dad had caught the two of them sneaking out the door of the shed with fishing poles and tackle boxes in hand, and then proceeded to drive them to school and turn them in. Darold had a tendency to make anyone laugh and he used this gift to take the tension out of the air, for which Jason was grateful. The rest of the meal was filled with talking and laughter and absolutely no mention of future plans.

As they sat through Good Will Hunting, Kendra wrapped her arms around Jason’s arm and snuggled close. He could smell the faint smell of her perfume and inhaled it deeply. His mind was on the letters on his dresser and not on the movie. He was glad it was dark in the theater because he didn’t want Kendra to see him so distracted. Even though he still had time before he had to make it, this college decision was more difficult than he thought it would be. It seemed like his entire life was riding on this decision. Choose the right college, and the Major League scouts would be at every game; choose the wrong one, and you may never even be seen.

After the movie, Jason drove Kendra back to his house where the two sat in the car, talking quietly and enjoying tender kisses before Jason got out and walked inside. Kendra drove home and pulled into the driveway, lights splashing against the front window as she turned in. When she walked in the door, her dad was coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water in his hand.

Hi baby, he said as she walked in.

Hi daddy. What are you still doing up? she asked.

Well, I knew you were out and I just don’t sleep when you’re out. Neither does your mom. This was only partially true. While he did not rest easy until his daughter was back in the house, Kendra’s dad could usually lay down and begin to sleep, even if it was lightly.

Kendra gave her dad a look. Dad, I’m almost 18 and you knew where I was. You don’t have to worry.

Yeah, well… I’m gonna, so get used to it, he said with a grunt. Actually, we just went to bed a few minutes ago. We were up watching a movie.

He told her good night and walked back to his bedroom. Kendra said good night and went to her own, where she got ready for bed and flopped down and closed her eyes. She was asleep shortly after pulling the covers up to her neck.

CHAPTER

3

Kendra had grown up in Charleston. She had been born at the local hospital and raised in the same house on 8th street that her parents brought her home to that day so many years ago. She had gone to school in one of the little elementary schools in the area and had first seen Jason in middle school when the two came in from different elementary schools. She had seen Jason and Darold during lunch and had been in Jason’s social studies class their eighth-grade year. She had thought he was a cute boy, but she was too shy to even say hello, turning red even at the thought of approaching someone she didn’t know.

Kendra’s dad was a mechanic that had his own shop and a side business of selling cars he fixed up. He was able to pick up several cars from salvage yards and then put hours of labor in until they were usable and mostly in good shape. Some cars he’d been especially proud of his work on – taking them from a piece of junk to a piece of art. One of those cars was the Mustang that Kendra now drove. It was rebuilt from at least a dozen different cars. The engine had been completely rebuilt from three mustang engines. He had even found a top-of-the-line stereo system that was in near-new condition in a totaled BMW.

Joseph White had been the son of a factory worker father who drank too much and a seamstress mother who somehow held their family together. He had grown up poor, even by West Virginia standards. He and his three siblings – two sisters and a brother – worked from the time they could to help out the family with groceries and other necessities. When Joe’s oldest brother Mike had been killed in a train car accident at 16, his mother had a breakdown she never recovered from. It had been up to Marcia, Joe’s older sister, to take care of the family from then on. Marcia was only 14 and Joe 13. Their youngest sister, Gina, was 11.

The next three years after their brother’s death had been tough, but they struggled through and made it work. At 16, Joe found his way out and took it with no second thoughts. He lied about his age, joined the Army, and left for Vietnam for the next two years. When he returned, he found his father passed out almost every night on the sofa, his mother in a nursing home, and his two sisters taking care of everything. Marcia was an adult and was planning to move out and take Gina with her. Joe stayed in the Army for another stint and helped pay the bills of his newly liberated sisters. Their father died two years later, alone and destitute. Joe did not attend the funeral.

As the three of them cleaned out their parents’ home, they were greeted with a surprise, one that if he ever remembered it, their father would not have left behind. Somewhere along the line, their parents had come into ownership of several thousand dollars’ worth of Government bonds. Over the years, they had matured and were now worth quite a bit of money; especially in 1970s West Virginia. They cashed them in and divided the money evenly, each getting a little over $25,000. For Marcia, it meant college. For Gina, it meant a life in California. For Joe, it meant the opening of his own automotive repair business. He was 27 when he started his own business. Kendra was born the next year. Both he and Marcia had done well over the years. Neither of them had heard from Gina since a few years after she left for Los Angeles.

As a mechanic and small business owner, Joe made decent money for the area and the White family never really lived in need; a harsh reality for too many in the area. Too many in West Virginia – particularly the more rural areas – were living in a constant state of reliance on anyone else who could lend a helping hand. Even in Charleston, a major city in the state, there were more than a few hurting people in need of an extra dollar or an extra loaf of bread. It was a sad reality, but the reality nonetheless.

Kendra’s mom was a stay-at-home mom and was busy raising her and her younger brother. She had met Joe White when he was home on leave between his two tours in Vietnam. He had only been 18 when she met him and 20 when they married. Lynn Joseph and Joe White married in the little church where Lynn’s family attended – at east where they attended on Christmas and Easter. Lynn’s family had been Baptist and had lived in town since she had been born. Her father worked a factory job on the river and brought home a regular paycheck. Except for the occasional strike, he worked steadily until he retired. Once retired, he bought a motor home and he and Lynn’s mom travelled the country with the ever-growing population of nomadic retirees.

Lynn had dreamed of becoming a nurse, but with the birth of Kendra, she put off school, intending to re-engage once her daughter started school. Soon after Kendra entered kindergarten, Lynn was pregnant again. When Kendra’s brother Alan was born, her break