Page 51 of Ranger Belief
“I met with Dad.”
Shock vibrated through her. “You what?” She blinked to clear her vision from the tears. “When?”
“After Mom passed. All I knew about him was the little you and Mom had told me. I wanted to meet him and see for myself what kind of person he was.” She rested a hand on Laney’s knee. “And you know what I discovered? Dad was on his fourth marriage. He spent the entire time we were together talking about himself. Never once did he ask about Marcus or Asher. Or even you.”
“What are you saying?”
“Dad was always a selfish person, sis. I know you remember him as a loving father. I’m glad that you do, but I think your perception is skewed because you were so young when he left.” Breanna let her process that for a minute and then continued, “Mom fell in love with the wrong kind of man. I’m sure she thought he would change. And after it fell apart, she couldn’t let go. But what she held on to…I don’t think it ever existed in the first place.”
Laney swallowed hard. Could Breanna be right? It was hard to know. “We can’t be certain of that.”
“You’re right. We can’t. But there is something you can be certain of.” She lightly touched Laney’s chest. “Your own heart.God wants you to be happy, Laney. He is a loving and kind Father who only wants the best for you. If you look inside your heart, and find that Jonah is there, then trust in that. Don’t let what happened between Mom and Dad rob you of the happiness that is meant for you.”
Fresh tears swelled. Her sister’s words hit home, and Laney desperately wanted to believe… “I’m scared, Bre. What if I can’t do it?”
“You are the smartest and bravest person I’ve ever met. No one loves more strongly or is more dedicated than you. Except for maybe…Jonah.” Breanna smiled. “He’s a good man. He’s stood by your side for the last fifteen years, through difficult times. If anyone has proven themselves, it’s him. Take the leap of faith, Laney.”
She bristled at her sister’s commanding tone. “How do you know that’s what’s in my heart?”
“Because I’ve seen the two of you together. That kind of love can’t be faked.” Breanna’s expression was understanding but firm. “Ultimately, the decision is yours. God—and I—can only do so much.”
Laney grabbed a pillow and smacked her sister with it, laughing. “I hate when you talk down to me.”
“Then don’t be short-sighted and I won’t have to.” Breanna smacked Laney with a much larger pillow.
The two of them continued whacking each other childishly until they were both on the floor in a puddle of giggles. Laney couldn’t stop laughing. Her cheeks hurt from it.
She hugged her sister. “I love you.”
“Love you too. Now help me pick up these pillows off the floor.”
That set off a fresh round of giggles. It was a side effect of the stress, and a relief that they were all safe. But as Laney put the last pillow onto the couch, her cell phone rang. She glancedat the screen. It was one of her night rangers on patrol. Concern immediately shot through her as she answered the call. “What’s wrong?”
“We have a missing child.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Laney gripped the steering wheel of her vehicle as she flew down the highway toward Piney Woods. It was only nine o’clock, but it felt like the day would never end. A shooting, questioning Garrett, the attack on Papa Earl, and now a missing child. It felt like she hadn’t had a minute to catch her breath.
“So you think Garrett and Mitch are working together?” She spared a glance at Jonah.
He held onto the handle above the door with one strong hand. The streetlights played across the curve of his nose and his high forehead before casting them back into shadows. He hadn’t shaved since early this morning, and bristles covered his cheeks and chin. She knew intimately what they’d felt like as he’d kissed her, and she tore her gaze away to focus on the road.
The conversation with Breanna weighed heavily in her mind. Laney was half-tempted to blurt out everything. Her fears. Her feelings. She realized now how silly it was to have kept them to herself. Jonah had been right that day in the woods. They were friends first. Best friends. And they always found a way through difficult things together. If she’d told him what was going on in her head and her heart…
Then maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess now.
Because she loved him. She knew that with every fiber of her being. It didn’t erase the fears, or her worries, but…Breanna had been right. Jonah was in her heart. He’d been there for a very long time, and together, with prayer and patience, maybe they could find a way forward.
But this was not the time to go into all of that. Not with a killer on the loose and a missing child to find.
“We can’t be certain Garrett and Mitch are working together, but it makes sense.” Jonah looked down at his phone. “Chief Deputy Williams says that Garrett isn’t at home. They’ve contacted his lawyer, but if he knows where Garrett is, he’s not saying.”
Laney turned through the main gate of the park and raced for the visitor center. She hopped out of her SUV, released Scout, and then hurried up the walkway. They were met by Ranger Zoe Papadoulos, whose worried expression and clipped tone immediately conveyed the child hadn’t been found yet. “The family is staying in Cabin 10. According to the parents, they were roasting marshmallows with another family and their kids when their four-year-old disappeared.”
“How long has she been missing?”
“Approximately an hour. The parents spent some time looking for her on their own before calling the park’s emergency line. Chief Ranger Dawson was working late, so he responded along with me. He’s currently at the campsite, as are Ryker and Tate. They’re searching the area and talking to nearby campers.” Zoe lifted a plastic evidence bag. “I collected a blanket from the child’s bed for Scout.”
