“Nah. I want to get a run in while it’s still not roasting. The dogs need it almost as much as I do. I’ll shower afterward and then see about some brunch for you?”
“You don’t have—”
“Quit trying to talk me out of taking care of you. Or apologizing.” Jacob helped dry him off before assisting him out of the shower. “And I know resting sucks, but maybe you can find us something new to watch on the TV.”
“I’ll try,” he promised as he pulled on stretchy shorts to accommodate the cast. He followed Jacob to the living room and resigned himself to a day on the couch. “Don’t let the dogs pull on your am. You sure you’re cleared for running?”
“Well, they didn’t say not to run.” Jacob offered his classic devilish grin, something Linc was beyond relieved to see again. “I won’t be long, okay?”
He gave Linc a fast kiss on the head before heading out with the dogs. Linc watched preview after preview, nothing holding his interest, nothing that seemed ideal for bingeing with Jacob, who continued to be in an odd mood. Understandable really—Linc had put him through the ringer, then the near-death stuff with the fire, and Garrick being hurt, and him being off work. He was bound to be out of sorts, but still Linc worried about him, about what it meant for their future. He was almost grateful for the knock at the front door, even if hoisting himself off the couch and figuring out the crutches was a job and a half.
“Coming,” he yelled as he made his way to the door. “Hold your horses.”
Sims stood on his porch, covered casserole dish in hand, and usual stern expression in place. Heck. Maybe the TV was the better option after all than having to entertain his boss. But he couldn’t exactly turn her away either.
“Sorry. I...uh...didn’t know it was you.” He ushered her in.
“No worries. I had time off, so I thought I’d check in on you,” she said breezily as she found her way to the kitchen, where she set the casserole on the counter. “It’s some sort of chicken and Spanish rice dish. My husband made it, not me, so you can be sure it’s edible.”
“Thanks.” He offered a smile even as he was trying to figure out how to gracefully go for a shirt.
“Has HR been in contact with you yet? Your case for temporary disability is straightforward if you need it. Shouldn’t be much of an issue, but I’m sure there will be forms for your next doctor’s appointment.” Sims never was much for small talk, which Linc appreciated. It meant this visit might be on the short side, which was good.
“No. I’ll call tomorrow, get the paperwork started for leave or whatever.” Fuck, he didn’t want to think about how long he’d be off work. They’d told him in the hospital that he was looking at anywhere from six to nine months before he was back at pre-injury strength and range of motion, which meant he was for sure missing the rest of this fire season as a jumper, and at least several weeks before even light duty became a real option. “I’ve got plenty of sick days built up. Guess I’ll start with taking that.”
“Yes, that’s a blessing, although we’ve tried for years to get you to take more leave.” She gave him another sharp look.
“What? And miss jumps? No way.” Like all jumpers, he hated using his vacation and sick time during the season. But after all these years with the forest service, he did have enough to fall back on, at least while he was on crutches and dealing with the initial rehab process.
“Well, now you’ve got no choice but to take it easy. Don’t rush it back either. I’ve seen too many knee issues turn chronic when people try to rush the rehab.” Leaning against his counter, she pursed her mouth. “And you out on leave means more time for us to deal with—”
“Hey, we’re back!” The back door banged as Jacob came through the mudroom, dogs rushing ahead of him. Jacob was shirtless again, using his T-shirt to mop his face. “Shower. Then eggs. I bet you can talk me through those at least. And then, it occurred to me that unlike me, you’ve got two working hands...” He trailed off, voice going from seductive to startled as he lowered the shirt. “Oh, h-heck. Hi, boss. Didn’t notice your car.”
“That,” Sims said, voice as dry as August dirt around here. “As I was saying, more time for us to deal with that.”
“Me staying here? Helping Linc?” Jacob wasn’t much good at the whole feigning-ignorance thing and he yanked on his shirt like a guilty teen, but Linc appreciated the try.
“Do I strike you as particularly unobservant, Hartman?” Sims asked.
“No...” Jacob’s mouth quirked. “No, ma’am. Sorry.”
“This is apparently the season when we finally come up with a comprehensive fraternization policy.” Sims pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’ve got...what? Three crews with people dating. It’s past time we had a policy on file. Amendment to the anti-harassment one.”
“It’s on me.” Linc was fast to take responsibility before Jacob could speak up. “If you’re planning consequences, give them to me. Jacob’s one of the best jumpers you have, even as a rookie. He deserves to be back out there as soon as he’s medically cleared.”
“Thanks.” Jacob shot him a grateful look, eyes warm and mouth soft. “But it was both of us. I knew it wasn’t the best idea for work, but I still pursued it. I’ll take whatever discipline you think that needs.”
“I’m not sure.” Sims’s expression was uncharacteristically uncertain. “I don’t know as it’s fair to do retroactive discipline even though that might send a strong message discouraging such behavior. It’s more important what we do going forward. There will be long discussions about whether we can have couples in active relationships on the same crew, especially for small operations. We need a policy we can point to for everyone. So that’s something we’ll try to have in place before Reid is back. Luckily, we have some time.”
“I understand. I mean, I hate the idea of splitting us up, but I get where you’re coming from.” Jacob sounded like he was having to work hard at finding a reasonable tone. “We work well together. No reason to stop that.”
“You do work well together. No one is disputing that.” Sims voice was level, calming. “But we have to think across the board. Situations where losing a crew could mean a family losing both parents. Or where relationship discord spills over into life-and-death decisions. And unless we one-hundred-percent prohibit relationships, that’s the sort of implication we need to be ready for.”
“I get it.” Jacob sounded defeated, but Linc got Sims’s dilemma. The management team had to be fair to everyone and consider all possible contingencies. Jacob’s gaze met Linc’s, and Linc hated the disappointment there, hated knowing that them being together might have real-world consequences for them both.