“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.