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Jazz cleared her throat. This was another sore spot.

It didn’t matter that she paid off those school loans within four years instead of twenty.

That success would never be acknowledged.

Neither of her siblings went to college, let alone graduated with honors.

Hugo found his place in the world and moved out a year ago to his group home.

He loved his job and was good at it. Their mom hated it, but she couldn’t stop him.

Liz moved in and out with regularity and had never had a job that paid enough to support her or her kids.

Jazz was the only one of the three who truly stood on her own two feet.

But that never seemed to matter, as her mother and sister apparently had this constant need to put her down.

Soon her hair would be brought up, then her state of singlehood, then her age and her clothes, then?—

“Libraries are one of the coolest places for a kid. I used to hang there all the time.” Wolf’s deep voice held a note of admonishment and matter-of-factness.

“I liked early sci-fi myself. Jules Verne is a classic. H.G. Wells is another. My favorites are Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Frank Herbert.”

Jazz’s eyes popped open and darted to the man sitting next to her.

He put food in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed at a slow and steady pace.

Hugo also kept his head down and continued eating.

His way of dealing with Delores and Liz was to ignore them or pretend he didn’t understand them until they ran out of steam.

Then he’d leave and go back to his room in the community home he’d chosen.

Some people with Down’s were nonverbal and had a lot of comprehension trouble, but Hugo understood more than people gave him credit for. Jazz noticed the smirk on his face.

Wolf took a sip from his water glass and set it back done. “I’m guessing the first book your mom mentioned is The Martian Chronicles . What’s the other one?”

“ The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey.”

“I’m not familiar with that one. You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.” He kept eating and talking between bites. “As far as college, I don’t think education in any form is a waste. I never got to finish my degree, but I still value my time at the university.”

Wolf went to college? Why didn’t I know that? “What did you study?”

“I debated between mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering.” He smiled and met Jazz’s wide eyes. “I wanted to design and build surgical robots before I went into the military.”

Hugo couldn’t stand it anymore. He let out a whooping laugh and pointed at his sister. “Did you hear that, Jazz? He’s a big nerd just like you!”

“That’s… that’s amazing and really cool. Why did you stop going to school?”

His expression darkened a bit, but the smile stayed on his face. “Another time, babe.”

Delores huffed. “Robots, libraries, books, whatever. It’s all a bunch of hooey unless it puts money in the bank. College? Useless in my opinion.”

Wolf eyed the woman but kept his mouth shut. Jazz flushed with embarrassment and tried to think of something to distract the table. She was fully aware of the disdain her family had for her hobbies and education in general. It was surprising and kinda cool to hear that Wolf was into sci-fi too.

Liz stepped into the fray and picked up the basket of rolls to hand to Wolf. “So, do you have brothers and sisters?”

Wolf took the bread and carefully pulled it open. “No siblings. A few cousins up in Maine, but we’re not close. Pass the butter, would ya, Hugo?”

Her brother grinned nonstop as he handed the rectangular dish to the biker. Jazz watched him cut and spread the yellow pat. She noted the sprinkles of dark hair on the backs of his hands.

She discreetly checked her phone for the time. Roughly thirty minutes in so far. Her plan was to make it to the hour, then leave. She was so focused on how soon she could escape that she almost missed Wolf’s question.

“Anyone have a favorite sci-fi movie of all time?”

Liz rolled her eyes and flopped back in her chair. “Oh my gawd, please not the movies. She’s bad enough about the books.”

Hugo frowned. “Movies are cool. You’re just too stupid to like them.”

Liz turned red underneath her makeup. “Mom! You gonna let him speak to me like that?”

“Christ on a cracker, I just wanted one day of peace with my family, and this is what I get!” Delores snapped.

Jazz covered her flaming face with her hands and leaned over to Wolf as she took the butter dish from him. Thanks for the butter. They’re always like this. I love movies. “They’re love butter.” God, please take me now!

This time it was Wolf who burst out laughing. “What I wouldn’t give to go inside that head of yours for a few minutes to see how it works. One of my favorite things about you. That and your hair.”

Jazz blushed for the umpteenth time, but in her head, she preened. “Thanks. I like your hair too.”

Hugo grinned. “Me too. How did you get the gray part?”

“My grandmother. She had this shock of gray hair all her life. People used to ask her where she got it done, and she’d always answer, ‘Genetics.’ She was a Mainer through and through.

I remember when she took me to the shore.

The beach was full of rounded smooth rocks and pebbles instead of white sand. Not many people.”

Hugo blinked. “That’s weird. A beach with no sand?”

Wolf wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it over his clean plate. “I’m not kidding. I’ll take you and your sister there someday to see it.”

Jazz wanted to groan. “You shouldn’t tell him that unless you mean it.”

Wolf turned to face her, and her heart fluttered at his direct gaze. “I don’t say things I don’t mean, babe. Ever.”

Hugo whooped loud and long. He raised both fisted hands in the air. “Woo-hoo! I’m going to Maine! I’m going to Maine! Road trip!”

* * *

The rest of the Sunday meal was no different.

Little barbed remarks came from Liz and Delores to the point that Wolf found it hard to believe Jazz shared DNA with the two women.

The kids finished eating—or rather making a mess—and started running around the house, smacking into things and generally going crazy.

Hugo finished his food and kept quiet. Wolf had no doubts that some people would look at his features and make assumptions, but for all the young man’s challenges, he was brilliant.

Hugo faked a huge yawn at the table. “I’m so full. I need to go home and take a long nap. I got work tomorrow early.”

Delores scoffed. “I don’t understand why you had to move to that place when you have a perfectly good home right here.”

Wolf noticed Hugo’s eye twitch once and guessed this was the reason he moved out in the first place.

“I gotta grow up someday, Mom. Besides, I like baking dog treats. I’m in charge of a whole crew now.” His grin was infectious, and Wolf raised his hand across the table for a fist bump.

“Way to go, brother.”

Hugo giggled and addressed Jazz. “Did you hear that, sis? He called me brother.”

Jazz helped clear the dessert dishes while Delores complained about the dishwasher not working very well and the off-brand tabs she bought because Cascade was so expensive. “I’ll have to rewash everything by hand anyways.”

Wolf swore under his breath. Was there anything in this world that woman wouldn’t nitpick?

He was finally able to take his leave when Hugo gave another fake yawn and declared he had to go home. “Jazz, come out with me a minute?” Hugo asked.

“Sure.”

Once they were outside, Hugo gave his sister a big hug before ambling down the street.

Wolf looked at the departing man. “How far does he have to go?”

“He’ll grab the bus one block over and take it back to the home. It’s about a twenty-minute trip.”

“He’s good using the bus?”

Jazz’s voice got tight. “Hugo has trouble with some things, but getting himself on and off the bus is not one of them. He has his route and routines, which keep him on track as long as no one disturbs them. He needs reminders from time to time, but he’s perfectly capable of caring for himself.”

“I didn’t mean to imply anything. I have an extra helmet with me and thought he’d like a ride home.”

“Oh.” Her contrite face almost made him laugh.

“How ’bout you? Do you want a ride home?” He waited to see if she would utter one of her ridiculous phrases.

She glanced over at the front of her parents’ house. “Um… I’d like that, but I have my own bike with me.”

Wolf looked down at her, but his attention was on the two women with their heads together in the window, chattering away. From Jazz’s nervousness, no doubt it was about the two of them and how they could possibly be together.

It pissed him off.

He didn’t know her that well, but everything he’d learned about the woman, he liked.

Her dedication to helping Madge and Bill stood at the forefront, but each time he peeled back a layer, he found something else.

Her talent for computer programming and her hacking skills and willingness to take on the scammers was impressive.

She rode a bicycle and made a killer cup of coffee.

The Star Trek paraphernalia in her house should have given him a clue about her love for science fiction, but finding out the bit about the library and book preferences was more icing on the cake.

He picked up a piece of blue hair that hung over her shoulder. “They’re watching us right now.”

Jazz gave a nervous huffing laugh. “I know, and I’m not surprised. They need something else to talk about. All the usual topics are getting stale.”

His fingers traced her jawline, and he saw her go rigid. “You gonna hit me if I give them something new?”

“Like what?”

He answered by lowering his head, taking her mouth, and swallowing the tiny squeak she uttered.

He took the opportunity to run the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips, and to his delight, she opened for him.

Without a second’s hesitation, he dove in.

Coffee, cinnamon, and sugar—his favorite flavors.

Teasing Jazz had become one of his preferred pastimes, but he hadn’t counted on the way he reacted.

His own body flushed with heat, and his dick jumped to attention.

She must have sensed it, as her body locked in place. Fight-or-flight took over, and Wolf figured flight would win. He kept his hand just under her cheek to hold her in place as he ended the kiss. “That should top those two off for a while, yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Thanks for the invite. I had a great time.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“M’kay.”

He stifled a laugh as he turned and walked away, but he couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder to see Jazz rapidly fanning herself with both hands.

Yes, he was enjoying this way too much.