He glanced down at the two beggars sitting patiently at his feet. Penny sat just ahead of Chuck, in charge as always.
“What do you think?” Elias asked them quietly. “Would you like having Wren stick around?”
Both dogs had perked their ears up at the first sign of attention. Penny wiggled her entire body and Chuck’s tail thumped against the tile floor.
“Yeah, I agree. Or are you just wanting bacon?”
Penny tilted her head and Chuck licked his lips.
“Uh-huh. Thought so. You guys are no help whatsoever.”
Elias’ phone buzzed on the countertop. He poked at the bacon before setting the fork down to pick up his phone. A group text from Gabe read:
Need you down at the rec center at ten.
Dammit.
That could only mean one thing. Gabe wasn’t texting as Gabe but as Timberwolf. And he’d included Ram, Bear, Elk, and Moose.
Someone needed their special brand of help.
It wasn’t like Lyons was some lawless little town. They had a great sergeant who kept things quiet and peaceful, plus people were pretty damn good all on their own around there. But sometimes people fell through the cracks or had a problem the law couldn’t handle. That’s where Mountain Division came in.
It wasn’t an emergency—if it had been, Gabe would have texted the number 6 and his location. This sounded like a meeting to discuss someone who could use their help and they would decide whether or not they could give it. Elias didn’t hesitate to answer with a thumbs-up. The work they did often meant protecting an innocent. Sometimes it meant busting heads who wouldn’t listen to reason or to a restraining order. Either way, he didn’t hesitate to help. None of them did.
But dammit. Why did it have to be today?
He glanced toward the bedroom then forked the bacon out of the skillet and onto a plate lined with paper towels and turned off the burner.
“Ah-hem.” Behind him, Wren pretended to clear her throat to get his attention.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” he said as he turned. The second he saw her, he stopped.
Wren cocked her hip forward, giving Elias a cheeky grin. “What do you think?”
Elias took in the sight of her wearing his scrubs top. The oversized shirt hung loosely on her, the hem brushing against her thighs, but the way she wore it made it look like it was made just to caress her curves.
He leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms as a slow smile spread across his face. “I think you wear it better than I do.”
Penny let out a small, impatient whine, clearly annoyed that they were too distracted to drop fistfuls of bacon on the floor. Chuck, meanwhile, wagged his tail in a slow, steady rhythm, eyes locked on the plate of bacon.
“Sorry, guys, I’m distracting your chef,” Wren said, laughing as she walked over and scratched Chuck behind the ears. Penny, not to be outdone, nudged Wren’s leg with her nose, demanding equal attention. “Yes, boss,” Wren said as she switched her attention to Penny who turned and sat facing away so she could get back scratches.
Elias grinned, watching the way Wren interacted with his dogs. Something deep inside him warmed and a little voice in his head whisperedthis is right.
When she stood up inches away from him, she grinned and plucked at the scrubs collar.
“You don’t mind, do you? I recall you saying something earlier about wanting to see me in it again.”
“Mind? Not at all.” Elias uncrossed his arms and pulled her closer by the waist. “I’ll be stealing it back later though.”
“Oh really?” She mock-pouted. “I hope you don’t mean for work today.”
Damn.She did want to spend the day with him. His heart flipped over in his chest.
“I meant when I take it back off you after breakfast.”
Her eyes widened and her lips curved into a smile. He kissed that smile until her lips parted and let him in.
