The smell of barbeque grabbed her senses, and her stomach let out an embarrassing growl. “Sorry.”
“Sounds like my timing is just right. You must be hungry.”
“No kidding. The barbeque smells fabulous. Where’d you go?”
“That little hole-in-the wall place on Archer. I thought about going to The Diner, but as I was going past this place, the smell of smoking meat pulled me in off the street.”
“I’m glad.” She beckoned him to follow her into the break room after checking the whereabouts of library patrons.
Once he’d laid down the bag, MJ grabbed it, and stuck her hand in to pull out a large sandwich bun loaded with barbeque. A small packet soon followed. “Pickles?”
“Yeah, I like dill pickles on my sandwich.”
She raised an eyebrow, as she drew out two small bags of potato chips, followed by a salad in a plastic container from the bottom of the bag. “Perfect.”
She got up and grabbed plates from the cabinet next to the sink, and some forks and a knife from the drawer nearby.
She handed them to Rob and went back for napkins. Rob cut the sandwich in half and put one half onto each plate, as she portioned out the salad.
“How did your counseling session go? Or shouldn’t I ask? I don’t want to put my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“No problem. It was good. I think it’s really helping.” He looked lost in thought. “You know, sometimes I’ve felt I’m really broken, but Michael reminds me I’ve just seen stuff. He’s encouraging, but very matter-of-fact. He makes me feel like it’s no big deal.”
“Good. I know it is a big deal, but it happens to a lot of vets, so for veterans, it’s sort of normal.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that. There are a lot of vets who suffer from PTSD. More than people realize.”
“I’m just glad you’re doing something about it, and that talking is helping.”
“It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week, and that I only met you six months ago.” His dark brown eyes studied her.
“We’ve been through a lot in a short time.” She met his gaze.
“Yes, we have.” He paused. “But it’s been worth every moment.” His eyes seemed full of an emotion that looked like sorrow.
“I wouldn’t have met you if it hadn’t been for Maverick.”
Rob shook his head. “Let’s be honest. If it weren’t for Trevor.”
“I know.” She felt such intense feelings for Rob. Every time she thought about Trevor, she was convinced he’d be happy for them. She’d fallen for Rob fast, but the love she felt for him was real—and lasting. Every day they spent together, she became more and more convinced he was the man for her. If she was reading him right, she was the woman for him, too.
Why couldn’t she put all that into words? “There’s so much I’d like to say, but I don’t know how,” she began.
“I feel the same way. My feelings for you are so intense; there aren’t words to explain it.” Rob pushed aside his food and reached for her hand.
“Yes! That’s exactly it.” She searched his face, not certain what she was looking for. Could he possibly feel the same way?
“I feel as if you’re my soulmate, MJ. I want you in my life forever.”
“I feel the same way.” She looked down at her lap before gazing back at him. “I dream about living on that ranch you want to create, with kids, horses, and cows.”
“I didn’t know if you’d like that kind of life. It makes me happy to know you dream about it, and about us being together and raising a family. I want that more than anything.”
She heard a bell ring. Damn. Someone needed her at the front desk. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his arms, to kiss him, and to squeal with glee that they both wanted the same thing.
“I’ve got to go,” she said, looking over her shoulder at the door. An elderly man shifted impatiently back and forth in front of the checkout desk.
“Sorry. We’ll talk more about this. I’ll clean this stuff up.”
“Thanks, Rob. I want to talk about this some more.” Her smile grew as she thought about the conversations they’d have. “I’ll be home around five-thirty. We’re going to Mom’s for supper, remember?”
“I remember,” he said.
She grinned as he gave her a wink. No doubt about it. She was a very lucky woman, having a man like him.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Rob arrived at Wayward Ranch on Friday, a few minutes before nine. As he finished parking his truck, Tyler came down the steps from the wraparound porch.
“Morning,” he greeted Rob. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?”
Rob nodded. “Sounds great.”
Tyler escorted him into the house and led the way down the hall into a large, recently remodeled kitchen.
“Nice place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks. It belonged to my folks, but I’ve done a lot of remodeling to bring it into the 21st century. It’s taken me about three years, and I still have more to go, but I like how it’s turned out. I want to raise a family here someday.”
Rob raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you were dating anybody.”
Tyler let out a bitter laugh. “I’m not. But when I meet the right woman, I’ll be ready, I guess.”
“You never know when the right woman will come along. It’s often when you least expect it.”
Tyler shrugged. “Probably.” He opened a cabinet door, brought out a large ceramic mug, and filled it with a hot, dark brew. “How do you take it?”
“Black’s fine.” Rob took the mug and breathed in
