Page 35 of Rejection and Redeemed
“Excuse me, oh mate of mine. I’ve recently got back from my dig, and have a few weeks off,” Ezzy protested.
“And I’ve not enrolled in a new college yet,” Finn added.
“I need to find a college soon,” Jacob added.
“We can look when you’re better,” Finn told him.
Robbie changed his antibiotic bag and then added the painkillers to it. “Same as before, don’t fight the sleep. And in this house, an injured person is never left alone.”
“Will you let me help you lay down?” Fran asked him.
“Please,” Jacob said.
Fran stood up and helped get him settled.
Jacob was getting sleepy, but he caught Fran’s hand. “Will you stay?” he asked softly.
“I will,” Fran replied, slightly surprised as Jacob closed his eyes and fell asleep.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Emory said, just as there was a gentle knock on the door and Clairmont walked in.
“Hey, Clairmont, you know you don’t need to knock, right?” Ezzy said, smiling at the butler.
“Duly noted. Lord Robert, gentlemen, dinner is ready and set out in the dining room.”
“Awesome. I’m starving,” Robbie said, standing up.
“Francis, shall I bring your dinner up here?”
“No thanks, Clairmont. I’m good with these snacks.”
Clairmont shook his head. “Your dinner will be brought up, you can eat snacks later.”
Fran rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Clairmont.”
Everyone left the room and Fran was finally left alone with his mate. “I hate that you’re injured,” he said softly. “But thank you for helping to protect my dad. I hope that one day you’ll like me for me and not just because of the mating pull.”
He felt Jacob’s fingers squeeze his for a moment.
“I wish we could start again, meeting for the first time somewhere nice, and not associated with bad memories, but wishing doesn’t do any good, does it?” Fran paused and sighed. “I’ve waited my whole life to meet my mate. I always wondered what they would be like, but never in all my dreams did I imagine my mate would be in love with someone else,” he stopped talking when the door opened and Clairmont walked in carrying a tray. He set it down on the bottom of Jacob’s bed. Then he rested his hand on Fran’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“Eat up, Francis, you need to keep your strength up. Lord Robert gave me his e-reader to bring to you.”
Fran spied it on the tray. “Thanks, Clairmont.”
With a final pat on his shoulder, the faithful butler left the room, closing the door gently behind him.
Dinner was a lively affair.Aubrey was off visiting someone, and had taken Christine with her, so it was an all male dinner time.
“Did you and Uncle Frank find out anything from those wolves?” Ezzy asked his father, as he snagged another potato.
“Not as much as we wanted. They’re working for someone but say they don’t know who. They were out to make trouble wherever they could, finding young Jacob was a bonus.”
“Do you think Bishop was involved in whatever is going on?” Finn asked, putting his cutlery down on his empty plate.
“It would be too much of a coincidence if he wasn’t,” Berni replied.
“Jacob might be able to find out. I mean, he has access to his father’s bank accounts, maybe he can have a look and see who or where those backhanded payments came from,” Robbie suggested.
