Chapter 27
Twenty-Seven
“My dad just called me.”
Christ. Hawk hadn’t even heard Jessie pad out from the bedroom.
He’d been lost in his emails, bickering back and forth with Mae about the way she was scheduling him at The Trident.
Her voice was barely over a whisper and when he looked up at her, she was standing there, still looking down at the phone in her hand.
Hawk put his coffee cup down on the table, working hard to keep his face free of emotion.
“My head was so lost in Mae moving the schedule around and driving me nuts, I didn’t hear your phone ring. Are you okay?”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sat on his lap.
He’d noticed she’d been tucked into his side as much as possible lately, and he wasn’t about to complain.
It was the best. Especially when she melted into him, and her belly pressed into his.
Bee was getting so big, he’d been able to feel her moving that way too… and it was wild.
“Yeah. I don’t know why I didn’t come out here. I guess I was nervous and the idea of having you in front of me, being supportive, was already making me emotional.”
He pressed his lips to her temple. “I get it. How did it go?”
“As well as it could have. He didn’t say much, just asked if I could go out to the ranch to see him this afternoon.”
Shit. Hawk was hanging out with Nash later. “I’ll tell Nash I need to reschedule.”
“You absolutely will not,” she laughed. “I’m perfectly capable of driving myself out to the ranch.”
“Jessie…”
She patted his chest. “What was the point of having Lach do all that work on Joey if you’re never going to let me drive her anywhere?”
“It was a temporary fix so we could sell it. I don’t want you driving that car. I want you in my truck. Or we can get you something safer. An SUV. A tank. Maybe one of those limos they drive the president around in…”
“Stop.” This time her finger poked into his pec. “I’ve been driving Joey for years. And she hasn’t failed me yet.”
“I really hate that car,” Hawk grumbled.
He was getting her an SUV. There were three tabs open on his laptop and one had already caught his eye.
But he also knew she would put up a fight accepting it, so he needed to get creative.
“And I am glad it’s kept you safe. But you’re forgetting that we still don’t know anything about the—”
“About the car from the hospital. I know. I haven’t forgotten. But it’s been a while, and nothing else has happened. Even Colt is starting to think it was just an accident. I think we can just say it was all just a coincidence, don’t you?”
No. No he didn’t. But Hawk just nodded, hoping like hell he wasn’t about to regret letting Jessie go out to the ranch by herself.
Why had Lacy suggested this horrible book to her? She was a sobbing mess and she needed to pull herself together before leaving to meet with her dad.
Yeah, that was probably why she was feeling extra emotional, but she was still going to kick Lacy’s butt the next time she saw her!
Jessie walked into the living room and headed right towards Hawk, the tears streaming down her face.
She thought he’d be worried, seeing her interrupt his time with Nash so upset, but he didn’t even flinch.
Hawk just held out his arms and let her climb right onto his lap, wrapping her up in a strong hug as she cried into his chest.
“Who was it?” he whispered into her ear.
“Talulah’s mom. She had to sacrifice herself for her daughter and the baby.”
Another round of snotty sobs shook from her chest.
“Uh, guys. Is everything okay? Do we know Talulah?” Nash sounded so confused. She couldn’t blame him.
Hawk just laughed.
“Jessie’s been reading a lot lately. She gets very attached to the characters. A couple snuggles with me and she’s usually all better.”
Jessie pointed her finger across the couch at Nash. “It’s Lacy’s fault. Tell her I’m never forgiving her for recommending this book.” She threw the book at him and pushed her face back into Hawk’s chest.
“Noted,” Nash laughed as he picked up the book.
“No, wait!” she panicked. “Don’t actually take it. I still need to read the ending.”
Nash dropped it back onto the sofa like it was a bomb about to explode.
“Do you want to read in here while we finish watching the game?” Hawk asked.
She shook her head. “The emotional damage was perfectly timed. I’m going to head out to the ranch now. At least I can blame my tears on the story, and not on my nerves for once.”
“You’re still not going to let me drive you?” The pout in his voice wasn’t even camouflaged.
“Nope. I need to…” Crap. Her voice caught in her throat.
“I know. You need to be out there again. I get it.” His lips landed on her cheek. “Colt’s supposed to be there. I said I’d shoot him a message when you’re on your way, so he’ll be waiting for you. No stopping. Straight there. And if you need me to be there too, I will be.”
“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. “And things 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.