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“Yeah, it was rough when he was still out there.”

“And Wild dealt with shit when he first got custody of the girls and then with Ava.”

Harry chewed his lower lip as worry spun through him. “How did you get over it?”

“We did what we could to protect our family and then trusted that everything would be okay.”

“Hey,” Wild said as he came up beside them. “I overheard you two having a serious conversation.”

Harry hated that Wild heard what was going through his mind. He didn’t want to be a bother. No question, his job required him to have his head on straight, but with Rory still dealing with the abuse she’d suffered, he didn’t know how to keep his thoughts from straying to her.

“He’s worried about Rory,” Bear said.

Harry flinched. “I’m being an idiot.”

“It’s difficult to go from being totally independent to having someone you care about left at home. Knowing you can’t do something if trouble surfaces makes it hard. But that’s why you set up measures to help them if stuff goes south while you’re gone.”

“You know,” Bear said. “With Rory’s background, she is capable?—”

“She lost a lot of muscle and doesn’t think she is capable.”

“Okay, there is that, but she has training.”

Bear was right. She did have training. She just had to recover enough to believe in herself. He needed to find a way to help her. If they left on a mission, he knew the other women would help, but there would still be nights she would be alone.

“I know I need to work on this. I can’t have worry about her filling my days.”

Wild shook his head. “No, you can’t. You need to focus.”

Frustration filled Harry. “I guess I need to work on that.”

“It will get better,” Wild said. “She will heal, and you will find a way to make it work when you’re out on missions.”

Harry nodded. “I know. I need to have faith in her, and you’re right. There are people who will help.” He clapped Wild on the back, then Bear. “Thanks for talking with me. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Sure, and give her an extra hug from us,” Wild said as he walked away.

Harry needed to get his act together before they went out on another mission. If he didn’t, it could be disastrous for everyone. Rory could hold her own, and she had support for when she couldn’t. They could make this work, somehow.

Chapter 43

Rory wasn’t sure exactly when things clicked, but life just seemed to get easier. She was still going to the therapist once a week, but she thought she was about ready to scale back to only twice a month. Hopefulness filled her, and she started looking for a job.

Harry hadn’t been called out for a mission, but she knew it would happen soon. Enough other teams had gone out, and she had little doubt it would soon be their turn.

The weather was warming, and they had hosted a couple of pool days, which were so much fun because of the kids. She really liked Ava, Jessica, and Ingrid. It seemed like they had formed a tight bond that gave her faith she had a real support system.

“Is your interview today?” Harry called from the bathroom after finishing his shower.

She stepped into the bedroom, watching him dry. “It is. I’m leaving here at nine. I think that gives me plenty of time to get there and park.”

“Well, good luck. I’m sure it will go great.”

“I hope so. It’s not the only place I’m looking, but they seem to be good.”

Harry came over and brushed a kiss on her cheek before she pulled on her underwear. The sex between them kept getting better and better. Harry figured out that he liked when she took control. It made her feel powerful, like she had her shit together.

“Text me and tell me how it went.”

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