“How’s your design business coming, Tess?” MJ asked.
“Getting better every week,” the woman answered.
“I’m glad to hear it.” She turned to Rob, explaining that she’d been one of the first people in Ridgeview to hire Tess’s design services for her house.
“You did a great job, Tess,” Rob said.
“Yes, you did. I love the mixture of old and new you brought to the Craftsman.” Tess had finally closed her interior design business in Chicago and opened up Cove Mountain Design Studio in an old house near downtown Ridgeview.
She felt the press of Rob’s leg against hers and reached down to squeeze his hand. They exchanged looks, and she loved how connected she felt to him.
As Tess told them about her latest design job, MJ studied her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. Tess and Nick were perfect together, much better than he’d been with Tess’s sister, whom he’d dated in high school. She couldn’t wait to see them settle down.
“Have you set a date yet?” she finally asked because the suspense of it made her a little crazy.
Tess blushed and looked at Nick as if questioning him. He nodded. “We just decided. We’re getting married in late spring.”
“That’s wonderful!” MJ said.
“Congratulations,” Rob said, squeezing MJ’s hand. She stroked his hand with her fingers below the table.
They moved into a discussion of their wedding plans, interrupted only by the waitress taking their order.
The talk of a wedding made MJ think about marriage. Would she and Rob end up together? Was he thinking about it as he heard Tess and Nick talk about their plans?
“MJ, we’d like you to be in the wedding party,” Tess said, startling MJ out of her thoughts. “My friend Grace Dawson will be the Matron of Honor, but we’d like you to be a bridesmaid if you’re willing.”
“I’m honored,” she answered immediately. “I’m so happy for you two, and I’d love to be part of your special day.”
“Perfect,” said Nick.
As the four of them ate their hamburgers, their conversation moved on to talk about the break-in.
“Have you heard anything from the police about Kent Barnard?” asked Nick.
“The detective called to let us know that they are keeping him in jail until his trial on the sexual abuse of his daughter. He wasn’t supposed to have contact with his ex-wife, which he violated, and they’d warned him to stay away from Rob and Maverick. At his bond hearing, the prosecutor argued that he was a danger to the community.” MJ shuddered.
Rob leaned in and put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”
“I know, but I still think about what might have happened if they’d been a few minutes later.” She leaned into his chest, taking solace from his embrace. She saw her brother cringe. Apparently, he also thought about what might have happened.
“The detective told me that the grand jury indicted him for breaking and entering and attempted assault with a deadly weapon because of the knife he carried.” MJ did her best to hide her emotions, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
“Will you have to testify at a preliminary hearing or trial?” ask Tess.
“Probably. Detective Bailey said the Attorney General’s office would contact me about when I need to testify.”
Their conversation ran out, and shortly afterward, she and Rob excused themselves and went home.
“I hate thinking about it,” she confessed to him as they stood in the backyard, letting Maverick explore and do his nightly duty.
“I know. I do, too.”
“I wish I could just forget all about it and never had to talk about it again.”
Rob called Maverick over and then pulled her into his arms. “I wish it had never happened, babe. Neither of us deserved to have him target us like that. The important thing is for us to stay safe, and not to let him take up space in our heads. We need to go on living.”
She nodded and hugged him, burying her nose in the crease of his neck and shoulder. “And loving.”
“Now you’re talking,” Rob said as her directed her chin up where he could lean down and kiss her lips.
She took a deep breath, relieved that Rob could banish the bad stuff with a kiss. She kissed him back, letting her emotions communicate how much she loved him.
Chapter Thirty
Each time he went to the PTSD Support Group, Rob felt more comfortable. Not that the subject was free of anxiety, but he and the others in attendance had a lot in common. He hadn’t worked up the nerve to talk about his own issues yet, but he listened avidly, and took the solutions offered to try on his own.
Tyler was becoming a good friend, and they often talked about the meeting on the way home, each sharing their own experiences. Tonight was no exception.
“What do you think about sharing the fact you suffer from PTSD with other people?” he asked as they drove back to Ridgeview.
“It’s hard to face that risk, but I think it’s important,” Tyler answered. “I tried to keep it covered up when I first got back. Everybody knew I was injured, but I felt weird sharing information about PTSD. I thought people would judge me.”
“But you started telling them?”
“Yeah. I was careful who I shared it with, and I tried to pick people I could trust. My brother and parents were first. I couldn’t hide it very well from them, anyway. Don’t laugh, but I practiced by telling my horses.”
Rob looked at him, startled. “Really? Why?”
“Well, you know, horses don’t lie, and they don’t like people who do. They sense it when you’re not being real. They read your body language, so if you are trying to hold back and hide something, they know, and they react. They don’t trust you.”
“I never thought
