Looking up at him, she grinned. “But I’m not going anywhere, Jordie. Call me your number two, I’m there,” she said proudly, but he shook his head.
“You mean my number one,” he said sternly. “Because you, Kacey Marie King soon-to-be Thomas, are my one and only,” he said roughly before his mouth dropped to hers and her heart soared. As their mouths moved together, their souls becoming one, she knew that she wasn’t going anywhere without a fight. That between her and Jordie, it would be a knock-down-drag-out fight before either of them got away from the other. She wouldn’t want it any other way, either. She had one hell of a story to write, and that story would be the best she had ever written.
As long as Jordie was by her side, helping her write it.
“When a crayon breaks, it’s still usable. You can still color with it, and that’s how I’ve looked at my life the last year.”
Jordie looked out at the group and smiled. Karl held Regina in the crook of his arm, pride shining in his eyes, with Karson and Lacey beside them, Mena in her arms, waving her arms and trying to get down to ruin something. Elli and Shea were there too, along with Benji, who was smiling like a proud father.
But the only person he saw was Kacey, holding their sweet baby girl, Ella Mae, in her arms, tears rushing down her cheeks as she beamed up at him. She had just given birth to her three days before, and he knew that she should be home, but she wouldn’t miss this for the world.
Clearing his throat, he looked down as he sucked in a breath. “I was at the lowest of lows. Broken in black and white, wanting to scream in color, but I couldn’t find my voice. I was nothing, a waste of space. I broke the heart of the woman I loved, I hurt my friends and my family, but then someone took a chance on me. Someone looked me in the eye and told me I needed help. And I took it, even though I didn’t want it at the time,” he said, his eyes meeting Elli’s, and hers filled with tears. “The last year has been not only hell, but also the best year of my life. I’m healthy. I’m strong. I’m happy. I’m loved. I’m a best friend, a friend, a son, and a fiancé. And now a father.”
Swallowing hard, he looked up, meeting Kacey’s tearful gaze, and said, “I couldn’t have reached this day, my three hundred and sixty-fifth day sober, without those people who define me, my therapist, and this group. You all love me, push me, and know that I can get through this addiction, and I can beat it.”
Everyone smiled up at him, his therapist Julie grinned, Portia from rehab was there too, along with all his group members. The support was unbelievable and heartwarming, but the look of pure admiration and pride that shone in Kacey’s eyes was what left him breathless.
He wanted to say that the last nine months had been easy—the happiest of times—but they had been a whirlwind. The Assassins lost the finals for the Stanley Cup and it sucked, but they had gotten far and were setting their sights on the following year. His mom hadn’t contacted him, neither had Natasha, and he was okay with that. He had two ladies in his life that took over everything, and he really didn’t have time to deal with anyone else.
Kacey opened her gym down the road from Audrey Jane’s and was doing well, and she was itching to get back to training the way she had. But due to complications with her pregnancy, she was unable to just yet. During her seventh month, she was put on bed rest because she had gone into premature labor. Thankfully, the doctor got her taken care of and she went full-term, Ella coming out healthy and perfect. But the fear it caused was real, and it had rocked Jordie to the core. Though, like he knew they would, they got through it. Together. And Jordie had decided that they would continue to do that as long as they had each other.
No matter what, even if their backs were against the wall with the only option to score and win, they’d succeed. Even if it took extra minutes. Jordie and Kacey would always win in overtime.