Overtime Read online

  Karson laughed. “Ma just wants a boy to balance us out.”

  “Can’t blame her.” Jordie grinned, feeling complete. “We find out next week though.”

  “Gosh, that’s going quick,” Karson said, tucking his hands into his pockets, and Jordie couldn’t agree more. It felt like they were on the fast track to having this baby. It seemed like only yesterday they were in the ER for her bleeding, but everything had been fine since. They did have one other episode, but unlike the first, Kacey was a champ. She only cried a little, while he was sure he was having a panic attack. Now though, she was picking out colors for the nursery, names, and wanting to buy everything she saw. It was great, and he couldn’t be happier, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. The books said that it was normal for dads to feel nervous, but he felt like it was more.

  He was just so scared to let not only Kacey down, but also now his child.

  He hadn’t had any cravings lately, not that he had time for them. Between hockey, Kacey, and looking at spots for her gym that was close by the house, it had been a little crazy. But he felt great. He had even gone out with the guys to dinner and to the bar, but he didn’t drink. He went for the interaction with his friends, and the people at AA were really proud. So was Kacey. She sounded really nervous when he told her though, but when he promised he hadn’t drunk, she was elated.

  “Is she still wanting to open that gym?”

  Jordie nodded. “Yeah, she’s driving me crazy with that. I wish she’d just wait. Do it after the baby comes. But she thinks if she does it now, it will be easier. You know how headstrong she is.”

  Karson scoffed. “Yeah, she’s a pain in the ass.”

  “But we love her,” Jordie supplied and Karson shrugged.

  “Depends on the week,” he said with a wink and Jordie grinned. “But since we are on the subject of loving my sister, you gonna marry her sometime soon?”

  Laughing, Jordie shrugged. “We haven’t talked about it.”

  Which was surprising, but he figured since they were both so busy, and neither was going anywhere, why rush getting married? They were already in it for at least eighteen years since they were having a baby together.

  “Well, do you want to marry her?”

  Jordie rolled his eyes. “Duh, dude.”

  “Then marry her,” he demanded. “Stop pussyfooting around.”

  Jordie feigned shock, pointing to himself. “Are you calling me a pussy?”

  “I am if you don’t go into that store right there and buy my sister a ring so you can make an honest woman out of her before my niece or nephew gets here,” he said, cocking his head to the Tiffany’s across the street.

  Jordie raised a brow. “Isn’t that the Tiffany’s you got Lacey’s ring at?”

  Karson grinned. “It is, and I think I remember this convo the same as one a little over a year ago, but you were calling me a pussy.”

  Jordie shot a grin back. “I think you’re right.”

  “I am. So what you going to do?”

  Jordie looked back at the Tiffany’s that sparkled in the sun and then back at Karson before tucking his hands in his pockets to keep them from the chill. It was colder than he thought it would be in November in Chicago. Glancing back at the store, he smiled.

  Really, what was he waiting for?

  “All right, let’s go,” Jordie said, looking both ways before taking off across the street. Karson laughed as he followed him, but once they entered the store, Jordie’s heart was in his throat.

  She wouldn’t say no, would she?

  “Welcome! What are we shopping for?”

  Jordie clammed up, sweat beading down his back, and Karson must have noticed his mini freak-out because he laughed, shaking him by his shoulders. “An engagement ring.”

  “Yes, for my girlfriend,” Jordie said like a robot, and the saleslady, whose name was Cammie, smiled.

  “Nervous?” she asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

  “I guess so, don’t know why though,” Jordie admitted and she smiled.

  “It’s a huge commitment and our rings aren’t cheap. Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’m just worried she’ll say no.”

  “I would,” Karson teased as he looked down at the tray of sparkling rings. “But I doubt she will. You did knock her up.”

  Cammie’s smile widened as Jordie nodded. “I did.”

  “Well, come on then. What’s your budget?”

  “I don’t have one,” he said, and it was as if fireworks of dollar signs went off in the depths of her blue eyes.

  “Well, this is going to be awesome,” she said as she passed by some smaller rings to the bigger ones.

  But before she could even bring out a group of rings, he found it.

  It was perfect and completely her. She had big hands, rough ones from years of hockey, and he knew they could hold a big diamond. And boy, was this one huge. Just a single diamond solitaire, with the band made out of little diamonds. It was so sparkly and girlie, two things Kacey was not, but he knew she’d love it. “That one.”

  Karson looked over as Cammie’s eyes met the ring he was pointing to. He could see her hesitation and figured the ring must not be that expensive. But when she got it out and handed it to Jordie, even though the price tag was higher than Jordie thought he’d spend, he knew he was right. This was the ring.

  “She’ll love it,” Karson said, looking over Jordie’s arm. “It’s so girlie, she’ll have to love it.”

  Jordie chuckled. “That’s exactly what I thought.”

  Slapping him on the shoulder, Karson said, “Well, you got the ring. Now, ya gotta figure out how you’re gonna propose. And, believe me, dude, these chicks nowadays want a production. Pinterest, dude, get on Pinterest. That’s what Lacey tells me all the time. I can’t figure out how to use it though.”

  Jordie scoffed as he shrugged. He may have to think of how he was going to ask her, but first, he had to ask her daddy.

  And pray that Karl trusted him enough to love his daughter for the rest of his life.

  After a hard-fought game where the Assassins came out on top by one lucky goal by Baylor Moore, Jordie felt on top of the world as he walked with the rest of the team and the dads to the restaurant they’d be eating at. Usually, they did dinner the next night, but since the game was early and they had won, they wanted to do it that night. As he walked with Karl and Karson, the ring he had bought Kacey only hours ago weighed a ton in his pocket.

  If he was this nervous just to ask Karl, how was he going to ask Kacey?

  He knew it was because they both could say no. He still wasn’t a hundred percent. He had a lot of growing left to do, and maybe he should wait. But then, what for? He could die at any time, and he refused to die without Kacey having his last name. He loved her and knew she loved him; he just had to make it official. When his phone went off in his pocket, he pulled it out to see that it was a text from Kacey.

  Kacey: I like the name Mordecai.

  He gagged before shaking his head.

  Jordie: How about hell no.

  Kacey: ☺ It’s cute.

  Jordie: It’s demonic.

  Kacey: lol.

  Kacey: How about Kale?

  Jordie: He isn’t lettuce, no.

  Kacey: It could be a she, and if so, I’m thinking Kelsey or Kammie.

  Jordie: It’s a boy and how about we stop with the K names?

  Kacey: Then it’s Mordecai.

  Jordie: No way. I love you though, and I’ll call you once we get back to the hotel.

  Kacey: Love you and have fun!

  He smiled as he tucked his phone back in his pocket as Karson looked over at him. “She thinks we are naming the baby Mordecai.”

  Karson made a face. “Mena and Mordecai? Is she insane?”

  “It’s a girl, guys,” Karl said then and grinned as they both looked over at him, shocked. “I just know it.”

  “No, it’s a boy,” Jordie insisted, but Karl was s