Page 28 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

She came out of that bank feeling like she’d robbed the place, even though Jessica couldn’t even see what Verna had taken from her safe deposit box. “What’s the plan?” she asked when they were back in the car.

“You can take me back home, please,” Verna requested politely. She was quiet on the drive back, but she had a small smile on her face. She looked happy to be out of the house and satisfied with herself. She still said nothing as they parked and went back into her apartment.

“Verna, I have to wonder if something this special would be safer at the bank,” Jessica noted as she shut the door behind her. “I mean, it’s not like Darcy can get a hold of it if they have it there.”

“Unless I were to die,” Verna replied, “and she were to then take over every bit of my assets. Or if I were to suddenly become so weak in the head that I just signed it all over to her. No, Jessica. I have a much better plan for this amulet. I know precisely where it can be kept. A place where Darcy won’t find it and where she won’t be able to get it back.”

“Where?”

The old woman reached under the collar of her shirt and pulled out the amulet. It was a heavy, dark red stone on a thick gold chain. It looked like it belonged in a museum because they sure didn’t make things like that anymore. Verna lifted the chain over her head and stepped over to Jessica, placing it over her head and settling it around her neck. “With you, dear.”

“Verna, I can’t,” Jessica protested, although she liked the weight of the stone against her skin. Well, who wouldn’t appreciate a pretty rock? But that didn’t mean she could keep it.

“You can, and you must.” Verna laid her hands on Jessica’s shoulders as she looked into her eyes. “You’re the only one who can keep it safe for me.”

Yep. She was definitely going to lose her job.

14

“Ellie?” Hayden checked his watch as he poked his head into his daughter’s room. Her room back at the old house had been the only one Ellie had known for the first eight years of her life. He’d felt terrible that she’d have to split time between the place she knew as her home and the new house he’d bought, so he’d done his best to make sure Ellie had the chance to make it her own. The white canopy bed with the pink comforter, the thick rug, and the shelf full of books about horses told him she was just as happy there as she was at Maura’s. She just wasn’t in there.

He came down the stairs and checked his watch again. Maura would be there anytime to pick Ellie up. Jack didn’t go back and forth right now, of course, but Ellie was staying as much on routine as possible. “Ellie?”

The sound of intermittent strumming hit his ears. Hayden hurried in, eager to see what was happening. Jack had realized very quickly after the accident that he couldn’t play his instruments, and he hadn’t touched them since.

The sight he found melted his heart. Ellie was snuggled up on the hospital bed next to Jack. His acoustic guitar stretched across their laps. His right arm was draped over the body of it. Ellie was bent over the neck of the guitar, carefully placing her fingers on the frets.

“Right. Now, put your middle finger on the second fret on the bottom string,” Jack instructed.

Ellie chewed her lip as she struggled to get her finger into place. “Like that?”

“Yeah. Now, your ring finger needs to be on the third fret, but one string up from that. Now let’s see how it sounds.” Jack strummed the guitar. “Hey, not bad! You have to hold them a little tighter to keep them from buzzing, but that’s going to take some time.”

“Dad!” Ellie exclaimed when she saw him watching. “Look what we can do!”

She repositioned her fingers so only two of them were on the guitar, and Jack started a strumming pattern. When he nodded at her, she changed to a different chord that lasted several more measures. “That’s it for now, but we’re working on it.”

“That’s amazing.” Hayden genuinely meant it. He knew how much music meant to Jack, and he’d found a way to keep it in his life despite his injuries. “I hate to interrupt, but your mom is going to be here any minute.”

“Okay.” Ellie slid out of the bed and turned around to face Jack. “I’ll put that back on its stand.”

“Thanks, brat.” Jack let her take it and smiled at her as she put it away.

A honk sounded outside.

“Your mom’s here,” Jack announced. He wrapped Ellie tight in his arms as she came over for a hug. No matter how many times he sent her to Maura’s place, he always missed her. “You be good, kiddo. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad! Not you, Jack.”

“Not you either, brat.”

This had become their way of saying they loved each other without saying it out loud. Hayden thought it was pretty damn cute, but he’d refrained from pointing it out. He didn’t want to embarrass Jack into stopping.

“Jessica should be here in a little bit,” Hayden told his son once he’d seen Ellie safely out and into Maura’s vehicle.

Jack nodded, and his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the cast on his arm. “Cool. You know, I don’t feel like I’m going to be needing her much longer.”

This was quite the surprising statement, considering how down Jack had been on himself for healing at a human’s pace. “You’re past the point of infection, but there’s probably still quite a bit she can do for you.”

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