Page 80 of Forgotten Path
She pulled her shoulders back, turned on her heel, and strode back into the nursery. He watched her walk away and recalled Mrs. Wolfe’s admonition from the previous night: She’d warned him not to make the mistake of thinking anyone in Oyster Point was fragile. He understood more fully now the strength required to thrive—or at least survive—in a hardscrabble town that the rest of the world had forgotten.
He took a centering breath and met Felicia’s waiting eyes. “Okay,” he acquiesced. “You win.”
“I don’t want to win, Bodhi. I want to see justice done.”
He wasn’t convinced justice was within reach of the struggling people of Oyster Point, but they could at least do right by Joel.
“I hear you.” He tilted his head toward the door. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO
“Are you ready?”
Brianna jutted out her chin. “Yes.”
Not convinced by her bravado, Felicia asked, “Are you sure?”
The determined set of Brianna’s shoulders softened. “I think so. Ready as I’ll ever be, at least.”
Felicia smiled. “Good. Courage is one thing. Sheer fearlessness is something else—usually psychosis.”
That coaxed a smile out of the terrified young woman.
Despite the hard line she’d taken with Bodhi, Felicia wasn’t unsympathetic. She lowered her voice and said, “It’s not too late to back out. Everyone will understand.”
Brianna twisted her neck to look at the group assembled in the church rec room. Felicia wasn’t sure how word of what should have been a discreet law enforcement operation had spread so widely or so fast, but she had a feeling the mail carrier had somehow been involved.
Regardless, as she miked up Brianna and Craig, a small crowd had gathered, and now she estimated there had to be thirty people sitting around the tables drinking coffee, tea, and juice. A woman with an inexplicable British accent flitted around, passing out scones and clotted cream. Oyster Point was an odd place. But it was odd in a good way, and she could see what had drawn Joel here.
Thinking of Joel reminded her to stay on task. She eyed Brianna, waiting for her to confirm whether she wanted to go forward.
Brianna set her jaw. “I’m not backing out. But you’re sure he won’t notice the recording device?”
“He’s not a mafia don. He doesn’t have any reason to be looking for it. Chad doesn’t ordinarily feel inside your bra, does he?”
“Eww, no.” Brianna mimed dry heaving.
“Then you’ll be fine,” Felicia assured her.
“Okay.”
“Are you ready to go?”
Brianna’s smile wobbled. “Let me just say goodbye to Steffi.”
“Sure thing. And Brianna?”
“Yeah.”
“I know you don’t know me, but I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
Brianna nodded and walked over to her friend to say her goodbyes.
Felicia knew Brianna would have rather had Bodhi with her, but what Brianna didn’t realize was that as between Chad and Fred, Chad was the more significant threat. Or that, unlike Bodhi, Felicia hadn’t taken a vow ofahimsaor non-harm. His refusal to harm another living being, even if doing so meant protecting himself or an innocent person, had been a major sticking point in their first case together. She hoped it wouldn’t cause an issue now. As for her, she was perfectly willing to put a bullet between Chad Hornbill’s eyes if he presented the slightest threat to Brianna—or anyone else.
She rested her hand on the butt of her gun and went to find Bodhi. He was leaning against the wall outside the nursery with his eyes closed. She stood beside him and leaned, too.
“You busy?”
