Chapter 17
Seventeen
Colt bent down and placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Jessie, I need to know about the person that was here.”
“That can wait,” Hawk growled, his hand still resting possessively over Jessie’s belly. Like hell was anyone going to upset her more than she already was now that he was there. “She doesn’t need to be upset right now.”
“No, I’m fine. And he’s right. Whoever it was might still be on the ranch.” Jessie winced as she moved her face towards her brothers. “He was Beau’s height. Wore a mask. It honestly happened so fast I couldn’t really get any other details before he was rushing out. But…”
“But what? Jess?”
“Like I said, he smelled like cigarettes. I know that’s not super helpful, but he smelled just like when Lach would sneak home when he was in high school and he’d been smoking.
I think that’s what set off the nausea.” She shook her head.
“He’s been smoking again. I don’t know if either of you knew that, but I had to ask him to stop a few weeks ago. ”
“You don’t think it was Lach up here, do you?” Beau asked, the color draining from his face.
“No! Lachlan’s not as tall as this guy was.
And he’s too skinny. Whoever this was had broader shoulders.
They barely fit through my window. Oh,” she groaned and Hawk steadied himself, ready to help her through another round of sickness, but thankfully it never came.
“Shit! They took the shop’s laptop. God. Lach’s gonna freak.”
“He’ll just be happy you’re okay, Jess.” Hawk smoothed back the hair that was sticking to her face. She shifted against him, her palms pressing down on his thighs as she started to stand.
“Whoa. No way. I think we should just sit here a minute more. Maybe one of your brothers can grab you some water, and something to put back in your stomach.”
She shook her head, and he had no choice but to let her stand. As soon as she was steady on her feet, Hawk jumped up beside her.
“I’m fine. Besides, I need to clean everything up.”
“You can’t.” Colt’s voice was stiff and commanding.
“We’ll need pictures of everything. You’ll have to sort through it all eventually, to see if anything else is gone other than the laptop, but not right now.
You and Hawk should go downstairs. I’ll be down in a minute and we can all wait for the deputy there. ”
His words left no room for argument, and for that, Hawk was grateful.
He shot off a text to Nash to let him know what happened and headed downstairs with his arm wrapped around Jessie’s waist. It was easy enough to get her settled on the sofa before turning to find something to help settle her stomach.
Hawk was returning from the kitchen with a cup of water and toast when Jessie leaned her head back against the sofa and groaned.
“God, this isn’t the way I wanted it all to go,” she sighed as she took a sip of the water he brought her.
Hawk nodded. She’d worked so hard on the shirts that announced her family’s new status as grandparents and uncles.
Hawk watched her push through exhaustion to iron on every last decal and letter with precision.
He hated that Colt and Beau had found out the way they did, but there were still her parents, and her brother Hayes. Something could be salvaged.
“I know. I’ve got all of those bags out in my truck. Should I bring them in?”
“Not right now. I don’t know what deputy is going to show up, and I don’t want Bee to end up being a talking point around whoever it is.”
“Mom? Dad?” Hayes’ voice bellowed through the front door. His feet stomped into the living room, freezing as soon as his eyes landed on Jessie. “What the fuck happened? I heard the break-in call come through the radio. Is everyone okay?”
“Why the hell is there a sheriff’s vehicle pulling up to the ranch?” Daniel and Dolly rushed through the house.
Jess sat up, her fingers twisting in her lap. “Someone was inside the house… in my room and—”
“Jess, you sure you don’t want an ambulance to come check you and the baby out?” Colt’s voice traveled down the stairs and Hawk watched the color drain from her face as Dolly and Daniel registered what their oldest son had said.
Everyone in her family sat silently around the dinner table. Her mom had fussed about no one saying a thing until the deputy left and all the food was on the table, but even with the hot meal plated in front of her, Jessie hadn’t managed to take a single bite.
Maybe it was the way her father sat, with his jaw clenched and his hands formed into fists resting on the table that made it impossible to eat.
Or the way her mother looked so gently at her, with tears of disappointment and hurt in her eyes.
Colt and Lachlan looked worried, while Beau and Hayes kept muttering things under their breath and looking between her and Hawk.
Jessie felt like she might burst into tears at any second. She’d been strong when the deputies took her statement. When her brothers left to search the ranch with their dad. When her mom made her sit on the couch instead of helping in the kitchen. But the silence was eating her alive.
Hawk squeezed her hand, his thumb rubbing soothing strokes over her skin.
“You told me I didn’t need my shotgun, Jess,” Dan scowled as his voice rang out over the room.
“Daniel,” her mom scolded. “This is a blessing. Our baby’s having a baby.”
“It’s not supposed to happen this way, Doll. Not for Jess. You—” He pointed his finger at Hawk. “There better be a ring in your pocket and you better be ready to get down on one knee tonight, son.”
“Dad!”
“Trust me, Daniel.” Hawk cleared his throat. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than marry your daughter. Besides making sure she and the baby are always cared for and loved, it’s the thing I think most about. But that’s not what Jessie wants or needs right now.”
Daniel’s hand slammed down on the table.
“The hell it’s not! It’s not just about what Jess wants.
This family, our name, means something in this town.
I didn’t raise her to think she didn’t need to take responsibility for her actions.
If she didn’t want to have to do uncomfortable things, maybe she should have thought about that before she climbed into your bed and spread her legs. ”
Jessie’s chest constricted as she shut her eyes.
“Dad.”
“Don’t ‘Dad’ me and think it’s going to change my mind.
Bad enough you did it once, Jess. The consequences of the first night sleeping with him weren’t enough to scare you away?
It’s nice of Hawk to talk about caring for your safety, but when it came down to it, the first moment for him to prove that he could take care of you, he didn’t.
You were kidnapped, Jessica! We thought you were going to come back to us in a body bag!
But by all means, whore yourself out again. ”
Hawk’s fork hit the table with a clang so forceful Jessie flinched. But the hand holding hers never wavered in pressure. He was still there. A calm presence anchoring her in the face of the horrible things her father was saying.
“You’re going to want to stop there, Dan.
I have an incredible amount of respect for you and Dolly.
For your whole family. But Jessie is my family now.
And if she won’t demand that you speak to her in a respectful manner during this discussion, I will.
She may be your daughter, but she’s my whole world. ”
“This is my house, Hawk. I’ll tell you flat out that I don’t think this is going to work in the long run.
You’re what? The same age as Colt? Almost forty?
Christ. Jess is twenty-six! She’s got responsibilities…
a duty to this family. She knew better. And I’m disappointed that she let some meaningless one-night-stand change her life forever. ”
“It wasn’t meaningless,” her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Yeah, it fucking was, Jessica. Because you don’t have a ring on your finger. Hell, you two weren’t even dating at the time, were you? Are you even dating now? Working towards doing what’s right? Or is my first grandkid going to be born a fucking bastard?”
Jessie looked around the table. Her four older brothers. Colt and Lachlan sat with their eyes locked on her as their jaws grew tighter with each word their father said. But Hayes and Beau looked at Hawk like they were going to tear his head from his body.
Jessie squeezed Hawk’s hand. “We should go. Back to your place. I can’t stay here tonight.”
“Damn right you can’t. You’re not welcome in my house until you figure out how you’re going to make this right. How you’re going to honor what it means to be a Ford in this town.”
“Daniel Ford. Get your ass up from my table and take a walk.” Dolly stood, pointing her finger at the kitchen.
“Don’t come back until you are ready to apologize to your daughter for every last despicable thing you’ve said tonight.
You would not be having this same conversation if one of your sons came to us and said they were having a child without marrying first. Don’t you dare put that on Jessie. ”
“This is my grandmother’s table, Dolores. I’m not going to be the one to walk away from it.”
Hawk nodded, turning to Jess. “Feel like getting some fresh air, beautiful?”
She smiled, but it didn’t stop the tears from running down her face. “Yeah.”
He stood, holding out his hand for her to take. As they turned and walked out the door, Jessie’s family was silent behind them.
The porch swing swayed gently in the evening breeze, and Hawk guided Jessie across the creaking boards towards the cushioned seats.
She knew she was shaking. Her legs felt like they might give out before she made it to the swing, but she was so shocked by what had just happened with her dad and her brothers that she barely noticed how much she was leaning on Hawk.
“I don’t want to leave you out here alone, but I have to go back in there for a second, Jess. Do you… Do you think–”
“I’ll stay out here with her.” Colt’s voice drifted over his shoulder as the porch door clanged against the frame.
Hawk waited for Jessie’s nod before turning to walk back inside the house, taking all the warmth with him. She shivered as the evening breeze wrapped around her.
“Mind if I sit down?” Colt asked as Jessie tucked her feet up under her on the porch swing.
“Of course not.” She bit into her bottom lip. “Are you upset with me?”
Colt was more than just her big brother.
He’d always been the one looking out for her when Hayes, or Beau, or even Lachlan went too far with their roughhousing.
He taught her how to ride her pony. How to face her fear of feeding the mean chickens.
And how to protect herself against someone who would try to take advantage of her.
Deep in her heart, Jessie knew she’d be broken beyond repair if her brother’s response was like her dad’s.
Before Colt could answer, Beau and Hayes walked out the door. They didn’t acknowledge her. Their eyes stayed trained to the ground in front of them as they stepped off the porch and walked off towards the barn.
“They’ll get over it, Jess. You didn’t rob a bank. You’re having a baby.” Colt held out his arms, and she leaned into his embrace. “I’m so happy for you. For our family. You’re going to be the best mom. And I’m fucking thrilled to be an uncle.”
The strain in his voice made her throat burn with emotion. “I was scared to tell you. After everything you went through with Vi.”
He nodded. “Are you okay? Is the baby healthy?”
“Yeah. We’re good.”
“Good. And you’ll call me if you need anything, right?”
She nodded.
“I’m proud of you. I like Hawk. A lot. He’s a good guy, Jess. Dad’s freaking out, but that’s on him.”
“You’re normally the one repeating his rules,” she sniffled. “’Jess, don’t climb on the gate.’ ‘Jess, don’t hold the reins like that.’ ‘Jess, get that goddamn goat out of this house’.”
“Very funny. I think Dad got a lot of things right in this life. But I don’t think anything he said tonight is right.
I’m so fucking proud of you. Of everything you do for this family.
You have every right to go off and have your own life.
You don’t owe Mom or Dad or any of us anything, Jess.
You’re a Ford. And you will always be one, even if your last name changes to Morgan. ”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s–“
Colt chuckled. “He’s in love with you, Jess. The way he stood up to Dad. The way he said you were his family. Yeah. It doesn't take a sappy heart to see that man is falling head over heels for my little sister. He looks at you the same way I used to look at…”
“Violet.”
“Yeah. But your story is going to have a happy ending, Jess. I know it.”