me about the same time it hit everyone else.”
Gabe admitted, “I’m sorry. When Jennifer kept talking about someone named Mac, I just thought we were meeting some guy. I mean, I can’t swear that the name Mackenna would have registered with me, but at least we would have been a little more prepared.”
Tony, having sat quietly watching Jobe, finally said, “You want to tell us what you’re thinking?”
Jobe snorted as he answered. “I’ve been thinking of her since I left the center. I have no idea what place I can carve out in her world, but I’d like to try. If she’ll let me, that is.”
“But?” Vinny prompted.
“But there’s a lot for her to have to forgive for us to even be acquaintances, much less friends,” Jobe replied. “And I don’t have a clue how to go about trying to get her to forgive me.”
“Hell man, every one of us has come to you for advice about our women and now you’re the one who should have the answers,” Vinny exclaimed.
“So what do you think I should do?” Jobe asked, looking at his closest friends.
“I think she deserves the truth,” Gabe answered, as the others agreed.
“The truth? I should tell her that after what I saw, I lost it? That I’ve been successfully dealing with PTSD, but at the time I was so overwhelmed that the idea of being with anyone was horrifying to me?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what you should tell her. The honest to God truth,” Tony stated firmly.
Jobe sighed as he leaned back in his seat. The silence once again filled the room. “It sounds so fucking pathetic now. Over there, the idea of maintaining a relationship was overwhelming. Monumental. Unattainable. Now, looking back? Jesus, I took the pussy way out!”
Tony leaned forward, holding Jobe’s gaze. “You did what you had to back then to survive. We all did in our own ways. There was no right or wrong. We just did what we had to do to keep going in any way we could. That’s what you need to tell her. That’s the conversation you need to have.”
Jobe nodded slowly, sucking in a huge breath. “I know. Even if she never forgives me, she deserves to know that. I owe her that.”
“Now, I gotta know if this is going to be a problem on the job. I think you’re the best man for taking care of her security, along with Gabe. But just because this is a pro bono case, Mackenna is still my client and I gotta know that a professional job can be done.”
Jobe wanted to be insulted that Tony even had to ask, but his Captain would demand nothing but the utmost best from everyone. Looking him in the eye, he nodded. “I’ve got this, sir. You’ll get nothing but the best from me.”
Tony grinned as he stood and said, “Just what I expected.” As he walked to the door, Gabe and Vinny both nodded to Jobe before leaving.
Gabe admitted, “Listen, I told Jennifer what I knew but told her that the story is yours to tell Mackenna if and when you choose. She understands that because that’s what I finally did with some of my experiences.”
Vinny agreed, “Same here. It took a while for me to unload some of that shit off on Annalissa, but she gets it now. Just remember—you need us, we’re here.”
With that, the three friends left leaving Jobe alone with his thoughts…and memories.
*
Mackenna got to the center early the next morning, having not slept the night before. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that stuck out of the opening in the back of her ball cap. Good—I’ll show him that he’s not worth my getting fixed up for. She stilled for a moment, her eyes closed as her knuckles ached from gripping the counter fiercely. Be strong. Never let him see that he devastated me. Just then, she heard the sounds of several men outside. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off of the counter and went out to greet them.
Hours later, Mackenna was wondering about her sanity for agreeing to the security work. Jobe had managed to do his job and be where she was at every turn. When
Gabe admitted, “I’m sorry. When Jennifer kept talking about someone named Mac, I just thought we were meeting some guy. I mean, I can’t swear that the name Mackenna would have registered with me, but at least we would have been a little more prepared.”
Tony, having sat quietly watching Jobe, finally said, “You want to tell us what you’re thinking?”
Jobe snorted as he answered. “I’ve been thinking of her since I left the center. I have no idea what place I can carve out in her world, but I’d like to try. If she’ll let me, that is.”
“But?” Vinny prompted.
“But there’s a lot for her to have to forgive for us to even be acquaintances, much less friends,” Jobe replied. “And I don’t have a clue how to go about trying to get her to forgive me.”
“Hell man, every one of us has come to you for advice about our women and now you’re the one who should have the answers,” Vinny exclaimed.
“So what do you think I should do?” Jobe asked, looking at his closest friends.
“I think she deserves the truth,” Gabe answered, as the others agreed.
“The truth? I should tell her that after what I saw, I lost it? That I’ve been successfully dealing with PTSD, but at the time I was so overwhelmed that the idea of being with anyone was horrifying to me?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what you should tell her. The honest to God truth,” Tony stated firmly.
Jobe sighed as he leaned back in his seat. The silence once again filled the room. “It sounds so fucking pathetic now. Over there, the idea of maintaining a relationship was overwhelming. Monumental. Unattainable. Now, looking back? Jesus, I took the pussy way out!”
Tony leaned forward, holding Jobe’s gaze. “You did what you had to back then to survive. We all did in our own ways. There was no right or wrong. We just did what we had to do to keep going in any way we could. That’s what you need to tell her. That’s the conversation you need to have.”
Jobe nodded slowly, sucking in a huge breath. “I know. Even if she never forgives me, she deserves to know that. I owe her that.”
“Now, I gotta know if this is going to be a problem on the job. I think you’re the best man for taking care of her security, along with Gabe. But just because this is a pro bono case, Mackenna is still my client and I gotta know that a professional job can be done.”
Jobe wanted to be insulted that Tony even had to ask, but his Captain would demand nothing but the utmost best from everyone. Looking him in the eye, he nodded. “I’ve got this, sir. You’ll get nothing but the best from me.”
Tony grinned as he stood and said, “Just what I expected.” As he walked to the door, Gabe and Vinny both nodded to Jobe before leaving.
Gabe admitted, “Listen, I told Jennifer what I knew but told her that the story is yours to tell Mackenna if and when you choose. She understands that because that’s what I finally did with some of my experiences.”
Vinny agreed, “Same here. It took a while for me to unload some of that shit off on Annalissa, but she gets it now. Just remember—you need us, we’re here.”
With that, the three friends left leaving Jobe alone with his thoughts…and memories.
*
Mackenna got to the center early the next morning, having not slept the night before. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that stuck out of the opening in the back of her ball cap. Good—I’ll show him that he’s not worth my getting fixed up for. She stilled for a moment, her eyes closed as her knuckles ached from gripping the counter fiercely. Be strong. Never let him see that he devastated me. Just then, she heard the sounds of several men outside. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off of the counter and went out to greet them.
Hours later, Mackenna was wondering about her sanity for agreeing to the security work. Jobe had managed to do his job and be where she was at every turn. When
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