The older man leaned forward and tapped the picnic table again with his finger, as he had the other day when they talked. “I’m not about to get involved in your personal relationship with her. I don’t know or care what the two of you do together. All I know is I really want to see her that happy again. So whatever it takes for you to make that happen, I’m all for it.”

Steve sat back with a nod. “I was going to ask if you think a cookout would be a good idea. My house,” he added. “Tomorrow. Invite all your friends, her friends. The closest ones.”

“All of them?”

“All of them.” He didn’t flinch away from Rob’s gaze. “Because maybe if we get them all in one spot together with her, it might help jiggle something loose.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Are they all consenting adults?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then. Not my cup of tea, but I’m not passing judgment on them. Especially since the past couple of years seem to have been the happiest of her life. They’re part of that every bit as much as you are. If I recall, she met Shayla and Tony and all of them right before she met you.”

“We…I met her through them.”

He nodded again. “All right then. Tomorrow, five o’clock, my house.” He stood and started to go inside.

“What do I tell everyone to bring?”

He turned. “Themselves and a side dish. I’ll make burgers and brats.” He snorted. “Maybe it’ll help your brat.” He headed inside.

It took every ounce of strength Rob had not to bust out laughing. Either Steve had just made one of the funniest unintentional jokes he’d ever heard…

Or maybe Steve knew more than he let on.

Just like he’d nearly busted a nut the other night over Laura’s comment about him being the only one to hurt her.

It was a common private joke they shared, and had given him a little hope that she might be close to a breakthrough.

Either way, it didn’t matter. He pulled out his phone and started making calls. Fortunately, he was off tomorrow night, because he had to work that night from six until six tomorrow morning.

* * *

As the day wore on, Laura felt horrible about what she’d said to Rob. Bill was right, she didn’t have a right to be mean to Rob, no matter how aggravated she’d felt. She also didn’t feel up to going into the shop and facing Steve.

Somehow, she suspected he’d give her both barrels for yelling at Rob, too.

She also knew she deserved it.

Knowing Rob needed to sleep before another work shift that night, Laura wondered if he’d even come by the house before he left for work.

When she didn’t call him, Bill did, leaving a message for Rob before they went grocery shopping.

Finally, a little after five, Rob stopped by, dressed for work.

She got up and went to him and put her arms around him, buried her face against his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m really, really sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Tension drained from him as he carefully hugged her. “It’s okay, sweetie. I know this is stressful.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t deserve me going after you like that.”

“We’ll get through this.” He made her look up at him. “But, seriously, can you trust me?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

He kissed her. It made her want to cry again, the sweet tenderness of it.

“Tomorrow, at Steve’s, we’re having a cookout. All our friends.”

“He knows about the fight?”

Rob smiled. “Yeah. I went over and talked to him to get some advice.”

Now she really felt horrible. “Sorry,” she softly said.

“It’s okay. He offered to hold the cookout. I’ve already called everyone and they’re coming down. Five o’clock.”

“Everyone?”

He nodded. “Everyone that’s a close friend. People from the shop, a few local friends. But yes, including Shayla and Tony and everyone.”

A stray thought floated through. “What about Steve and Carol? Are they okay with…that?”

“It was Steve’s idea.” He stared into her eyes. “Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“Thank you for forgiving me.”

The way his expression shifted nearly broke her heart. The anguish lurking just below his surface made her feel even more horrible for the things she’d said and thought. “Laura, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re happy, and that you can trust me, and to help you get your memory back and keep you safe. If it means a few bumps in the road along the way, well, that’s nothing. I’ll go through that and more a thousand times over if it means I can take care of you and make you happy.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I need to go to work. Love you.”

She didn’t want to let him go. “Love you, too.”

“I’m going to the house in the morning after my shift. You and Bill meet me there and pick me up and we can ride to Steve’s together. Okay?”

“Okay.”

After he left, Bill returned from his room. She hadn’t realized he’d left the living room.

“You all right, Laura?”

She shook her head and started crying. “What if I do something to screw this up with Rob?”

He hugged her. “If he could put up with what he’s dealt with so far, sis, I think it’s going to take a lot more than that to scare him off.”

* * *

After his shift ended Sunday morning, he returned to the house and collapsed into bed. Nearly every time he slept his dreams were filled with memories.

He didn’t need to talk to a psychiatrist to know it came from his overwhelming desire to have their life back to the way it was before the attack.

This dream was an extremely fond memory. Early in their relationship, he’d had a Wednesday off, and a group of charter passengers cancelled a fishing trip due to a missed flight.

Not one to miss out on an opportunity, Laura had called him and asked if he wanted to go out on the boat with her.

That was a no-brainer.

Alone together, with snacks and cold soda on board, they took the smaller boat out into the Gulf on a beautiful day. By this time they’d done away with condoms, except for anal and on toys, and he’d wasted no time getting her naked and bent over a cooler once they’d reached their first fishing spot.

He’d enjoyed lathering her with sunscreen, taking time to tease her by playing with her nipples, ensuring he kept her horny and begging for release, to the point that he gave up trying to fish.

All he wanted was her.

Ditching his swim trunks, he sat on the cooler and crooked a finger at her. She dove for his cock, eagerly swallowing him to the root and nearly taking his breath away.

She was damn good.

He loved holding her hair, which she’d put into pigtails low on her head for him today. Two perfect handles with which to control and guide her.

“Spread your legs, baby. Wider.” He watched as a thin string of juices dripped from her pussy onto the deck. “You’re really horny, aren’t you?”

She stared up into his eyes and mumbled what sounded like agreement around his cock.

The sound vibrated through him.

What she didn’t know was he’d packed more than just fishing tackle.

“If you want to come, baby, you’d better make me come.” She gave up all control, letting him take over with his hands in her hair while he fucked her mouth. Wrapping her hands around his thighs she held on, staying with him, eyes turned up to look at him.

He smiled down at her as he thrust, taking his time and enjoying the warm, wet heat of her mouth. “Such a good girl,” he whispered.

She let out a little whimper of pleasure.

“When I come, don’t swallow. Hold it.”

Her mumbled, “Yes, Sir,” is what triggered his climax. He fought the urge to drive deep into her mouth, not wanting to choke her. She sucked on him, pulling every last drop between her sweet lips.

When he could speak, he said, “Show me.”

She opened.

“Good girl. Hold it until I say.” He pulled her up off the deck and pushed her down over the cooler. After a quick glance around to ensure they were still alone, he began spanking her.

She whimpered, but didn’t cry out, knowing if she disobeyed him, the “funishment” wouldn’t be very fun.

Once her ass was pink enough for his liking, he grabbed the duffel bag he’d brought and dug through it. He quickly lubed up the butt plug, a small one she could easily take, and then lubed her rim before slowly sliding the plug inside her.

She moaned, this time with need, but didn’t open her mouth.

Next he grabbed the vibrator. The rabbit-styled device was a little thicker than his cock, and longer. The added deviousness of the clit stimulator would only multiply the fun. He swung around, sitting on her and pinning her to the cooler, the final item in his hand.

A small wooden paddle.

“Okay, baby. You can come as much as you want, but don’t you spill a drop, and don’t you dare swallow. Understand?”

She barely got the mumbled, “Yes, Sir,” all the way out before he turned the rabbit on, on its highest setting, and slid it home inside her cunt.

It was a good thing he sat on her. Before he’d thrust it three times into her, she’d had her first orgasm. And then he started smacking her with the paddle. Not as hard as he could, but hard enough he knew it stung and she had to struggle not to cry out.

Unfortunately for her, he’d put fresh batteries in the rabbit. He struggled to hold back his sadistic giggles as he fucked her with it, alternating between slow, deep strokes and hard, fast ones. Combined with the whacks from the paddle, she literally didn’t know if she was coming or going.

And his cock quickly grew hard again.

He kept it up for nearly fifteen minutes, until her ass was a beautiful shade of red, tears streamed down her face, and he’d lost count of how many orgasms she’d had. Then he finally took mercy on her, removing the rabbit and shutting it off.

She went limp over the cooler.

“Oh, I’m not done with you yet, baby.” He returned the paddle to the bag and turned, plunging his cock home. “It’s time for round two for me.”

Folding his body over hers, he fucked her, enjoying how she shivered and moaned as another series of orgasms washed through her. He played with the butt plug, too, tapping the base and gently thrusting it into her, adding to her torment.

But he couldn’t hold back. He felt his own release build and gave in to it, grabbing her hips and fucking her hard until he’d finished, filling her full of cum on both ends.

He sat on the cooler and pulled her into his lap. “Show me.”

Despite the glazed look on her face, she opened her mouth.

“Good girl. Swallow.”

She did, curling up in his lap and resting her head against his chest. He enveloped her in his arms, loving the content sigh she breathed.

“Love you, baby girl.” He kissed the top of her head.

She giggled. “Love you, too, Sir.”

“Even if I’m a sadistic bastard sometimes?”

She trailed her fingers across his chest. “Because you’re a sadistic bastard sometimes.”

Rob startled awake and realized in his sleep he’d fisted his cock and now had a handful of his own cum. Dragging himself from bed to clean up and check the clock, he realized he’d only been asleep for less than an hour.

Maybe this time I can skip the dreams.

He was asleep seconds after returning to bed.

* * *

Laura looked out the back window at the yard full of almost-strangers. In her mind, a swirling, ghostly cloud of isolated memories mirrored the mingling crowd in the backyard. So many vague, random things. Unfortunately, none fell into place and Laura nervously hid inside, watching through the window.

Steve’s wife, Emily, walked into the kitchen. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“There’s so many.”

Emily looked out the window. “People?”

Laura nodded. “He could be anyone.”

Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Rob stood out at the grill with Steve, trying to not burn the burgers, while Sully, Tony, and Landry looked on.

“Laura, I’ve known some of these people for at least a couple of years. Rob and you have known the rest of them. I don’t think it’s possible any of them could have done this to you.”

“You saw every one of them right after the attack?”

“No, but Steve said a bunch of people stopped by the shop after they heard what happened. Plus you’re here with a large group of people. If anything, this is safe. You’re surrounded by friends. No one is going to hurt you. Not here, not today.”