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 shaking his head.

“Sorry, buddy. It’s a girl, better start picking girl names.”

Karson chuckled. “He was right about Mena.”

“I don’t care. I know what my woman is having,” Jordie said, feigning annoyance, which had everyone laughing.

“That woman is my daughter, and you are wrong, it’s a girl.”

Jordie scoffed. “Sorry, old man, it’s a boy.”

“I got a hundred bucks it’s a girl,” Karl said, holding out his hand.

Jordie didn’t even hesitate, taking his hand, and squeezing it. “It’s a boy.”

“You’ll see,” Karl said, chuckling as he leaned back in his chair just as dinner started. The Assassins’ father-son dinners were always full of laughs. Most of the dads had played in the league before and the old stories were comical and touching. These men were their future, and soon Jordie would be at his son’s father-son dinner telling him stories of his glory days.

When Karl excused himself, Jordie threw his napkin down and Karson scoffed. “You’re gonna ask him in the pisser?”