Page 28 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
Dex choked back his reply. “We are. Thank you.”
They arrived at the hospital soon afterward. Dex unloaded the gurney and wheeled Wayne inside. “They’re going to take good care of you, Wayne. You heal up, and you watch out for those damn tourists, okay?”
The old man smiled at him. “You’re a good boy.”
Nurses swarmed around the gurney, taking Wayne’s information from Dex and then assessing the patient for themselves. They called back and forth as they rushed him down the hall, ordering tests and procedures. Dex watched them go. They would take care of Wayne, of course, but part of him wishes that he could stay with the old man a little longer.
The rest of his shift was relatively quiet. He and Adrian showed up at another car accident, but no one was injured beyond a couple of bruises. At another call, a wheelchair bound man had fallen to the floor and his frail wife had been unable to get him up by herself.
When he clocked out, dawn was creeping up on the horizon. It spread slowly over the sky, dispersing any late-night revelers and calling out those who had mundane jobs to get to.
“Go home and get some sleep,” Adrian advised. “You look like you could use it.”
“I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.” Dex drove to the packhouse. He was lucky to have a place where he could always bring Sage, no matter what the circumstances, and know that she was cared for. With his job and no spouse, he needed that support far more than he ever thought he would. Every day, he saw plenty of people who didn’t have that kind of support, and he didn’t know how they made it.
“Good morning!” Debbie chirped when he let himself in the back door just off the kitchen.
“If you say it is.” The smell of fresh coffee lured him over the rack of mismatched mugs, a collection that his mother had built over the years. He picked one with a cat on it. The tail made up the handle, and it’d always amused him as a kid. He could use a bit of amusement right now.
“I do say,” Debbie replied as she cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl. “I got up early and had a good workout, so I’m ready for the day. Do you want some eggs?”
“I hate to ask, but I wouldn’t turn them down.” He filled his mug and then put a bagel in the toaster. Dex checked his watch. “I think I’ve got just enough time to eat before I have to wake up Sage and get her ready for school.”
“Good luck with that. I heard she was pretty wound up when you dropped her off, all excited about the Samhain party with Tina’s family.” Debbie looked up at him as she scrambled the eggs with a fork. “It sounds like the two of you are getting pretty cozy.”
“I guess. I don’t know what to call it.” He took a long sip of his coffee. “Damn, that’s strong.”
“Just how I like it. And why don’t you know? The two of you are fated. There’s not much to think about,” Debbie reasoned as she poured the eggs into the pan, watching them sizzle for a moment before she stirred them with a spatula.
He turned to the fridge, digging around until he found some cream cheese. “If I only had myself to consider, then sure. Whatever.”
“Whatever?” his twin echoed. “How romantic. I’ll bet she just goes wild when you talk like that.”
“Come on. You know what I mean.”
“I’m not sure I do.” She pushed the eggs around a little more as she seasoned them.
“I’ve got to think about Sage.”
“You already are.” Debbie left the eggs to toast a little in the pan while she poured herself a cup of coffee and got a muffin from the box on the counter. “In fact, she’s about the only thing you do think about.”
“That’s not true.” The bagel popped up. He grabbed each piece with his fingertips and flicked them onto a plate, not wanting to bother with tongs.
“Okay, work and Sage,” Debbie amended, “but that’s it.”
“Maybe a little bit of football?” Dex joked as he brought his meal to the table.
She sat down across from him. Debbie had picked one of her favorite childhood mugs as well, showing a silhouette of a little red devil and reading, ‘The Devil Made Me Do It.’ “Fine. A little. But take it from me: being a parent is really hard. It’s easy to get lost in your kids and completely forget who you are as a person. You deserve a few things for yourself.”
“Sure, but we’re talking about bringing a whole new person into Sage’s life,” he countered. “I have to be careful.”
Debbie took a bite of her eggs and then pointed her fork at him. “Haven’t you already brought Tina into Sage’s life?”
“Technically, yes, but Sage doesn’t know there’s anything between Tina and me.” Dex slathered the cream cheese onto his bagel. It wasn’t exactly healthy, but he was too tired and worn out to care.
“She knows more than you think. Kids always do,” Debbie cautioned.
He couldn’t completely argue with that. Sage had certainly noticed the chemistry between Dex and Tina when they’d encountered each other at the shop, but Dex had been careful not to be too obvious. “Regardless of how I feel about Tina, Sage needs someone who can help her with her magic.”
