Chapter 2

TWO

brIGGS TURNER’S PULSE thumped louder in his ears when he saw the torn piece of clothing on the branch. A quick look at the photo on his phone confirmed it was a match for his missing hikers.

“This way,” he called over his shoulder before clicking his tongue, sending Durango, his quarter horse, down the rocky slope. Durango’s hooves slipped as the dry earth gave way beneath them. Briggs grabbed his radio and called back to let the rest of the Search and Rescue team know they might be close to finding the two missing teenage girls.

This part of Esperanza National Park had seen record flooding in the spring, which had changed the topography of the area, destroying some of the man-made trails and closing off others due to mudslides. Smart hikers avoided the area, but a few wanting to see or swim in the spring-fed pools would ignore posted warnings. That meant they’d forge their way into terrain unsafe for the other members of the SAR team to get to on foot.

Behind him, he heard the soft snort of Jett’s horse, Duke, and Jett steadying the four-year-old gelding who was still new to off-trail riding. “Do they have any idea how dangerous this is?”

“Probably not.” Branches scraped against Briggs’s pants. He kept guiding Durango forward, but honestly, he could let go of the reins and his horse would know where to go. “Chief said the last photo the girls posted on their Instagram was about a half mile from the north parking lot.”

“We’re about two miles in.” The trail was wide enough for Jett to walk Duke forward. “Seems like a lot of effort for two sixteen-year-old girls, if you ask me.”

“You must not realize the importance of the perfect social media photo.” Briggs scanned the landscape ahead of him, searching for where two image-obsessed teenage girls might brave for the most likes.

Jett tipped his Stetson low over his forehead. “I don’t.”

Briggs slid a glance to the man who not only was his partner for the mounted Search and Rescue team but was also his parents’ ranch hand. The former Texas Rangers’ first baseman had left the MLB five years ago, and it took Briggs less than a second to find salacious details on him. When he questioned his parents’ decision to hire him, his father said, “It’s settled,” and Briggs knew better than to push Lee Turner. Instead, on his days off from the Dallas Police Department, he’d come down to the family ranch under the pretense of missing home, but both parents saw right through that and decided to work him.

It was on those weekends sweating side by side working the land and cattle with Jett that Briggs learned the man was not the aggressive maverick the media portrayed him to be. He was quiet, dependable, and had a streak of humor Briggs had come to appreciate.

He’d also realized how much he appreciated being back home, which made his decision to leave the Dallas PD that much easier.

“There.” Jett gave a short whistle that encouraged Duke forward.

Durango followed, and when the elevation dropped, Briggs spotted what had caught Jett’s attention. Ahead of them was a rock outcropping where boulders turned Esperanza Springs into a waterfall during high rain seasons, but after the dry summer it was just a steady flow. At the base, he saw the two girls—sunbathing.

IT WAS A TWENTY-MINUTE RIDE back to the east parking lot, where Kailey and Bethany were embraced by their worried family members. Briggs and Jett loaded the horses up in the trailer.

“Tanning,” Jett grumbled. He pulled a small apple from his pocket and crushed it in half with his hands before handing a piece to Briggs.

“They’re young.” Durango’s velvet lips quickly snatched the treat out of Briggs’s hand. “I’m glad you only gave them half a lecture.”

Jett sent him a hard stare. “They’re old enough to understand the risks and they’re lucky to hear my lecture.” He scratched Duke’s forehead. “Those girls need to recognize that’s not always the case.”

“They told me about your safety lecture.” Barrett Brown, their incident commander, walked up to them. “Pretty sure they’re not going to be venturing out on their own for a long time just to avoid it.”

Jett tipped his head. “Then I did my job.”

“Such a good job, in fact, I think those girls might’ve had a little crush on you,” Barrett said. “Asked if they could get a picture with their ‘knight in Wrangler armor.’”

Briggs coughed to cover up the laugh that wanted to escape. It wasn’t the first time a female hiker appreciated being rescued by Jett. Earlier this spring seventy-three-year-old Edna Lewis faked a fainting spell just to keep Jett holding on to her.

Jett flexed his jaw, looking unamused. “I don’t do photos.”

“Don’t worry, that’s what I told them. But we’ve been looking for a way to raise funds for new tack. Maybe we could create a calendar and you could be our model. Twelve months of you in Wranglers.”

“I’d rather have my teeth pulled, Chief.”

Barrett released a hearty chuckle that echoed around them, and Briggs couldn’t help laughing too.

“I appreciate you boys coming out so quickly,” Barrett said. “Let’s pray this is the most exciting thing we see this weekend.”

The high season for hikers was only picking up as Texas temperatures finally dipped below melting, which meant their season as volunteer SAR was also picking up.

Barrett backed up toward his Chevy. “Will I see you boys at the festival?”

Jett shook his head. “Not if I can help it.”

Briggs opened the door to his truck’s cab and dropped his backpack on the floor. “I’ll be there.”

“Sounds good.” Barrett climbed into his truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

Briggs checked the time. If he hurried back to the ranch, he could help Jett unload the horses, get the gear put away, and have time for a quick shower before heading out to meet his friends for dinner.

He climbed into the driver’s side of the truck, as thoughts of Lahela filled his mind, along with a nervousness he hadn’t felt since he crushed on Jessica Coleman freshman year of high school.

Even though it was Nash’s birthday, he was hoping tonight might be the right opportunity to see if Lahela would go to the festival with him.

There was something about his feelings for Lahela that had him seeing his life—his future—differently.

The soft caw of crows pulled his attention to the nearly cloudless blue sky. It was the same beautiful sky over Dallas, but somehow the weight of the job there had dimmed the grandeur. Here, even with sweat dripping down his back, blisters on his hands, dirt covering his skin, and mud on his boots, everything around him was a technicolor of God’s artistry.

As beautiful as it was, he couldn’t wait to get back to the woman who unexpectedly had him wanting to explore more than their easy friendship. And his plan tonight was to take that first step.