Page 15 of Jesse (Pecan Pines #6)

Jesse

The crowd had finally started to thin after the dinner rush. The air still carried the scent of smoked meat and fried dough, but the noise had dimmed to a soft hum.

Most of the food trucks had started packing up for the night, but I wasn’t in a hurry.

I’d cleaned down the grill, covered the prep tables, and switched off the burners. The only thing left running was the low glow of our string lights and the gentle flicker from the food truck sign.

Beck had fallen asleep on one of the benches outside the truck. I didn’t have the heart to wake him. He was curled up on his side, hoodie bunched beneath his head, arms tucked close to his chest.

One of our emergency blankets, which we usually reserved for rainstorms or dropped plates, was draped haphazardly over him.

His breathing was soft, steady. Peaceful. It made my chest ache. I leaned against the truck’s open window and just watched him for a moment.

His face, usually so expressive, was relaxed in sleep. A faint smudge of powdered sugar lingered near his cheekbone, leftover from the funnel cake we split an hour ago.

His shoes were kicked off beneath the bench. He looked safe. Comfortable.

That feeling of feeling safe was something I couldn’t stop chasing when it came to him. But it was fragile. Illusory. Because yesterday, Beck told me he thought someone was following him.

He said it lightly, brushing it off like it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe it wasn’t. But my gut told me otherwise. And worse, so did my wolf.

That deep, primal instinct inside me had gone on alert the moment Beck said those words, and it hadn’t quieted since.

Now, watching him sleep like nothing was wrong made my chest feel too tight and I had to do more. I ducked back inside the truck and pulled out my phone. The battery was at 18%, but I didn’t care.

I hit Tony’s name in my contacts and stepped around to the far side of the truck, pacing beside the closed service window.

He answered on the second ring. “Tony here.”

“You up?” I asked, keeping my voice low but tense.

“It’s me. Of course I’m up,” he replied. “What’s going on?”

“I need to know if you found anything usable on that corrupted footage from the fairground cameras. Anything at all.”

Tony sighed hard on the other end. “Not yet. I haven’t had the time. Got a backlog of security requests and?—”

I snapped. “Tony, I asked you to do this days ago.”

There was a pause. The kind that made my wolf bristle.

“I know, man. I said I’m on it,” he muttered.

“No, you’re not,” I growled, my voice low and shaking. “Beck thinks he’s being followed. That killer could be watching him right now and I’ve got nothing. I’m not asking for a favor. I’m asking for your help. Help me keep someone safe. Someone who matters.”

The words cracked in my throat before I could stop them. There was silence. Then Tony spoke, gentler. “I didn’t know it was that serious.”

I pressed a hand against my forehead, dragging it down my face.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I just…I can’t lose him. I can’t even think about it.”

“I get it,” Tony said. “I’ll bump it to the top. First thing tomorrow morning. You’ll have something soon.”

“Thanks,” I said, voice rough with gratitude.

As I hung up, I realized my hands were clenched tight. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth. The anger hadn’t helped, but I couldn’t fake calm when it came to Beck.

I turned back toward the bench. Beck was awake. He was sitting up now, blinking sleepily, the blanket pooled around his waist.

One of my hoodies hung off his frame like it belonged to him, and his hair was even more of a mess than earlier. His eyes met mine, soft, curious, quietly alert.

“How long have you been awake?” I asked, stepping closer.

“Long enough,” he said. His voice was quiet, unreadable.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “You heard that?”

“Most of it,” he admitted.

He scooted over on the bench and patted the space beside him. I hesitated.

I was still keyed up, still brimming with protective fury, but eventually sat down next to him. Close enough that our shoulders touched.

He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked out at the fairground. Lights still twinkled above the booths, and the Ferris wheel spun slowly in the distance, half-empty now.

Somewhere nearby, a tired cleanup crew member was sweeping popcorn off the pavement.

“You really think someone’s watching me?” Beck asked.

I didn’t lie. “Yeah. I do.”

He was quiet for a long beat. “Why didn’t you tell me you were this worried?” Beck eventually asked.

“Because you didn’t need more stress on your plate,” I said. “And because I was hoping I was wrong.”

He turned his head, studying me. “And if you’re not?”

I swallowed. “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

His hand reached for mine, warm and steady, and his fingers slipped between mine like it was the easiest thing in the world. My wolf eased immediately, soothed by the contact.

“You were yelling at Tony for me,” he said.

“I was,” I admitted. “Didn’t mean for you to hear it.”

“I’m glad I did.” He leaned his head against my shoulder. “I’ve never had anyone fight for me like that before.”

“Get used to it,” I murmured, tilting my head to rest against his. “You’re not just a target. You’re mine.”

The last word slipped out before I could stop it, weighted and wild.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away. He just went still for a second, then hummed low in his throat, a quiet, unspoken agreement.

“I don’t know what this is yet,” he said after a beat. “But I know I feel safe with you.”

I didn’t trust my voice, so I squeezed his hand instead.

We sat like that for a long while, watching the last few booths close down, the fair winding into silence around us. The night was cool, but Beck’s warmth pressed against me, anchoring me to the moment.

Eventually, he broke the silence again. “You know what might help?”

“What?” I asked.

“You still owe me that dinner,” he pointed out.

I smiled. “Yeah, I do. How about we finally take Ethan up on that free dinner at our restaurant?”

Beck blinked. “What? Right now?”

“Yeah, why not?” I shrugged. “We could use a break.”

He looked up at me. “You want me to meet your family?”

I shrugged. “If you’re okay with that.”

Beck grinned. “I guess if I’m important enough to yell at your hacker friend for, then I can brave some ribs and awkward small talk.”

I laughed, the tension in my chest finally loosening. “You’ll like them. You already know Ethan. Colton’s a pain in the ass, but Remy makes peach cobbler that might change your religion.”

He yawned, leaning fully into me. “Then I’m in.”

I wrapped an arm around him and held him close, watching the fair fade to dark. My wolf, finally, was quiet. Still alert, still watchful, but no longer pacing. Not with Beck safe beside me.

Beck fidgeted in the passenger seat, chewing his lip as we pulled up to Briggs BBQ. He sniffed the collar of his shirt for the third time since we’d left the fairgrounds.

“I should’ve showered,” he muttered. “Changed into something nicer.”

I let out a soft laugh and parked the truck. “Babe, it’s fine. They know we came straight from the fair. It’s just my cousins. You’ll be fine.”

Beck didn’t look convinced. He twisted in his seat like he wanted to bolt. I turned to face him, reaching across to gently cup his face in both hands.

“Hey,” I said softly. His gorgeous eyes snapped up to mine, wide and uncertain. “You’re perfect. They’re going to love you.”

I leaned in and kissed him, slow and sure, pressing every ounce of reassurance I could into it.

He kissed me back, just as gently, his fingers brushing my jaw as if grounding himself. When we pulled apart, I rested my forehead against his.

“Ready?” I asked him.

“No,” he whispered. “But let’s go anyway.”

The restaurant was closed for customers at this hour, the lights inside dimmed to a warm golden hue that made everything feel intimate, familiar. Home.

A long table was set up near the kitchen pass, already half-filled with platters of brisket, baked beans, cornbread, and peach cobbler.

“Look who finally decided to show,” Remy called as we stepped inside. His arms were crossed, but the smirk tugging at his lips was all affection.

Colton leaned against the counter, beer in hand. “Finally,” he said, nodding at Beck with a grin.

“Told you he would come,” Ethan chimed in from behind Colton.

Beck flushed, stammering out a hello. I chuckled and steered him toward the table.

“Remy and Colton, this is Beck. Beck, meet my favorite and sometimes least favorite people in the world,” I said.

They exchanged greetings, and I could tell Beck was trying hard not to shrink under the weight of attention. Remy pulled him into a hug anyway.

“You got good taste, Jesse,” Remy whispered loud enough for me to hear.

Colton clapped Beck on the back. “So, you’re the one Jesse’s been talking about non-stop these days.”

“Has he?” Beck said, shooting me a surprised glance.

I shrugged, grinning. “Maybe.”

I didn’t miss Ethan rolling his eyes at me. We all settled around the table.

Plates filled quickly, laughter flowed easier with food and beer. Beck slowly relaxed, answering questions about the food truck, his pack, and how he liked Pecan Pines so far.

He was a little shy, but honest, and every time he laughed at one of Ethan’s bad jokes or asked Remy about his dessert recipes, I felt something warm bloom in my chest.

This was what it should feel like. Bringing someone you cared about to your family. Watching them belong.

“It took us a few tries to find our rhythm,” I said when Colton asked how the truck was doing. “But now? We’re doing good. Real good. People like what we’re serving.”

“Not surprised,” Colton said, nodding approvingly. “You’ve always had a good palate, even when you were sneaking bites out of the smoker at ten years old.”

As laughter circled the table, I felt a tug at my sleeve. Colton jerked his head, motioning me to follow him toward the back.

I gave Beck a quick smile. He was laughing at something Ethan had said, and followed Colton into the small back office.

“How’s the investigation?” Colton asked without preamble, his tone shifting to something more serious.

I exhaled slowly. “Stalled. We’ve got nothing solid. And now Beck thinks he’s being followed. Could be nothing, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”

Colton’s jaw tensed, and he looked past me, thoughtful.

“You’ve got people who care, Jesse. Pack and blood. You don’t have to shoulder this alone,” Colton said.

“I know,” I admitted, the weight in my chest easing just a little. “It’s just…he’s important to me. More than I expected.”

He clapped my shoulder, firm. “Then we’ll keep him safe. All of us.”

We returned to the table, and the rest of the dinner passed easily. Dessert came out. Remy’s famous cobbler, and Beck seemed to win Remy’s approval when he asked for seconds.

He even offered to help clean up, and I could see Remy softening toward him more and more with each passing minute.

By the time we slid back into the truck, the night had fully fallen, cool and quiet around us. I reached for Beck’s hand, lacing our fingers together.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked him.

“I actually had fun,” Beck admitted, grinning over at me. “I was worried they’d think I was... I don’t know.”

I pulled his hand to my mouth and kissed the back of it. “You kidding? They love you.”

He laughed, a soft, lovely sound. “Oh yeah?”

“Absolutely,” I told him.

Beck rewarded me with a soft smile. Back at my apartment, the mood stayed warm, easy. We changed into comfy sweatpants, hoodies and pulled out the leftovers Remy insisted we take.

We sat cross-legged on the couch, eating cold brisket and cornbread with our fingers, the TV playing some old cooking show neither of us were really watching.

“You’ve got mustard on your lip,” Beck said, leaning in with a grin to kiss it off.

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that your way of flirting?”

“Maybe,” Beck said with a shrug.

“Effective,” I told him.

He licked a smear of barbecue sauce from his thumb, and my wolf perked up at the sight, intrigued. Tempted. It didn’t take long before I was kissing him again, slow and lingering.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him close until Beck was practically straddling me on the couch. I didn’t push for more and I didn’t need to. This quiet closeness was more than enough.

Eventually, we ended up curled together under a blanket, his head on my shoulder, my hand on his waist.

“I’m glad you came tonight,” I murmured against his temple.

“I’m glad you asked me,” he whispered back.

It hit me then, the weight of it all. How right this felt. Beck’s warmth next to mine.

His laughter around my family’s table. The way he made my apartment feel more like a home than it ever had before. My wolf stirred in approval, content.

But underneath that contentment was something deeper. Fierce. Protective.

Beck was mine. Maybe not officially, maybe not in a way either of us had said out loud yet, but I knew it in my bones. Knew it in the way my wolf settled whenever Beck was near.

Knew it in the way my chest ached with how badly I wanted to keep him safe, always. I kissed the top of his head and pulled him in a little closer.

“Jesse?” he asked softly, his voice already thick with sleep.

“Yeah?”

“I like your family,” he said.

“I like you,” I whispered back.

His smile was small and sleepy, but it hit me right in the chest.