CHAPTER NINE
The sun peeked through the blinds, hitting Malcolm square in the face. He blinked a few times, attempting to roll over to check the time on the alarm clock before he remembered his body was broken and yelped out in pain.
Within five seconds the bedroom door flew open and his mother rushed in. “Malcolm, baby. Are you okay?”
Her shrill tone woke Jessie beside him, who bolted upright. Her brown hair was plastered to her cheek, her eyes crusted with sleep. “What?” she asked, pawing at her face as Estelle greeted them.
“Well, good morning, you two,” she said with a wave of a spatula. “You better not be doing what I think you were doing. I asked the doctor about that, and he said no shenanigans until Malcolm gets the air cast off.”
“Sweet Jesus, Mom,” Malcolm chastised, praying for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. “We were sleeping, which the doctors said I need.”
Jessie threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, adjusting her tank top so as not to flash anyone. Which was a real shame.
“Good morning, Estelle. I’m sorry I didn’t make coffee yet.” Jessie rubbed at the pillow creases on her face, unable to hold back a yawn. “What time is it?”
“Seven fifteen,” Estelle said with more bite than Malcolm thought necessary.
“Why are you over her so early?” Malcolm didn’t mean to be ungrateful. He understood how much his mother worried on a good day, and this was hardly a good day.
His father entered the room, dressed as if ready for the golf course in a polo shirt and colorful shorts. “Your mother wanted to make breakfast, which is almost ready.” Turning to an embarrassed Jessie, he added, “Good morning, Jessie. How is our patient doing?”
Jessie opened her mouth to reply, but another visitor joined the fray. “I was wondering the same thing,” Javi said, striding into the room like he owned the place.
“Ortiz, what the hell?” Malcolm pulled up the blankets to cover his bare chest.
As if reading his mind, Javi barked out a laugh. “Oh please, Smithy. Nothing I haven’t seen in the showers.” He raised his coffee mug in the air in greeting. “Hey, Jessie.”
“Good Lord,” Jessie muttered. “Is all of Pinegrove here?”
“Practically,” Trevor said from the doorway. If his small bedroom wasn’t already full with him, Jessie, his parents, and Javi, Malcolm would have invited his captain in. “How’s everyone doing?”
“Really, Trev?” Jessie admonished, shoving her feet into her slippers and pushing past the crowd toward the bathroom.
When Malcolm dozed off last night, he envisioned a morning cuddling—as much as he could—with his girl. He wanted a few more stolen kisses before reality set back in. Apparently that was a pipedream, and he was about to have breakfast with half the fire station.
“Tell me, is Maxwell out there with the chief? Exactly how many of Pinegrove FD will be joining us for hotcakes?” Malcolm’s question dripped with sarcasm.
Estelle perked up. “That’s a good question, baby.” She turned toward Trevor and asked, “Who else is joining us? I’d better get cracking.”
Craig took that moment as an opportunity to take charge. “Okay, everyone out. Let’s give Malcolm a moment.” He strode to the closet and retrieved Malcolm’s bathrobe. Tossing it onto the bed, he said, “Take your time, son. We’ll see you when you’re ready.”
Malcolm highly doubted that. He knew his mother. He had two minutes at best before Estelle was back and hovering over him like a specimen in a Petri dish. “Uh-huh,” Malcolm muttered, waiting as everyone filed out.
Before the door snicked shut, Jessie slid back inside. “I can safely say I could have lived another thirty years without your parents and Javi seeing me in my jimjams.” She shuddered, but Malcolm chuckled.
“It’s certainly not my preferred way to wake up.”
Jessie closed the distance between them, resting her hand on his forehead. “I don’t have a fever,” he protested, but he still leaned into her touch.
“Just making sure,” she said, placing a soft kiss on his temple.
His joints and muscles were stiff, but it had been wonderful sleeping in his own bed.
The worst part of being in a hospital was the lack of privacy—which apparently carried over to his house as well—with nurses waking him to run tests or take blood.
Not to mention the beeps and sounds of the hospital were hardly relaxing.
Falling asleep to the gentle snores of Jessie Mays, however, was a welcome soundtrack for bedtime.
A few minutes later, Malcolm was at his walker, shuffling out to the dining room. While he understood Trevor and Javi wouldn’t judge his current state, and total dependence on the walker, it still chafed to appear this helpless. “Is there coffee?” he asked as he plopped down in his seat.
Javi lifted his mug and jostled it. “I think I saved you a cup or two.” Trevor rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. As much as he wanted some peace this morning, Malcolm enjoyed seeing his buddies.
Craig slid a mug across the table, already with cream and sugar. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, taking a long pull of the caffeine fix. “So what’s the plan for today?” he asked, knowing full well he was experiencing it.
Estelle carried in a platter of pancakes, with Jessie following with a plate overflowing with bacon. Craig snatched two pieces before Jessie put the plate down, earning a scowl from Estelle.
“The doctor said you need to watch your fat intake. I can whip up some oatmeal.” His dad chomped down on the bacon, raising a defiant eyebrow at his wife. “Fine, fine. Go ahead and have a heart attack.” She turned to Jessie and Trevor and hastily added, “I’m sorry.”
Trevor hid his smirk behind his napkin and shook his head. “No worries, Ms. Estelle. Our daddy didn’t listen to Momma either.”
Jessie stabbed a few pancakes and made up a plate for Malcolm. Despite wanting to feel independent again, Malcolm wouldn’t stop Jessie from fixing his breakfast. Besides, she always remembered how he liked the pancakes in a puddle of syrup, not covered in the sticky stuff.
The six of them fell into comfortable, if albeit boring, conversation. Javi discussed the slew of women he’d recently dated, Craig nearly choking on his coffee when Javi mentioned a particular buxom redhead.
Malcolm balled up his napkin and tossed it at Javi. “Jesus, Ortiz. My parents are present.”
Estelle flapped a hand. “Oh please, I starred in a soap opera, son. I’m aware of the shenanigans that happen in the world.”
Javi splayed a hand over his heart and sighed. “Thank you for enjoying my storytelling, Estelle. It’s not often I get to share a meal with such a lovely woman.”
“Hey!” Jessie protested, a blob of syrup falling onto her shirt.
Trevor handed his sister a napkin, unable to stop a belly laugh from taking over. “As always, you’re first class, Jessie.”
Jessie stuck her tongue out and wiped away the mess. Malcolm tried really hard not to stare at her chest, especially with his mother watching and Trevor mere feet away. That was the thing about JJ, she was always herself. His mother could put on airs and be prim and proper, but JJ was always JJ.
Jessie started stacking plates, checking the time on her watch and completely ending his ogling. “We need to get ready. The nurse is coming in about fifteen minutes.”
Trevor winced when he checked his own watch. “Javi, we gotta jet.”
Javi helped Jessie carry the last of the dishes into the kitchen. “You mind if we swing by later with Maxwell and some pizzas?”
Estelle opened her mouth, but Craig was faster. “I think that’s a great idea. Give you all a chance to talk shop, and Malcolm can see his friends.”
“Who’s Maxwell?” Jessie asked, doling out an array of pills for Malcolm to take.
“Thanks,” he said, throwing them all in his mouth and swallowing them with the last of his coffee. “Maxwell is my partner.”
Jessie gestured at Javi. “I thought Javi was your partner.”
Trevor shrugged on his uniform jacket and shook his head. “Nah, we made some changes recently. I’ll fill you in later.”
“Can’t wait until I can get back to work,” Malcolm said on a sigh.
Javi clapped his shoulder, a little too hard, but Malcolm didn’t react. “We’ll get you back soon, buddy.”
Trevor shook Malcolm’s hand. “You want some company tonight?”
“Love some,” Malcolm replied, meaning it. He wanted life to get back to normal, and he also wanted Jessie to be a part of his life, a part of his friend group.
Trevor pointed at Jessie and added, “You should probably swing by the house and see Momma if you have time. She misses you.”
Jessie rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Turning to Estelle, she asked, “Would you mind doing nursing duty solo?”
Estelle pulled her into a hug and nodded, her blonde hair bobbing. “Of course not. It would be nice for the three of us to have some more quality time.”
Over his mother’s shoulder, Jessie mouthed Sorry, but he wasn’t going to put up a fight. He understood his parents wanted to spend time with him, and he couldn’t deny Daisy access to her wanderer daughter.
A loud knock at the door alerted the group that the nurse had arrived, and Malcolm braced himself for a day of suffocating parents, but at least he’d see his friends. He missed Maxwell, and hadn’t seen her as much as the others. With a family of her own, her time was always full.
And then there was the fact that he needed a distraction from JJ.
Their kiss, her reaction to him last night in the shower proved there was still something between them.
The lady doth protest too much, or whatever the saying was.
Malcolm knew Jessie was still attracted to him; now he needed to figure out what to do about it.