“Today is so important, and I was… distracted trying to get everything ready for the fundraiser. And then, everything happened with Dakota, and getting over here to Lach was most important.”
“Jess, you’re more important than any of that.” Lachlan stood, grabbing his crutches as he made his way to the front of his fireplace. “I appreciate you being the person to come tell me, but this place is barely set up for me to get around. You can’t have the baby here.”
“Of course not,” she laughed. “Oh. We’d h-have to get to the hospital…if this was real,” she groaned as Hawk felt her belly grow rock hard under his hand. When it finally softened, she took a big breath in and then continued. “We’d have to go to the house first. All our stuff is there.”
“Fuck that,” Hawk growled. “We’re going to the hospital right now. One of the guys can drop everything off.”
“Take my truck. It’ll be faster than trying to walk through the fields and back up to your place,” Lachlan offered as he swiped the keys off the mantle.
“Stop. There’s no need to panic. If Bee is coming—which I’m not totally convinced she is—we’ve got time. My water hasn’t even broken yet. So let’s all just breathe and go back to our house. Okay?”
Hawk looked over at Stone. “Doc?”
“That sounds like a good plan, and if it’s what will give Jessie peace of mind and help keep her calm, then I think that’s the plan we should go with right now.” It sounded reasonable to Hawk, but his stomach still swooped with jittery anticipation. “I’ll drive,” Stone added. “And I’ll stay close by. But it sounded like Birdie was on her way over here now, so maybe we let her know there’s been a change of plans and you can all just head into the hospital together if that’s what needs to happen.”
“Good. Good. We’ve got a plan. Alright, Pretty Girl. Are you ready?” His jaw ticked, the muscles aching as he pushed down the anger he felt towards not realizing she was in labor sooner.
“Of course I am…” He took her hands and pulled her up from the sofa, her breath pulled in sharply as she laid her head on his chest. “Hold… on… mm…”
“Okay. Okay. Just breathe, mama. I’ve got you.” Hawk dropped his hands to her hips, gently rocking their bodies back and forth.
“Mm.” Jessie’s grip loosened after another minute. “I think that one’s over. God, my legs are shaking.”
“Let’s just rest for a breath. It’ll only take us a few minutes to get back. Try to relax.”
Thirty-Eight
Relax.Such a simple word, and yet, each time Hawk said it, her nerves were splicing apart. Jessie was dangerously close to telling the man she loved to never say that five letter word in her presence again.
Jessie’s fingers tugged at Hawk’s shirt as they folded around the fabric. They’d made it back to the house and were very slowly making it inside. She’d had to just sit in the truck outside the house while she rode out a particularly tough contraction. Now, they were riding another one out on the porch. “Can you rub my back? It’s killing me,” she groaned. Jessie wasn’t one-hundred percent sure before, but something was screaming inside her that Bee was ready to meet them.
Their front door opened, the telltale squeak giving it away, but she couldn’t see who was there because Hawk’s broad shoulders were blocking the view.
“Phoenix.”Gunner.And from the cold clip in his voice, he was in protector mode at the moment. “Colt briefed us. The house is clear. Nash went back to Montgomery Defense with the wives and kids, but Sebastian and Gage are out back, and I’ll be planted right here until we know what’s going on. Beauis with Birdie and Hayes just let us know they are on their way over here with all her gear. Oh, and Doc? Mae stayed here too. She’s in the living room.”
No, no! Everyone was gone and there was still so much to do for tomorrow. She knew it was the right call, because Dakota was clearly dangerous, but her heart sank knowing she was going to let Lachlan and her family down again.
“Okay. Any word on Dakota?” Hawk asked as the last tendrils of the contraction finally released her. Jessie pushed off his chest, her hands instantly going to her back as she waddled towards the door.
“Hey, Gunner.”
His face softened. “Jessie. You good?”
“Yep. Just maybe having a baby.”
Gunner smiled and held open the door for her. She took two steps inside and froze. Their beautiful house was a disaster. Why the hell had Dakota done that? Boxes were knocked over, broken glass and ceramic scattered about. What a mess. She turned towards the small closet under the stairs and grabbed the broom and dustpan.
“Whoa. There’s no way a lady in labor is about to sweep and clean.” Hayes smiled as he grabbed the broom from her hands.
“When did you get here?”
“A while ago. I took off with Colt at first, but Lach sent out an SOS about you being in labor and Hawk bringing you over here. It made more sense for me to make sure you were protected until you could get to the hospital.”
“This is nothing. We’re just in a wait and see situation right now, right Chief?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the universe laughed. Because right then and there, a tightness squeezed around her, and then she felt a pop at the top of her stomach as wetness spread down her legs. Jessie gasped, holding thebottom of her belly, while she frantically shook her head at Hawk.
“What? What is it?” he asked, grabbing her elbow as her knees wobbled.
