Page 91 of Hendrix

Hendrix pulled the truck over to the side of the road and slammed the brakes on as quickly as he could without sending us through the windshield. He leaned across, opened the dash, and grabbed a bottle of water from it before jumping out of the driver’s door and rounding the hood.

Within seconds, my door was thrown open, and I was up in his arms, bridal-style. He carried me to the flatbed at the back of the truck, pulled down the tailgate, and sat me down.

“Go see to the girls,” I told him. “I just need a minute.”

“They’re fine,” he rasped, screwing open the bottle of water and gently holding it to my lips. “Drink this.”

I obeyed and took a small sip, closing my eyes appreciatively as the cool liquid slipped down my throat.

“Again,” he muttered, watching me as I took another sip before placing the cap back on the bottle and setting it beside me. “What happened?” he asked. “Is it the baby?”

My eyes lifted to meet his. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I think I just had a revelation, and it caused a bit of a meltdown.”

Hendrix’s eyebrows shot up. “You had a meltdown?”

“I know, right?” I wailed. “What the actual fuck?”

His fingers curled around my nape, and he gently brought my face forward to kiss my forehead. “What the hell was it about? My singing’s not that bad.”

I couldn’t help giggling before my face straightened, and the feeling of dread hit my chest again. “I just realized I have nothing for the baby. I’ve got weeks before I push a tiny human out of me, and I don’t even have a baby romper for him. I’m jobless, I’m homeless, and the place where I crash is filled with bikers carousing as if their lives depended on it.” I gave him big eyes. “I love the guys, Hendrix, you know that, but they’re not exactly Nanny fucking McPhees in the making.”

His lips twitched. “You’re right. I’ve been thinking for a while that we need to start prepping for the kiddo to come. I just didn’t wanna pressure you any more than I already have. After the whole kidnapping thing, I wanted to give you room to breathe and not steamroll you. I’m trying to do better and listen to what you want.”

“I think, in this case, I need to be steamrolled, or else Junior will pop out, and I’ll have to use your Prez cut to swaddle him.”

“I’ll get on it,” he assured me.

My tummy warmed. “Really?”

“I’m here to support you, baby,” he murmured, cupping my jaw. “There’s nothing we can’t get through as long as we face it together.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Oh my God. Why couldn’t you have been this awesome when we were together?”

He laughed. “Because I was a twat. I needed to lose you to love me.”

“Did you just quote Selena Gomez's song lyrics at me?” I demanded, my lips tipping up. “I wouldn’t normally care, but it didn’t even make sense.”

“Made ya smile though,” he pointed out, his humor-filled blue eyes flicking between mine. “So, I did my job.”

Without thinking, I leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips. “Thank you,” I breathed.

He nuzzled my nose with his. “You feel okay now? Wanna go home?”

I shook my head, smiling ruefully. “I’m not sick. It’s just the enormity of everything that hit me all at once. There’s no way I could let Addie down. She’s got no clothes, Jamie, and I know Fender’s doing his best, but she’s getting to an age where girls want to look nice, and they care about what their friends at school are thinking. Another year, and they’ll start bullying her for what she’s wearing. She can’t wear her brothers’ hand-me-downs, and they’re too big for her anyway. I think she really misses having a woman in her life.”

“I need to talk to him,” Hendrix muttered. “He’s dropping the ball. Maybe he needs more help with the kids than we can give him. Once you’ve had the baby, your time’s gonna be limited. Carina’s busy with the clubhouse, and Freya’s internship takes up most of her life, and what’s left should be for Colt.”

“I feel terrible,” I murmured. “I wish I could be what Addison needs, but I’m not her mom. I’d approach Fender about adopting her, but she can’t lose her dad as well as her mom. She loves him and her brothers with all her little heart.”

“We’ll fix it,” he promised, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Maybe he needs a full-time nanny?”

“That would work,” I agreed. “Maybe a girl from town who needs a job. I’ll start making some inquiries.”

“Lemme talk to Fender first,” Hendrix suggested. “Plus, Carina and Cece both have small friend circles in Arrowhead Point. They might know someone.”

I smiled my agreement.

Hendrix’s hands landed on my shoulders, and he maneuvered himself to stand between my legs. “Forget all about what’s buggin’ you. The World Wide Web is a wonderful invention that has these things on it called online stores, and one in particular called Babies ‘R’ Us. There’s another thing called Target that we can walk into with a bank card and buy a fuckload of baby shit. We’ll be good.”

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