Page 111 of Forged in Steele

Piper had the strength of ten men in her grip, and Bristol was already rethinking her desire to stay. But Piper needed someone, and Bristol had already committed to stay.

“I’ll be in the waiting area,” Jared said to Bristol and mouthedThank youagain.

She dredged up a smile, and he fled the room. She didn’t blame him. But Piper had given her all to finding Luna, and Bristol could return the effort and give her all to helping Piper.

Jared was sure the unsettled feeling in his gut had to be much like an expectant father. He’d been pacing the waiting area for over ten minutes, not knowing what to do. Not that fathers these days waited on the sidelines. At least he didn’t think they did. He wouldn’t. Sure, he’d bolted from Piper’s suite, but he wouldn’t do the same thing at the birth of his own child. Or if any child went missing in the future. He didn’t want or expect that to happen, but if he was called upon to work such an investigation again, he would be right up front asking to lead.

He could handle it. No matter the outcome.

God was indeed at his side. Jared now knew that. And just because they’d had a bad outcome with Wyatt didn’t mean that every outcome in the future would be bad. God had a plan for Wyatt. A plan Jared didn’t understand. Would never understand. But it was a perfect plan that only God could craft. Jared could now live with what happened to Wyatt. Better than that, Jared could let go of the trauma. Move on. Live as God intended him to live. Open. Alive. Fully alive. And ready for a relationship with the woman he’d loved for years.

The door opened, and Bristol stepped in.

“Nick arrived?” Jared asked.

“He did.” She crossed the room, collapsed on a chair, and let out a long noisy breath. “The nurse said Piper was progressing very rapidly through labor and to expect her to give birth any time now.”

“Wow.” Jared sat next to Bristol, the tightness in his gut lessening. “Good thing we didn’t get into traffic with her. Do you want to wait for the baby? Seems like we should, but then it also seems like this is very personal, and we shouldn’t.”

She pivoted to look at him. “Nick said he would come out to tell us when the baby arrives, so it sounds like they’re expecting us to stay.”

“What about your family?” he asked. “They’re expecting us for breakfast.”

“I called them from the suite and told them we weren’t coming.”

“Phew,” Jared said, half in jest but a hint of truth lingered in his tone.

Bristol’s eyebrows went up. “You don’t want to eat with them?”

Did he? “You kind of scared me when you said I had to win your grandparents over.”

She waved a hand. “I was mostly joking.”

“Mostly?” His mouth suddenly dry, he swallowed hard.

“Their good opinion of the man I choose for life is a must for me.” She took his hand and looked him in the eye, but his chest tightened. “I have no doubt they will see you for the wonderful man you’ve become and forget that you dumped me.”

“You think so?” The tightness in his chest eased some.

“Once I tell them about your fine qualities, and they see them for themselves, I know they’ll approve.” She smiled, the soft smile he’d always believed was meant just for him. “What about meeting your family?”

He groaned. “I don’t care what they think about you.”

“Translated, you don’t think they’ll approve.”

“Do you come from a wealthy family? Have social status? No.” He shook his head. “They won’t understand my choice any more than they understand me. But I would honestly worry if I brought a woman home to meet them and they liked her on the spot. That would mean I didn’t choose very well for myself.” He chuckled.

She tilted her head and studied him. “You really sound okay with that.”

“Took me years to figure it out, but yeah. I’m okay with being who God wants me to be, even if my family doesn’t like it. I am who I am.” He held tightly to her hand. “And I’m finally okay with losing Wyatt. God has a plan. I just have to trust in it and live it the best I can.”

“That’s one of the things my grandparents are going to love about you.” Her smile stretched ear-to-ear. “I had a revelation myself.”

“And?” he asked, hoping she’d also found a way to trust, as that was the only way the two of them would get together again.

“You get taken at gunpoint by a half-crazed woman and you come to the end of what you can do on your own. It’s then you realize you have to fall back to God.And you figure out that faith means finding a way, no matter what’s happening, no matter how hard or tough it is, to know that God is real. That He’s in control and fighting for you.” She sat back, contentment on her face.

“I hate that you went through this, but I’m glad you restored your relationship with God.” He was about to tug her close when his phone rang. “It’s Reed.”

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