Page 158 of Unseen Danger

“So how’s it feel to be the girlfriend of a future pastor?”

Nevaeh glanced over her shoulder to catch Bris’s teasing smile. Nevaeh grinned back. “What, can’t you picture me as a pastor’s wife?”

“I admit it’s something I never imagined before.”

Nevaeh snickered. “Neither did I.” She’d had the same thought when Branson had first told her he wanted to quit security work and go to seminary to become a pastor. She’d also felt a small degree of panic. Could she be a pastor’s wife if they got married some day?

But when Branson had shared his story of wanting to be a pastor when he was young, of the shooter at his church, his mentor, and now the clear call God had given him to serve as a pastor, she couldn’t do anything but support him.

Since there was a seminary in the Cities he wanted to attend, he was able to stay close, renting an apartment only fifteen minutes away from her house. And every day spent with Branson in her life convinced Nevaeh that God’s call for her was connected to Branson and doing whatever she could to serve God alongside him.

Movement by a tree trunk caught her eye.

A golden retriever emerged from a path that veered off the main one a few feet ahead.

Wait… “Jana?”

Cora followed Jana onto the main path, connected to the golden by a leash.

Nevaeh and the others stopped. “What are you doing here?”

Cora smiled. “Hiking, of course.”

“But you don’t hike.” Nevaeh would’ve bet Cora didn’t even own hiking boots, but she sported a pair now. That looked suspiciously new.

“Kent is always telling me I should try new things.”

Nevaeh narrowed her eyes. Something was going on. “Am I about to get pranked?”

Cora’s gaze was as innocent as always. “I don’t prank people.”

She couldn’t argue with that. Cora didn’t prank anyone. But Jazz, Bris, and Sofia were a different story.

She scanned the two other suspects, but they were busy letting their dogs smell vegetation along the path.

“Mind if I walk with you?” Cora’s sweet smile looked far too angelic to be up to no good.

Even Jana gave Nevaeh the same expression with a swishing tail.

“Love to have you girls.”

“Thank you.” Cora fell in step beside Nevaeh as they continued on while Jazz joined Bris behind them. “I’ve been wanting to ask you how Branson is doing.”

“Branson?”

“I mean with his father’s passing. It was so sad.”

“Oh. Yeah, it was. Though it was so cool to see how his church and community supported him through the crowdfunding campaign when Branson couldn’t pay for the cancer treatments anymore.”

Branson had shared with Nevaeh when he decided to leave his job with D-Chop that it was a leap of faith. He explained how he’d believed he was his dad’s only hope, that he had to save his dad’s life by paying for the treatments or they wouldn’t happen. He’d carried that so far that he’d ignored God’s prompting to leave celebrity security and become a pastor, even though he knew his career had been hurting his relationship with the Lord.

But God had proven again that He was in control and didn’t need any help providing for His children. Andrew Allen had the idea to set up a crowdfunding campaign, and between the community and church support, Branson’s dad had received more than enough funds to continue his treatments.

Still, despite the experimental treatments, Branson’s dad had passed away three months later. “You know, I’ve never seen people grieve like Branson’s family.” Nevaeh glanced at Cora as they continued up the path that seemed to get steeper with every step. “I mean, they’re sad, but they’re happy, too. Because they know he’s in a better place, and they know God’s in control of it all.”

Cora nodded. “That makes all the difference.”

“I’m thankful I got to meet him before he passed.”

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