Page 16 of Unexpected Danger
Nothing.
Her leg muscles rebelled, and her knees buckled as she shuffled to the bedroom. She closed the door behind her, locked it, and slid down, her back against the bed frame.
Was it all just a ruse? Or would whomever her stalker was determine that the mere act of texting was only the first step?
Brodie parked his truck in the garage and closed the door. A domestic dispute call resulting in an arrest kicked off the day, and the calls continued at a steady pace. He was still amped up from the high-speed chase yesterday. That was the thing about law enforcement work. It kept your adrenaline hyped long after the fact.
He kicked off his shoes, changed his clothes, and eased into his recliner. He thanked God for keeping him and his deputy and those on the Pronghorn Falls police department safe during the chase, as well as the innocents on the road at the time. He never could understand the thought process behind driving so fast and putting others at risk. The guy hadn’t even been chased when he was first discovered driving and clocking in at upwards of eighty miles an hour before increasing his speed.
Of course, after the chase, it was discovered that he had several outstanding warrants. When he flipped the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries, it hadn’t been an easy thing to see. But it never was. The suspect's mangled body and loss of life stuck in Brodie’s mind as he attempted to wind down for the day. Where was the guy now spending eternity? As mentioned in Second Peter, God wanted none to perish. The suspect's poor decisions cost him his life and could have cost a whole lot of others their lives as well.
It was days like these that reminded Brodie of his dad. A dedicated sheriff, his life had been snuffed out when someone chose to drink and then drive.
Brodie leaned back in his recliner, attempting to halt the thoughts that rammed through his mind. There were timeswhen he fell asleep on the chair, then subsequently attempted to fall asleep in bed with no success. Tonight might be one of those times. Thankfully, crime in Pronghorn Falls was minimal compared to some towns and cities. That was one of the factors for Brodie remaining in his hometown. But the most important reason was that this is where his family was. Where they had settled generations ago and ranched. And while Brodie had chosen a career in law enforcement, he still assisted on the ranch. His family was the most important thing to him after his Savior. He hoped someday to marry and have children of his own and carry on the Brenneman legacy.
Thoughts of Londyn flooded his mind. He withdrew their yearbook from the shelf beside the recliner and flipped it open. They’d been best friends ever since Londyn moved to Pronghorn Falls as a kid. With the exception of his football and soccer pictures, and her volleyball and basketball pictures, they were together in every picture. A picture of them at the prom, a picture of them in the Honor Society sitting beside each other, a photo of them on the tennis team—the team that would have been far better off without the two of them, since neither had ever really grasped the sport. There were pictures of them at games, at the athletic awards ceremony, where they both lettered in their respective sports and went home with various awards. Well, all except tennis awards.
There was a picture of them on the senior trip where the whole class rode horseback in the mountains. There were pictures of them with other friends sitting in the back of Dad’s vintage Chevy. And the list went on.
In short, they were inseparable.
At one point, he thought it would have been her that he would have married and had a family with. In a split second, he was transported back in time.
They’d gone to the park for the prom, she in her purple dress and he in his tux. As far as he was concerned, if he ever wore a tuxedo again, it would be too soon. Others had met them there for part of the time, and they swung on the swings and hitched a ride on the archaic merry-go-round after eating at a fast-food restaurant. Then they’d gone for a walk—everything had been as friends.
Years later, he realized he liked Londyn for more than just friendship. He wasn’t getting any younger, and it was time to make his feelings known. After dating for a while, he thought she felt the same—was sure she felt the same.
How wrong he was.
All those years later, he’d attempted to replicate that memorable time after prom at the park. They’d gone out to eat as they often did, then he’d driven to the town park. They’d swung on the swings, gone for a walk, laughed, and reminisced.
He’d put some of their goofy music from when they were in high school on his phone and twirled her around as they danced just like they had at the prom. They were no longer teenagers, but adults. Wiser, more established, and in his mind, ready to take the next step.
The way she’d smile at him, the way she grabbed his hand when they walked, and the way she rested her head on his shoulder on the merry-go-round.
On the merry-go-round, he’d spun it as fast as he could, then leapt on, bemoaning the fact that he wasn’t as agile as he’d been a decade ago. They’d sat in the middle, and as she rested her head on his shoulder, he rested his head on hers, and while dizzy and concerned that the food he’d eaten for dinner would be making a reemergence, he’d enjoyed every second of being with her.
They climbed off, teetering and stumbling until they had plopped down on a nearby bench. He reached into his jeanjacket pocket. The box was still there. The treasure within tucked safely inside. A month’s worth of wages spent on what he hoped would symbolize his commitment to her.
Yes, he’d been so sure she’d felt the same. They shared a history, knew so much about each other, and he wanted a future with her—a future that included marriage.
After their stomachs had settled from the dizzying ride on the merry-go-round, he reached for her hand. Then he worked up the courage. He’d prayed for several days that God would give him wisdom, that he was doing the right thing in asking her. There was no one else for him and no one else he ever wanted to marry, but above all else, he wanted God’s will.
God’s will strongly differed from what Brodie expected.
Brodie had knelt on one knee in front of Londyn, his hand in his pocket, firmly clasping the green box.
“Londyn…”
She’d already started to shake her head. But he dismissed it.
Surprisingly, he’d been able to speak the words he’d rehearsed, even though his voice and legs shook, sweat trickled down the back of his neck, and his unsteady removal of the box that held the ring was more reminiscent of an elderly man than one not yet thirty. He opened the velvet box, revealing the diamond engagement ring. “Londyn, I love you. I have for a long time. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Tears shimmered in her eyes.“I can’t.”
Had he misheard her?
“What?”
