There were a million things she could say—no, that she should say—to the incredible man standing in front of her. But she didn’t say anything at all. She just leaned in on her tiptoes, pressed her lips to his, and melted into a kiss that held a million confessions of her feelings for him as his arms wrapped around her waist.
“I don’t want to anymore. I want us. Together. Our family,” she whispered. The admission washed over her like a gentle hug. It felt right to finally say it out loud.
Hawk’s smile was blinding. Butterflies erupted inher belly, replacing the nausea that had been pressing there for hours in the blink of an eye.
Hawk tracked her movement like an expert marksman, which of course, he was. Her hand landed on her belly, and she sighed.
“What is it?” he asked, his fingers gently running over the back of her hand.
“Butterflies.”
Hawk’s eyes went wide, and suddenly his hand was there on her belly, spread wide across the small curve, pressing down firmly.
“The baby?” he asked.
“Maybe. Maybe just from feeling free with my confession.”
They stood together in the field like that for another minute. Jessie placed her hand on Hawk’s arm before she started walking again.
“Come on, I’m excited to show you this!”
“You’re excited to show me a dilapidated house?” he asked a few minutes later as they walked up to the old homestead.
“It’s not dilapidated. It’s just worn from a few years of neglect. This was my great-grandparents' place.” She walked up the front steps, stopping at the top to run her fingers along the banister. “I always thought about bringing my babies up here, like my great-grandma did. Wash out on the line, a pie in the oven. Kids playing out in the garden and a baby on my?—”
A sharp pain stung through her pointer finger and Jessie hissed as she pulled her hand off the old wood railing.
“What happened?” Hawk had her hand in his, inspecting her finger before she’d even realized he was moving towards her.
“How the heck did you get up here so fast?” she laughed. “It’s just a splinter. I’ll be fine.” Jessie tugged her hand back, but Hawk heldon.
“Hold still. I know a trick for getting splinters out fast,” he winked as he brought her hand up to his mouth, and then his lips sealed around her finger while he sucked against her skin.
Oh lord. Maybe they did need to head back to the apartment. She felt like she needed to lie down… with Hawk between her legs.
“There.” His fingers moved towards his face, plucking the offending splinter from his tongue. “Does it feel better? I think I got it all.”
“Thanks,” she squeaked as her whole body flushed hot at his confused expression. “So, uh, what was I saying?”
Hawk stepped closer, and Jessie pressed her back against the railing as his arms caged her in. “Something about babies. Lots and lots of babies growing up in this house. I like the sound of that…”
His lips settled a gentle kiss against hers. “But it’s not safe right now. I’m scared to death you’re going to fall through these floorboards.”
Jessie smiled as she pressed her hands into his chest and gave him a playful shove. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Chief? Come on, I just want to show you inside a little bit, so I can make sure you see the vision.”
The front door opened with a loud creak as Jessie grimaced. The place was a lot more dusty and run down than she remembered. It had only been a few months since she last popped over. Even if she couldn’t afford to get the place up to code on her own, she still loved spending time there. But looking around now, as the last little tendrils of sunlight were fading from the sky… yeah, the place looked less than welcoming.
“Jess.”
“I know, I know. But just come in for a second. The house was updated in the eighties, and it just needs a little polish because no one’s been living here for a while. Can’t you see it?A Christmas spent by the fireplace?” She pointed to the boarded up hole in the wall that sported a rustic, hand carved mantle. “Or Bee sliding down the banister on their birthday, laughing and squealing with excitement for their birthday pancakes?”
“Birthday pancakes?” he asked, an eyebrow cocked in curiosity.
“It’s family tradition.” Jessie’s heart squished in her chest. Because maybe this was all a fantasy she’d never get to have. Maybe what happened earlier, the things that had been said, broke her family apart forever.
There was something to be said about the space. Hawk hadn’t ever walked into a house before and had it feel like his home… but he could see what Jessie was saying. And the bones of the place really didn’t seem to be as bad as he was thinking. It might be worth crunching some numbers to see if he could float the repairs and upgrades?—
“I’m ready to go.” Her abrupt admission had Hawk spinning to look at her.
