Riley was sitting in the car just like Trevor told her to.

It didn’t matter that she’d rolled the window down and could hear everything that was being said.

It didn’t matter that she knew the camera on the dash was recording everything Trevor was doing and saying.

It didn’t even matter that what was unfolding was scaring the crap out of her.

Nope, that man grabbed his child and threw him against the house and she jumped out of the car and started to run.

It happened so fast. Trevor had the bigger man on the ground and cuffed before she could even climb the few steps. All she knew was she had to get to that child.

Her phone in hand, she was dialing 911 immediately and requesting an ambulance.

“I told you to stay in the car,” Trevor said, his voice extremely harsh.

“I did, until I saw this. His arm is broken.”

“I know,” Trevor said. He squatted down. “What’s your name, son?”

“Jack,” Cassie said. “Is his arm really broken?” she asked, her hands trying to soothe her son.

Riley looked at Trevor and she nodded her head. “Yeah,” he said. “I told you things would get worse, Cassie. Why didn’t you listen to me?”

“You don’t understand,” Cassie said, sobbing. “It’s okay, Jack. The ambulance is coming. You’re going to be fine. Such a brave boy, standing up for me.”

“He shouldn’t have to do that, Cassie,” Trevor said. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not the time, Trevor,” Riley said, looking at Cassie. Her face was a mess, and not just from the tears. “You need to get looked at, too,” she told Cassie.

“I’m fine,” Cassie said.

“You’re not,” Riley said. If her guess was correct, Cassie had a broken jaw, if not nose. Something wasn’t right with her face, it was clear.

The ambulance pulled up to the house, the EMTs coming forward. It wasn’t long before Jack and his mother were loaded in and on their way to the hospital. “You need to go to the station, don’t you?” she asked.

“I won’t be long. I just want to get this taken care of. He won’t be posting bail until he lawyers up, which won’t be until at least noon tomorrow. If that.”

“Just drop me off at home,” she said. “I’ve got a call to make anyway.”

“Will you come to my house when you’re done?” he asked her.

“I’ll be there. Let me know when you’re on your way,” she said.

“Just head over there now if you don’t mind. I’d like to know you are there when I’m done.”

“I can do that,” she said, as they walked back to his SUV in silence.

On the drive back to her house, she tried to calm her racing heart. She always knew Trevor was strong. That Trevor could be fierce. That Trevor knew what he was doing.

Now she knew beyond a doubt that he’d be there for her if she ever needed it. That he’d stand behind her, and he’d believe her. That he’d protect her.

 

***

 

“How are you doing today?” Max asked Riley when she stopped at his office during her lunch.

“I’m fine. Just picking up some more product,” she said, browsing the racks behind the locked glass doors.

“Come on back to my office,” he said.

She followed him, wishing that his staff hadn’t called him to say she was up front. She didn’t want to see him.

Which was a lie. She did. She needed to see someone after yesterday. After what happened.

Needing new product was as good of an excuse as possible.

“How is Cassie doing?” she asked him.

“Not bad. Probably would have been worse if you hadn’t called me. I don’t think the ER would have thought she’d need a plastic surgeon, and a general surgeon would have done a shoddy job resetting and repairing her cheek and jaw. At least now it will look better when it’s all healed.”

“How about Jack? Any word on him?” she asked.

“I didn’t talk to him. But they did let him come in to see his mother when she was in recovery before I left. Got himself a nice blue cast up to his armpit.”

“It makes me sick,” she said, just thinking of it again. Every time she closed her eyes last night, she saw it over and over again.

Trevor tried to take her mind off of it. She appreciated that he tried.

They’d gone out on his jet ski for an hour or so, then climbed on his bike and took a drive, stopped for dinner, then came home to watch the sunset on his deck.

They talked about everything and anything but what had actually occurred that afternoon. What she’d seen, what she’d felt, and what her fears were, all of that was locked up tight inside of her like a vault.

“It’s all around you, Riley,” Max said.

“I know. I guess I’m just not used to seeing it up close and personal like that.”

“You don’t do well with violence. You never did. Couldn’t stand to see a bug get stepped on, so I’ve got to imagine this really rattled you.”

“It did. I didn’t think, though. I mean, Trevor told me to stay in the car, but I couldn’t. Not after I saw what happened to Jack.”

“That’s why you went into dentistry, isn’t it?”

She frowned, not liking his questioning. “I like teeth.”

“You do. You always did. But you didn’t want to have to deal with the result of any violence or severe trauma. It never sat well with you. You’re this tough chick with a hard outer shell wrapped up in a pretty little bow. You throw off vibes like you’ve got it all covered and can handle anything, but we both know you can’t.”

Max was getting a little too personal right now. A little too close for comfort. “There’s nothing wrong with not liking violence. That doesn’t mean I pretend it doesn’t exist. Maybe my heart is just a little softer than yours.”

He laughed. “You might be right. Or maybe not. I think we both have pretty big hearts and are very compassionate people. I just think you have a hard time drawing the line between your job and the people themselves.”

“So says the doctor everyone loves because he cares so much,” she said, laughing.

“I care. So do you. But I can put my empathy aside to focus on the task at hand, then once the job is done, I can be that caring person again. You can’t separate the two and function at the same time, Riley. You never could.”

He was right. Dissecting dead frogs made her force back the tears. She’d never be able to make it as a surgeon. Her skill level would have been there, but emotionally it would have worn her down. Probably broken her, trying to not let anyone know, too.

“Are we done with the heart-to-heart now? I really just wanted some products and I need to get back to my office. I’ve got a root canal to perform in an hour.”

He laughed. “Do you even know what you want, or was that your excuse to see me?”

“Maybe a little bit of both,” she said sheepishly.

“Because you’re soft. But I like you that way,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “I’m guessing Trevor does, too.”

“He hasn’t said,” she said back. “He thinks I’ve got it all together.”

“I don’t think he believes that one bit,” Max said.

She looked at him sharply. “Excuse me?”

“Riley. He’s smart. We’re all smart. Something is going on and you aren’t saying. We’re just giving you the time to work it out on your own, or to tell us so we can help you. All I can hope for is whatever it is, it’s not bad.”

Guess she wasn’t as good at hiding things as she thought she was. “It’s not bad,” she said. “I’m working through it.”

“I know how hard a breakup can be,” he said. “I know how hard it is when you want something so badly and it doesn’t work out. How hard you try to make it happen and how extremely difficult it is acknowledging it can’t or it won’t. That you failed. You’ve never failed at anything before.”

“Nothing but relationships.”

“So that is it?” he asked.

She opted for a little honesty. “Partly. It’s all wrapped up together. But I’m here now. I’m with an amazing man that makes me think I can have what I want. That I can have it all. That all the crap I’ve dealt with in the past is just that. A thing of the past.”

Max eyed her longer than she felt comfortable with. “I’m hoping that crap you’ve had to deal with isn’t serious. Isn’t enough to make me want to go hunt some people down.”

She stepped back from his arm to face him. Any more contact along with his words, and she’d be battling tears. Tears she rarely showed to anyone. “You put people back together, Max. Not tear them apart.”

“If it’s my family, I can rip anyone apart and not even hesitate.”

“There’s no need. But I love that you made the offer. Trust me, I’m good. Better than good.”

“I want to believe you,” he said.

“There’s no reason not to.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, “I’m going to find Amber and see what is new here.”

“Now that is sounding like the old Riley.”

“I told you not to worry.”

Now she just needed to convince herself.