No. He couldn’t think that way.

This would work. They were meant to be.

“You’re thinking too hard,” she called from the bathroom. “This was your idea, mind you.”

He smiled. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

“You. Us.”

“Good things?” she asked, putting her hair up in a little ponytail before turning the water on.

“I just want this to work.”

She looked over at him and asked, “Is there a reason it wouldn’t?”

He shrugged. “I could fuck up again.”

She nodded. “But you could not.”

He smiled, hopeful. “True. Hoping I don’t.”

“Me too. I’m invested, remember?” she said with a grin, but her eyes were serious.

“Me too, Kace,” he promised before standing up and grabbing his phone off the dresser.

As he opened his Facebook app, she said, “Then we are good.”

He grinned as he sat back down, praying to sweet baby Jesus she was right while he typed her name in. But before he could ask for her to be friends, she was there, pushing his hands apart and climbing into his lap, her legs wrapping around his waist. Threading her fingers through the hair on his jaw, she smiled as she met his gaze.

“Do you know what I love about you?” she asked, her thumbs grazing his bottom lip.

“Everything?” he teased and her grin grew.

“Well, duh,” she laughed. “But I love your drive, your tenacity. You won’t give up on anything.”

He gave her a deadpan look. “I gave up on myself though.”

She nodded. “Everyone does at some point in their life. It’s about getting back up, and you have. Am I worried you’ll hurt me? Yeah, but that’s only because I want this to work so damn bad. I’ve wanted you to be mine for the rest of my life for a very long time. But for so long, you were unattainable. But still I loved you because I know you, and I know what you are capable of. When you want something, you go for it. Hence why you are sober now and also why you are with me.”

She was right. Even with everything he had been through, the molestation, the death of his friend, and even fighting to get into the NHL—because it wasn’t as easy as everyone thought it was to be as good as he was—he never gave up. He fought to be normal, to not hurt, to win. And when it became too much and he failed, he picked himself back up. That’s why for so long he didn’t believe he had a problem. When he needed to stop, he did, but this last time, he was in far too deep. Everything was drowning him, his career was hanging in the balance, Kacey was gone, and he had no one because he’d pushed them all away.

But again, he did it. He picked himself back up.

“So whenever that fear creeps back into your mind, just remember that you don’t back down, that you fight for what you want,” she said, leaning her head against his. “I believe in you, Jordie, or I wouldn’t be sitting in your lap right now, feeling so damn perfect. Only you can make me feel like this, so please don’t ever stop.”

“I won’t,” he promised, his eyes meeting hers.

“Good,” she said with a wink. “Now come on, I’m hungry. I’m gonna eat while you get interrogated by the family.”

She pressed her mouth to his, and his eyes drifted shut as her lips warmed his. Pulling away, she kissed his cheek before climbing off his lap. Smiling, he stood up and followed after her, his phone held loosely in his hand. He hadn’t forgotten what he was doing before their little talk, but before he could do what he wanted, she stopped at the door and turned to him.

“Should I go out my door and you go out yours?”

He gave her a perplexed look. “What for?”

“I don’t know, doesn’t it say we’ve been doing it if we go out the same door?”

“We have been doing it.”

“I know that, and you know that, but I don’t want my daddy knowing it!” she complained.

“He’s probably outside by the fire eating something, and I’d like to join him. Now go,” he said, reaching around her to open the door. She shot him an exasperated look but went out with only a sigh. Smiling, he followed behind her, opening his Facebook app again to ask her to be friends. Before he could complete the request though, Karl’s booming voice stopped him right as Kacey halted in front of him, causing him to run into her.

“So I guess you two are together. And if not, I need you to explain why you’ve spent the last two hours moaning each other’s names.”

“Oh my God,” Kacey gasped, letting her head fall back. “Please tell me my father did not just say that to me.”

“No, he did. But were we that loud?” Jordie asked innocently, and Lacey laughed as Kacey glared.

“You guys gave me and Karson a run for our money, that’s for sure,” she decided, rocking Mena back and forth.

“At one point we had to go outside,” Regina said, shaking her head. “I mean, goodness me, Kacey.”

“This is my life,” Kacey said with her eyes shut, and it took everything for Jordie not to laugh.

“I should kick your ass for defiling my sister…again,” Karson said, meeting Jordie’s gaze, his eyes dancing with laughter.

“And I should kick your ass for making me look like I’m lacking in the bedroom,” Karl said, and on cue, everyone except for Regina heaved.