by Toni Aleo
Karson laughed. “Ma just wants a boy to balance us out.”
“Can’t blame her.” Jordie grinned, feeling complete. “We find out next week though.”
“Gosh, that’s going quick,” Karson said, tucking his hands into his pockets, and Jordie couldn’t agree more. It felt like they were on the fast track to having this baby. It seemed like only yesterday they were in the ER for her bleeding, but everything had been fine since. They did have one other episode, but unlike the first, Kacey was a champ. She only cried a little, while he was sure he was having a panic attack. Now though, she was picking out colors for the nursery, names, and wanting to buy everything she saw. It was great, and he couldn’t be happier, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. The books said that it was normal for dads to feel nervous, but he felt like it was more.
He was just so scared to let not only Kacey down, but also now his child.
He hadn’t had any cravings lately, not that he had time for them. Between hockey, Kacey, and looking at spots for her gym that was close by the house, it had been a little crazy. But he felt great. He had even gone out with the guys to dinner and to the bar, but he didn’t drink. He went for the interaction with his friends, and the people at AA were really proud. So was Kacey. She sounded really nervous when he told her though, but when he promised he hadn’t drunk, she was elated.
“Is she still wanting to open that gym?”
Jordie nodded. “Yeah, she’s driving me crazy with that. I wish she’d just wait. Do it after the baby comes. But she thinks if she does it now, it will be easier. You know how headstrong she is.”
Karson scoffed. “Yeah, she’s a pain in the ass.”
“But we love her,” Jordie supplied and Karson shrugged.
“Depends on the week,” he said with a wink and Jordie grinned. “But since we are on the subject of loving my sister, you gonna marry her sometime soon?”
Laughing, Jordie shrugged. “We haven’t talked about it.”
Which was surprising, but he figured since they were both so busy, and neither was going anywhere, why rush getting married? They were already in it for at least eighteen years since they were having a baby together.
“Well, do you want to marry her?”
Jordie rolled his eyes. “Duh, dude.”
“Then marry her,” he demanded. “Stop pussyfooting around.”
Jordie feigned shock, pointing to himself. “Are you calling me a pussy?”
“I am if you don’t go into that store right there and buy my sister a ring so you can make an honest woman out of her before my niece or nephew gets here,” he said, cocking his head to the Tiffany’s across the street.
Jordie raised a brow. “Isn’t that the Tiffany’s you got Lacey’s ring at?”
Karson grinned. “It is, and I think I remember this convo the same as one a little over a year ago, but you were calling me a pussy.”
Jordie shot a grin back. “I think you’re right.”
“I am. So what you going to do?”
Jordie looked back at the Tiffany’s that sparkled in the sun and then back at Karson before tucking his hands in his pockets to keep them from the chill. It was colder than he thought it would be in November in Chicago. Glancing back at the store, he smiled.
Really, what was he waiting for?
“All right, let’s go,” Jordie said, looking both ways before taking off across the street. Karson laughed as he followed him, but once they entered the store, Jordie’s heart was in his throat.
She wouldn’t say no, would she?
“Welcome! What are we shopping for?”
Jordie clammed up, sweat beading down his back, and Karson must have noticed his mini freak-out because he laughed, shaking him by his shoulders. “An engagement ring.”
“Yes, for my girlfriend,” Jordie said like a robot, and the saleslady, whose name was Cammie, smiled.
“Nervous?” she asked and he shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess so, don’t know why though,” Jordie admitted and she smiled.
“It’s a huge commitment and our rings aren’t cheap. Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m just worried she’ll say no.”
“I would,” Karson teased as he looked down at the tray of sparkling rings. “But I doubt she will. You did knock her up.”
Cammie’s smile widened as Jordie nodded. “I did.”
“Well, come on then. What’s your budget?”
“I don’t have one,” he said, and it was as if fireworks of dollar signs went off in the depths of her blue eyes.
“Well, this is going to be awesome,” she said as she passed by some smaller rings to the bigger ones.
But before she could even bring out a group of rings, he found it.
It was perfect and completely her. She had big hands, rough ones from years of hockey, and he knew they could hold a big diamond. And boy, was this one huge. Just a single diamond solitaire, with the band made out of little diamonds. It was so sparkly and girlie, two things Kacey was not, but he knew she’d love it. “That one.”
Karson looked over as Cammie’s eyes met the ring he was pointing to. He could see her hesitation and figured the ring must not be that expensive. But when she got it out and handed it to Jordie, even though the price tag was higher than Jordie thought he’d spend, he knew he was right. This was the ring.
“She’ll love it,” Karson said, looking over Jordie’s arm. “It’s so girlie, she’ll have to love it.”
Jordie chuckled. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
Slapping him on the shoulder, Karson said, “Well, you got the ring. Now, ya gotta figure out how you’re gonna propose. And, believe me, dude, these chicks nowadays want a production. Pinterest, dude, get on Pinterest. That’s what Lacey tells me all the time. I can’t figure out how to use it though.”
Jordie scoffed as he shrugged. He may have to think of how he was going to ask her, but first, he had to ask her daddy.
And pray that Karl trusted him enough to love his daughter for the rest of his life.
After a hard-fought game where the Assassins came out on top by one lucky goal by Baylor Moore, Jordie felt on top of the world as he walked with the rest of the team and the dads to the restaurant they’d be eating at. Usually, they did dinner the next night, but since the game was early and they had won, they wanted to do it that night. As he walked with Karl and Karson, the ring he had bought Kacey only hours ago weighed a ton in his pocket.
If he was this nervous just to ask Karl, how was he going to ask Kacey?
He knew it was because they both could say no. He still wasn’t a hundred percent. He had a lot of growing left to do, and maybe he should wait. But then, what for? He could die at any time, and he refused to die without Kacey having his last name. He loved her and knew she loved him; he just had to make it official. When his phone went off in his pocket, he pulled it out to see that it was a text from Kacey.
Kacey: I like the name Mordecai.
He gagged before shaking his head.
Jordie: How about hell no.
Kacey: ☺ It’s cute.
Jordie: It’s demonic.
Kacey: lol.
Kacey: How about Kale?
Jordie: He isn’t lettuce, no.
Kacey: It could be a she, and if so, I’m thinking Kelsey or Kammie.
Jordie: It’s a boy and how about we stop with the K names?
Kacey: Then it’s Mordecai.
Jordie: No way. I love you though, and I’ll call you once we get back to the hotel.
Kacey: Love you and have fun!
He smiled as he tucked his phone back in his pocket as Karson looked over at him. “She thinks we are naming the baby Mordecai.”
Karson made a face. “Mena and Mordecai? Is she insane?”
“It’s a girl, guys,” Karl said then and grinned as they both looked over at him, shocked. “I just know it.”
“No, it’s a boy,” Jordie insisted, but Karl was s
haking his head.
“Sorry, buddy. It’s a girl, better start picking girl names.”
Karson chuckled. “He was right about Mena.”
“I don’t care. I know what my woman is having,” Jordie said, feigning annoyance, which had everyone laughing.
“That woman is my daughter, and you are wrong, it’s a girl.”
Jordie scoffed. “Sorry, old man, it’s a boy.”
“I got a hundred bucks it’s a girl,” Karl said, holding out his hand.
Jordie didn’t even hesitate, taking his hand, and squeezing it. “It’s a boy.”
“You’ll see,” Karl said, chuckling as he leaned back in his chair just as dinner started. The Assassins’ father-son dinners were always full of laughs. Most of the dads had played in the league before and the old stories were comical and touching. These men were their future, and soon Jordie would be at his son’s father-son dinner telling him stories of his glory days.
When Karl excused himself, Jordie threw his napkin down and Karson scoffed. “You’re gonna ask him in the pisser?”
“Fuck off,” he said, rushing to catch Karl. When he reached for him right as he got to the bathroom, he said, “Hey, I wanted to talk to you.”
Karl eyed him speciously. “For what?”
“Just need to.”
He shook his head. “Fine, give me a second to drain my snake,” he said, turning to go back in, but then he paused, laughing as he turned. “What? Are you going to ask me to marry Kacey?”
Jordie could only blink at him as Karl’s laughter died down. He held his gaze and then crossed his arms as Jordie said, “Yeah, I had a speech and everything, actually.”
Holding his gaze, he nodded. “Fine. On with it.”
“You don’t want to piss first?”
“No,” he said sternly, sending chills down Jordie’s spine.
“Um, fine, well,” Jordie stumbled and then shook his head, deciding to go with his heart. “I love Kacey, you know this, and I want nothing more than to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her,” he said slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. “I’m not perfect, I have issues, and sometimes, that’s hard to deal with. But she makes me a better person. She loves my issues away and she cares. I can promise you, I’ll never hurt her. I’ll only love her and take care of her the way you’d want me to. The way she deserves.”
Karl held his gaze for a long time and then nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, you don’t drive a Prius, so you’re already a better choice than that one idiot.”
Jordie laughed as Karl grinned. “What, you thought I was gonna say no?”
Jordie shrugged and he nodded, holding his gaze. “Yeah, I don’t deserve her!”
“Well, no shit, but you got her and she loves you. And I love you, son. You’re great for her and you’ve done really fucking good with your life. I think you two will be very happy for the rest of your life.”
With his throat thick with emotion, he slowly nodded. “You think?”
“I know,” he answered, reaching out to cup Jordie’s shoulder. “Don’t doubt yourself, Jordie. You have really done great things with your life and I, for one, am very proud of you and would be honored to have you as my son-in-law.”
Swallowing hard, he smiled, holding his hand out. “Thank you.”
Karl pushed it away and then pulled him in for a tight, backslapping hug. “I’m very proud of you, son.”
“Thanks, Da—Karl.”
Pulling back, Karl gripped his shoulders. “Well, as long as she says yes, I’ll be your dad and I’ll expect you to own up to that.”
Jordie smiled shyly. “I already do.”
Wrapping his arm around his shoulders, he squeezed him. “Well, then you’re halfway there, just need her to agree to it.”
“No pressure, right?”
Karl chuckled. “None at all,” he added with a wink. “She could say no and reject you, which would leave you broken and trying to take care of a new baby, and then you might start drinking, and shit would be bad. But no, no pressure,” he teased and Jordie smiled.
“Man, you’re the best dad in the world,” he said sarcastically but laughing since, of course, he had thought all that crazy already. He knew it could happen, but he wouldn’t start drinking again. He was done with that. He was more than an alcoholic; he was a good man. One who was gonna marry Kacey and have a family for once.
“I have a mug, you know,” Karl informed him. “Kacey gave it to me, and I’ll make sure you get one too once my new granddaughter is born,” he said with a wink.
Jordie laughed, thinking that nothing could get better than this. He had his family, he had his woman, and he was about to have a baby. Life was good. No, great.
But glancing back at his soon-to-be dad, he laughed, “I can’t wait. Make sure it’s blue for my son.”
“So apparently, I can’t go without my medicine yet.”
Oh God, Kacey thought as she drove down I-24 to get to Radnor State Park for her couples’ shoot with Jordie. He was meeting her since he had therapy today while she checked out a few places for her gym. Still no luck though, but her issues with that would need to wait. Lacey was having a crisis.
“Do I even want to know why you have come to this assumption?”
Lacey exhaled a long breath over the phone. “I stopped taking it like a week ago and things were fine. But then I woke up in a cold sweat last night and rushed to Mena’s room, tearing off her sleeper and checking her for breast cancer. It was insane, and Karson is trying to help, but I’m just screaming at him, Mena is screaming and, ugh, it was horrible.”
Kacey’s heart broke for her. “Oh, Lacey.”
“Oh, I know,” she said softly. “I took my meds today and I apologized to Karson this morning, and Mena, though I don’t she understands, but yeah,” she said, and Kacey could hear the tears in her voice. “I just feel weak, almost, and pathetic. I have to stop this.”
“You do. Have you thought about going to therapy? Maybe the ABC group isn’t enough?”
“Yeah, we talked about it this morning. I called Jordie too and he gave me his chick.”
“Julie is wonderful,” Kacey informed her. “I think you’d like her.”
“I’m gonna call her. I just wish I weren’t so fucked in the head.”
“You had a pretty traumatic thing happen at such a young age with no help, Lacey. Unlike other people, you know there is a problem and you’re gonna get help.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
“Just a bit, but I still love you,” she teased and Lacey laughed.
“Sure you do,” Lacey teased back, her laughter coming from deep within and that made Kacey happy. She didn’t like Lacey all messed up, it scared her. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she beamed. “I’m actually heading to Jordie and my couples’ shoot at the park. Maybe I should have waited till I was big. I just look fat.”
“Fat is the last thing I’d say about you, but I think it’s sweet you’re doing it now. You need pictures for the house, for sure. Do it again when you’re big.”
Kacey shrugged. “I guess, I mean I’m in it to win it at this point. I’m wearing cute clothes, and my hair is on point, along with my makeup. Thanks for suggesting Michelle, she was amazing.”
And she was. Kacey’s hair was in beautiful curls, framing her face in a sweet, country girl way. Along with light makeup that brought out the brown in her eyes, she looked flawless. With black leggings, a long beige sweater, and brown riding boots, Kacey was sure she could pass as if she had grown up in the South her whole life.
“Jordie better have put on that sport coat. He thought it was dumb when he was here,” Lacey laughed and Kacey glared, even though no one could see her.
“I’ll skin him if he didn’t,” she warned and Lacey laughed harder as Kacey parked. She knew he didn’t like the brown tweed jacket she had picked out, but it went with her o
utfit perfectly. They were going to be adorable.
“Well, don’t get your hopes up. He said he’s gonna wear something else.”
“Oh, I should have known when he said he’d meet me here he was going to mess this up. I swear he does it because he loves seeing me angry.”
Lacey giggled. “Probably.”
Getting out of the car, she locked it as she started for the spot under a maple tree that Harper had instructed. She didn’t see Jordie’s truck, but then she wasn’t looking. She was a tad bit late and needed to hurry, but as she turned to go around the car, she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Let me call you back.”
“What’s wrong? Why are you talking like that?”
“I just ran into Liam. Bye,” she said and then hung up before putting a big smile on her face. He was sweating, and as she took in the shorts and sweatshirt, she figured he had been running. “Hey, out for a run?”
She didn’t know how she’d forgotten that he loved to run out here, but then, she really didn’t think of Liam much. They hadn’t spoken in months, but yet, he smiled, his perfect jawline moving as he slowly nodded.
“Yeah, funny seeing you here.”
She smiled. “I’m meeting Jordie here for a couple pictures for our house,” she said, and she didn’t miss his grimace. But she wouldn’t act as if she weren’t with Jordie. She was too happy to do that.
“Yeah, he posts about you all the time. I see that he tags you in everything,” he said and Kacey nodded as a grin pulled at her lips.
“Yes, my boyfriend is a Facebook whore now. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
He shrugged. “I think it’s great. I’m happy that it’s working out for you two.”
“Thanks,” she said, shocked. The way things had ended, she would have been sure he was five seconds from getting a voodoo doll and practicing on her.
“So you two aren’t married yet?”
Her hands came up to her belly as she smiled. “Not yet, but we are expecting.”
He grinned as he looked down, her little belly between her two hands. “You look beautiful, Kacey. I’m really happy for you.”
