Page 46 of Ranger Bravery

He growled. “I bet you do.” He started to take a step forward, but the muddy ground underneath him gave way. His stomach bottomed out.

Then he was airborne as a mud slide took him down the cliff.

TWENTY-FIVE

Piper nursed a cup of coffee and watched the dawn break. The clouds parted just enough to allow rays of golden light to spread across the backyard. Moxie rested at her feet, as if he instinctually understood she needed comfort. Right now, Jackson and the rest of the team were raiding the Hutchinsons’ cabin. It was a dangerous mission fraught with complications. Her mind wanted to engage in what-ifs, each possibility worse than the last, until she purposefully drove the thoughts away.

She wouldn’t think the worst. It was an occupational hazard—law enforcement officers were trained to analyze every possibility—but that wasn’t helpful now. It would only ramp up her anxiety and make her stir-crazy. Instead, she leaned into prayer, hoping the Good Lord would ease her troubled heart.

“Good morning, baby girl. You’re up early.” Grandma Mary shuffled into the kitchen. She wore a robe and slippers. A brightly colored scarf was wrapped around her head to protect her hair while sleeping.

“Jackson called. They’ve started the raid.”

“Ah.” Grandma Mary bowed her head and whispered a quick prayer before hugging Piper. “God will see them through.” She kissed Piper’s forehead. “How about some breakfast to go with that coffee? Otherwise, you’ll have stomach pains on top of your troubles.”

“I don’t know if I can eat.”

“Well, I’ll whip up a batch of my famous French toast and then we’ll see.” Grandma Mary grinned and then glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Cole? I’m surprised he’s not up with you.”

“He’s doing a perimeter check.”

“Well I know he’ll be hungry. I’ll make a double batch.”

She gathered ingredients from the fridge and hummed a tune while mixing the eggs. Piper was instantly transported back to her childhood. She’d spent hours with Grandma Mary in the kitchen, doing her schoolwork while cookies were baking or a lasagna was being assembled. Those small moments were some of her happiest times.

Grandma Mary hadn’t had the easiest life. Like Piper and Ava, she’d grown up in an abusive household. She met the love of her life at twenty-five and was happily married for almost three decades before a car accident took her husband. They’d never had children—fertility problems—so the couple opened their home to foster kids.

Piper twisted the coffee mug in her hands. “Grandma Mary, can I ask you something?”

“Anything, baby girl.”

“Do you think some people are so damaged it’s better for them to avoid marriage?” She bit her lip. “I worry that I’ll drag Jackson down with all my issues. He’s so loyal and dedicated, he’ll never admit when it’s too much.”

“Why do you assume it will ever be too much for him?”

“It’s too much for me sometimes. I can’t imagine it won’t be too much for Jackson.”

“That’s because you try to carry the burden alone, baby girl.” Grandma Mary abandoned her cooking and pulled out a chair next to Piper. “We aren’t meant to walk this world on our own. Do you think it’s a coincidence Jackson was assigned this case? No. It’s divine providence. God brought you and Jackson back together again because He knows what you have is special. Neither of you had forgotten the other. The love you built as teenagers has grown deeper and stronger, and Jackson has bravely followed his heart. He keeps reaching for you and does so knowing there’s a risk you’ll push him away again.”

“I thought I was protecting Jackson by pushing him away.”

“No, baby girl. You’re not helping him now and you didn’t help him ten years ago. You only prolonged the suffering. You were hurting, and he was hurting. Trouble was, neither of you could comfort the other.”

Piper let that sink in. “Ava told me Jackson called you for months after the attack.”

“He loves you. Deeply. And Jackson has the strength to support you, but he can’t do it if you fight him every step of the way.” Grandma Mary placed a hand on her arm. “I know it’s scary. As a child, you learned not to rely on the adults in your life because they weren’t there for you. But you aren’t that scared little girl anymore. You can put your trust in God. He speaks to your heart. Follow his guidance and you’ll never go wrong.”

It was excellent advice. Wasn’t Piper’s biggest regret leaving Jackson behind when she left ten years ago? She’d known in her heart it was a mistake, but she’d ignored it. Her past didn’t have to be her future though. God had given her a second chance with the man she loved. She could choose differently this time.

Piper hugged Grandma Mary. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, baby girl.”

“Good morning.” Ava stood in the doorway and yawned. She was still in her pajamas but didn’t look like she’d slept a wink. Piper knew her sister was worried about Derek. “Why do you two look so serious?”

“We were having a discussion about God and accepting His divine intervention.”

Ava grinned. “Were you? I got that lecture yesterday.”

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