Overtime Read online

  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.

  “Gross!” Kacey cried.

  “Come on, Dad! Really?” Karson complained as Lacey just laughed.

  “Wow, I’m not sure if I should be proud or disgusted,” Jordie said, his face scrunched up.

  “Maybe you should give him some pointers,” Regina sang, trying not to laugh.

  “Yup, I’m disgusted,” Jordie said to Kacey. “I think your mom just asked me to tell your dad how to screw her.”

  Kacey gagged. “Please, don’t repeat it,” she said, holding her stomach.

  “Sorry, I can’t get the vision out of my head,” he said, trying to shake the image away.

  It wasn’t working though.

  “Hey, I know how to do you just fine!” Karl yelled and Regina waved him off.

  “Please make them stop,” Karson cried out, leaning his head against Lacey’s, but she was no help, she couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Lord knows I’ve never screamed the way she did,” Regina said, pointing to Kacey.

  “I think I just died of embarrassment,” Kacey mumbled to Jordie and he nodded.

  “I’m right there with ya,” he agreed just as Karl scoffed.

  “Because obviously you don’t know how to enjoy good sex!”

  “Oh God, Karson, make them stop,” Lacey said, covering Mena’s ears.

  But Karson shook his head, his hands over his ears. “Sorry, can’t hear you.”

  “You guys are ridiculous,” Regina said, shaking her head as Karl wrapped his arms around her waist. “Everyone does it. We all know they do.”

  Jordie’s head hung as he shook it. Chancing a look at Kacey, he saw that her whole face was red, and soon he couldn’t help it, he started laughing. She looked over at him in horror, but even she couldn’t hold it in. Then they were all laughing. Holding his stomach, he decided he had never laughed that hard in his life. Kacey leaned against him, her perfume clouding his senses as she dissolved into giggles. This could only happen to them. Only the King family would do this. Anyone else would have been embarrassed and tried to hide their uncomfortable feelings, but not the Kings. No, they let their crazy flags fly.

  He wasn’t sure how, but soon he recovered, wiping the tears away from his face. “This is great,” he chuckled, laughter still bubbling in his chest.

  “That’s one word for it.” Kacey scoffed, shaking her head.

  “So,” Karl said, squeezing Regina in his arms. “You two together now?”

  Jordie looked over at Kacey just as she looked at him. Smiling, he laced his fingers with hers and nodded. “Yeah, she’s giving me a second chance.”

  Regina aww’d while Lacey cried out in delight, almost bouncing on her heels. “I knew it!”

  Karson nodded. “Cool.”

  “Cool?” Kacey gasped. “You hit him this morning for being with me before.”

  Karson pointed at her. “No, I hit him before because he broke your heart and lied to me. He told me earlier that he was gonna get you back. I’m cool with it. You two are good for each other.”

  Kacey looked up at Jordie, shocked, and he shrugged. “Told ya.”

  She shook her head then as Karl yelled, “Now, boy, I gave you a pass before ’cause you were messed up. But you hurt my baby again, I’ll hang you by your toes on a clothes hanger and skin you alive.”

  “How very country of you,” Lacey commented. “I think I’ve heard Elli say that before.”

  “You have,” Karson agreed. “That’s where he heard it.”

  “What can I say, I am adapting to the South,” Karl said, but then his gaze cut to Jordie. “I’m not kidding either.”

  “10-4, won’t happen,” Jordie said, holding up his hands. “Promise.”

  “Holding you to that,” Karl warned.

  “I think we all are,” Regina commented and soon everyone was nodding as Kacey looked up at him. Wrapping his arm around her, he kissed her forehead and she smiled. He’d lay down and die before he hurt her. He just couldn’t. It would be catastrophic if he did. He would not only lose Kacey, he’d lose them all. They all believed in him, supported him, and he couldn’t let them down.

  He couldn’t let himself down.

  “There is dinner in the kitchen. Might need to feed the appetite you built up,” Lacey teased.

  “Might want to drink some hot tea after all that screaming, sweetheart,” Regina added, and Kacey’s face burned once more, while Jordie sputtered with laughter. She shot him a dirty look and he shrugged.

  “Well, we are hungry,” he said and she shook her head. “And you do scream really loud.”

  “We are never gonna live this down,” she groaned as the rest of the family laughed.

  “Probably not, but I’m okay with it,” he said, pulling her to t