Page 18 of Jacob

Jacob looked at him.“Why are you still here?”

“Because it’s my job to be here?You’re at the station.”

Right.Jacob was at the station, and he was here for a specific reason.He and Tony were going to walk around town and the forest to find the shifter they were sure was hiding somewhere.Jacob wasn’t here for a date with Tony.He wasn’t here to get to know him.

It didn’t mean he couldn’t kill two birds with one stone.

“Taylor will stay at the station while we go out,” Tony said.

“And I’ll be so lonely,” Taylor responded with a pout.He’d always been a bit dramatic, and Jacob wondered how Tony was taking it.They were at work, after all.The old sheriff would never have permitted Taylor to talk that way.

Tony didn’t seem to care.He was looking fondly at Taylor as if already used to Taylor’s antics.He didn’t tell Taylor that he was unprofessional.He didn’t tell him to keep his thoughts to himself—which was something Jacob had heard the old sheriff tell Taylor once.

Tony didn’t say anything at all.He let Taylor ramble about having to spend the day alone at the station and all of the reports he would have to write.

“What if Mr.Decker comes back about his trash cans?”Taylor whined.

“You’ll tell him we’re investigating it.”

Taylor frowned.“You think the raccoon going through Mr.Decker’s trash cans is our shifter?”

Tony was still sipping on his cup of coffee.He looked relaxed, leaning against the counter with his feet crossed at the ankles.“It would make sense, wouldn’t it?It’s possible that this shifter was seen in their human form, and no one noticed them, but think about it.People have been complaining about things disappearing, including blankets and clothes that were hanging outside.What would you do with blankets if not to create yourself a place to sleep?They’re not valuable to anyone else.The clothes were probably stolen so the shifter could wear them, but if they need blankets to make a nest, it possibly means that they don’t have anywhere to go.In turn, that means that they probably don’t have money to buy food.”

Taylor didn’t look happy.Jacob wasn’t, either.He hadn’t known about all the things disappearing because it wasn’t his job, but what Tony was saying was correct.If this bear was a shifter, it sounded like they needed help.

Jacob wished they’d reached out to the pride, even though he understood why they might not have felt comfortable to do so.He’d never left Green Hill, but he could imagine how daunting it was to reach out to an established pride and ask for help.They might welcome a strange shifter into their midst and do what they could for them, but they might also decide to kick them out of their territory.Still, he hated the thought of anyone surviving on trash and stealing blankets.

Which was why he was here.If thiswaswhat was happening, he knew that Gal would step in and help where he could.Jacob wanted to do the same.

“Well, the two of you should go out and find this shifter, then,” Taylor declared.“I’ll try to find them clean clothes and food so we can help if you bring them to the station.They don’t deserve to be out there.”

Tony smiled softly at Taylor.It was clear that he was fond of Jacob’s best friend, which Jacob appreciated.If things between him and Tony were going to work, Tony needed to like Jacob’s friends.He needed to treat them right, which he seemed to be doing when it came to Taylor.

“I agree,” Tony said as he put down his cup in the sink.“Jacob?Are you ready to go?”

Jacob’s mouth was suddenly dry.He nodded quickly, then glared at Taylor when he snickered.Did he really have to make all of this more complicated?It was just Jacob’s luck to find his mate in a situation where Taylor would be heavily involved.

“I’m ready,” he confirmed.

“Taylor, you have my phone number,” Tony said.“Call me if you need anything.You can deal with most of the reports, though.”

“I’ll tell anyone who asks that you’re working on it,” Taylor promised.

Tony moved closer to Jacob.For a moment, they stared at each other.Then Taylor snickered again, and Jacob was jolted out of his thoughts.

Whatever happened today, it wasn’t going to be easy to resist Tony.Jacob wanted to reach out and twine their fingers together as they walked out of the station, but he was here in an official capacity.This wasn’t a date.

He didn’t like how anxious and tense he was, especially because it had nothing to do with the shifter they were looking for.He’d thought that meeting his mate would feel natural, but he didn’t know how to stop feeling awkward.

He opened his mouth a few times to say something, but he stopped because he was sure that anything that came out of his mouth would be ridiculous.He didn’t want him and Tony to stay silent and work the entire day with this tension between them, though.He needed to do something to break it.

But what?

“Taylor talks about you a lot,” Tony eventually said.

Even though Jacob didn’t particularly want to talk about Taylor, he was a safe topic.“I’m sure he talks about a lot of things.He’s a yapper.He yaps.”

Tony laughed.“That he does.”He stopped on the sidewalk and looked around.“So, where do you want to start?”

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