“Anything else?”
“Grab some ginger ale out of the fridge, and I fucking need shoes. Oh, can you ask Stone to come with us? I’ll order him a ride share back, but I just want him there in case something happens with Jess on the drive down.”
“I thought you said she was okay?”
“She is. But her blood pressure was a little high and somehow she hit her belly on something. I’d rather just take every precaution possible. They’re… they’re everything to me, Mae.”
“I know. Okay. Change of clothes, ginger ale, truck, and Stone. Give me ten minutes and we’ll be over.”
“Thanks, Sissy,” he choked on the nickname. The only time he ever used it was when Mae needed comforting through something tough. But this time, it wasn’t Mae that needed the comforting. It was him.
“None of that. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Love you, Mae.”
“I… I love you too, Hawk.”
Jessie’s hand slid along his back as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I need to get back in there,” she whispered as he grabbed her elbow.
“Jessie!”
Hawk turned at the deep voice calling out to her frombehind them. Dakota jogged up, eyes wide and face flushed. “What the fuck happened? Are you okay?”
“Hawk.” Her plea was quiet, but clear. She didn’t want to talk to him. And even if it was killing him to not have any of the details, it all could wait until they knew Lachlan was going to be okay.
“Someone attacked Jessie and Lach inside the shop. We aren’t allowed in right now.”
“The helicopter that just landed in the soccer field is for him?” Dakota’s face drained of all its color.
“From what I can gather? Yes.”
“Fuck!” he yelled. “What can I do? Has anyone called Dolly? Danny? Jess, do your brothers know?”
“Hayes and Colt are here,” she said.
“But not Beau? Okay… Okay. I’ll call him. I’ll try to see if Colt or Hayes called your parents too… I’ll take care of that if they need me to. It’s the least I can do.”
She nodded, swaying into Hawk’s side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and cringed.
“Jess, I think we need to get you back sitting down.”
“No. Not until Colt or Hayes comes to talk to us. I have to know what’s going on.”
As if he heard his sister’s fragile voice, Colt’s head lifted from whatever he was focused on in front of him, searching across the sea of people, until they landed on Hawk. He turned to say something Hawk couldn’t make out to the deputy standing next to him, a grim expression on his face.
“Colt’s coming over here, sweetheart.” Hawk pressed a kiss to her temple, tightening his arm around her back.
“Jess, you shouldn’t be up. Why didn’t you go in the ambulance?” Colt asked as he wrapped her up in a hug.
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“No. It’s not safe in there,” Colt said as he stepped back. “We have to let them work.”
“But you got to be in there.”
“I’m not pregnant and I wasn’t just assaulted myself.”
Fuck. Hawk ground his molars together, his jaw aching from the pressure. She was okay. She was right by his side. He could feel her warmth and hear her breathing and the paramedic had checked her and Bee over.
