Page 23 of Jobe

“It will take time ya know?” Penny admitted to him.

Jobe sat down at the table across from her and nodded. “I want to talk to her Mrs. Dunn. I want to try to explain to her what it took several years of counseling for me to understand. But I need you to understand also,” he said, his eyes imploring hers. “I don’t expect us to get back to where we were. I just want to be in her life again because she was the best thing to happen to me outside the Forces. I’ll take just having her forgive me.”

“She ma su-pris ya. I don thin she eva stop lovin ya.”

He peered deeply into her eyes, seeing only truth and comfort there. Smiling, he admitted, “That’d be more than I deserve. But if it’s true…I’ll take it!”

They settled comfortably eating breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts. He thought back to last night when they arrived. After giving the two women a quick tour, he set their bags into the guest room. His friends had turned their second bedrooms into offices, but Jobe left his as a bedroom since he often had a sister or Army friend dropping by.

Mackenna and he had silently worked side by side as they dressed the bed with new sheets. He saw the strain around her eyes and said, “I know you’re not happy about this, but I’m the only one who has a spare bedroom right now. Your mom needs rest, so I’ll let you get her settled in.”

She had actually looked at him in gratitude which zinged right to his heart.

“Anything you need?” he asked, stepping closer. He noticed her licking her lips as her gaze moved from his eyes down to his chest and then back up. All he wanted to do was take those lips, suck on them until she was warm and wild. Blinking to clear his mind, he held her gaze.

“Hmmm?” she asked, her forehead crinkled in thought.

“Is there anything I can get you to make you or your mom more comfortable?” he repeated.

An adorable blush crept up her face, as she jerked to attention. “No. Um, no thank you.”

With that he had left the room, given Penny a quick hug and walked into his bedroom, closing the door. And proceeded to lay awake all night. Thoughts of what they were, what they could have been, and what he wished they could be swirling around in his mind.

* * *

Mackenna lay in bed, her mind on overload. When she first woke up, she could not remember where she was. Then it all came rushing back and her heart pounded in fear.Gunshots, glass, her mom, the police.And Jobe.Sighing, she gazed around the neat room and wondered how on earth she had gotten into this situation.We could have gone to a motel. But that’s not secure. We could have gone with Jennifer and slept on their sofa. But that’s not fair to their growing family. We could have…oh, hell, this was the only real choice.

Sitting up in bed, she saw her belongings neatly stacked in the corner with her laptop bag on top. Remembering what she had been looking up last night before the craziness exploded all around, she let her thoughts wander back to Jobe.Loss of control issues. Workaholic. Pulling away from loved ones.As much as her mind wanted to continue to hate him, she realized that something traumatic happened to the man she loved.

Too much time had passed to ever go back to what they were, but she could not help but wonder if perhaps he would share part of his past with her.Just so I can put it all to rest, once and for all. Only then, I might be able to move forward.

Getting out of bed, she threw on the robe that was laying on the floor and walked down the hall. The sight that greeted her was as bizarre as the entire past twenty-four hours and, yet, seemed oddly right.

Jobe and Penny were sitting, chatting over breakfast as though they had been doing so for years. Both looked up as she watched them, their smiles real and unforced.

“Goo mo-nin,” Penny greeted as Mackenna walked over to kiss her mom.

Jobe rose from his seat and headed to the stove. He was filling up her plate as she moved next to him. “You don’t have to get this,” she said, softly. “I can do it.”

“I know you can, but I’d like to,” he replied, smiling at her.

“You’ve done so much already,” she protested, taking the filled plate from his hands. As their fingers touched, her breath quickened.

“I’ve done very little for what all I need to make up for,” he said.

“Is that what this is?” she asked. “Guilt?”

He snorted as he poured her coffee. “I’m filled with guilt, doll. But no, this is doing what I want to do just because I want to help take care of you and your mom.”

Not knowing if he was referring to last night’s events or something else, she remained quiet. Taking the coffee in one hand she walked over to the table, sat next to her mom and dug in greedily to her breakfast.

Jobe reminded her that she was going to be going with him to Alvarez Security to meet with Tony and the detectives.

He caught her concerned glance at her mother and quickly said, “I’ve made arrangements for Penny for today. She’ll be well looked after.”

Penny seemed to be happy with whatever plans had been made, so Mackenna did not dispute Jobe taking charge. At least for the moment.

8

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