Man for the job

Hunter's smile widens. "Okay. I'll be back as soon as Angel says I can straddle my bike." 

His thumb runs along her cheek and down her jawline before gliding across her lips. "You're even beautiful in the dark," he whispers. 

As she leans up for a kiss, his arms slide around her again and he lets the kiss deepen with passion until eventually she pulls herself  away. Even though he could stay here forever, he knew she had to get going or she'd never make it home. He wasn't sure why this goodbye felt like more than it really was. He'd be home in a couple weeks. But perhaps, way deep down, Hunter knew she'd be seeing Jason again and... maybe even further deep down, despite all that had happened, there was just a slight bit of apprehension. He trusted Katie, no doubt. But he also knew that they'd grown very close - here at the ranch. Not back in Nevada where both of them had obstacles to face. And truth he told, he really didn't know what the future held for them.

 "Alright..." He gives her one last smile. "Bye, Katie. Be safe." Retrieving his crutches again, he backs out of the way so she can get in her car.  

"...so yeah, it's been kind of a tough day." Justin nibbles on his salad, seated across from Beth at her kitchen table while they ate supper. He couldn't tell her details about the day's events, but he had loosely given her the short version, owing her an explanation for starting their date night late. Supper and movie at her apartment was all it was, but Justin enjoyed the simpler things the best, and he thought Beth did too. He would have had her over to his own place, but he never did like it when she had to drive an hour back home late at night.

They hadn't yet been out to a restaurant since the robbery, which concerned Justin a little bit, but he was keeping a close eye on Beth and giving her the time she needed. She'd been a little withdrawn since the whole incident, but he'd opted for silent patience rather than trying to intentionally work on it with her - he'd failed miserably at that once before and wasn't going to risk it again, especially now that they were in a relationship.

"But now..." He slides his hand across the table to meet hers and he smiles. "It's just you and me, and-"

He's promptly cut off by his cell phone ringing in his pocket. Withdrawing to sit up straight, he smirks and rolls his eyes. "Ya know..." He shakes his head and pulls out his phone, ready to ignore the call. But when he sees it's Ken, he looks to Beth apologetically. "I'm so sorry, but I'm gonna have to take this. Just give me a minute."

Standing up, he heads into the living room before answering. "Yeah, Ken?"

"Hi, Justin. I'm sorry to bother you again today, but... well, Jeanette and I have been talking and... I needed to let you know that we've decided to try a different route with Mackenzie."

Justin tenses. He didn't like the sound of that and he starts to pace. "What kind of route?"

"Clover Girl's School." 

"What?!" Justin couldn't help his shock. It sounded simply like a fancy private school but in reality, it was a year-around school for troubled girls. "Mackenzie doesn't belong in a place like that!"

"I'm sorry, Justin, but we agreed if things with you didn't work out, my wife and I would find something else. Today was just proof that nothing has changed. We can't handle Mackenzie anymore and she obviously needs more help than any of us can give her. I will-"

"Do you know the kinds of girls they have there?" Justin interrupts. He could feel his desperation rising. Not for the sake of his job, but for the sake of Mackenzie's well being. "They take in girls who steal, vandalize, already have juvenile records... A number of them are pregnant and most of them are physically violent! Do you really want to throw Mackenzie into that?!"

"Look, we just got off the phone with the administrator and she assured us that it's quite safe. When we described Mackenzie's problems, she was very encouraging that the school could help her."

"So can her family!" By now, Justin had forgotten that Beth was in the next room. "Please don't do this, Ken."

"I'm sorry, but you really don't have a say in this." 

"No, I don't. But sending your daughter to a place like that will only result in two things. One, she will worsen to the point of them taking much firmer action that you would like. And two, they will break her, and when she comes out she'll be well-behaved alright, but her life will be gone."

Ken sighs deeply. "I knew you probably wouldn't agree, but-"

"I can only strongly advise against it as her counselor. I think it would be a very big mistake."

"But you saw what she did today! There has been no improvement since she started seeing you." 

Justin cringes as he continues to pace. He'd been doing the best he could. Was he just not good enough? Maybe not. But he knew in the depths of his heart that sending the girl away to that school would be the worst mistake. "Things like this take time, Ken, we've talked about this. And there has been a change in Mackenzie. It may be slow, but you know that she has improved in small areas."

"I just don't know how much more our family can take. All of us are suffering and it's come to the point that something needs to change." 

"I'll keep working with her for free." Justin never offered something like that, but he felt so strongly about this, that he was willing to do just about anything. "Please... just give me a chance." His tone had softened. "Mackenzie is a very special girl. Please don't put her through this. She needs her family and she desperately needs your love. Don't take that away from her."

There's a very long pause until Ken finally responds again. "Okay... you win. I just hope you're right." 

"I'm going to keep doing the very best I can, and I even have some ideas that I want to talk over with you sometime soon."

It was only a couple minutes before the call was finally over and Justin trudges back into the kitchen. Sitting down once more, he knows that Beth surely heard his end of the conversation. He stares at his plate for several seconds before sighing deeply. "If I can't help this girl, Beth..." He closes his eyes, the tension in his veins still high. Setting his elbows on the table, he rests his forehead on his hands. He knew he took some cases too personally but he couldn't help it. "I've got to... I just don't know anymore if I'm really the man for the job."