But not anymore.

Pulling into the driveway, he drove into the garage next to Kacey’s car and reached for the Snickers he had bought her, before getting out of the car. Climbing the stairs, he threw the door open and smiled as Kacey’s face lit up.

“There’s my sexy mommy-to-be. Look, I brought you a snack to give our child a sugar high.” But just as quickly as her face had lit up, her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Confused, he asked, “What?”

And then he realized why.

Sitting on their couch were her parents, brother, and sister-in-law with Mena in her lap. Since telling him of the pregnancy, she’d sworn him to secrecy and he’d gone along with her. She was really nervous about everyone freaking out if she miscarried and wanted to wait. While he was bursting at the seams to tell someone, he honored what she’d asked. Anything to help keep her calm, but he guessed the cat was out of the bag.

As everyone gaped at him, Gretzky didn’t seem to care and was hopping and biting at his ankles for attention. But Jordie didn’t move. His eyes went from Kacey to her family and back again as Regina slowly rose.

“You’re pregnant?” Regina gasped. Jordie met Karson’s gaze and he was glaring as Karl slowly stood, his wide eyes going from Kacey to Jordie and then back.

Lacey, on the other hand, was bouncing in her seat as she cried out, “Oh, thank God! I was having such a hard time keeping that in.”

“You knew?” Karson shouted and she shrugged.

“Yeah, I knew before Jordie did,” she said innocently. “I’m her best friend.”

“And I’m her brother!”

“Well, shit,” Jordie said slowly and Kacey covered her face.

“Well, shit is right,” she said, rubbing her face before dropping her hands. “Did you not see their cars?”

He shook his head. “I was thinking, didn’t even notice.”

“So it’s true?” Regina asked, coming to the doorway, Karl flanking her.

Jordie looked to Kacey and she looked back at him, nodding her head. “Yeah. I’m pregnant.”

“Surprise,” Jordie said, waving his jazz hands in the air, but no one seemed to be entertained.

The silence stretched as everyone looked at everyone else. Jordie’s heart was pounding while Kacey worked her lip, nervousness in every single one of her features. Finally though, Regina shrieked before wrapping her arms tightly around Kacey, kissing her hard on the face before blubbering all over her. Karson wrapped his arm around Lacey and shook his head, a grin playing on his lips.

“Could have told me, asshole.”

Jordie shrugged. “She wouldn’t let me, wanted to wait till she was out of the first trimester.”

“Oh yes, don’t want to get everyone excited and then lose the baby. The horror!” Regina cried, and he didn’t miss the grimace on Lacey’s face or on Kacey’s. “But that won’t happen to you, baby. It’s gonna be fine. Ah, my baby is pregnant!” she said, kissing Kacey again, but Kacey’s face was like stone, her eyes watering. He wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms, and reassure her. But before he could, Karl came to him, shaking his hand hard. “I should kill you for not making an honest woman out of her before knocking her up.”

Jordie laughed. “Complete surprise, but I’m working on it,” he said with a wink, and Karl rolled his eyes.

“You don’t know what happens when two people screw like gorillas? You know where babies come from, right?”

Jordie chortled with laughter as he nodded his head. “I do, but she was supposed to have an—”

“Nope, don’t care, just be good to her,” Karl said, cutting him off, and he smiled. “Congratulations, son, you’ll be a great dad.”

Jordie smiled. “Thanks, Karl.”

Squeezing his arm, he said, “Come outside with me?”

Jordie eyed him. “You aren’t going to kill me, are you?”

Karl laughed before directing him out the back door, and when he saw Karson following, his heart stuttered a bit because, together, they could kill him quicker. With a pounding heart, he turned as Karson shut the door and Karl asked, “You good?”

Jordie nodded. “I don’t know. Depends if you two are about to jump me.”

Karl laughed. “No, dumbass, I’m talking about your mom.”

“Oh,” Jordie said, his breath coming out in a whoosh. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He nodded slowly. “You sure?”

“I’m good, I promise.”

“Okay, well, if it gets bad, you call me,” Karl demanded.

“And don’t let Kacey hit her,” Karson added. “She doesn’t need that kind of stress while she’s pregnant.”

“I know,” Jordie agreed, his hands tucking into his pockets. “Really, guys, I’m good.”

“You’ll call though? If it goes bad?” Karson asked, his arms folding over his chest.

“Yeah,” he promised. “I’ll call.”

But he prayed he wouldn’t need to.

Eventually, everyone left, leaving Jordie and Kacey alone. But instead of talking to him, she went straight to the bathroom to get ready. As she stood at the bathroom counter doing her makeup, he could tell she was as nervous as he was. Or maybe she was mad. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know, and he had kind of messed that up. Since her hand was shaking, she kept having to redo her makeup, which he found cute. Especially, her cry of anger.