Page 85 of Love in the Storm

The sheet tangled around Lyric’s ankle as she rolled onto her left side. How was she supposed to sleep when Asa was still at work?

He usually worked the day shift, and though it came with its own host of problems, it wasn’t as scary as the night shift.

Lyric knew exactly what went on after dark. It was never good.

Blackwater was a small town, but that didn’t mean there weren’t bad people and problems. Don’t ask how she knew.

She turned to look at her phone on the nightstand. It lay dark and useless. She couldn’t think of a single reason that Asa would still be out this late that didn’t involve some kind of trouble. There was achance he’d forgotten to call her when he got off work, but that didn’t seem likely. He always called.

Tossing to her other side, she squeezed her eyes closed and pictured Asa’s face. Recalling how he looked at her always calmed her anxiety. From the short stubble on his jaw to the lift at the corners of his eyes when he smiled, she’d memorized every inch of his features.

Lord, keep him safe. If it’s not too much…

No. Nothing was too much for the Lord.

If it’s Your will, I pray Asa stays safe.

She sighed and turned onto her back. Would this be the rest of her life? He was a small-town police officer. Maybe she was worrying too much. There were more dangerous jobs out there.

Maybe.

The Andy Griffith Showtheme song split the silence. Betty’s ringtone for Asa and Dawson sent Lyric’s heart racing. She sat up in the bed and stilled, listening for Betty to answer the call.

Because no one called this late with good news.

Betty’s muffled acknowledgments filtered through the walls. “Is he okay?”

No, no, no. That meant hewasn’tokay. Lyric tore off the covers and darted for the door. She’d just stepped into the hallway when Betty emerged, pulling her robe tighter around her middle. Shadows hid her eyes, but the firm set of her jaw betrayed her worry.

“What happened?” Lyric whispered.

“He was shot?—”

“Shot!” The word ripped from her throat with a painful shriek.

“Shh. He’s okay,” Betty said.

“If he was shot, he is definitely not okay,” Lyric whisper-screamed.

Betty rested a hand on Lyric’s arm. “Dawson said he’s stable. They’re prepping him for surgery in Cody.”

A breath caught in Lyric’s chest. Shot. He couldn’t be. Not Asa.

The grip on her arm tightened. “We can’t fall apart. Asa needs us to be strong.”

“Right,” Lyric whispered. Though, nothing about the situation was right. Asa was a pillar of light in a world of darkness. He didn’t deserve this.

“I’ll wake Jacob, and we can ride together,” Betty said.

Lyric nodded. Doing something would keep her mind occupied. “I’ll drive.”

Turning on her heels, she rushed back into the bedroom and flipped on the light. Grabbing jeans and a sweater, she focused on one task at a time. Getting dressed. Putting on shoes. Brushing her teeth and hair. When she was ready, she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a few bottles of water and an apple for Jacob. He’d get hungry on the long drive after waking up this late.

“Lyric?”

Jacob’s soft voice snapped her attention to the doorway. His brow furrowed and his eyes squinted against the bright light.

“Hey, bud.” She crossed the room and drew him into her arms. The instinct to hug him overpowered everything else.

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