Overtime(131)

Jordie laughed. “Complete surprise, but I’m working on it,” he said with a wink, and Karl rolled his eyes.

“You don’t know what happens when two people screw like gorillas? You know where babies come from, right?”

Jordie chortled with laughter as he nodded his head. “I do, but she was supposed to have an—”

“Nope, don’t care, just be good to her,” Karl said, cutting him off, and he smiled. “Congratulations, son, you’ll be a great dad.”

Jordie smiled. “Thanks, Karl.”

Squeezing his arm, he said, “Come outside with me?”

Jordie eyed him. “You aren’t going to kill me, are you?”

Karl laughed before directing him out the back door, and when he saw Karson following, his heart stuttered a bit because, together, they could kill him quicker. With a pounding heart, he turned as Karson shut the door and Karl asked, “You good?”

Jordie nodded. “I don’t know. Depends if you two are about to jump me.”

Karl laughed. “No, dumbass, I’m talking about your mom.”

“Oh,” Jordie said, his breath coming out in a whoosh. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He nodded slowly. “You sure?”

“I’m good, I promise.”

“Okay, well, if it gets bad, you call me,” Karl demanded.

“And don’t let Kacey hit her,” Karson added. “She doesn’t need that kind of stress while she’s pregnant.”

“I know,” Jordie agreed, his hands tucking into his pockets. “Really, guys, I’m good.”

“You’ll call though? If it goes bad?” Karson asked, his arms folding over his chest.

“Yeah,” he promised. “I’ll call.”

But he prayed he wouldn’t need to.

Eventually, everyone left, leaving Jordie and Kacey alone. But instead of talking to him, she went straight to the bathroom to get ready. As she stood at the bathroom counter doing her makeup, he could tell she was as nervous as he was. Or maybe she was mad. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know, and he had kind of messed that up. Since her hand was shaking, she kept having to redo her makeup, which he found cute. Especially, her cry of anger.

“Motherf*cking whore bag!” she yelled, dropping her hand as a black streak appeared on her cheek.

“Just draw another one on the other side, you’ll be hot,” he suggested and she glared.

“No,” she said, her movements jerky as she washed it off, her anger-filled eyes locked on him. “I can’t believe you told my family.”

“Um, I didn’t really tell them. I’ve been greeting you as my hot momma all week.”

She reached down, picking up her Snickers before taking a huge bite, and said, “Whatever. They know, it’s whatever,” she said, but even she was eating with more force than needed.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, but she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. I just don’t want to let anyone down, and now that my mom knows, she’s gonna baby me. And if I lose this one, she’s gonna feel bad because she said that shit about miscarriage. Ugh! It will be such a mess.”

Coming off where he’d been sitting on the toilet lid, he went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “It won’t happen.”

She shook her head though. “You don’t know that.”

“No, but I can hope so,” he suggested, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “And so can you.”

Letting out a long breath, she closed her eyes, leaning into him. “I’m trying.”

“I know,” he said softly, kissing her jaw. “It’s all going to be fine.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, it will. I have to believe that.”

“Yes, you do,” he practically begged as he slowly kissed her cheek. “We’ve lived so long without each other. Now we have each other, and things are going to go in our favor. I haven’t completely changed who I was for nothing. It was for you and for the children you’re going to give me.”

She smiled, leaning her cheek into his lips. “You are a good man, Jordie Thomas.”

Holding her gaze, he said, “Because of the woman who loves me and stands beside me.”

“Always,” she whispered, her eyes heavy with emotion. Her hands then came up to his, holding them as her eyes searched his. “Are you okay?” she asked after a few seconds and he nodded. He knew everyone meant well, but it was getting annoying being asked the same thing over and over again.

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“We don’t have to go,” she suggested and he nodded.

“I know, but I want to.”

Her eyes opened. “You want to?”

Looking back at her intently, he nodded. “I want to be honest. I want her to know what she is losing.”

Her brow quirked. “So you aren’t giving her the chance to be in your life?”

He shook his head. “I can’t. She doesn’t deserve it.”

“You got that right,” she agreed and she patted his hands. He let her go, allowing her to get ready as he took his seat back on the toilet.

“Good thing is, we get a free meal,” he said and her lips curved.