Jordie swallowed hard. Karl knew his mother—they had gone to the same high school—but that didn’t stop him from thinking she was an idiot ninety percent of the time. “Nope.”
“Hear she’s getting married again?”
“Yeah, surprised she hasn’t invited me to another wedding.”
“Don’t go,” Karl said and Jordie nodded.
“I won’t.”
“Good.” He leaned down on his knees, looking across the fire at Jordie. “She’ll drive you to drinking again for sure.”
“Damn right,” Jordie agreed. “She doesn’t know about rehab.”
“’Cause she’s selfish, and even though it isn’t my place to apologize for her, I am sorry.”
“Thanks,” Jordie said, running his finger along the rim of the cup. “I don’t want it to bother me.”
“But it does because she’s your mom.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his chest tightening as he looked up. “Sucks.”
“I know,” Karl said sadly. “But ya got me and Regina.”
“Thank God,” Jordie said, shooting him a grin.
Karl grinned back, but it dropped as he leaned his elbows against his knees again. “Now, explain to me what the hell this dweeb is doing with my daughter? I thought something was going on with you two.”
He wasn’t surprised by Karl’s question. Karl had always suspected that something was happening between Jordie and Kacey, especially when he learned of her staying with Jordie in Colorado. Letting out a long breath, Jordie shrugged before looking over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Kacey as she sat on the edge of Liam’s chair inside the house, forcing a smile. She was wearing jeans and a tee, looking undeniably sexy. Her hair brushed her shoulders, her lips were glossed, but her eyes didn’t hold the spark they used to.
The spark that meant she loved him.
He hadn’t seen it since she left his cabin almost nine months ago, and he yearned for it more than his next breath.
“I love her,” he said more to himself than to the father of the girl he was in love with. It was the first time he had said that out loud. Even when he spoke of Kacey to Natasha or even in group, he never admitted to loving her. He just said he cared a lot about her and that she was meant to be his. He was only slightly worried that Karl might jump over the fire and tear his throat out when he admitted the next part. Karl may think of Jordie as his, but he was ten times worse that Karson when it came to Kacey. She was his baby, but Jordie wouldn’t lie.
“But I messed up. Big-time. Broke her heart.”
Karl held his gaze for a long time and then nodded as he laced his hands together. “You gonna fix it?”
Jordie’s throat felt tight as he croaked out, “I’m trying.”
“Try fucking harder. I don’t like that douche, but I like you. She’s happy when she’s with you,” Karl said and Jordie couldn’t help but laugh. If there was one thing about Karl, he didn’t hold back on his feelings.
“Will do.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass,” Karl warned and Jordie grinned.
“I won’t. If she gives me another chance, I’ll love her the way I should have and more.”
“All right,” he said, nodding his head slowly. When the screen door slid open, they both looked up to see Karson appear as he shut it behind him, making a face.
“Jesus, they are killing me in there,” he said, coming out and sitting beside Jordie. “Too much estrogen in there.”
Jordie scoffed. “But Kelly is in there.”
“Exactly,” Karl and Karson said and they all started laughing.
Karl coughed a bit and then asked, “When’s she gonna drop that guy? She obviously wears the pants in the relationship.”
“Don’t all women?” Jordie asked and both men just nodded.
“Shut up, you,” he said, pointing to Jordie. “But really, that dude is not for my baby girl.”
“I know, Dad. I thought it was a good idea,” Karson said as he sighed. “Obviously an error on my part.”
“You think? Dumbass,” Karl said, shaking his head. “Oh well, hopefully, she drops him quick.”
Jordie couldn’t agree more, but thankfully, the subject changed to hockey, and soon the subject of Kacey and her lame-ass boyfriend was left alone. Which was good, because it was hard enough to see them together, hugging and cuddling, but hearing Karl talk about them made it realer than it was. It was supposed to be Jordie Karl was talking about.
Jordie and Kacey.
It had a sweet ring to it.
Liam and Kacey sounded stupid.
Kacey Kelly?
What the fuck? No way. Over his dead body.
“So you’ll play with the new kid?”
Jordie looked up confused since he was too busy obsessing over Kacey. “What?”
Karl glared, clearing his throat. “That Sinclair kid. You’ll play with him?”
Jordie nodded. “That’s the line right now, but it could change.”
“He’s good. I’ve watched him play. Star player…but his wife, Baylor Moore—”
“Wait, they’re married?” Jordie asked, confused, and Karson laughed.
“Yeah, dumbass, where have you been?”
Jordie shook his head, he was obviously too obsessed with Kacey to pay attention.
Karl scoffed as he continued. “Like I was saying, she can play. It’s gonna be awesome watching her on NHL ice. Kind of wish it was Kacey though.”
“Hear she’s getting married again?”
“Yeah, surprised she hasn’t invited me to another wedding.”
“Don’t go,” Karl said and Jordie nodded.
“I won’t.”
“Good.” He leaned down on his knees, looking across the fire at Jordie. “She’ll drive you to drinking again for sure.”
“Damn right,” Jordie agreed. “She doesn’t know about rehab.”
“’Cause she’s selfish, and even though it isn’t my place to apologize for her, I am sorry.”
“Thanks,” Jordie said, running his finger along the rim of the cup. “I don’t want it to bother me.”
“But it does because she’s your mom.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his chest tightening as he looked up. “Sucks.”
“I know,” Karl said sadly. “But ya got me and Regina.”
“Thank God,” Jordie said, shooting him a grin.
Karl grinned back, but it dropped as he leaned his elbows against his knees again. “Now, explain to me what the hell this dweeb is doing with my daughter? I thought something was going on with you two.”
He wasn’t surprised by Karl’s question. Karl had always suspected that something was happening between Jordie and Kacey, especially when he learned of her staying with Jordie in Colorado. Letting out a long breath, Jordie shrugged before looking over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Kacey as she sat on the edge of Liam’s chair inside the house, forcing a smile. She was wearing jeans and a tee, looking undeniably sexy. Her hair brushed her shoulders, her lips were glossed, but her eyes didn’t hold the spark they used to.
The spark that meant she loved him.
He hadn’t seen it since she left his cabin almost nine months ago, and he yearned for it more than his next breath.
“I love her,” he said more to himself than to the father of the girl he was in love with. It was the first time he had said that out loud. Even when he spoke of Kacey to Natasha or even in group, he never admitted to loving her. He just said he cared a lot about her and that she was meant to be his. He was only slightly worried that Karl might jump over the fire and tear his throat out when he admitted the next part. Karl may think of Jordie as his, but he was ten times worse that Karson when it came to Kacey. She was his baby, but Jordie wouldn’t lie.
“But I messed up. Big-time. Broke her heart.”
Karl held his gaze for a long time and then nodded as he laced his hands together. “You gonna fix it?”
Jordie’s throat felt tight as he croaked out, “I’m trying.”
“Try fucking harder. I don’t like that douche, but I like you. She’s happy when she’s with you,” Karl said and Jordie couldn’t help but laugh. If there was one thing about Karl, he didn’t hold back on his feelings.
“Will do.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass,” Karl warned and Jordie grinned.
“I won’t. If she gives me another chance, I’ll love her the way I should have and more.”
“All right,” he said, nodding his head slowly. When the screen door slid open, they both looked up to see Karson appear as he shut it behind him, making a face.
“Jesus, they are killing me in there,” he said, coming out and sitting beside Jordie. “Too much estrogen in there.”
Jordie scoffed. “But Kelly is in there.”
“Exactly,” Karl and Karson said and they all started laughing.
Karl coughed a bit and then asked, “When’s she gonna drop that guy? She obviously wears the pants in the relationship.”
“Don’t all women?” Jordie asked and both men just nodded.
“Shut up, you,” he said, pointing to Jordie. “But really, that dude is not for my baby girl.”
“I know, Dad. I thought it was a good idea,” Karson said as he sighed. “Obviously an error on my part.”
“You think? Dumbass,” Karl said, shaking his head. “Oh well, hopefully, she drops him quick.”
Jordie couldn’t agree more, but thankfully, the subject changed to hockey, and soon the subject of Kacey and her lame-ass boyfriend was left alone. Which was good, because it was hard enough to see them together, hugging and cuddling, but hearing Karl talk about them made it realer than it was. It was supposed to be Jordie Karl was talking about.
Jordie and Kacey.
It had a sweet ring to it.
Liam and Kacey sounded stupid.
Kacey Kelly?
What the fuck? No way. Over his dead body.
“So you’ll play with the new kid?”
Jordie looked up confused since he was too busy obsessing over Kacey. “What?”
Karl glared, clearing his throat. “That Sinclair kid. You’ll play with him?”
Jordie nodded. “That’s the line right now, but it could change.”
“He’s good. I’ve watched him play. Star player…but his wife, Baylor Moore—”
“Wait, they’re married?” Jordie asked, confused, and Karson laughed.
“Yeah, dumbass, where have you been?”
Jordie shook his head, he was obviously too obsessed with Kacey to pay attention.
Karl scoffed as he continued. “Like I was saying, she can play. It’s gonna be awesome watching her on NHL ice. Kind of wish it was Kacey though.”
