Page 40 of Ranger Belief
Laney swung toward Jonah. “You still think Eddie might be responsible for this?”
“Right now, I’m not eliminating anyone unless they have a rock-solid alibi.” He held her gaze. “Mistakes can be deadly, Laney, and I refuse to let anything else happen to you.”
She swallowed hard. Laney knew without a doubt that Jonah would do anything for her. A terrifying realization. What had Tate called it? Collateral damage.
Would protecting her cost Jonah his life?
NINETEEN
Mitchell Caldwell was a ghost. Garrett Wheeler was still missing. And Jonah…
Well, he was irritated, frustrated, and annoyed in equal measure. “Tate should’ve kept his big mouth shut about the killer coming after me. It completely freaked Laney out.” He glowered out the vehicle window. The afternoon sunshine was hidden behind a new wall of clouds. More rain was coming. It was as if God intended to cure the entire summer’s drought in the span of a few days. “She’s got enough to worry about. I don’t want her trying to protect me on top of it.”
Ryker shot him a baleful look. “You don’t think Laney would’ve put two and two together?”
“Eventually, sure. But Tate spelled it out for her.” His jaw clenched. “The one time he decides to actually speak his mind…”
“Tate was speaking to two law enforcement professionals, one being the acting superintendent for the park. Laney deserves to know what’s going on, and she’s not a delicate violet who needs to be coddled and protected. She’s tough enough to handle the truth.”
Ryker’s logic only irritated Jonah further. “It was an asinine thing to say. He called me collateral damage, for heaven’s sake, so stop sticking up for him.”
“Something tells me you’re mad at something other than Tate.”
“No, I’m pretty ticked at him.”
Ryker tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “Sure. That’s why you left him back at the park to watch over Laney.”
She had to stay back and prepare for the upcoming meeting with the representatives from TDPW tomorrow. Jonah hadn’t been happy about it, but Tate was reliable enough to keep her alive. Even if he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “I hope he doesn’t say something else that he shouldn’t.”
The truck rolled to a stop at a red light. Ryker shifted to face Jonah. “What’s going on between you and Laney?”
“Nothing. We’re fine.”
Ryker snorted. “You’re both as tense as rookies on their first day.”
He rolled his eyes. “We were shot at this morning.”
“That’s not it, and we both know it. You could barely look at each other this morning. I’ve never seen either of you so uncomfortable, so let’s skip through your denials and my pushing. Just start talking, Foster.”
He debated ignoring his friend, but what would be the point? Besides, he could use someone to talk to. “I kissed her. She kissed me back. And now it’s awkward.” He glowered out of the window as the light turned green and they moved through the intersection. “Laney’s never been great with romantic relationships. They freak her out. And like a world-class moron, I told her I’ve had feelings for her for the last eight years. So…now you know.”
“You think Laney doesn’t care?”
“Oh, I know she cares. That’s not an issue.” She’d kissed him back. Jonah knew that meant something. “But she’s scared.”
“Of what?”
“I don’t know exactly.” He flexed his fingers. “Her dad abandoned the family when Laney was eight. She doesn’t talk about it much. Maybe it has something to do with that? I don’t know. But if it does, it sucks that she hasn’t figured out that I’m not like that. We’ve been friends for fifteen years. You’d think that would count for something.”
Ryker was silent for so long Jonah thought the conversation was over, and then he said, “Hannah fought her feelings for me too. When a woman’s been hurt before, it can be hard for her to risk her heart again.” He flicked a glance toward Jonah. “Whatever Laney’s going through, I doubt it has anything to do with you, and everything to do with her.”
Jonah wasn’t so sure about that, but he was willing to listen. “So what do I do?”
“Be patient. Stay steady. Give her the space and time to sort out her heart.”
“Have faith, you mean.” He’d never been very good at that. Surrendering to God felt so…passive. He preferred taking action and making things happen. Or in this case, fixing what he’d broken.
But there was no fixing it. No going back.
