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Later that night, Hunter found himself on Kensi’s doorstep.
Tim answered the door, holding Chloe. “Hey, man.”
“Hey,” Hunter said, reaching out and putting his hand on Chloe’s wet head. She wore pajamas and looked tired. “How are you?”
She snuggled into her father’s shoulder.
Tim grinned. “Bed time soon.”
“Yeah, sorry it’s so late. Can I talk to Kens?”
Tim pointed down the hallway. “She just ate dinner. Now is probably a good time. But I'm warning you, don't cause her any grief.”
Hunter was grateful for Tim. Not only had he always been a good friend, but he was an amazing husband to Kensi. And he was an amazing dad to Chloe. “I won’t.”
When Hunter walked into the room, he suddenly felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Kensi lay on the bed, eyes closed and feet propped up on pillows. Reese had told him she was swelling, and he could tell that it was true. Compassion filled him; he wished he could slug himself for not reaching out to her before now.
Kensi's eyes opened, and she smiled. “I guess Cheryse told you?”
He moved to the side of her bed and put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay, sis?”
“Of course I'm okay. I'm a Stone.”
On impulse, Hunter picked up the glass next to her. “Do you need a drink of water?”
Seeing her like this made him think of his mother during the last few years of her life, when she'd been battling cancer. How many times had he gone through the same ritual when he'd visited? Too many to count.
Kensi put the glass to her lips and sipped, then pushed it back toward him. “Thanks.”
He put the glass of water down and pulled a chair close to the bed. “So what does the doctor say? How long are you on bed rest?”
Kensi sighed. She looked tired. Hunter hadn't been around pregnant women much, but his protective instincts kicked in. He wanted to help her.
“I'll pretty much be on bed rest for the next two months until I have this baby.” She smiled at him and rubbed her tummy. “It seems like this little guy wants to come out as soon as possible.”
According to Reese, it was more than just that, but he wouldn’t push Kensi to talk about it if she wasn’t ready. He nodded. “So it's a boy?”
Kensi hesitated, then laughed. “We are waiting to tell everyone. Don't tell Tim I let the cat out of the bag, okay? I told him he could tell everyone before me.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Most of my brothers’ lips seem to be sealed most of the time.” She closed her eyes, and the hand on her stomach bumped gently.
“No way.” He had never seen that before.
She opened her eyes and laughed. “Here, put your hand right here.” She placed his hand on top of her tummy. “Sometimes you have to wait for it, but the little guy's pretty active right now.”
Hunter felt like a kid in school, learning something about science for the first time and feeling awed at God’s creations. It wasn’t long before he felt a brief movement. “What?” He kept his hand there. The little guy kicked again, this time sharper.
Kensi laughed. “He's active. Maybe he’ll be a soccer player.”
“That's so cool.” Hunter pulled his hand back, but again couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of creation. “I've never wanted to be a woman, but it seems like having a baby inside of you would be a pretty cool experience.”
“It's the best. It's the reason that I'm still willing to do this, even though I'm high risk and my blood pressure is high and I can't help around the house.” Kensi’s expression fell. “Poor Tim has to have his aunt and uncle watch Chloe. He works all day, then comes home and makes dinner and takes care of Chloe. And now he has to take care of me, too.”
Gently, Hunter put a hand on her shoulder. “And he loves it. You know that, sis. He would have it no other way.”
Her face softened, and then she blinked rapidly. “I know. I know. Tim is one of the good guys. I mean, you know what Jeff was like.”
