Her stomach dropped as Bee thrust her foot into Jessie’s ribs. The action set off a contraction that nearly stole her breath. But she needed her brother to explain. She needed to know what he was talking about.
“What do you mean?” The words came out through her clenched teeth.
“I can’t talk about it.” His eyes dropped to his injured leg. “I can’t, Jess.”
“Did you know–”
A sharp knock at the front door shot through the house like a flash bang.
“How many guests am I gonna host today?” Lachlan grumbled as he leaned over and looked at his porch. Stone waved from the other side of the storm door and stepped inside.
“Hey, Lach. Good to see you home. How are you?” Stone’s smile was there, ever the calm presence Jessie realized fell into place when he was in medic mode.
“Can’t do much without those damn crutches right now, but everyone says I should be happy I got to keep my leg.”
“Yeah, well, physical stuff is important, but remember to keep up on your mental health too. I’m sure Sloane would be happy to see you, or refer you out to someone else if you wanted.”
“Maybe.”
Stone nodded, his attention never really leaving Jessie and the spot she was rubbing in her side.
“Hey, Jessie.”
“Stone.”
“Heard you might need some help?”
“Nope. I’m fine—” Just as she moved to get some relief in her back, her belly squeezed tightly. There was nothing shecould do, it felt like the contraction hit her out of nowhere. All she managed was to close her eyes and groan.
“Ohh…” Jessie’s groan stopped Hawk dead in his tracks. He forgot all about the water he was bringing her and rushed to her side.
“Jess? What is it?” Lachlan asked, his face still the same pale color it had turned when his sister told him about Dakota.
But Hawk couldn’t focus on him. Jessie’s eyes were squeezed shut as she continued to groan out her breath, and pain was written all over her features.
“God, that one was intense.”
Hawk’s stomach dropped as he watched her grip her belly. “A contraction?”
“Yep.” She straightened her back and finally opened her eyes. “It’s okay, Chief. It’s not as intense as the ones I had at the house.”
The ones—plural—that she’d been having up at the house?!
Stone sat next to her on the couch. Hawk wasn’t sure how the hell he’d managed to show up in the single minute Hawk had been in the kitchen, but damn, he was happy to see his buddy there.
“May I?” Stone gestured to her wrist, and Jessie nodded in approval. What the fuck was going on?
“How many contractions have you hid from me today? How long have they been happening?” Hawk asked.
“It was just the stress with Dakota that got them going again.” Jessie stared at her brother, her eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms and shook his head once. What the hell had gone on between them? Jessie’s bottom lip was suddenly between her teeth, her eyes going wide as she looked up at him.
“Jess,” he groaned. “Are they real? Is it baby time?”
“No. We’ve been through this before. Birdiejusttold us at our last appointment that prodromal labor can happen for days, if not weeks, before the baby is born. You heard me telling Hayes that this morning.”
He crouched down in front of her and placed his hand on her belly. Fuck, it felt like it was tightening right under his touch. And her grip on his arm told him he wasn’t just imagining it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
