From the first moment she saw him, teasing and flirting with him, Jessie had not recognized her and she played on that, keeping an air of mystery. But it had come back and bit her in the ass when the following morning she woke to an empty bed. She had planned the whole thing so well too. Get him into her bed and then tell him who she was. He would be shocked but then calm down. They would talk about how she had changed from the shy, mousy little girl to a confident woman. Jessie would be shocked that she was under his nose the whole time and he ignored her. Then it all went to hell when the rabbit died and she was left without her older brother to talk to.
She felt the tears gathering in her eyes when she heard a shuffle of feet in the doorway. Grant, the vet, stood their looking good enough to eat, she was a little freaked out about the attraction she was having for Grant as well as Jessie, and it was like her mind refused to forget Jessie, and her body was in tune with Grant. She gave a hesitant smile.
“Hey,” she said.
“How are you doing, Brin?” During the short ride to the hospital, they had bonded over listening to Jabo and Sassy argue. It had been entertaining keeping her mind off the pain, but a little strange as well.
“Fine, where did they end up putting Sassy?” She laughed when she saw the pained expression on his face.
“Lucky you, right across the hall.” Grant laughed and looked behind him.
“Hey, girl, how you doing? I am at a three!” Sassy yelled.
Brin rolled her eyes and responded, “At a two.” Yes, they were yelling their dilation numbers out for everyone to hear.
“Cool, we can suffer together. You know these men are gonna abandon us the first time they see anything funky.” Sassy laughed loudly. Then Jabo protested, which started them on another argument totally.
Grant shook his head and stepped in closer. “Nah, I won’t abandon you.”
“What?!” she shrieked and then looked at the man who had walked all the way into her room and took a seat next to her bed.
He shrugged. “Hey, you need a coach and I so happen to know what I am doing. I helped my brother-in-law with my sister. I am an old hand at this. Besides, you don’t know me well enough to call me those mean and nasty names yet. I am safe.”
Brin laughed as he continued to tease her and tell her stories about the gators around there. Sassy and Jabo yelled back and forth a few times. I guess she couldn’t argue that she was alone, maybe with strangers, but they were better than being alone.
“So what is your favorite color?” Grant teased. “I mean if we are gonna be all intimate, I should at least know what your favorite color is.”
Brin shook her head and then gasped when she felt her stomach tighten. Even with the drugs, she could still feel the contractions. She put a hand on her stomach and looked at Grant. “I admit I am a little scared. And I do need someone to yell at when the pain gets bad. I don’t know you well enough to call you a dirty bastard, maybe that will keep me in line.”
“Hey, women do this every day without insults,” Grant said.
“Not me.” Brin laughed.
“I would hope not. How about we look and see what we can find to keep us distracted.” Grant laughed.
“Where in the fuck are we?” Jessie said, grabbing the GPS and shaking it.
“Call the hospital again,” Drake said helpfully, hoping to distract his friend enough so he wouldn’t damage anything important in the truck.
"I did and they won’t tell me a damn thing,” Jessie said.
“Four more miles until you reach your destination,” the woman’s voice said and Jessie relaxed a little. They had been on the road all night and he had plenty of time to think. That and Mark kept annoying him with updates. Apparently you could go from place to place quickly when you were dead. According to him, she was in her final stages of dilation and there was a stranger helping her. That didn’t sit well with Jessie, but he held his tongue, he was the asshole who got her into this mess, and he would be the one to get her out. During the drive, he promised all sorts of things to whoever was listening as long as Brin was safe, and the baby was fine. One of the most important was to marry Brin and give their child a name.
He knew firsthand what it was like to be fatherless, and his child would not grow up without him. His mother had done a great job raising him and Jessie would never say anything different. However, growing up without a father was hard. Jessie always felt like he had to help take care of his mother. Watching her work her fingers to the bone just to put food on their table was hard. His worthless father, who showed up only when he needed money, was Jessie’s idea of what not to do when you father a child.
He saw the small medical center ahead and gripped the ‘Oh shit’ handle as Drake whipped into the drive and braked fast, kicking up gravel. His child was going to know his father loved and cared about them.
Jessie jumped from the car and his only intent was getting to the birthing suite that held Brin. Mark and his other friends appeared at the end of a hallway and they were all pointing and smiling. As he ran down the hall he heard the guard from the front chasing him, as well as a nurse yelling at him to stop. He was not going to, not until he saw Brin.
“Sir,” the nurse yelled as he rounded the corner and kept running.
A man stepped out of the doorway at the end of the hall. The only thing he registered was that he was wearing hip waders and was frowning at him.
“BRIN?!” he yelled loudly and desperately.
Another man stepped out into the hallway and frowned. “Hey?” the guy said and Jessie skidded to a halt.
“Do either of you know where the birth center is?” Jessie asked, in most hospitals it was a locked ward.
“Right here,” one of the men said.
“Jessie?" the other man said and Jessie snapped to attention when the second man had stepped into the hallway. He was tall, and had sandy brown, shaggy hair. He had green eyes and when he looked in them, he recognized a boy from his past. Wait…Grant was here? Why was Grant in nowhereville?
“Grant?” Jessie said and looked at his childhood best friend in shock. But the other man had other ideas as did the nurse who finally caught up with him, and the security guard who was yelling in his radio.
“Why are you looking for Brin?” the other man demanded and Jessie’s attention snapped to him. He was big, and a little more than threatening but Jessie was desperate.
“Because I am,” Jessie growled and the man looked at the people behind him. “Wanda, Roy, I got this,” the man said as he heard a grown from the room to his left.
“Jessie?” He heard a woman say. BRIN! Jessie took a step toward the doorway. He heard Drake make a noise but didn’t turn.
“Now hold on there a minute, big guy. Brin is one of ours now. What do you want with her?” the man said and Jessie frowned.
One of whose?
He turned slowly and saw the man was bowing his shoulders and standing even taller than the mountain of a man did already. Jessie stood his full height as well and then scowled at him. Most men would have backed off when they saw the look on Jessie’s face. The guy must have a death wish—he laughed at Jessie.
“Why don’t you scoot along, I will have the Sheriff come and talk to you when Brin is available,” the man said.
“Who the fuck do you…” Was as far as he made it when the man reached into his large wading pants and pulled out a pistol.
Mark appeared to the side of him and whispered, “Dude, really, you need to get in there. It is happening.”
Jessie growled and rolled his eyes, figures the ghost would show now. He turned his attention back to the threat and glared.
“Who I am is that woman’s protector, and as far as I can tell, you are the asshole who got our poor Brin pregnant and left her. Made her cry yesterday and just this morning too. So git on outta here,” the man growled. After the long night of the women being in labor together, Jabo was taking it upon himself to protect the sprite of a woman his wife had made friends
with.
Jessie took in the situation in the blink of an eye, he needed to get into that room like ASAP, this muther fucker was stopping him, and that was not acceptable. He felt his childhood friend shift on his feet and then hold up a hand. But it was going to be too little too late Jessie figured.
“Jabo,” Grant said with a warning and that was all that was said.
Jessie kicked the arm holding the gun sending it scattering down the hallway. Jessie grabbed the man by the shirt and brought him in to head-butt him, but the man was prepared. Not missing a beat, the man broke the grip and laughed, “Gonna do it the hard way, huh?”
“Damn it, Jabo, kick his ass and git back in here, I need my back rubbed,” another female voice called. “Brin honey, just hold on, Jabo will take care of this, and then the Doc can help you out.”
Jessie didn’t hear a word of what was being yelled, his focus was on the man and getting into the room that held Brin. Mark stood again in the doorway and yelled to him. “Dude, you are making me look at shit I shouldn’t be. Get your ass over here.”
Jessie could see the feint lines of the men he served with, it seemed natural they were here, watching over Brin and the baby while Jessie tried to kick the stranger’s ass. However, he wasn’t sure Brin was going to feel that way when this was all said and done.
“Jessie, knock it off!” Brin yelled.
Drake stepped forward when the guard was going to jump into the fray and said, “Might be best if we let them fight it out. Getting in between them looks a little dangerous.”
Roy, the security guard, snorted and then nodded reluctantly. Grant looked around in awe as he saw his best friend whom he grew up with punch and dodge Jabo and his meaty fists.
Jessie’s head snapped back when Jabo punched him in the mouth, “Son of a Bitch!”
“Now my mama don’t take kindly to being called such names.” Jabo grinned and swung again.
Jessie roared and putting his right shoulder forward he charged the man and took him down to the ground with a load thump.
“Now, honey, are you almost done, the doctor is saying something about crowning,” Sassy called.
Drake frowned and looked into the room. He turned green and stepped back out. “Dude, you need to hurry it up.”
“My doctor says the same thing, “Brin called, and Grant tried to move to the door but was blocked by the tangle of bodies punching each other on the floor.
The nurse gave up shaking her head and looking at Roy, “Better call the Sheriff.”
“No worries I am right here,” a potbellied man said as he lumbered down the hallway.
Jessie and Jabo refused to give up the hold they each had on each other, both of them looked like a pretzel as they held each other’s necks.
“Muther fucker,” Jessie ground out and released one hand to punch the man they called Jabo in the mouth.
“I told you, don’t be saying things about my mama,” Jabo said, released a hand and punched Jessie as well. They were grappling on the floor scooting closer and closer to the doorway where Brin was. Jessie dug his foot on the floor and popped his head in. “Brin!”
He saw Mark's sister raise her head from the bed. He also saw a man in between her legs that were raised up in stirrups and he was directing Brin to push.
“Damn it, doctor, I am trying to but right now I have distractions!” Brin yelled. “Jessie, get the hell up off the floor, is that blood I see. What are you doing?”
“He is getting his ass kicked!” Sassy yelled. “Honey, you are gonna have to hurry it up.”
“Right there, darlin’,” Jabo yelled.
“Hey, whose truck is parked in the front of the hospital illegally?” the Sherriff said.
Drake turned and raised his hand, “Mine, we were on our way to help Brin Plater deliver. You see, Jessie is the father, only he didn’t know he was going to be a father, he just found out. So we drove here through the night, and she was still in labor, Jessie wanted to get here fast so we just left the car and ran.”
“Son, I didn’t ask for your life story. Now, I assume Jessie is the man who is playing with Jabo on the floor there?” the Sheriff said.
“Frank,” Sassy called. “That is the man who got our new best friend pregnant. Grant has taken a liking to her.”
“Well now,” the Sheriff said. “I thought I was gonna have to drive all over hell and back to find all these people. So here is your ticket for double parking in an Emergency Zone. Brin Plater,” he said and rubbed his chin. “Just take hers too, it is for leaving a SUV abandoned on the side of the road without calling for a tow. And Sassy, I will just put Jabo’s on his tab. And what is his name, so I can give him a ticket for disorderly conduct?”
Drake looked at the Sheriff in shock. “Uhhh...Jessie James?”
“No foolin'? Well that is very nice. Seems like I sewed up the town treasury needs in one trip. Have a nice day, ya’ll,” the Sheriff said and turned.
“OHHHHHHHHHH…Damn you, Jessie, I can’t believe you got me into this mess. Get up off the floor so I can kick your balls in your throat so you can feel the same pain,” Brin yelled.
Grant finally was able to move and he bent over and grabbed Jessie up from the ground and said, “Jabo, Sassy…get moving. Jessie, Brin…suck it up.”
Jessie shook his head and didn’t even wipe the blood from his face as he ran into the room and said, “Aww, honey.”
“FUUUCCCKKK YYOOOUUU!” Brin screamed as she pushed for last time. Jessie looked to where his child was being cradled in the doctor’s hands. The blood….shit! was his last thought as he fell to the floor?
“Damn,” Grant said and looked at Drake. “I really thought by now he would have gotten over his squeamishness about blood.”
“Nah, he is a pussy,” Drake said and shook his head.
Chapter Three
Jessie felt someone slapping his face and he grumbled. “Dude, you are giving SEALs a bad name, man.” Drake laughed and Jessie opened one eye.
“Fuck,” Jessie said, hurting all over. “I feel like I got hit with a two ton truck.”
“Maybe a two ton hillbilly named Jabo.” He heard a man laugh. Jessie groaned and tried to focus. Shit, Grant…hospital…BRIN! Jessie thought and sat up. He grabbed his head and looked around. They had moved him to the corner of the larger room. The doctor and nurses were still taking care of Brin who was slumped exhausted on the bed, holding something in her arms and crying. Jessie scrambled to his feet.
He walked to the bed without acknowledging the two comedy wanna be’s sitting in the corner. But he felt Grant move to the other side of the bed. His focus remained on the small bundle in Brin’s arms.
“Brin?” he said hesitantly.
“Jessie, it's a boy, can you believe how perfect he is?” she said, crying and looking up at him.
“Oh man,” Jessie said with tears in his eyes. A son. He had a son. The feelings washed over him as he looked down at the two people who were most precious to him in the world. Shit, if Mark were here he would kick his ass. Jessie wanted to take Brin and the baby and run, get to know her more, and keep them forever. He wanted the family, he wanted the mess of life, for once, Jessie was not going to run away from a relationship. He wanted this more than his next breath.
“Do you want to hold him?” Brin whispered and Jessie felt himself nodding. He leaned over, picked up the almost weightless bundle, and looked down. He's perfect, Jessie thought as he looked at the round faced little man. He had glistening white hair and blinked a few times as if trying to figure out why the scenery had changed. The blue eyes stared up at him and he felt like he was on top of the world.
“I am sorry,” Brin whispered and took Grant’s hand absently. Jessie looked up and shook his head.
“No, Brin, my fault. I should have called,” Jessie whispered.
“Ha, like that would have mattered. I would never have told you about being pregnant over the phone. I would have insisted we meet. I know what a shitty time you were go
ing through, and I couldn’t do that to you. To be honest, you needed to heal.”
Jessie closed his eyes, she understood, even though it was completely fucked up, she understood. He came back from overseas, wounded and an emotional mess, Jessie would have completely screwed this up. Probably would have done or said something that would have gotten him kicked out of Brin’s life forever, no matter how screwed up the situation was. Jessie was going to fix it, he had to, all of their futures were on the line.
“I have to take care of the patient, maybe you men would like to go and grab something to drink and come back, then we will be done in here,” an older nurse said brusquely and took the baby from Jessie and laid it back on Brin’s chest.
The men nodded absently and allowed themselves to be hustled out of the room, when Jessie was standing in the corridor he looked at Drake and shook his head.
“What the hell just happened?” Jessie said.
“I don’t know, but I could use a drink,” Drake said.
Grant laughed and put his hand on both of their shoulders and led them down the hallway. “Maybe Jabo has his flask, let’s go and find him.”
“Can you tell me who the hell Jabo is too? He has a mean right hook,” Jessie complained.
Thane and West gathered their gear up. They were going to Texas to get some answers. So far, everything they dug up didn't make any sense. West insisted on going since Arden was convinced that something her parents were involved in was going to come back to haunt them.
After seeing the report from the Commander about their death, West and Voodoo agreed. Somehow they were involved in this mess. How they all connected was not clear, which was why Thane and West were going to Texas, to get some answers.
Their shady dealings with gunrunners and drug dealers had gotten them killed. However, there was a single thread that was connecting these things to the situation with the Team. Whoever was trying to kill them was involved in this whole mess. One way or another they were going to unravel this. Thane and the others thought if they pulled the right string, everything would fall into place. The key was trying to figure which string to pull.