Jessie pulled her phone from her pocket and cringed. Three missed messages from Hawk. Shoot.
Hope you got out there safe and sound. Colt got caught up finishing up paperwork at the station, but said that your dad would be waiting for you.
Did everything go okay? I’m worried I haven’t heard from you.
Jessie, it’s been over an hour and I haven’t heard anything from you. Please let me know you and Bee are okay.
Jessie flipped her phone around and snapped a picture of her and Lucky. It was adorable, especially because his sweet little head was pressed against the baby. Maybe he knew Bee was in there.
I’m so sorry. I’m fine! So is Bee! Just got nap-trapped under Lucky. He said it’s good practice for when the baby comes. I’m going to wake him up and come home soon though. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way back.
Three dots popped up almost immediately?—
“I was starting to wonder if you forgot you were still a Ford,” Beau’s voice traveled over her shoulder, and Jessie nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Don’t you know it’s not nice to sneak up on a pregnant woman?”
“Don’t you know it’s not nice to ghost your family and ignore your responsibilities?”
Jessie gently pushed Lucky off her lap and stood, tamping down the anger that she felt starting to heat her chest.
“I don’t want to speak to you. How you could just sit there when Dad was saying all that shit to me…”
“I think deep down, you know he’s right. Because somewhere in there, is the selfless version of Jessie we all know and love. The true Jessie, who has always put her family first and knew what it meant to be a Ford.”
Her heart was pounding so wildly in her chest that the edges of her vision started to darken. Jessie hated confrontation, and a big part of her wished that Hawk was right there by her side to stand up to her brother. But he wasn’t, and she could pull up her extra stretchy maternity leggings and set Beau straight.
“ThetrueJessie,” she scoffed. “TheselflessJessie. That’s theonlyJessie you can love? TheonlyJessie you can support?”
Her brother’s head reared back. “I mean, that’s not exactly what I’m saying. You know how much Mom and Dad are counting on us. Sure, Colt’s around to help with the ranch, and Hayes and Lach too, but it has always been me taking over this place, and you taking over the diner. They’re talking about selling it now. Did you know that? Mom’s legacy she’s worked so hard for. Gone, because you wanted to have a wild and carefree night.”
Her stomach pitched. “It makes sense that they’d sell it.But I didn’t know they were thinking about doing it so soon. Dad didn’t tell me…”
“Yeah, well, you stopped working there, so how the hell would you know?”
“I wish I didn’t have to stop, Beau. It’s not like this was my first choice! I wish I could do it all, but I’ve been sick! Some days it takes all the strength I have to just crawl out of bed to the couch. I wish it wasn’t that way. I wish that Hawk and I didn’t have to sit down and seriously consider if continuing to carry the pregnancy was the best decision. But I have spent my life putting everyone in this family ahead of my own needs, and I won’t do it any more. I can’t. I have a daughter on the way. And I’d never want her to feel the way I’ve felt all these years. I’m allowed to have my own dreams. I’m allowed to be Jessie instead of just the youngest Ford.”
“You still have a duty to your family?—”
“And I’m doing that.” Jessie patted Lucky’s head. The old goat had been gently butting against her leg for the better part of her argument with Beau. “But you have to understand, Hawk and this baby are my family, too. I’m sorry if you don’t like that. But you are the biggest hypocrite in the world if you think I’ve acted any differently from you. I know you aren’t just spending your nights lonely in your cabin. Just because the consequences of your one-night-stands wouldn’t grow inside your own body doesn’t mean you get to judge me or tell me how I have to act when I’m doing the best I can to be a good mother and a good partner. If being a good daughter and a good sister has to get dropped during this season of my life, then that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
Jessie took off past Beau, the gate to the fenced in area banging loudly behind her. He could shout after her as much as he wanted, Jessie was done listening to what he had to say.
A tear rolled down her face as she got into the car and pulled her seat belt across her body.
Her hands rested on the steering wheel before Bee rolled in her belly.
“I won’t ever let someone make me feel bad again for putting you or your daddy or our sweet little family first.”
She crept down the driveway, lost in all the thoughts swirling around her mind about her brothers. Men she loved and wanted to be in her daughter’s life. Men who had been tough on her growing up, but who had always had her back when it really mattered. What would get through to Beau?
Jessie turned on her blinker and maneuvered the steering wheel to the right, except… it didn’t want to turn. She tightened her grip, using all her strength to force the car into the correct lane on the main road.
Okay. Something was definitely wrong. The only thing she could do would be to stop the car and call for help.
Her breaks felt spongy.No. Jessie let the natural rise of the land slow the car down as she continued to press against the break, but she was almost certain they weren’t working. What the hell had happened between the drive over to the ranch and the drive back? Lach had promised everything looked good. Shit. Hawk was going to be so mad.
Jessie pulled the car over to the edge of the road and let it crawl to a stop. It wasn’t like she’d expected. In the movies, it’s almost instant, but it felt like years had passed in real life before the car finally stopped moving. She almost expected to look in the back seat and find Bee sitting there, a happy little toddler in her car seat. Shaking that image from her mind, Jessie put the car in park and took what felt like the first breath in ages. What the hell?
