Page 9 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

Hayden flicked the vent on the pressure cooker and turned to face her while it let off steam. “Yeah, I know what you’re saying. I’m a little worried about his mood.”

“A positive outlook can make a big difference in how well a person heals, but it’s hard to have one when you’re stuck in bed and forced to rely on everyone else for help. A therapist might be able to help, or maybe some citrus essential oils could lift his mood a little.” She refrained from telling Hayden that Jack’s doctor just so happened to be her ex-husband. That didn’t really matter, but it was hard to be professional around Hayden.

He swiped a hand over his square jaw. “Yeah, maybe so. Do you have a recommendation for a therapist? Jack won’t like it, but he hasn’t liked any of this.”

“I can get you a list.” Jessica drew in a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase what she really needed to say.

“What is it?” The pressure cooker clicked to indicate it was ready, but Hayden was focused on Jessica. He pushed off the counter and stepped forward.

That same look of concern and regret she’d seen earlier was on his face, but he didn’t try to hide it this time. Jessica’s heart went out to him, and her wolf yearned to make it better. She didn’t want him to be hurting. “It’s just that, well, it’s obvious to me that you and I are both wolves.”

His pupils dilated as his eyes darted to her mouth for a fraction of a second. “Yes.”

No. No, no, no. She wanted that just as much as he did. Jessica could easily imagine what it would feel like to press her body up against all those hard muscles. But this was about Jack. “It’s just that I didn’t sense it in Jack.”

“Right. That.” He turned away and lifted the lid from the pressure cooker, sending new waves of delicious aromas through the kitchen as he grabbed a pair of tongs and set chicken breasts dripping with sauce on a cutting board. “His mother is human. We knew there was about a fifty percent chance of Jack being born a shifter. Our daughter Ellie is, but Jack isn’t. It’s been a bit hard, knowing that just a small change in DNA would have him in a completely different position.”

“I see.” Her wolf crumpled inside her. Of course, there had to be a woman in the picture if there were children. It didn’t matter how attracted they were to each other if he was married. “Will your wife be home soon? I should probably discuss Jack’s care with her, too.”

Hayden moved the cutting board to the table so that he faced her as he used two forks to shred the chicken. “We’re divorced, actually. She’s been coming by regularly to see Jack, of course, so I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet her. Here. Try this.” He stabbed a bite of chicken with a fork and held it out level with her mouth, not giving her a chance to take the fork for herself.

Her eyes locked on his as she opened her lips and pulled the chicken from the fork with her teeth. That deflated feeling her wolf had experienced was immediately reversed, and not only because of the tender, juicy chicken she was now chewing. His gaze sent a pulse of excitement through her bloodstream, and she felt that connection between herself and Hayden increasing by the second. She barely got her voice above a whisper once she’d swallowed. “It’s delicious.”

“I’ve got plenty,” he said, though he was still looking at her instead of the meal he was preparing. “You’re welcome to stay if you’d like.”

Yes! Her wolf had a very definitive answer.

“No, thank you,” she replied. “I’ve got to get my reports turned in and get home. I’ll see you for Jack’s next appointment.”

“Sure. Let me walk you out.” He held open the kitchen door for her. “Jack, do you need anything else before Jessica leaves?”

He muted the TV. The cranky look on his face indicated that he was about to make another snarky comment about getting a bath, but then a tiny spark showed in his eyes. “No, but she said I’m supposed to be on a steady diet of burgers and ice cream while I’m healing.”

“Nice try,” Jessica laughed. It was just one little joke, but it was a good sign. “I’ll see you again soon.”

Hayden brought her into the foyer and opened the front door. “Thanks for coming by.”

“I’ll see you.” She gave him a small smile before she went out the door, focusing hard to keep herself under control. Jessica knew she couldn’t just throw herself at him the way her wolf wanted to, and she was tempted to run down the steps and race out to her car. She had to get away from those stunning blue eyes and that rock-solid chest!

Safely in her car and on her way home, Jessica flicked on the radio. She didn’t even hear the music. Her mind was centered only on Hayden Westbrook. Of all the times to find her mate, why did it have to be now? She cursed her wolf for being so stubborn, for knowing exactly what it wanted and fighting so hard against her human side. This was no time to be diving into a new relationship. She was starting her life over, and she hadn’t even had a chance to fully explore just what that new life meant for her. A new apartment, a new job, and a teenager who had to navigate a broken home didn’t exactly put her on solid footing.

Hayden was every woman’s dream, but he was just going to have to wait.

5

“One-hundred-ninety-nine, two hundred.” Rick Westbrook, Chief of the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department, rose from the floor and dusted off the seat of his pants. “I’ve still got it. Actually, I think I could do more.”

“No need to show off,” Pierce remarked from his seat on the couch, where he was scrolling through the news. The firehouse was peaceful for the moment, but it wouldn’t last long. “We all know you’re buff, Dad.”

“Hey, even an old fart like me has to stay in shape, right?” Rick grinned as he reached into the fridge for a bottle of water. “Just you wait. It feels easy right now, with a physical job that keeps you hopping. You have to work harder the older you get. Really doesn’t seem fair, but that’s life for you.”

“No shit.” Hayden rubbed a hand over his eyes and returned to the coffee pot for the third time.

“Did Jack have a rough night?” Pierce asked.

“No, just me,” Hayden admitted as he sat next to Pierce and looked into his coffee cup. “It’s not like he was going to bed early even before the accident, and he seemed perfectly fine watching videos when I turned in last night. But I was just lying there, wide awake, thinking of all the things I should’ve been doing or should have done in the first place.”

Rick laid his hand on Hayden’s shoulder. “Son, you’re an excellent father. You’ve always done right by your kids, even with the divorce. There was nothing you could’ve done to predict or prevent this, short of keeping him locked in the house all the time. That wouldn’t have done anyone any good.”

---