by Toni Aleo
“Daddy is tenderheaded,” Posey informed him.
“But Momma calls him bullheaded,” Shelli added. “And a crybaby.”
Elli grinned as Shea kissed her temple. They had their problems, but no matter what, they had each other. Jordie was green with envy at that moment, but it was all his fault. He could have had all this, but he wouldn’t take ahold of it when it was offered.
“Did you enjoy church, Jordie?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll keep going if you guys don’t mind.”
“Of course not, we’d love to have you.” Elli beamed.
“Well, that is, unless you trade me,” he added with a grin and she smiled.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” she said as a promise. But it was a business, so he didn’t put too much stock in her words. “I’m actually in talks with your agent right now. I’m sending over my offer sheet Wednesday.”
“Really?” he asked, his heart hammering against his ribs. He hadn’t expected that, or asked for it. His contract wasn’t up until October, but he was more than ready to sign on again with the Assassins. He didn’t want to go anywhere else.
“I believe in you,” she said softly, and then her eyes started to tear up. “I’m so damn proud of you.”
“All of us are, keep it up. A year will be here before you know it,” Shea added and Jordie smiled.
“Thanks, guys. And yeah, I’m excited to hit that. In the group—ow! Shelli, honey, that hurt,” he said and Shelli dropped her head down.
“Sorry.”
He chuckled as she went back to work and he continued, “In the group I’m in, I’m the only one not at a year.”
“You’ll get there,” Elli said and Jordie nodded. “Are you going alone? Or is Karson still going?”
“He and Lacey have been going. I have one tomorrow, but they have company in town, so I’ll go alone.”
“If you want one of us to go, we will,” Elli offered and Shea nodded.
“Yeah, just give us a ring.”
Jordie nodded, the support they offered overwhelming him a bit. It wasn’t that he couldn’t go alone, he just didn’t like to. Having someone there who knew him and believed in him helped. The group was nice, but like he said, they were well into their sobriety, and sometimes he felt like they thought he was going to fail. It may be his own insecurities, but he liked having his friends there. It made him feel stronger.
“All done!” Shelli cheered as she and Posey hopped down, assessing their work.
“We are awesome,” Posey decided as Shelli held up the mirror so Jordie could take in his Cindy Lou hair.
“Oh wow,” he gasped and they both beamed. “I’m beautiful,” he said very slowly as Shea and Elli both snickered from the couch.
“Gorgeous!” Shelli agreed.
“You look silly, Uncle Jordie,” Owen said and Evan nodded.
“Like a girl.”
Quinn shook his head, and Jordie smiled at the girls who were unaffected by their brothers’ comments. “I think I look great.”
“You do,” Posey agreed. “Way prettier than Daddy.”
“Hey,” Shea protested and they all dissolved into giggles as he picked them both up, tickling them. Looking away, Jordie grimaced at his reflection again. Karson was going to give him shit when he got home, but he didn’t care. He loved making the girls happy.
When their laughter subsided, Shelli leaned her face against Shea and closed her eyes. As Jordie watched, his chest felt as if it were caving in. It was such a beautiful sight, a man with his daughter. He wondered what it was going to be like for him, and of course, he immediately thought of Kacey. That’s all he did, think of her. He wished that she would give him a chance to explain himself. No, he didn’t deserve her forgiveness, he needed to grovel, but she wouldn’t even give him a chance. It was coming to the point where he was about to just force her to listen to him. But he really wanted her to want it. He wanted it to work out. He wanted her to want him again.
Staring at his reflection, he could honestly say he loved himself again. It had taken a long time. He used to hide from his reflection unless he was getting sexy for the world, but now, he was proud of who looked back at him. He was nowhere near done, but he was getting there. He was on the road to recovery, to happiness; all he needed was Kacey by his side.
“Daddy, can we sing?”
Looking up from the mirror, he watched as Shea nodded his head. “Sure, sweetheart, go get my guitar.” Shelli was as fast as a rocket, off her daddy’s lap and down the hall and back within seconds, handing Shea his guitar. Putting the mirror on the table, Jordie stood as Shea strummed his fingers along the strings.
“You got one I can use?”
Shea looked up and nodded. “Yeah, Shelli, take him to the music room.”
Taking his hands, she took him down the hall and into a room that had a wall of guitars. A piano was in the corner, along with other instruments in the room. Elli used to be a Broadway star, and Shea had always loved music, so it only made sense that they would have a music room.
“I didn’t know you played, Uncle Jordie.”
“Yup, for a while now,” he said, picking up each guitar until he found one he liked. Strumming it a few times, he nodded his head. “All right, let’s go.”
Together they went back into the living room where Shea was waiting. Quinn was lying on Elli’s chest, while Posey lay along her legs. Both of them looked like they were fighting sleep. Sitting back in his chair, he ran his fingers along the strings and then glanced up at Shea.
“What are we playing?”
Shea shrugged. “Shelli?”
“‘Jesus Take the Wheel.’ I need to practice.”
“For?” Jordie asked as she handed him the sheet music.
“My concert at church. You’ll come?” she asked eagerly and he nodded.
“You know it.”
She clapped happily and he smiled before looking back down at the sheet music. He knew the song and figured he could pick it up pretty easily.
“Okay, let me try this real quick,” he said more to himself, but as he started, Shea joined in and together they played while Shelli hummed along. He only messed up twice, but on the next go, he was surprised he could even keep up.
Because Shelli sang like an angel.
She was beautiful, every bit her daddy but with her mother’s voice. As she hit the high notes, Shea joined in to support her vocals and then Elli joined in, and Jordie was in awe. They all blended beautifully, and soon, he stopped playing just to watch. It was downright unbelievable, and he wasn’t the only one mesmerized. It was as if the whole room had gone still, the only thing mattering the sound coming from their mouths.
When Shelli finished, everyone clapped while Jordie was still speechless. She was going places, and he hoped he got a front row seat to see where.
When she grinned over at her daddy, Shea smiled as she shrugged nervously. “I messed up a little.”
“You did?” Jordie asked, shocked, because he thought she was ready for American Idol. But to his surprise, Shea nodded as he smiled.
“You did, but we’ll work on it. Still the greatest singer I know. Let’s start from the chorus,” he suggested, looking down to start, but instead, Shelli leaned over, kissing his cheek.
“I love you, Daddy,” she whispered and he smiled.
“I love you, sweetie,” he said back, his eyes full of hope and dreams for his firstborn. But above all, there was love. Undying and unadulterated love.
A love Jordie craved.
A love he’d never gotten.
But one he wanted to give his child.
And his wife.
“What in the Sam Hill happened to your hair?”
Jordie laughed as he shut the door behind him and Karl King looked at him as if he had stepped off a spaceship.
“Ya look like one of those cross-dressers,” he called as he closed the distance between him and Jordie. Wrapping him up in a man-slapping hug, Jordie grinne
d. He had always had a special relationship with Karson’s dad. Just like Karl was with his own children, he was hard on Jordie and hadn’t held back when Jordie called to tell him he was in rehab. He was pretty sure Karl called him every name in the book, but in the end, he told Jordie he loved him and that he was proud of him. Two things that Karl didn’t say very often.
“Shea Adler’s daughters got ahold of me,” Jordie said as they parted and Regina swooped in, hugging him tightly. He kissed her temple before she cupped his face.
“You look healthy,” she said, kissing his cheek. “So damn healthy.”
“Thanks, Ma,” Jordie said, hugging her again.
“You do, but still like a sissy,” Karl teased and Jordie scoffed. “But I’d take your sissy ass over this dumbass Kacey is passing off as her boyfriend.”
“Karl!” Regina scolded before smacking him in the gut. He let out an oomph, and as much as Jordie wanted to laugh, he held his tongue as she glared up at Karl. “Be nice. She apparently likes him.”
“No, she don’t,” Karl and Jordie said at the same time. Regina rolled her eyes and then looked back at Karl. “Be nice, you’ve already embarrassed her enough.”
He shrugged as she turned her gaze to Jordie. “And I brought you some razors.”
Jordie grinned, his eyes sparkling as they met her determined ones. “Ma, I still have the razors from the last four times I’ve seen you. I don’t need them.”
She made a face, poking at his beard and shaking her head. “You need to shave,” she reminded him, and before he could say anything else, she walked away, leaving him with Karl, who was grumbling about not acting like he liked Liam. Jordie found it quite comical but held it in that he felt the same. He was sure that would bring attention to his feelings for Kacey.
“I swear, Karl King, I will hurt you,” she warned once more before disappearing into the living room. But instead of following her, Karl rolled his eyes.
He said, “Let’s go outside. I don’t like that dork and refuse to act like I do.”
Jordie chuckled as they started for the porch. When he saw the cooler he knew had drinks in it, he opened it. To his surprise, there was no beer, not that he was looking for it. He grabbed a pop before shutting the screen door and sitting across from his pseudofather.
Taking a cup off the table and pouring the drink into it, he took a swig and leaned back in his chair. Jordie grinned, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Where’s your beer?”
Karl shrugged. “Not drinking when one of mine doesn’t drink anymore.”
Jordie looked down, his heartstrings tightening as he nodded. “Didn’t know you cared that much.”
Karl laughed. “Oh, shut up. How ya feeling?”
Jordie nodded, meeting his gaze. “Alive.”
“Good, sobriety treating you good? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“It is,” Jordie admitted. “And I’m sorry, I’ve been training hard, trying to get ready.”
“You’ll be ready.”
“I damn well hope so.”
Karl nodded. “You will be.”
They shared a grin, toasting their drinks before both taking swigs. “Heard from your mom lately?”
Jordie swallowed hard. Karl knew his mother—they had gone to the same high school—but that didn’t stop him from thinking she was an idiot ninety percent of the time. “Nope.”
“Hear she’s getting married again?”
“Yeah, surprised she hasn’t invited me to another wedding.”
“Don’t go,” Karl said and Jordie nodded.
“I won’t.”
“Good.” He leaned down on his knees, looking across the fire at Jordie. “She’ll drive you to drinking again for sure.”
“Damn right,” Jordie agreed. “She doesn’t know about rehab.”
“’Cause she’s selfish, and even though it isn’t my place to apologize for her, I am sorry.”
“Thanks,” Jordie said, running his finger along the rim of the cup. “I don’t want it to bother me.”
“But it does because she’s your mom.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his chest tightening as he looked up. “Sucks.”
“I know,” Karl said sadly. “But ya got me and Regina.”
“Thank God,” Jordie said, shooting him a grin.
Karl grinned back, but it dropped as he leaned his elbows against his knees again. “Now, explain to me what the hell this dweeb is doing with my daughter? I thought something was going on with you two.”
He wasn’t surprised by Karl’s question. Karl had always suspected that something was happening between Jordie and Kacey, especially when he learned of her staying with Jordie in Colorado. Letting out a long breath, Jordie shrugged before looking over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Kacey as she sat on the edge of Liam’s chair inside the house, forcing a smile. She was wearing jeans and a tee, looking undeniably sexy. Her hair brushed her shoulders, her lips were glossed, but her eyes didn’t hold the spark they used to.
The spark that meant she loved him.
He hadn’t seen it since she left his cabin almost nine months ago, and he yearned for it more than his next breath.
“I love her,” he said more to himself than to the father of the girl he was in love with. It was the first time he had said that out loud. Even when he spoke of Kacey to Natasha or even in group, he never admitted to loving her. He just said he cared a lot about her and that she was meant to be his. He was only slightly worried that Karl might jump over the fire and tear his throat out when he admitted the next part. Karl may think of Jordie as his, but he was ten times worse that Karson when it came to Kacey. She was his baby, but Jordie wouldn’t lie.
“But I messed up. Big-time. Broke her heart.”
Karl held his gaze for a long time and then nodded as he laced his hands together. “You gonna fix it?”
Jordie’s throat felt tight as he croaked out, “I’m trying.”
“Try fucking harder. I don’t like that douche, but I like you. She’s happy when she’s with you,” Karl said and Jordie couldn’t help but laugh. If there was one thing about Karl, he didn’t hold back on his feelings.
“Will do.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass,” Karl warned and Jordie grinned.
“I won’t. If she gives me another chance, I’ll love her the way I should have and more.”
“All right,” he said, nodding his head slowly. When the screen door slid open, they both looked up to see Karson appear as he shut it behind him, making a face.
“Jesus, they are killing me in there,” he said, coming out and sitting beside Jordie. “Too much estrogen in there.”
Jordie scoffed. “But Kelly is in there.”
“Exactly,” Karl and Karson said and they all started laughing.
Karl coughed a bit and then asked, “When’s she gonna drop that guy? She obviously wears the pants in the relationship.”
“Don’t all women?” Jordie asked and both men just nodded.
“Shut up, you,” he said, pointing to Jordie. “But really, that dude is not for my baby girl.”
“I know, Dad. I thought it was a good idea,” Karson said as he sighed. “Obviously an error on my part.”
“You think? Dumbass,” Karl said, shaking his head. “Oh well, hopefully, she drops him quick.”
Jordie couldn’t agree more, but thankfully, the subject changed to hockey, and soon the subject of Kacey and her lame-ass boyfriend was left alone. Which was good, because it was hard enough to see them together, hugging and cuddling, but hearing Karl talk about them made it realer than it was. It was supposed to be Jordie Karl was talking about.
Jordie and Kacey.
It had a sweet ring to it.
Liam and Kacey sounded stupid.
Kacey Kelly?
What the fuck? No way. Over his dead body.
“So you’ll play with the new kid?”
Jordie looked up confused since he was too busy obsessing over Kacey. “W
hat?”
Karl glared, clearing his throat. “That Sinclair kid. You’ll play with him?”
Jordie nodded. “That’s the line right now, but it could change.”
“He’s good. I’ve watched him play. Star player…but his wife, Baylor Moore—”
“Wait, they’re married?” Jordie asked, confused, and Karson laughed.
“Yeah, dumbass, where have you been?”
Jordie shook his head, he was obviously too obsessed with Kacey to pay attention.
Karl scoffed as he continued. “Like I was saying, she can play. It’s gonna be awesome watching her on NHL ice. Kind of wish it was Kacey though.”
Karson nodded along with Jordie before saying, “She didn’t want it though. She wanted the medal and a family.”
A family.
Looking away, his heart just hurt at the mere thought of Kacey being a mother. Growing the child in her belly and eating more food than the FDA would approve for a woman with child. But he wouldn’t care, he’d feed it to her as long as she was happy.
He just needed to tell her that.
“Yeah, well, she got the medal, and please Lord, don’t let that guy be my future son-in-law. I won’t be able to do it. He flinches when I cuss! What the fuck!” Karl exclaimed and Karson laughed as Jordie smiled, even though he wasn’t really paying attention.
“He told Kacey she cusses a lot.”
“Fucking right, she does! People that cuss are honest, good people. We love Jesus, so I don’t know what the problem is,” Karl said and Jordie grinned.
“I think that’s a sin maybe? Cussing?”
Karl glared. “Shh, you.”
Jordie scoffed as the screen door opened, and when they all looked up, Jordie was surprised none of them groaned. Kelly shut the door and then waved awkwardly as he sat next to Karl. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Karson and Karl echoed, but Jordie looked in his cup, wishing like hell it was empty so he could leave. He was not a Liam Kelly fan.
For obvious reasons.
“Love the hair, Thomas. Shelli and Posey must have gotten ahold of you,” he said, and Jordie looked up, a deadpan look on his face as he nodded.
“Must have,” he muttered and then looked across at Karl. “You need a refill?”
