Overtime Read online

  “Daddy is tenderheaded,” Posey informed him.

  “But Momma calls him bullheaded,” Shelli added. “And a crybaby.”

  Elli grinned as Shea kissed her temple. They had their problems, but no matter what, they had each other. Jordie was green with envy at that moment, but it was all his fault. He could have had all this, but he wouldn’t take ahold of it when it was offered.

  “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.

  “My concert at church. You’ll come?” she asked eagerly and he nodded.

  “You know it.”

  She clapped happily and he smiled before looking back down at the sheet music. He knew the song and figured he could pick it up pretty easily.

  “Okay, let me try this real quick,” he said more to himself, but as he started, Shea joined in and together they played while Shelli hummed along. He only messed up twice, but on the next go, he was surprised he could even keep up.

  Because Shelli sang like an angel.

  She was beautiful, every bit her daddy but with her mother’s voice. As she hit the high notes, Shea joined in to support her vocals and then Elli joined in, and Jordie was in awe. They all blended beautifully, and soon, he stopped playing just to watch. It was downright unbelievable, and he wasn’t the only one mesmerized. It was as if the whole room had gone still, the only thing mattering the sound coming from their mouths.

  When Shelli finished, everyone clapped while Jordie was still speechless. She was going places, and he hoped he got a front row seat to see where.

  When she grinned over at her daddy, Shea smiled as she shrugged nervously. “I messed up a little.”

  “You did?” Jordie asked, shocked, because he thought she was ready for American Idol. But to his surprise, Shea nodded as he smiled.

  “You did, but we’ll work on it. Still the greatest singer I know. Let’s start from the chorus,” he suggested, looking down to start, but instead, Shelli leaned over, kissing his cheek.

  “I love you, Daddy,” she whispered and he smiled.

  “I love you, sweetie,” he said back, his eyes full of hope and dreams for his firstborn. But above all, there was love. Undying and unadulterated love.

  A love Jordie craved.

  A love he’d never gotten.

  But one he wanted to give his child.

  And his wife.

  “What in the Sam Hill happened to your hair?”

  Jordie laughed as he shut the door behind him and Karl King looked at him as if he had stepped off a spaceship.

  “Ya look like one of those cross-dressers,” he called as he closed the distance between him and Jordie. Wrapping him up in a man-slapping hug, Jordie grinne