Page 29 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

“But really, I’m starting to notice how much better I’m doing. I’ve still got these stupid casts, but I’m not stuck in that wheelchair anymore.” To prove it, Jack carefully slid over to the side of the bed. He grabbed his crutch and hoisted himself to his feet. “See?”

It sent a shiver of worry through Hayden. He didn’t want Jack to push himself too far, but at least he wasn’t just a puddle of sadness in bed. “That’s pretty impressive, buddy. I didn’t know you could do that.”

Jack shrugged. “I just tried it earlier today. I haven’t attempted walking yet.”

“Maybe you should wait and do that when Jessica gets here,” Hayden said.

Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, Jack grinned at his father. “You like her, don’t you?”

“What?” Hayden knew Pierce could tell, but he’d never realized Jack was paying that much attention.

“You should ask her out,” Jack encouraged.

This wasn’t a conversation he was ready to have yet, especially since he was much of the reason Hayden didn’t feel he could pursue his feelings about Jessica. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea. She’s your nurse, and that makes things complicated. It would put her job on the line.”

“Okay, if you want to make excuses…” Jack flopped back on the pillow.

His own son was baiting him into saying more! Well, damn him, it was probably working. “It’s not an excuse. I wouldn’t ask her to choose between a date with me and a steady job. Besides, it’s not like I should be going out on dates, anyway. I should be here with you.”

“Bo-ring,” Jack mocked. “I know you like her, Dad. You don’t have to feel weird about that because of Ellie and me. I mean, Mom’s been dating that Winston guy for quite some time now. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“I’ll be the one who decides that,” Hayden grumbled. It was good to know how Jack felt about the whole thing, but it was still a strange idea to him. “And I’ve already decided that I’ll be waiting a little while longer before I start thinking about that sort of stuff.”

“Whatever you say,” Jack replied with a shrug.

The doorbell didn’t give Hayden the same excitement that day as it usually had. He and Jack had just been talking about Jessica, which would make it difficult to act normal around her. Then, there was the whole matter of the kiss, which was already bound to make things awkward. There was nothing to do but get it over with. “I’ll get that.”

She was frowning at her tablet when he opened the door. “Hey,” she said without looking up. After a second, she slipped the device into her bag and stepped inside. He spotted the title Standard Operating Procedures at the top of the screen before it turned off. “How’s Jack doing?”

“He’s good. Really good, actually. He’s been working on getting around, and I’m sure he’ll want to show you some of that. I’m worried he’s pushing himself too hard.”

“Any pain?” she asked.

“No, not that he’s given me any sign of, anyway.” Hayden’s wolf moved cautiously through him, noting how distracted Jessica was. He could practically feel the tension in her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’ve just got a lot going on.” She stepped into the living room and put a smile on her face as she ran through her routine with Jack.

Hayden stood back, observing as his son demonstrated his movement with the crutches for Jessica, who patiently watched him. She did everything she ought to be doing, following a similar routine to what she’d done on her other visits. She was attentive and thorough, and he could sense something was off.

Not wanting to interfere too much, he stepped into the kitchen. Was she regretting their kiss? The timing hadn’t been the best. They sure as hell would’ve been embarrassed if one of the kids had walked in on them instead of just calling for them from the other room. It was a close call, and it was something they’d have to make sure they didn’t do again. Still, Hayden didn’t regret it in the least.

It let him know that his suspicions about Jessica were entirely correct. She was his mate. Now that they’d found each other, they didn’t have to rush. His wolf wanted to, but he could make it be patient for a bit longer. And while he waited, he had the tender rush of that kiss to look back on over and over.

Something was definitely bothering her, though.

A short time later, she came into the kitchen as he was listlessly flipping through the mail.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Hayden joked. “It must be the most popular restaurant in town, if I’m always finding you here.”

She gave him a smile that faded just as quickly as it’d appeared. “I just wanted to let you know I’m all done and heading out.”

“Jessica, wait.” His wolf reacted harshly at the idea of her leaving so soon when the only thing he actually wanted was to have her at his side. “Jack seems to suddenly be doing a lot better. Do you think it’s real progress, or is he just faking it to make himself feel better?”

She chewed her lip as she looked over her shoulder at the kitchen door. “It’s genuine,” she finally said. “He might be pushing himself a bit, but he’s not putting himself in any danger. If he starts getting any new pains, then we’d have cause to worry. He’s young, and that can account for a lot of this.”

He watched her as she spoke, noting how quickly the words came out of her mouth. When she wasn’t talking, she was frowning. A hard line had formed on her forehead, and her shoulders hunched forward with tension.

“That’s good.” He rose from the kitchen table and came to stand before her. “I wish you’d tell me what was wrong.”

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