Page 40 of Jacob

“We can do that.”They could do anything Jacob wanted.

Chapter Seven

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JACOB LOOKED AROUNDat what had been in his room for years.He’d moved in when he was old enough to leave his parents, and that had been that.He’d never thought about moving out because where would he go?The pride house was his home.

Not anymore.

He and Tony had talked about it, and they’d agreed that it would make more sense for Jacob to leave the pride house than for Tony to move in.As the sheriff, Tony needed to be close to town, so his little house was perfect.Jacob had quit the pride’s security a few days before, so he didn’t need to stay at the house anymore.

It wasn’t easy.As excited as Jacob was to start a new life with his mate, he was also terrified.He knew that the pride would always be there for him—hell, for both of them—if they needed help, but for the first time in his life, he’d have to stand on his own two feet.Well, his and Tony’s feet.Tony wasn’t going anywhere.Just like the pride, he’d always have Jacob’s back.

He was the reason Jacob was now the receptionist at the station.It was just until he decided what he wanted to do with his life, but it was a job, and he would get paid to do it.It gave him a freedom he hadn’t had with the pride.Gal had paid him, but it hadn’t been the same.It had felt like he was doing Jacob a favor, but the same couldn’t be said for this.Jacob would work for his mate, and he’d do his best to do a good job, but it was a real job, and it felt like it.

He grabbed two of his boxes and made his way downstairs.He’d been stacking them outside the house so that he and Tony could quickly put them in Tony’s car when he arrived.He’d had to go to the office this morning, but the day was quiet, which was why he was available to help.With Taylor back at work, things were easier, even though today was Taylor’s day off.That meant the station would be closed.

It wouldn’t be a problem.Now that Ben lived with the pride, people weren’t reporting their trash cans being broken into or their things getting stolen anymore.Life had returned peaceful in Green Hill, and hopefully, things would continue that way.Jacob knew that Tony was still worried, and he’d offered Jacob a job as a deputy.Jacob had been tempted to say yes, but he wouldn’t know where to start, and he wanted to give himself time to understand if that was what he actually wanted to do.Even if he said yes, Tony would need more than one deputy, and he was looking for new hires.

He turned to go back inside, only to stop at the sight of Taylor coming down the stairs.He was carrying a box, too, and he smiled nervously at Jacob.Ben was behind him, holding the bottom of Taylor’s T-shirt as if he was afraid that if he didn’t, Taylor would vanish.

“Hey,” Taylor said as he put down the box.“I thought I’d help.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s going to be weird not having you around.”

The two of them had lived together their entire lives.Hell, Jacob had never lived with just one other person.It was going to be weird.“You know where to find me if you miss me.”

“Yeah.At the station.”

“And you’re always welcome at the house.”Jacob glanced at Ben.“Both of you.”

Ben shuffled his feet and hid behind Taylor’s back.Taylor sighed but didn’t push him away.He’d confessed to Jacob that he still had no idea what he wanted, but he wouldn’t abandon Ben.

Jacob hadn’t thought he would.It wouldn’t have been like Taylor to do that to anyone, let alone someone like Ben.Ben was still terrified of most of the people in the pride.It looked like he expected people to hurt him, so even though he hadn’t told anyone how he’d ended up in Green Hill or what had happened to him, Jacob thought he could take an educated guess.It wasn’t a good feeling, and he hoped that Ben would find peace with the pride.

He wasn’t sure that Taylor would be part of that peace.It was a decision only Taylor could make, and even though Jacob would be there for him through it all, that was all he could do.He knew that Taylor felt sorry for Ben, though, which was one of the reasons he allowed the panda shifter to stick so close to him every time he was home.At least he’d managed to get back to work.That gave both of them some time and space, and Jacob suspected they sorely needed both.

“We’ll talk at the station,” Taylor said.

“We can talk whenever you want to talk.You have my number.”

Taylor grimaced.“Yeah, but I never needed to call you or leave the house if I wanted to talk to you.”

“You still have Dennis.He lives in the house.Drake is moving in, too, so you won’t be alone.”

“I know, but it’s not the same.”

The four of them, plus Eddie, were close, but Jacob had always felt the closest to Taylor.All four men were his best friends, but Taylor was hisbestbest friend.He felt ridiculous even thinking it, but he couldn’t deny it.

“You’ll be fine,” Jacob promised.“Don’t rush into anything.Think about yourself first.You won’t be any good to anyone if you force yourself into something you’re not ready for.”

Ben made a small sound behind Taylor, but Jacob couldn’t see him.Did Ben hate him for suggesting that?As much as Jacob wanted Ben to be okay, his priority was his best friend.If Taylor couldn’t be happy with Ben, then he didn’t have to be with him.It was as simple as that.

The sound of a car approaching made all three of them turn.Jacob smiled when he saw that Tony had arrived.

“I’ll miss you,” Taylor murmured.

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