“Kacey? Trainers? Huh?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? Kacey got a job with the trainers. She’s our work-out trainer now. She won’t travel with the team, which is good ’cause Lacey can’t be alone right now. But that’s why you going home tonight would be ideal because Kacey just left today.”

Kacey worked for the Assassins now? She was his trainer? Ha. That was gonna be awesome….once he got her to forgive him.

Unable to say that, his next concern was Lacey. “What’s wrong with Lacey? Why can’t she be alone?”

“She’s got a touch of postpartum depression, and she is deathly scared that Mena Jane is gonna get breast cancer or die or something. I really didn’t want to leave them, but she was scared to put Mena Jane on a plane with sick people.”

“Oh shit, dude,” Jordie said, worried about her. He had known about her being nervous, but he didn’t know she had basically lost her shit.

“Yeah, as much as I wanted kids, I sorta wish, for her sake, we would have waited a bit longer. She isn’t handling everything well.”

“I’ll talk to her. She has a soft spot for me,” he said and Karson laughed.

“Never would have thought that would happen. She used to hate you.”

“I grow on people.”

Karson scoffed. “Sure, you do.”

Jordie laughed and then paused before asking the question that had been burning in his soul since Karson brought her up. “So Kacey is living at your place too?”

“Yeah, until Ma and Dad get in. Then she is moving in with them, unless she gets her own place or whatever. We are praying that Lacey gets better before the season starts because, if she doesn’t, then Kacey will stay until she does.”

Oh. Wow. He had all the intentions in the world of finding Kacey and talking to her, but he thought he’d have some time before that. Now he was being thrown in a house with her, and he wasn’t sure if he should be excited or learn to sleep with one eye open. He hadn’t done her right and fully expected her to lose her shit on him. After all that though, he planned on schmoozing her back into his life. He missed her, more than he could describe, and he truly believed that it was she and Mena Jane who helped him get his shit together and make it through rehab. He had not only done it for himself, but he’d done it for them.

His girls.

“Is it really that bad?”

“Yeah, man, she won’t go on antidepressants because she doesn’t think she needs them. I was worried to say something ’cause it will hurt her feelings and she’ll start crying. I think that’s all she does, hold Mena and cry. It’s driving me insane. She’s got me all kinds of nervous and fucked up, but knowing you are going home and staying with her will ease some of my concerns.”

“For sure. Shit, dude, I’m sorry I haven’t been around to be there.”

“No biggie. You’re here now, and she’ll be excited to know you’re coming home healthy.”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod before pulling up into his drive. “And there is space? ’Cause I can get a hotel when you come back.”

“Of course. It’s a huge house. It will be fine. No worries.”

“Okay, cool, bro. So I’ll see you Sunday?”

“Yeah, call me if you think Lacey needs me. According to her, she is fine. I’m not gonna call her and tell her you are coming. Just show up and tell me what you find.”

“Will do. Thanks again, bro.”

“Anything for you, Jordie,” he said and then he hung up. Jordie let his phone rest in his lap and sucked in a deep breath. He felt like shit for not being there for Karson and Lacey. He had always known that the cancer that had taken a lot more than just her breasts weighed heavy on Lacey, but he’d assumed having their sweet girl would help with that. Knowing it hadn’t really hurt him, and he was ready to get home in the hopes that he could somehow help Lacey out. They didn’t start out as friends, but she was his sister now and he loved her.

He would help fix this.

Picking his phone back up, he called for an airline ticket and then rushed inside to pack, since the first flight out was in two hours. Once he was packed, he loaded the car up and headed for the airport. He figured he had put off calling Elli for long enough and fished his phone out of his pocket before finding her number and calling.

She answered on the fourth ring, her thick Southern drawl full of happiness as she said, “Hey!”

Oh, thank God, she was happy. Maybe she didn’t recognize the number though?

Cautiously, he said, “Hey, Elli. It’s Jordie. How are you?”

“I’m good, and I know who it is! But sorry, jeez, I’m out of breath! I was chasing the twins outside. How are you?”

Jordie grinned. That was another reason he was excited to get home; he missed the Adler clan. “Good, I got released today. Flying out in a little over two hours.”

“Oh my goodness! Yay! I’m so happy! How do you feel?”

“Wonderful. Ready to hit the ice and be with my team.”

“We are ready to have you home. I’m so glad that you got cleared. Jim feels good about everything? How about Portia?”

“Yeah, he’s good. And Portia is finding me a therapy group in Nashville and also referred me to a therapist for my weeklies,” he said, still not too keen on the idea of furthering his therapy. But Portia was very adamant about it, and he figured whatever made her release him, he’d do. He wanted to be home. He was ready to be home.