Page 114 of Love in the Wild

Asa rested his arm around Lyric’s shoulders. “The adoption hearing is next month. We’d appreciate prayers that this would go smoothly. We’re not expecting any hiccups, but for some reason it’s a complicated process.”

Lyric placed her hand on top of her husband’s. She loved Jacob like he was her own, and she was already such a good mom to him. Lyric’s pursuit of adoption restored Hadley’s hope in humanity.

Olivia wrote the request in a notebook on her lap. “Anyone else?”

“Keep us in your prayers too. Planning a wedding is tough,” Dawson said as he rubbed a hand in circles on Olivia’s back.

She whipped her head up to him, sending her dark hair flying. Her fiery look had Dawson cracking up. “What do you mean tough? You haven’t done anything!”

Dawson patted Olivia’s back. “I meant tough for you. But to be fair, you haven’t asked me to do anything yet.”

Everly waved a hand in the air. “We don’t need your help yet, but your time is coming.”

Olivia went back to writing. “On a more serious note, Dawson does need prayers for the sergeant’s exam.”

“And don’t forget Olivia,” Dawson added. “She’s had good reports lately, but there’s no such thing as too much prayer.”

Hadley reached out and gripped Olivia’s shoulder. She had a habit of biting off more than she could chew, and when her health got bad, she stressed about keeping everything going. “We’re right here if you need us. Don’t forget we can help you.”

“I know. Trust me. I feel your prayers and support. It’s helping. I want to make a prayer request for Anna. She says everything is going great with Dean, but sometimes I get the feeling she… isn’t as happy as she claims.”

“You think?” Brett said.

Thea elbowed him and cast a warning look his way. “Be nice.”

Brett held up his hands. “What? The guy doesn’t exactly treat her right. Or listen to her. Or anything. Maybe he treats her better when we’re not around.”

Olivia sighed. “She wants to find love and start a family so badly, I’m afraid she’s looking for love in all the wrong places.”

“Lookin’ for love,” Brett sang.

“Don’t,” Ridge said, holding up a hand.

Brett’s shoulders slumped. “You’re no fun.”

“I didn’t put it on my resume,” Ridge said.

Cheyenne bumped Ridge’s arm. “Mom could use prayer. She’s been doing well lately, and I really want to have hope that things are getting better.”

Gage squeezed Hadley’s hand. He knew exactly how much she worried about her mom, and he always let her vent when she needed it.

“Our mom could use prayers too,” Thea said, fixing her attention on Gage. “We’ve seen an improvement since she started the clinical trial, and I really hope she’s not in the control group.”

“But we don’t know for sure yet,” Gage added. “She has another month of the trial before they test again.”

Gage and Thea’s mom’s treatment wasn’t a small thing. She’d had some pretty major side effects, which meant she was probably receiving the treatment, but also meant she hardly ever felt well enough to do much.

Hadley knew what it was like to watch someone she loved suffer. It was a double blow that Gage and Thea were going through a similar trial as she and Cheyenne.

Gage shifted in his seat and sat forward to prop his elbows on his knees. “I could use some prayer. Nothing is resolved with Bruce, Tommy, and Cain, at least until after the trial. The bail is too high for them to pay, but they could still find a way to weasel out before the trial. I really don’t want them coming after anyone if they get to roam free.”

Hadley tightened her grip on his arm. These were the same things that kept her up at night. She’d seen what those men did to Thea, and the thought of them walking the streets was inconceivable.

Still, they’d been warned that Tommy and Cain might get a slap on the wrist. Bruce would probably get a hefty sentence for killing Brett and Thea’s dad, but the others could be negotiated down to nothing with good counsel.

“We pray about it every day,” Dawson said. He’d been there and seen what the Howards were capable of. Everyone in this room wanted to protect their loved ones from the evil the Howards served.

“We’ve got your back,” Asa said.

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