“Don’t you guys ever take a break?” Max asked.
“We had to keep things going to keep paying the mortgage. I have yet to adjust the hours based on the new income with the Brotherhood Protectors,” Gunny said. “I’m sure it’ll make the bar patrons very unhappy if I close down on any of their favorite nights of the week. I might consider hiring one more person to help staff the Watering Hole. I’m sure RJ and JoJo don’t want to commit the rest of their lives to this place.”
RJ stared at her father. “I’ve always loved the ranch. There’d have to be a really good reason to make me want to leave.” Her gaze shot to Jake.
He grinned. “All the more reason to make this branch of the Brotherhood Protectors pay off,” he said. “I like it here, too. Not so much for the place, but for the people running it.” He reached out and took RJ’s hand.
The love beaming from his eyes for RJ made JoJo’s heart ache. She had dreamed of one day finding someone who’d look at her that way. But now, the only dreams she had were nightmares. She was no good to any relationship the way she was now. Which reminded her. She needed to talk to Emily and reschedule her Thursday appointment.
“I have to make a phone call, and then I’ll be at the Watering Hole to help serve the dinner crowd,” JoJo said.
“That’s good.” Gunny lifted his chin. “We all need to exchange numbers so we can communicate if need be about the event.”
Each of them got out their phones and exchanged numbers amongst themselves.
“If we’re done here,” Gunny said, “we have more work to do at the bar.”
RJ stood and glanced across at JoJo. “See you over at the Watering Hole.”
JoJo nodded. “I’ll be right there.”
RJ turned to Jake. “If you want to join me tonight, I’ll show you what drinks customers prefer for the most part and help you with any that you don’t remember how to make.”
He nodded. “I’m with you. Lead the way.”
Chapter 4
After the room cleared, JoJo pulled out her cellphone and hit Emily’s number with a video call, knowing that she would probably still be in the office. The therapist loved to work late, catching up on her notes in each of her patient’s files. She’d given JoJo her personal cellphone number, which she normally didn’t do for the rest of her patients, but because JoJo and Emily were part of Gunny’s family, she’d stretched that rule to include JoJo and had encouraged her to call whenever she needed someone to talk to.
JoJo appreciated the offer and tried not to take advantage of it. If JoJo cancelled now, Emily would have an opportunity to fill her appointment with somebody else.
“Hey, JoJo. How’s it going?” Emily’s voice sounded on the other end of the line and her face came into view on the screen.
“Okay, I guess,” she said.
“You want to talk about it?” Emily asked.
She hadn’t planned on it, but since she had her on the line, she figured she’d better tell her before somebody else did about what had happened in the barn that day. “I kind of lost it today,” JoJo said.
“How so?” Emily’s voice was a little tighter.
“One of the new guys who’s here with the Brotherhood Protectors came into the barn while I was working with some loud machinery and touched me on the shoulder. I didn’t know he was there until he touched me.”
“Yikes,” Emily said.
JoJo winced. “Yes, yikes.”
“What’d you do?”
“You know those Krav Maga lessons I’ve been taking?” JoJo asked.
Emily nodded. “Yes.”
JoJo met Emily’s gaze. “Well…they worked.”
Emily chuckled. “Well, I hope you didn’t break the man…”
“I flipped him over my shoulder, and he landed on his back.”
“Dang, girl. I’d say the lessons worked.” Emily grinned. “Bet he didn’t expect it.”
“No. I think he hit his head, but he seemed to be okay. He got up and helped with the lunch crowd, so I guess he wasn’t too badly injured.”
“Oh my,” Emily said. “How did he take it?”
“Better than I did.”
“What do you mean?” Emily asked.
“After I flipped him, he spun me over and trapped me beneath him.”
Emily’s tone softened. “I take it you didn’t like that very much.”
JoJo shook her head. “No. He said he only held me down to keep me from biting, hitting, or scratching him.”
“And were you doing all of that?” Emily asked, a smile playing at her lips.
JoJo’s cheeks heated. “All of that.”
“That’s the kind of knee-jerk reaction you’re going to have until you resolve these issues. Even then, you might not get rid of those urges for fight or flight.”
“I’m so tired of jumping at every little thing.” She waved her hand in the air as she walked across the dining room. “Emily, I flipped that man. What if it had been Gunny? I could’ve really hurt him.”
Emily chuckled. “I’m impressed that you flipped him. At least you know that you can defend yourself.”
“But I didn’t,” JoJo said. “He rolled me over and pinned me down. I was back in the same position where I couldn’t defend myself. So, the Krav Maga lessons only worked halfway.”
“Which man was it?” Emily asked.
JoJo cringed. “Max.”
“The man who took you to the Sadie Hawkins dance?”
“One and the same,” JoJo said. “I’m really making a great impression on him by now.”
“And do you care what kind of impression you make with this particular man?”
JoJo’s gut reaction was to say no, but she hesitated. “I don’t want Gunny to lose business because one of his employees is attacking his guests.”
“Is that the only reason why you’re worried about the impression you make on this particular man?”
She’d be lying if she said yes. “I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Sounds like you might like this guy.”
“If I did, what good is that? He’s got his own issues. He doesn’t need someone like me.”
“Hey, JoJo, don’t knock yourself. You’re an amazing woman who’s suffered a lot and who came through
