Page 17 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

Jessica took the cane, which the old man held out like it was the Holy Grail. She ran her thumb over the delicate carvings of flowers and vines. “That’s very impressive. He must be quite the woodworker.”

“Oh, he has a whole shop,” Mrs. Bell gushed, sitting next to her husband in a matching rocker recliner. He’s always making things for us, and they’re always so useful.”

Jonathan accepted his cane back and tapped it with a shaking finger. “That’s a lot better than any of the ones you’d get from the pharmacy, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, I can see that.” She smiled, happy to see his son’s love for him made it much easier for Jonathan to accept that he had to walk with a cane after his stroke. “You’re very lucky. Is there anything I can help you with before I leave?”

“Ginny?” Jonathan turned to his wife, raising a grizzled brow.

Mrs. Bell tapped her chin. “No, I don’t think so. It’s so nice of you to come, dear. Jonathan and I take care of each other as best we can, but it’s always reassuring to have help. You know, I think that’s the secret to life. You find someone who’s good to you, no matter if the times are good or bad. Then you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“What about you, young lady? You have a handsome young man in your life?” Jonathan asked.

She knew he was only asking because the couple had come to care for Jessica within the first few visits she’d had with them. They were the sweet, grandparent type who wanted to make sure everyone was all right. Her personal life was none of their business, but they weren’t being nosey or judgmental. “Not right now. I just got divorced, actually.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Virginia said, reaching out to take Jessica’s hand. “You know, people hardly ever got divorced back in our day. It wasn’t because we were more willing to put in the work and stick with it. No, ma’am, it was because we were too scared to upset our family or neighbors with the idea of divorce. I say, good for you. You shouldn’t settle for something that isn’t right for you.”

Jonathan waggled his finger in the air and grinned. “I’ll bet all sorts of men are knocking down your door.”

Her mind immediately went to Hayden. The idea of him knocking at her door was certainly an accurate depiction of their situation since there was definitely a barrier between them. In fact, there were several. “Maybe a few, but I intend to be very picky.”

“As you should be,” Virginia said with a nod.

“I’ll see you two next week, okay?” Jessica said her goodbyes and headed out to her car with a smile on her face. Things had gone without a hitch for that visit, something that was happening more and more often. She was starting to feel confident and competent, able to handle just about anything. Most of her patients were truly kind and grateful for her help, and she loved it when she found folks like the Bells who practically made her part of the family.

Hayden floated back to her mind as she drove to her last appointment of the day. It wasn’t as though he was ever far from her thoughts, even if Mr. Bell hadn’t asked about future suitors. Hayden had rugged good looks that made Jessica heat up every time she went to the Westbrook home. It didn’t matter if he was wearing his firefighting uniform or a t-shirt and jeans. Anything flattered those wide shoulders and strong arms. Jessica would love to run her hands over him, and her tongue sparked with electricity every time she saw those generous lips.

Her attraction to him was fun, but it couldn’t be anything more than a fantasy right now. Jessica was constantly reminding herself of this, even if it ticked off her wolf. The beast inside her knew they were meant to be together. It felt the other half of its soul resonating within Hayden and howled at being deprived of such pleasure.

What that reckless wolf didn’t understand was just how much was at stake. She’d just gotten out of a very long relationship, and the ink had barely dried on the divorce papers. There was no law against jumping right into a new love affair, but she deserved some time to make sure she was steady on her feet, both emotionally and financially. Jessica could easily dismiss her own desires, but Paige was a different matter. What kind of example would Jessica be setting if she started something up with Hayden so soon after divorcing her father? She wanted Paige to understand that you didn’t have to be with someone to feel important or complete. Her daughter might find her fated mate someday, someone who made her inner wolf react in a way that no one else did, but Jessica didn’t want her to ever feel that she had to settle in the meantime.

As if she needed any further reason not to date Hayden, there was Jack Westbrook. He was her patient. It just didn’t seem ethical to start dating his father. Maybe once Jack had healed, some time had passed, and it didn’t feel like she was doing something desperate, she could pursue her feelings for Hayden. But not now.

Pulling into the parking lot near Verna’s apartment, Jessica felt a dip in her stomach as she recalled her last visit there. Darcy had indeed called her supervisor, but Rebecca had been on her employee’s side. Nothing had come of it, but Jessica hoped Verna was home alone. She’d come to really like the spicy old lady.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and was just about to get out of the car when a thought occurred to her. Darcy seemed to think Verna was much worse off. Though Jessica’s instincts told her that wasn’t true, it wouldn’t hurt to check. She opened the file on her tablet, skipped past the recent records that detailed her own visits, and skimmed through the prior ones.

Patient’s niece complains of the patient having hallucinations, seeing people and objects that aren’t there. Says she doesn’t recall conversations that happened earlier in the day and repeats herself.

Though the symptoms weren’t seen during the visit, Verna’s medications lined up with someone experiencing these problems. Jessica opened the notes from a visit with a different provider.

Family member states patient doesn’t take her medication on time, fails to complete normal household tasks. Left the stove on. Doesn’t visit with friends or family members. No longer interested in former hobbies.

Some of that would explain the antidepressant Verna was on, but it read like a list of all the reasons you might want to consider putting your loved one in a nursing home. It concerned Jessica. As Rebecca had reminded her, all she could do was her job. Jessica intended to do just that.

“Hello, Verna!” she called out as she came in. “How are you today?”

“Fine, I guess.” Verna was in her usual seat in the living room, but at least the curtains were open and the place wasn’t so dark. She watched various birds at the feeder outside.

“Would you like me to smudge myself?” Jessica reached for the half-burnt bundle of sage.

“No, don’t worry about it this time. I think you have much better energy about you than most people do.” Verna waved a dismissive hand.

“Well, thank you.” Jessica decided that was a compliment coming from someone like Ms. Muldoon. She sanitized her hands and began her usual routine of taking Verna’s vitals. “How have you been feeling lately?”

Verna’s dark eyes watched her carefully. “Better than usual, actually.”

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Jessica replied genuinely. Other than the smudging thing, Verna seemed pretty with it to her. She was crabby, sure, but nothing Jessica wouldn’t expect of a woman her age. That thought, unfortunately, reminded her of Verna’s comment about being one hundred and thirty-five. “Are your energy levels good?”

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