Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
One week. That was all the time she’d had to pull together a fundraiser for Lachlan. From initial thought to execution day. And with the help of her incredible friends… her family… It looked like the first official “Silver Springs Founders’ Day” was going to be a wild success.
Lily had come up with the idea to sell admission tickets at the diner, Lacy’s flower shop, and Montgomery Defense.
Emma even sold tickets in Bell Ridge at her bakery.
All in all, they’d sold almost five hundred tickets and were anticipating more people showing up for general admission when the festivities started the next day.
“We need more space outside the food tent for grills, and don’t forget about cooler space, because we’ve got all those incredible cuts Sam and Evie donated from the Red River Ranch.
” Jessie stood, her hands digging into her back as she directed Hayes, Nash, and Stone around under the large white canopy.
Her tank top and shorts were already soaked with sweat and it was barely ten in the morning.
“And if I haven’t said it before, thank you all for your help. I think this is really going to boost Lachlan’s spirits. I know it’s horribly hot out already and it’s going to be a long day, but it means everything to me that you’re here to help.”
Stone smiled and held out a cold water bottle to her. “No tears. Hawk’s walking over here and if he sees those shimmering in your eyes, we’re all going to get a fist thrown at us.”
Nash and Hayes chuckled, but Jessie shook her head. “They’re happy tears. I’m just thankful for you all, and the baby is making me weepy.”
Hands landed on her hips from behind and Jessie leaned back into her favorite place to rest lately. Against Hawk.
“It’s getting too hot out. Time for you to go sit down inside the air conditioning.”
“I’m fine. There’s a lot to oversee out here.”
“I know. That’s why I had you write down a list. That’s why I asked Mae to make copies and laminate them. It’s why everyone is color-coded into teams that know exactly what their tasks are for today. So that you can relax and not stress.”
“Have I told you lately that I love you?” She reached her hands up and pulled his face down to meet hers.
Jessie pressed a kiss to his lips before wincing from a sharp kick to her side.
“Ouch, Bee. Jeepers. This is how you treat your mom? Contractions keeping me up all night, crazy hard kicks giving me grief during the day?”
“You’re having contractions?” Her brother looked like he was about to topple over. “Doesn’t that mean you’re in labor?”
“How are you best friends with a midwife and you don't know about prodromal labor?” Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes. Hawk’s hand slid over her belly and he chuckled behind her as Bee moved again.
“Unfortunately, it’s super common at this stage to get warm-up contractions.
They suck, but it’s not really labor yet. ”
“If it makes you feel any better, Lacy had prodromal labor for weeks before Cami was born. We were convinced one night that she was coming and, well, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me saying the walk out of the hospital with her still pregnant ended in tears.
I knew it before, but seeing it first hand, women really are so insanely strong.
” Nash’s eyes were pinned across the field where Lacy was laughing with Lily and Mae as they worked on one of the social media photo booths.
“You’ll see soon enough, Hawk. Watching your wife bring your child into the world. Nothing compares to it. Nothing.”
“That’s really sweet. I would allow for a five minute break in the schedule if you wanted to go give Lacy a kiss after that impassioned speech,” Jessie joked.
Hawk laughed behind her. “You won’t know if he comes back in five minutes or not, because you and Bee are going up to the house, and you’re getting off your feet. No arguments.”
“Fine. Let’s go.” Jessie held up her finger towards Nash and Beau. “No slacking just because I’m not here.”
“No ma’am,” Nash laughed.
Hawk draped his arm over Jessie’s shoulder as she slid her hand around his waist. It was slow going getting back up to the house, and Hawk did have to stop her from trying to go give directions to Gunner and Gage, but eventually, they made it back.
And she was so thankful for Hawk’s watchful eye, because under the hot Texas sun, in the middle of summer, she was starting to wilt.
“Is that a mirage, or is someone visiting us?” she asked as they got closer to his truck. There was a strange black SUV parked right next to it. One that hadn’t been there that morning.
“No one is visiting. That’s ours.”
She stopped moving. “What do you mean that’s ours?”
“We needed something family friendly for after the baby gets here. So I bought it last week. Honestly, I should have bought it months ago, but you were so hell bent on keeping Joey that I had to wait. I hate to say I’m grateful she went to the scrapyard—”
“Hey!” Jessie’s elbow dug into his side.
“Ouch.”
“Now you know what it feels like when your daughter gets me in the ribs with her ginormous feet.”
“Fair play,” Hawk laughed. “Please don’t be mad at me. I just need to know you both are safe. This is the highest safety rated family SUV available on the market. With all the bells and whistles, and every upgrade.”
“Really trying to sell me on it, aren’t you, Chief?”
“Jess…”
“It’s beautiful, Hawk. If it makes you feel better, and if it keeps our daughter safe, then I think it’s okay to say I’m happy Joey went away too.”
“Hey, Jess.” Dakota wiped the sweat from his forehead as he marched up the steps towards Jessie.
“What are you doing up here?” Jessie set her glass of lemonade down on the table beside her chair, the condensation sticking to her hand.
“I thought you were helping Gunner and Gage set up the dunk tank. Is it not working?” She started to push herself up, but Dakota rushed forward, his hand landing on her shoulder.
“Don’t get up. Nothing’s wrong. Everything is right on schedule. I just needed to grab something for your mom. You okay? You look like you’re about ready to have that baby.” He stepped back as soon as she was seated, the smell of cigarettes filled the air between them.
“God, you don’t even know how true of a statement that is.” Jessie crinkled her nose. “Did you start smoking again?”
“Yeah.” He dropped his head. “It’s a hard habit to kick.”
She pointed her finger at him. “Don’t even think about influencing Lach to start again. I bullied him into stopping a few months ago and I don’t feel like doing it again since he’s already struggling so much.” Jessie winced as Bee pressed her foot into her side.
Dakota’s eyes bounced down to her round belly and back up to her face and she almost laughed out loud at the look of sheer terror he was giving her.
“Oh, you are just as bad as my brothers. I’m not about to have the baby on this porch. She’s just running out of room.”
He patted his hand over his heart. “Good. So I don’t need to go pull Hawk off of hooking up the tractor for the hay rides?”
“Don’t you dare. The last thing I need is that man hovering. I’ve given him his job for the day, and I need him focused on that. Tomorrow needs to be a perfect day for Lachlan, and I plan on making sure it is.”
The tightening was back, starting with a low pain in her hips, it morphed, squeezing her belly, and stealing her breath. She forced herself to sit still, but Dakota’s eyes were narrowing, assessing her.
“Are you—”
“We’re not talking about this. Okay?” Her words were barely more than a groan through her clenched teeth.
“Okay….” he sighed, still eyeing her wearily. “I actually have something else I need to ask you.”
“Oh?” God, that one really hurt. Jessie sighed as the pain peaked, her brain only half focused on what Dakota was asking her.
“… and that’s kind of why I need to know where it is. Do you still have it?”
“Sorry. Still have what?”
“The vase I gave you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jessie nodded. Dang, her back was really starting to ache. She hoisted herself off the chair, stretching every tight and tired muscle.
Dakota’s phone chimed and he looked at the screen, his smile falling as he set his cell back down on the bannister. As quickly as it fell, his smile returned, but it wasn’t the full, vibrant one she’d grown up knowing.
“What’s really going on?” she asked.
“Nothing, Blue Jay. My mom is just on my ass about getting it back. Figured I could just grab it from you when I got the tin snips your mom mentioned were up here.”
“The snips are in the back laundry room. Come inside and I’ll get them for you.
” Jessie held open the porch door, the crisp air of the AC surrounding her like she’d just walked into a freezer.
Okay, maybe Hawk was right about it being a little too cold for once the baby was born.
“Hawk had everything so beautiful when he first brought me here, and now I’ve blown it all apart like a tornado. ”
Dakota laughed, his eyes bouncing around all the open boxes. “Yeah, but that’s always how you’ve been.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Alright, wise ass. Just for that remark, I’m going to sit on the couch and direct you from there.”
“Like I’d have it any other way. My luck, you’ll drop the baby while I’m the only one around.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Hawk and Birdie are my team of choice. No offense.”
“Absolutely none taken.” He pointed to the kitchen. “Is the laundry room through there?”
“Yep. Last I saw them, they were sitting on the little table. Just holler if you can’t find them.” She smiled as she pushed a pillow behind her back.
Dakota disappeared into the kitchen while Jessie ran through how the hell she was going to tell him about how that vase he wanted back was probably right in the middle of a big pile of trash at the Clarence County landfill.