***
MJ stood stirring a pot of chili on the stove, the smells making her stomach growl. Rob should be home soon. He’d gone to the hospital to see Jethro and called her on his way home. He had something they needed to discuss.
Was Jethro all right? Maverick stood and went to the kitchen door. She hadn’t heard the truck, but apparently, Rob had arrived.
“Hi, honey, I’m home,” Rob said as he came through the door, ruffling Maverick’s neck fur in greeting. He leaned down and kissed MJ, and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
“How was your day, dear?” she asked.
He laughed. “I fed cows. I fed horses. I checked fences. Same old, same old.”
“How’s Jethro?” she asked later as they ate her homemade chili.
He sobered. “He’s making progress, but they’ve told him they don’t think he’ll be up to ranching. At least not at the level he was before.”
“Oh, no. He must be devastated.” She couldn’t imagine how he’d cope with such a huge life change.
“Yeah. He doesn’t want to move to Atlanta with Catherine, and I can’t say I blame him. I can’t imagine him dealing well with big city life. Too much traffic. Too much hustle and bustle. Not enough livestock.”
She nodded. “What’s he planning to do?”
He explained what Jethro had in mind.
“What do you think?”
“I told him I needed to talk with you about it.”
“Would you need to move to the ranch?” She calmed her thoughts, hoping to mask her feelings. This could be good for him, but what would happen to their relationship?
“No way.” He leaned over and pulled her into his arms. “There’d be more responsibility and probably more time when I’d need to be there, but I’m not letting anything impede our relationship. You’re too important to me, MJ.”
She let out a breath. “Okay. What are the pros and cons?” She pulled a notebook out of her book bag, and together they talked.
Rob’s time commitment would increase, but not by much. He’d be on call, but that had been the plan all along. He’d be able to learn about this ranch, and these herds. “I could take my time to decide if I want to buy it. In the meantime, I’d be investing my time and energy into the ranch’s success, and I’ll get a return on that investment. It’s probably the safest way to learn about ranching in East Tennessee. If it doesn’t work out, I can walk away.”
“Really? You’d walk out on Jethro?” She gulped. “What about me and Maverick?”
“I didn’t mean I’d walk away from you guys. If it looks like Mountain View Ranch isn’t the right place, I’ll let Jethro know I’m not planning to buy it and help him get it ready to sell when the time is right. I’ll keep looking for our place.”
“Our place?” Much as she’d fantasized about living on a ranch with him, they hadn’t directly talked of her being part of it.
“Sorry. That’s how I think about it. You may not be ready to hear this, but I want you to be part of my future. When the time is right, I will ask you to marry me, MJ.”
She felt her heart flutter and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when he raised his hand in front of her face.
“I know. It’s too soon for both of us. I want you to know what I’m thinking, though.”
She nodded. They’d slipped into a comfortable relationship. In reality, neither of them knew what the future would bring, but somehow, they could figure it out together.
“Let’s sleep on it,” Rob said, and she looked into his eyes and smiled. He always seemed to know when she was in the mood for intimacy. What better way to move on from their serious discussion?
Later, they cuddled together on the couch, watching a romantic movie on one of the cable channels. He stroked her arm absently and every so often would lean in and kiss her.
“We’ll figure it out,” she told him. Could he accept more responsibility at the ranch without losing a grip on her and their relationship?
She began to drift off and startled when her phone rang. Caller ID said it was the Ridgeview Attorney General’s office. “Hello?”
Rob cocked an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged.
“Mary Jane? This is Assistant Attorney General Andrea Wilton. I hope I haven’t called too late.”
“No, we were just watching TV.”
“I wanted you to know that I spoke with the attorney for Kent Barnard late this afternoon. His name is Jason Mathews, and he’s handling the defense for both your case of breaking and entering and attempted assault, and an earlier case with Mr. Barnard that involved another victim.”
“Yes, I knew that.”
“Mr. Mathews called to tell me that his client wants to plead guilty in both cases. I’m not sure if he played a role in convincing Barnard to do that, but what that means is that we will settle your case in the next couple of months. You won’t need to testify, but I will let you know when sentencing will be in case you want to come. My Victim-Witness Specialist will contact you about writing a victim-impact statement. That helps the court understand the impact the crime has had on you, and that information is used to determine his sentence.”
“Wow. I can’t tell you what good news that is. I wasn’t looking forward to reliving it in court.”
“I know. Justice may sometimes seem cumbersome, but the important thing is to make sure people who hurt others pay for their crimes. That’s my belief, anyway.”
“Thank you, Ms. Wilton. I appreciate you calling us right away.”
She disconnected the call and filled Rob in. He pulled her into his arms, and she saw her
