Page 61 of Impossible Treasure

It rang through to voice mail. Her parents would think she was a telemarketer. She left a message, her voice breaking, but luckily she didn’t cry. Then she texted the same words.It’s Brylee. Please call me back.

The phone rang almost immediately.

“Brylee?” Her mom sounded so happy to hear from her. “How was your week? Did you win the money?”

“Mom.” Her voice cracked, and she started sobbing.

Mercedes wrapped her arm around her waist. Brylee found herself leaning into the too-thin woman. She worried if Mercedes could even support her.

“Brylee?” Her dad’s voice. She was on speaker, of course; her parents always did that. “What’s wrong?”

“I fell in love.”

“What?” her dad exclaimed.

“His name is Cash Trapper. He’s incredible. He’s been shot three times and lost a lot of blood.”

“What?” both her parents exclaimed.

She looked at Shawn. He was giving her a warning look. Her parents wouldn’t call the press, for heaven’s sake.

“Please. It’s too much to explain right now, and I’m exhausted. Can you just pray for him and spread the word to everybody so they can do the same?”

“Brylee,” Shawn warned. His voice wasn’t mean, but he expected her to clarify.

“Please don’t tell anyone else he was shot. Just tell them that my close friend Cash Trapper is on the edge of death and needs to be lifted by their prayers.”

“You got it, love,” her dad said.

“We’ll be praying for you too,” her mom reassured her.

“I love you both so much.”

“We love you,” they both said.

The man walked into the room with water bottles, a basket of snacks, and a stack of blankets.

“I … need to go,” Brylee said.

“Okay. Check in as soon as you can. We want to hear all about this Cash.”

“Love you. Bye.”

Brylee hung up. She could bet they wanted to hear all about Cash. She would happily tell them. If he lived. And if he wanted to be with her.

Even with all the drama tonight, she couldn’t help but remember Cash telling her to find a man who wouldn’t leave her and that he wouldn’t let her see him weak and didn’t want her to stay with him.

She took a blanket and water bottle from the man, wrapped up in the blanket, sank onto an uncomfortable chair, took a long drink from the water bottle, and then clung to it as she prayed over and over again.

Please let him live. Please let him live.

Heaven had answered her prayers before. But was this too big of a miracle to hope for?

Chapter

Twenty-One

Brylee feltlike she lived twenty lifetimes as she waited in that too-small waiting room with Shawn and Mercedes.

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