Jessie felt a million pounds lighter as she met Mae in the parking lot behind Montgomery Defense, which certainly wasn’t actually true as the strain of carrying Bee was definitely noticeable. Her hips ached and she’d been getting annoying pains through her hips and down her legs every few steps.
“Finally!” Mae hopped up and down as Jessie walked towards her. “Look at you! Look at your belly! Oh shit… I’m going to cry!”
“No! No crying!” Jessie laughed. “It hasn’t been that long since you saw me.”
“Jess. You’ve been hiding for weeks. I say this with all the love in the world, but I was about ready to kick down that apartment door if you tried to wiggle your way out of this today. And you definitelydid nothave that absolutely precious and perfectly round baby bump the last time I saw you!”
“I did, I was just hiding it under baggy clothes.”
“Well, I’m not sure why you decided to dress the bump today, but I love it and I hope you do this every day going forward!”
Mae linked her arm with Jessie and the two women started walking down the street. Jessie hadn’t noticed on the way to the diner, but it was unseasonably warm. The springtime sun seemed ready to give them summertime heat.
“…I swear Stone would love it if I did that.” A quick flashing light caught Jessie’s attention. A black sedan pulled away from the curb on the opposite side of the road and swerved before righting itself and driving away. A shiver ran through Jessie’s body.
“What’s wrong?” Mae asked, clearly picking up on the face that Jessie had stopped listening to her.
Jessie’s eyes followed the car down the road. “Nothing. It’s just, I swear that car looks familiar. I think I’ve seen it before.”
Mae’s head swiveled, tracking the car as it made its way down Ford Avenue.
“I’m sure you have. It’s a small town after all.”
“It’s just…”
Mae eyebrows pulled together.
“I keep seeing them. The first time, they were just sitting outside Lach’s shop. I thought it was weird that it sat there for probably an hour until I left, and then they followed me until I pulled into the diner.”
“Did they pull into the diner too?”
“No. Whoever it was kept going. But I think it’s the same kind of car that was driving aggressively the day I got really sick. Now they’re… just randomly sitting outside our apartment? It’s just weird that they’d be sitting there and then zoom past us, isn’t it?” Jessie shook her head. “I’m probably overthinking it. My protective mom-mode has been going haywire lately. I swear I almost called Hawk the other day thinking I was going to be kidnapped when I took a small bag of trash out to the dumpster at Lach’s shop. My anxiety is driving me crazy. And it’s not just that silly car. I’m anxious about everything we still have to do and figure out before Bee gets here.”
“Well, when those feelings overwhelm you, just remember that you have a great big group of friends who would love nothing more than to swoop in and help. We just don’t want to step on toes. But Lily and Sloane already have a little stock pile of things for you and the baby that they’re hoarding in the closet at Sloane’s office. Don’t tell them I told.” Mae smiled.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you all in my life, but I am so thankful for whatever it was.”
“I fear the only correct answer to that ismy brother, and as much as I love you and am excited for my niece or nephew to make their appearance, I can’t stomach thinking about him that way.”
Jessie laughed, placing her hand over her eyes to create a little shade from the sun. The cloudless sky wasn’t doing her any favors. Sweat was already starting to drip down to the small of her back.
“I’m the same way with my brothers. Although, I guess I’ve been lucky. It’s only been Colt so far to be in any sort of serious relationship, and Violet was always in my life, so I didn’t really ever know anything different.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled for the two of you?—”
Jessie’s foot caught the edge of the sidewalk and her ankle rolled, causing her body to pitch forward. She regained her balance easily enough—a lifetime of being the clumsiest person she knew coming in handy—but her brain didn’t seem to get the memo that all was well. The sidewalk swirled in front of her. Mae’s hand landed on her arm, a distant, muffled pressure against her skin. Jessie’s ears buzzed, nausea churning in her stomach as a cold sweat covered her from head to toe.
“Jessie? Whoa. Do you need to sit down?”
She blinked, clearing the blurriness from her vision. “No. I’m fine.” She managed a soft laugh that didn’t even sound convincing to herself. “I just felt a little woozy. Oh…” Her hand slid down her waist to the spot where she felt a little flutter. “I don’t think Bee enjoyed that either.”
“Are they kicking?”
“A bit.” She watched as Mae’s eyes dipped to her belly. It was really starting to pop, accentuated by the purple wrap-style sundress she was wearing. It had taken a little extra effort that morning to get ready in something she normally wouldn’t choose, but she wanted to remind Hawk about what he’d bemissing on his work trip. And she was already desperately waiting for her promised phone call that night.
“It must be wild.”
“Do you want to see if you can feel them? We could…” Jessie’s head swiveled around, trying to find a bench. “Oh, right there.” She pointed down the street, to the bench in front of Needle and Thread, the local seamstress shop. “Want to sit for a minute and we can see if you can feel a kick?”
