“Nothings going to happen. I just need to see my dad. And I’ve got to visit Lucky.”
Jessie looked over at Marla, who was busy licking her paws in the chair next to the sofa.
“Take that thing with you, too. She can be a barn cat.”
Marla lifted her head, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Hawk.
“Be nice! She can understand you.”
“You better hope not, otherwise we’re going to have to hire a pet therapist to deal with what she walked in on us doing the other night.”
Nash choked on his beer, and Hawk chuckled.
“I’m out of here, without Marla. You guys behave.”
Hawk slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer. She kissed him, probably for longer than was appropriate with a guest, if the clearing of Nash’s throat again was any indication. And then she was walking out of the apartment, breathless and still so dang nervous about the conversation she was going to have with her father.
Breathe, Jessie. You’ve got this. It’s just your dad. Who reached out to talk to you. It’s going to be fine.
She repeated that mantra about one hundred and fifty thousand times on the way out to the ranch. Something had shifted in all the time she’d been staying with Hawk. Driving down the only road she’d ever lived on before, taking the path away from the well house and towards what used to be her home, she realized it no longer felt that way. It felt like she was a visitor to a place that once was everything she built her identity around.
That revelation didn’t hurt as much as she once thought it might. Because she had Hawk. And Bee. And her life the last few months had been more beautiful than she ever thought was possible. “Jessie?”
“Dad?” Shoot. Her voice wobbled and that was all it took for the tears to be streaming down her face. She’d meant to be strong. Stand her ground, and stand up for what she wanted. But seeing him after so much time, seeing the way he looked worried to spook her, it had done her in.
His arms wrapped around her and for a moment, it felt like things were slipping right back into place. “Shh. It’s okay now. Don’t cry.”
“I’m mad at you.” Her chin wobbled as she pushed back against his chest. She expected him to argue with her. But his sad eyes dropped to her belly and then came back up to her face.
“I know. I’m mad at myself too. Your grandmother would be smacking me upside my head for the way I reacted. But don’t worry, your mom made up plenty for my own mom not being able to smack some sense into me.”
Jessie wiped at her tears. “I don’t want to be the reason this family falls apart.”
“Stop right there, Jessica. It’s not your job to hold this family together. It’s mine. And I’m the reason things are broken right now. I know I’m the reason why you’ve stayed away recently.”
“It’s not just you. I think you need to talk to Beau and Hayes?—”
“I’ve set ‘em straight. I want to… I want to apologize. For what I said about Hawk. What I said to him. And for what I said about you. Your mother reminded me that we didn’t always live up to my parents expectations of what the Ford family name meant to them, and that sometimes that was a good thing.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t want my little girl missing out on being raised around the people I love so much. But she’s my family now. And so is Hawk. They’ll always be my priority.”
Her dad nodded. “I would have always said the same thing about your mom and all you kids. I just lost sight of that for a minute. Call it growing old and stubborn. Call it being selfish. Your mom and I have discussed it at length, Jess. At. Length.” He smiled, and that made her smile too. She was sure her mother hadn’t stopped giving him an earful from the minute she walked away from the dinner table that awful night.
“Do you have time to come with me to see Lucky?” she asked.
“Yeah, kiddo. I do.” Her dad held out his arm, and Jessie tucked herself right into his side, just like she did as a little girl. “So, my baby girl is having a baby girl all of her own.”
“Yeah. I could have sworn it was going to be a boy, but I’m excited for a daughter.”
“Don’t tell your brothers, but your mom and I prayed so hard for you. Not just another baby. Not another boy. For you.” His hand squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Jessie. Really, really sorry.”
“I know, Dad. But we can fix things.” Her hand came up and rested against her belly. “For her. For your granddaughter.”
“We’re fixing it for us,” he said. “Andthings will be stronger than ever for her. Now, help this old goat walk over to see your favorite old goat.”
Jessie laughed, her eyes set to the small shed, and her heart feeling like it was truly starting to mend.
An hour later, she’d hugged her dad goodbye as he set out to check on the herd with two other ranch hands. She still hadn’t seen Colt, and accidentally ignored her phone in favor of talking with her dad. It was nice to just have some time, only the two of them. Well, if that wasn’t counting Lucky, who was currently curled up in her lap as she sat on the grass with her back against a fence post.
