Page 18 of Jesse
I hated seeing him like this. Hated knowing he was hurting and there was nothing I could do to fix it. Almost nothing. Then an idea sparked, fast and reckless.
"You’re not out of options," I said, stepping closer. "We’ll use my truck and we can participate as a team in the competition. I’ll sort things out with the organiser.”
Beck raised a brow, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “You’d do that for me?”
I ignored the jab and pressed on. “Of course. With the two of us cooking, we’ll definitely win. Just don’t serve that brisket.”
His mouth opened, closed, like he couldn’t figure out what to say.
"You’d let me work your truck?" he said, voice wary.
I shrugged, trying to play it casual, even though my heart was hammering like crazy.
"Yeah. We’ll call it a joint venture. Two wolves, one truck. It’ll work,” I told him.
A slow, reluctant smile tugged at the edge of his mouth and dang, it hit me harder than it should have. The way his face lit up when he did made my chest feel way too tight.
He hesitated another second before nodding, short and sharp.
"Okay," he said. "Deal."
I grinned, something wild and stupid sparking in my chest.
"Good. Come on," I said, jerking my thumb over my shoulder. "There’s a café still open down the street. Let’s talk about food.”
Beck’s eyes widened slightly, whether at the invitation or the realization he had no better options, I wasn’t sure. But after a heartbeat, he fell into step beside me.
His shoulder brushed mine as we walked, and the jolt of heat that raced down my spine had me gritting my teeth. This is business, I reminded myself.Strictly business.
But when Beck glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, something guarded but curious lingering there, I knew I was in more trouble than I cared to admit.
Chapter 5
Beck
Ethan metme at the pack clinic’s entrance, his face drawn with apology even before he spoke.
“Sorry for calling you in so early,” he said. “But I remembered you said to let you know as soon as Preston woke up.”
“It’s fine,” I replied quickly, waving off his concern.
Ethan hesitated. “Do you want me to call Jackson? He’d want to?—”
“No,” I cut in, sharper than I intended. I took a breath and softened my tone. “I’ll update him later. There’s no need to drag him into this.”
Jackson would be Jackson: overbearing and protective to the point of suffocation.
If he got any more involved, I wouldn’t be allowed to do anything but stand aside while he took over. This happened on my watch.
Preston was my friend, and I needed to handle it myself. The thought of Jackson swooping in and treating me like some helpless kid again made my jaw tighten.
Ethan nodded, though his worry lingered in his eyes, and led me down the hall. When we entered Preston’s room, Cooper was already there.
Preston was propped up in bed, pale but awake.
“Morning,” Cooper greeted, his tone brisk.
I nodded and stepped closer to Preston. “How’re you feeling?”
