Chapter 50

"What are your plans today?" Conner asked at breakfast. Jillian knew that he was trying to engage with Maura but she knew her friend wasn't ready.

Maura shrugged as she played with her cereal. She hadn't been eating enough to keep herself alive, but Jillian knew she needed her space. Unfortunately, her brother didn't understand that. He wanted his baby sister to be better. Now.

The physical bruises were just now starting to fade, but the wounds to Maura's pride were going to take longer. Much longer.

"I think I'll go for a walk on the beach," she said.

Conner rose with her and she looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Going with you."

She glanced at Jillian and she could see Maura wanted to be alone. Conner had been hovering like a mama. Jillian was of the belief that brother and sister needed to set their own boundaries. She was not getting in the middle of that.

"I want to be alone, Conner."

"I think that you might?—"

"I didn't ask. I just told you, I want to be alone. Deal with it."

With that she left the kitchen, letting the screen door slam behind her.

There were a few moments of stunned silence. Jillian wasn't stunned. She knew that Conner and Maura had their own issues to deal with and they were starting to come to a head. Trying to sooth either one of them was going to leave Jillian hurt…and Conner and Maura wouldn't heal. Of course, her stubborn husband wanted everything to be all right right now. Like Maura was going to feel better overnight.

"She's starting to get on my nerves," Conner said.

Jillian ignored him. He had been saying the same thing for two days. But for once he didn't go on. She glanced over at him. He was staring at the screen door. She looked down at the Honolulu Advertiser again. When he didn't go on, Jillian figured he would just sit in the house and stew in his irritation. She didn't have time for that.

"She isn't getting on your nerves."

"Yes, she is."

"No, you're angry and you want to hurt someone because she hurts." She took a sip of coffee and looked at him. "You are just going to have to deal with it right now. She needs to be alone."

He frowned and rose from the chair. "I want to hurt someone."

"I know you do, babe. There are just some things you have to let her work out on her own."

He said nothing. She could tell from the way his shoulders were tensed that he was contemplating his next move and it would not be what she suggested. She sighed and walked over to him, setting her coffee cup down on the counter. Jillian slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back.

"You have to let the children grow up some time, Conner."

She felt him relax slightly.

"She's hurting because of them." He spat out the words. Anger dripped from every word and she knew there was a good chance his friendship with Zeke was over…if Maura didn't work it out.

And, Mr. Man needed to learn that Zeke and Rory were not the only ones at fault here.

"Truthfully, she is hurting because of a whole lot of things."

He moved and she released him. He turned to face her. His frown was even darker. "Explain."

"Your sister, the level headed-most of the time-girl you raised came to you and said she was attacked."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I remember. I called Rome, he did the report."

"From the very beginning, she said she knew it wasn't the Petersen case. She was positive. She said she knew the man spoke with an Irish accent. Even after you were told Petersen had nothing to do with it, you questioned her. The reason she didn't really come to you about being stalked was because of you ignoring her. Of course, you weren't the only one. Rory and Zeke didn't do a good job of backing her up. Y'all treated her like she was some bubble headed idiot. She started to question her own intelligence—worse, her own instincts. That is something Maura has never done before. It unraveled her world."

"Well, we all have more experience than?—"

"No, it isn't something to brush off. Maura might not have had a lot of dates and being the egghead she is, she didn't really care. But she did believe in herself. When the three most important men in her life questioned her aptitude, it crushed her."

"You make it sound like I'm at fault."

She slipped her arms around his waist again. "You are to a point, babe. But, her big problem is with those two men. Still, you can't really just blame them. You need to start taking her opinion as a valued asset."

"I do."

She shook her head. "To a point, but it's just what Zeke was talking about before. You question her every move. Another person with her intelligence wouldn't have to explain herself to you over and over."

He sighed. "She's my baby sister."

He said it with such love it made her heart skip a beat. One of the best things about her husband was his love for his family. Maura had been the center of his life for so long, but he needed to let go.

"She's not a baby anymore. You need to show her more respect."

He nodded.

"Granted, I expected more from Rory and especially Zeke, but I have a feeling Maura will take care of them."

"I'm seriously thinking about shooting Zeke. He should know better. I'll just kill Rory."

"Shooting your business partner is probably not a good idea." She saw something out the window and was relieved to see a rental car drive up. It parked behind her jeep and both men stepped out of the car. "Besides, she would probably get mad at you."

"Figures. Women." He said it with such disgust she smiled.

She gave him a quick kiss. "And, just like you, they didn't do it on purpose. You were trying to protect her."

He sighed. "Maybe I won't feel like kicking their asses if I don't see them for a month or two. Or a year."

"You're going to have to deal with them sooner than that."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"They're here."

His head whipped around and he growled. She tried to hold onto him, but he escaped her grasp and stalked outside. Jillian hurried behind him and almost got slammed in the face with the screen door.

"You have some real fucking nerve showing up here," he yelled.

Both men readied for a fight. She glanced toward the beach and was thankful that Maura was far enough away so she wouldn't pick up on the fight.

When Jillian turned around, she was alarmed to see Conner grabbing Zeke by the shirt.

"Stop," she yelled running toward the three of them.

Her neighbor Adam was already running down the path to help Conner.

She inserted herself between the two friends.

"Move, Jillian, I can take him," Zeke said.

"No you won't. I'm not going to have you brawl out here like a bunch of seventeen-year-old assholes. Let go of Zeke."

It took Conner a second or two to finally look at her. "They hurt her."

"And how do you think she'll feel when she finds you two up here rolling around on the ground."

"I can take him," Zeke said again, his voice vicious. "He is getting a little old."

She rolled her eyes. "Can it, Zeke."

With a disgusted huff, Conner shoved Zeke away. Rory, who had been quiet up until then, stepped forward.

"Tell you what. Let us talk to her. If she's still pissed at us, you can kick Zee's ass."

"Thanks a lot, you ass," Zeke said.

"Fine," Conner said.

Rory looked at Jillian. "Where is she?"

"On the beach," she said nodding her head in the direction where she had seen Maura.

"Thank you."

"Just one thing, guys." They turned to face her. "If you hurt her again, you won't have to worry about Conner. I'll shoot both of you on the spot. In the groin. And don't think I can't do it. I might look harmless, but I grew up in Georgia. I know how to hunt and I know how to shoot. Just understand I will do both to you if you hurt her again."

They said nothing and headed down to the beach. Conner slipped his arms around her waist and set his chin on her head. "I still want to hurt them."

"Oh, babe, they're already hurting. Hopefully they don't fuck this up or I will shoot them."

He chuckled and kissed her head. "That's my woman."