Page 41 of Landon

Clearing her throat, she asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

“Storm is passed. We need to walk down the road and past the mudslide. My people have just flown in and will get a vehicle up here to meet us.”

“And then?” Penny asked.

Landon stood, offered his hand to assist Noel, and turned to face Penny. “Then we’ll go back to your mom’s place. You need food, a shower, and a chance to get your things.”

“Oh my goodness,” Noel said, her eyes wide. “We forgot to tell you that your dad sent Mike Westerly to come with us. He’s a familiar face to make you feel better.”

“Big Mike is here?” the kids shouted with broad smiles on their faces.

“Yes. He’s with your mom, and you’ll see him soon. Then we’ll fly back to Montana.”

Tad and Penny nodded, the news seeming to give them energy. As Landon swung his pack over his shoulders, Tad leaned down to grab the lighter bag. They filed out of the small shack, and Noel glanced back. Hard dirt floor. Cinder block and wood walls. Rudimentary and crude. Yet the small building would stay in her memory as a shelter. A respite. And a place where she got to know more about the man who’d captured her attention.

19

The golden light of the post-storm day stretched across the sky as the four of them made their way down the mountain. The asphalt road was slick with patches of lingering puddles. The sun’s warmth began drying the foliage, but where the jungle canopy was thick, the road remained damp, casting a subtle gleam underfoot. Landon took the lead, his steps measured and steady, ensuring the pace was comfortable for everyone. Tad followed closely, his youthful energy tempered by the events of the past days. Penny and Noel walked just behind, their soft conversation blending with the sounds of the waking jungle.

Tad’s voice broke the peaceful quiet. “So how do you get to do what you do? Are there like… classes you can take or something?”

Landon glanced over his shoulder, catching the boy’s curious gaze. He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “It’s not exactly about taking a class. It’s more about… finding yourself.”

Tad frowned, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”

Landon paused, considering how best to explain. He was used to answering questions from adults, not from a boy still discovering his place in the world. His thoughts drifted back toNoel, her gentle yet probing questions the day before about his journey from the Bureau to his current role.

“I was in the military first,” Landon said, his voice steady. “After I got out, I joined the FBI.”

“The FBI?” Tad’s eyes lit up, his face a mix of awe and excitement. “You were an FBI agent?”

Landon chuckled at Tad’s enthusiasm, a flash of amusement brightening his features. “Yeah, but it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”

“And you left?” Tad’s voice was filled with disbelief, as though leaving something as cool as the FBI was unthinkable.

“I had the chance to join a private security and investigative firm. I found that I liked it more—it gave me different challenges, a different kind of freedom. So, when they opened a new office in Montana, I made the move.”

“Whoa… that sounds really cool,” Tad admitted, his admiration clear. “I’ve never really thought about doing anything except working on the ranch, like my dad and grandpa.”

Landon’s gaze softened. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Tad. Your family has taught you the value of hard work, dedication, and strong morals. Those are the kind of things that can take you far, no matter what path you choose.”

Tad nodded slowly, digesting Landon’s words. They continued walking, the early morning light filtering through the trees and casting alternating sunspots and shadows across the road. Birds, silent yesterday, now chirped loudly. Penny’s and Noel’s soft laughter floated on the breeze, and for now, the world felt safe.

Landon couldn’t help but glance back, his eyes catching Noel’s. She offered him a small smile, and his chest tightened. She had a way of grounding him, even when the world around them felt like it was spinning out of control.Maybe findingyourself isn’t just about the work you do… perhaps it’s also about the people who walk beside you.

“What about you, Penny?” Noel asked. “What would you like to do?”

“I’ve thought about the ranch, too. I could help Tad run it. But I really like to write.”

Noel’s brows lifted. “Fiction? Stories?”

Penny blushed but nodded. “I like to write stories about the ranch.”

Tad twisted around and grinned. “Her stories are great. They’re better than a lot of things I read from the library.”

“Maybe you could be a rancher-writer-horse rider-author,” Noel said. “The sky is the limit, sweetheart!”

Landon glanced back and witnessed Penny’s broad smile, Tad’s grin, and how Noel’s face lit with excitement. And his chest twinged at the sight.

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