Chapter 21 Violet
Violet
Ishifted my hips, trying to get comfortable while the monitor wrapped around my belly continued to track the baby’s heartbeat. It was loud, and steady, and filled the silence that fell into place as Jessie held my hand.
“Jess, honestly, I really appreciate you being here, but you can have Hawk take you home.”
“We’re not leaving,” Hawk grumbled, lifting his eyes from his phone. “I have to make a call. I’ll be right back. Don’t leave them alone in here.”
That last part was directed at Nate, who was so pale I thought he was going to be the one that needed a hospital bed in a minute.
As soon as Hawk was in the hallway, I appealed to Jess. “You can’t stay. Aren’t you supposed to pick up Beckett? He’ll be missing you.”
“That boy would leave me in an instant to get time with any of his aunts or uncles. Besides, Mae won’t mind watching him for a little longer. Honestly, I wouldn’t feel right leaving until we know you’re not going to pass out again, and that nothing’s wrong.”
“I didn’t pass out. I simply wilted a little from the shock. And being hungry. I should have shoved a piece of that chicken in my mouth before Nate insisted on rushing me here.”
“Wilted a little, my ass,” Nate grumbled.
“I’ll make sure you get that chicken. Can’t deprive my sweet nephew of that.
” Jessie crossed her arms and sat back in the chair next to my bed.
God, I missed it when Jessie was thirteen and thought I hung the moon.
She was already too far into her maternal instincts.
“Vi, what’s going on? Who the hell would have been at the ranch taking a picture of you like that? ”
Before I could answer, I heard boots stomping in the hallway, urgent steps walking up to the nurses’ station. My room was just across from it, so the four of us had already been privy to two frantic dads bringing their laboring wives in while we waited for the doctor to come back in and check me.
“Where is she?”
No. My eyes flew to my sister-in-law’s. What a little skunk she was!
“Where is my wife?!”
“Jessie,” I groaned, my eyes closing as the heart rate monitor attached to my finger picked up.
“I didn’t tell him anything, Vi. I’m not sure—”
The partially closed door flew open, and a frantic looking Colt filled the door frame. He pointed at Nate.
“You’re fired! Get out.”
“Colt!” I yelled.
Nate nodded. “I’m really sorry, Ford. I—”
“I don’t want to hear it. Get. Out.”
“You are absolutely not firing him over this!” I barked, the monitors beeping a little faster as my heart rate skyrocketed with my rage.
Colt shook his head. He closed his eyes, his shoulders rising as he sucked in a harsh breath. “Vi’s right. I’m not…I’m not going to fire you. Just…give me two seconds to get my head on straight here, and we’ll talk.”
“I’ll be in the waiting room down the hall.” Nate looked at me. “I hope you feel better, Violet.”
“You did absolutely nothing wrong.” Tears stung my eyes. “Thank you for making sure I was okay.”
Nate nodded, closing the door behind him. The rage on Colt’s face melted the instant Nate left.
“Jesus Christ, are you okay?”
“You were so mean to Nate! And for what? I’m fine,” I croaked. Colt was moving towards me before the words even finished coming out of my mouth. His body was stiff with tension, but his eyes held a well of emotion I didn’t know how to react to.
And then he shocked the hell out of me. Colt leaned in, his arms wrapping around me in a tight hug. I felt him relax against me, his breath pulling in deep as if he hadn’t allowed himself a single inhale in the time it took him to get to me.
I didn’t want to move, because through that hug, I could feel the same dread, the same anxiety I’d been living with for the entire pregnancy in the soft, cautious way he was holding me. Like I might fall apart. Like I’d need him to be the strong pillar he once was for me.
His arms finally released me, except I wasn’t ready for the emotions the loss of his hold would bring to the surface. Jesus. These hormones were a nightmare.
“Tell me what happened. When the hospital called…Jesus, Vi. A decade shaved right off my life. At least.” One of Colt’s hands pressed down on my head, caressing my hair, while the other rested on my belly between the monitors tracking our son’s heartbeat and movement.
“I thought you were safe at the station.”
“I got hungry, and I wanted food from Dolly’s. I had a silly vasovagal reaction when I was getting in the car. Everyone made sure I was okay, and I only agreed to come here out of an abundance of caution.”
“It wasn’t a silly reaction,” Jessie muttered from the chair.
She reached into her purse and pulled out the white—now crinkled—piece of paper that I’d found on my windshield.
“Someone left this on Deputy Jones’s car.
She was looking at it when I heard her gasp, and then she turned around, white as a damn ghost. Nate caught her before she hit the ground, thank God. ”
His gaze slammed into mine. “Vi?”
“I…”
Colt opened the piece of paper, and I swear his entire body froze. No words came out. He was locked on to the picture, the same as I had been.
It showed us walking hand in hand outside his parents’ house. Except there was a large circle around me. And a note.
Still looking so beautiful. Can’t wait to take that dress off you one day soon. You’re mine, baby. All mine.
The door opened, and Hawk slipped back in behind Colt.
“I just got off the phone with Gage. He’s going to come out to the ranch tomorrow and work on figuring out where this dickhead could have been on the property to take that picture.
If you’re not able to take the time off because of Hank being out, I’ll stay home from work and can figure out something with your brothers. ”
“I can be home for that. No one else needs to be there,” I offered. “Remember, state of the art security system? Newly installed? Ring any bells?”
The room felt so heavy, I tried my best to lighten the mood. It fell flat.
“I’m calling Hank the second the doctor comes in here and clears you, and then we are going home where I’m not leaving your side.”
“Colt, I think you’re being—”
“Do not finish that sentence. My wife is being fucking stalked and tormented by some freak, and I’m not taking that lightly. The most important thing to me is that you and the baby are safe and healthy. That’s it, Vi. That’s why I could throttle Deputy Jones for being so careless with you.”
“I’m not your wife anymore.” I meant for my words to lighten the mood, but the way his eyes widened and his jaw ticked told me I only succeeded in doing the opposite.
“I’ll change that soon enough,” he growled.
Hawk chuckled, and both Colt and I looked over at him. But he was staring right at Jessie. “Is this what I was like when you were pregnant with Beckett?”
She stood, walking over to place her hand on his chest. “Worse, if I’m being completely honest. But I loved it. Come on, Chief. It looks like these two have everything covered here. Let’s go pick up our boy.”
“Colt.” I sighed, trying to pull the blankets up over my belly. Something was caught near my feet and I was struggling to move my body enough to fix it. God, I was beyond ready to close my eyes and forget this day.
My ex-husband had just walked past the bedroom door for the fifteenth time since we’d gotten home and I’d come up to bed.
“Colt’s downstairs.” His voice trickled through the closed door.
“Right. Then who am I talking to?”
The door opened, his face popping into the opening. “Sorry. I wanted to come to bed, but I didn’t want to come in here while I was still feeling so…”
“Upset with me?”
“What? No. No, Vi. I’m pissed at myself.”
“I’m fine. But I’m not going to be if your clomping feet keep running back and forth in front of the door all night.”
“Got it. I’ll walk quieter.”
I groaned. “No. You need to come to bed. I’m fine.”
Colt shook his head as he walked fully into the room now, his hand running over his face before he crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay. I’ll stop pacing in front of the door.”
“Thank you—”
“If…”
“If what?” I forced myself not to sound pissy, even if I was starting to feel outlandish rage at the man standing before me.
“If you promise me you won’t take off like that again.” Before I could open my mouth, he continued. “I know you sent me a text and you just went to the diner. I know that you felt safe doing that, but it’s clearly not. Someone is following you, Vi. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”
The damn man had tears in his eyes, and I fought so hard to stop myself from holding out my arms and pulling him into bed beside me.
“I’m sorry I let my craving for fried chicken tempt me into leaving the station without you.”
He chuckled. “Mom’s fried chicken is just about the only temptation I’d say is worth breaking the rules for.”
“No silly stuff,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Just…two adults sharing a bed after something scary happened. Agree?”
I was certain it came out huskier, and more sensual than I meant. But looking at the glimmer in his eyes, and the way one of his eyebrows flashed up quickly before returning to its normal place on his face had me second guessing that.
“I’ve been a gentleman since we started sharing the bed…haven’t I?”
I nodded, my greedy little heart wishing that maybe there would be a day when the chivalry slipped…