Jessie set the knife down on the counter, holding out a small piece of cheese to her son who I had gently turned right side up before placing back on the floor.
“Your ex-wife, that you never got over, who is back in town all on her own…I’m just saying.”
“Come on, Beckett.” Hawk chuckled, scooping his son up. “Want to go check the steaks with Daddy?”
“Res. Les go, Daddy!” They were out the back door faster than I could blink.
Jessie pushed away from the counter, walked over to me, and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“What’s the hug for?”
Jessie pulled back, and I knew what she was going to say the second she looked up at me. “She’s pregnant.”
“Yeah.” My throat was so damn tight.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I’m happy for her.”
“And hopeful?” she asked.
“Hopeful for what?”
“She’s not here with anyone, Colt. And I know you. I know you’d still want to step up and be there for her. Always.”
“Of course I would.”
“So, go get changed. It’s your chance togentlyremind her of that.”
I nodded as I left the kitchen. Jessie was right. I wanted to show Violet she could open up to me. That I’d be a safe place for her and the baby, no matter what.
Christ. I felt almost as nervous as I was the day I asked Violet to have a milkshake with me at Ma’s diner. I tossed my uniform on the chair in the corner of the bedroom and pulled out my favorite pair of jeans and a plain black Henley. Good enough. I started to head downstairs, but turned around and headed back to my dresser. I grabbed the bottle of cologne, and gave myself a single spray.
Pregnant women were sensitive about certain smells, and cologne could probably go either way. But this one was special for us, and I loved it still, after all these years.
I jogged down the stairs and smiled as I watched Vi’s car pull into the driveway.Good.I’d have a chance to talk to her before she got bombarded with questions from Jess.
Opening the front door, I stood on the porch and watched Vi. She was sitting with her eyes closed, head tipped back, taking slow breaths.Maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous?
Her eyes popped open just as I knocked on her window.
And the scream she let out had my heart falling out through my ass.
Violet
This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. Even as I made my way up the long stretch of road on the main drive on the Silver Ridge Ranch property to the house my ex-husband and I used to share, I could feel the pinpricks of sweat popping up on the back of my neck. My own body knew this was a terrible idea, and was throwing symptoms at me left and right to try and get me to turn around between a churning stomach, shaking hands, and a baby boy who was wiggling so much I might actually pee myself before being able to ask to use the bathroom.
I just wanted to turn around and run—okay, waddle—my way back to bed. Even if the mattress my parents had in the house was a decade old and so hard I might as well be sleeping on the floor.
But seeing Jessie in town earlier, I just couldn’t say no to the chance at finally meeting her husband and son.
I pulled up in front of the two story cabin, and a sharp pain began to throb behind my eyes. It was so silly to be emotional over seeing the place we’d built…but I’d spent my whole life thinking about bringing a baby home to this very house, and now I was pregnant, and Colt didn’t know?—
A knock on my window had a scream bubbling up in my throat before my brain could even place the hulking shadow at my door.
Speaking of Colt.
I shoved open the car door and swung my leg around, trying my hardest to kick him in the shin and make it look like an accident.
