Page 34 of Ranger Bravery

The scent of coffee tickled her senses as she hit the last step on the stairs. Voices filtered from the kitchen. Male. Piper rounded the corner and found Jackson seated at the table with two other men. Texas Rangers, judging from the badges pinned to their shirts.

He rose. “Good morning. Piper, I’d like to introduce you to Ranger Cole Donnelly and Ranger Weston Donovan. Both of them work with me in Company A.”

Cole had short blonde hair and when he extended his right hand for her to shake, winced slightly. “Pleasure to meet you, Detective Jensen.”

“Piper, please.” She smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Ranger Donnelly, starting with the fact that you were shot in the line of duty. How’s your recovery?”

“Slower than I’d like, thanks.”

Weston rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. He’s such a whiner. Cole acts like he’s the only one in our group who’s been shot.” His tone was teasing, and it was obvious he was good-naturedly picking on his teammate. Weston was built like a tank and towered over Piper. When they shook hands, his grip was firm but not crushing, and his smile warm. “Nice to meet you. Pardon our invasion into your home, but Jackson thought it was better to meet here than at the sheriff’s department.”

“Weston and Cole have volunteered to protect Ava and the kids until the case is solved,” Jackson explained.

Piper’s mouth dropped open. “But?—”

“But nothing.” Weston waved off her protest. “Cole is practically useless these days. He’s still on medical leave. And I’m technically on vacation.” His chest puffed out. “My wife, Avery, gave birth to our gorgeous daughter last week. I took some time off to be with them, but yesterday, her sister and grandmother arrived to help. Now there are three women fluttering around my sweet daughter, and I’ll be lucky to catch sight of her, let alone hold her.”

Piper laughed. “Do you have a picture of your daughter?”

Cole rolled his eyes. “He has hundreds. I’ve never seen so many photos of a newborn in my whole life.”

“That’s because she’s the most beautiful girl in the world.” Weston whipped out his cell phone and opened his photos app before turning the screen toward Piper. “Her name is Charlotte.”

On screen was one of the cutest babies Piper had ever seen. Wispy dark curls framed a round face with a perfect button nose and a rosebud mouth. Charlotte was nestled in a pink blanket decorated with elephants. Piper smiled. “She is gorgeous. Congratulations.” She pointed to the woman holding the infant. “Is that your wife?”

“Yes. Avery. She’s the chief of police for Harrison University.” Weston clapped Jackson on the back. “Get this lump to invite you to one of our BBQs. I’m sure everyone would love to meet you, including my wife.”

“Aunt Piper.”

The tiny voice was filled with nerves. Piper turned to find Emma standing in the doorway, still in her pajamas, a scared look on her face. The little girl’s gaze shot from one man to the next.

Heart squeezed tight, Piper scooped up Emma into her arms. The little girl buried her face in her shoulder. Emma’s breath was hot against her neck. It must’ve been unnerving to find the kitchen full of strangers. Emma was an outgoing child, but like everyone, she had her limits. “Don’t be frightened. These men are Mr. Jackson’s friends. This is Mr. Cole and Mr. Weston.”

Emma peeked out from her hiding place.

The guys waved at her, and Weston pulled a silly face, which elicited a round of giggles from the kindergartener. Within minutes, Emma was plying the two newcomers with questions. Piper cracked eggs while Jackson chopped veggies for the omelets. Fresh coffee brewed, and along the way, someone turned on the radio. Gospel music filled the kitchen, punctuated by the low murmur of male voices and Emma’s frequent giggles.

Jackson set a full mug of coffee on the counter next to Piper. “You look like you need this.”

“That obvious, huh?” She whisked the eggs with one hand while grabbing the coffee with the other. Caffeine was a must if she was going to get through the day. “I didn’t sleep much.”

“Who could after what happened last night?”

She glanced over her shoulder. Piper’s heart melted at the sight of the two rangers teaching Emma how to make shadow animals. Then she focused back on Jackson. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He hadn’t shaved yet, and the whiskers shadowing his chin accented the curve of his lips and the deep green color of his eyes.

Maybe it was tiredness. Or perhaps her heart couldn’t forget the passionate kiss they’d shared before the night turned horribly wrong. Whatever it was, Piper gave into the urge to lean forward and brush a kiss across his gorgeous lips. “Thank you for arranging protection for my family. Weston and Cole are great.”

His lips curved into a smile, and he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “You don’t need to thank me. I care about Ava and the kids. I don’t want anything to happen to them. Or you, for that matter.” His expression darkened as worry filled his eyes. “What are the chances I can talk you into hiding out while we catch whoever is behind this?”

She hesitated and then pulled away under the guise of pouring the eggs into the frying pan. “I can’t. This is my job, Jackson. I have to see it through.”

He sighed. “That’s what I thought.”

“Good morning, everyone.” Ava limped in, a smile brightening her face. “I didn’t know we were having a party this morning.”

“Mommy, look!” Emma shouted. “I can make a dog!”

Piper laughed and introduced her sister to Weston and Cole. A few minutes later, Finn joined them. The kitchen overflowed with conversation, and once breakfast was ready, they all joined hands to pray. It felt as natural as breathing. Piper didn’t trust easily. Neither did her sister. But there was something about the men on Jackson’s team that broke through their embedded mistrust. It was a shared faith, yes, but it went deeper than that. Cole and Weston were kind and spoke lovingly of their wives and family. Their dedication to the people they cared about, including Jackson, shone through.

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