Page 139 of Unseen Danger

Branson took in a breath and pulled his gaze from her. He marched off the dance floor and headed for the lobby.

He could do this. He was a soldier. He’d done many things he didn’t want to for the sake of the greater cause, for the sake of what he knew to be right.

The stakes were pretty similar now. He needed his job for his dad’s lifesaving treatment. And he needed to be obedient to God, no matter what. He had to do the right thing, even when it hurt.

He pushed through the glass exit door and stepped outside. Good grief, the fog was so thick he could barely see two feet in front of him.

The valet podium should be somewhere to the right.

Branson took two steps in that direction.

Something crashed down on the back of his head, careening pain through his skull.

Thirty-Nine

“Are you okay?” Jazz kept her voice low as she looked up at Nevaeh from her seat at the round table assigned to the PK-9 team.

Nevaeh paused midway in lifting her long red coat off the chairback. She stepped around the chair and sat down instead, sliding the wool coat onto her lap.

Bris and Rem chatted with Sof and Michael on the other side of the table, not paying attention.

Phoenix and Dag still stood by the wide doorway that connected the lobby to the reception hall, apparently on security detail even though Cora had tried to convince Phoenix to relax and enjoy the reception. As it was, the boss had only agreed to attend the reception when Cora had her dad convince the ritzy country club people to bend their no-pet rules for Dag, though he wasn’t an assistance dog.

Nevaeh leaned forward toward Jazz, squishing her folded coat on her lap. “I thought he’d ask me out. Or…something.” She shrugged.

“You mean he didn’t?”

Nevaeh shook her head. “Nothing. But we don’t have anything set up to see each other again after this. The patrol gig is done unless he got D-Chop to approve keeping us on. I thought he’d mention that, but he didn’t say a word. And he looks so grim tonight. I figure D-Chop must’ve said no. We could still see each other, though. Outside work.”

Jazz’s eyebrows dipped. “Did something go wrong when he helped with your sister’s move?”

“No. Everything was terrific. My family adored him.” A smile stretched Nevaeh’s mouth as she remembered her brothers’ approving remarks and the things Pops had said. “Even Pops liked him.”

Jazz grinned. “Well, if he approves, you know you’ve got a keeper.”

Nevaeh chuckled. Of course, Pops had also said a lot of other things. Like his prediction that Branson wouldn’t have her because she didn’t believe in God the way he did. Was that why Branson wasn’t asking her out now?

“So nothing bad happened here either?”

“No.” Nevaeh thought through the afternoon and evening. “Like I said, he looked really down a couple of times. Or like he was thinking about something heavy. But then he’d shake it off.”

“Maybe that’s it.” A laugh from the others drew Jazz’s gaze away. “Maybe he was just distracted so he forgot about asking you out.”

“Could be, I guess.” Nevaeh sighed and straightened. “Well, he’s probably waiting with my pickup, so I’d better go.” She stood.

“Oh, hey, I know.” Jazz rose from her chair. “He’s probably planning to ask you out now, when you’re alone outside. In private, you know? More romantic that way.”

Nevaeh laughed. “Yeah, in the fog.” She slipped her arms into her coat sleeves.

“Heading out?” Sof glanced across the table from her chair next to Michael.

“Yeah. The dogs probably want to go out by now.”

Sof nodded. “Michael ran home between the wedding and reception for our boys. But we’ll have to drag Grace away soon to get her to bed.”

Nevaeh glanced at the dance floor, instantly finding the skinny girl with straight hair bobbing her head and dancing wildly to the music with a few other kids. “She’s gonna crash when she gets home.”

“Don’t think she’ll make it that far.” Michael grinned, and they all laughed.

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