“We still don’t have any leads. You know that,” Asa said.
It was a good thing she hadn’t eaten yet because her gut was twisted in a knot. “Because I’m the only one looking for him. I’m the only one who recognizes that he’s really missing.”
Asa held up his hands. “Whoa. That’s not fair. We’re using every resource we have at the department. It’s just that he’s not showing up anywhere. Every law enforcement agency within three hundred miles is looking for him, but no one has seen him in over three years. At some point, we have to put our energy toward other cases.”
Lauren’s breaths grew shallow, and she forced her shoulders to relax. “I know, but I’m the only person he has in this entire world. It’s my responsibility to find him.”
“You’re not the only one,” Asa assured her. “We’re looking for him. It’s just hard to locate a missing person without any leads.”
Lauren’s jaw clenched. It was always the same. No hope and no leads.
“But Zach isn’t the answer,” Asa said. “We tried that before his sentencing, but he wouldn’t cooperate.We don’t have anything to offer him in exchange for information now.”
Her chin fell to her chest. “I know. I already asked him to help, and he wouldn’t.”
Bella passed Ariana to Travis and reached for Lauren’s hand. Bella’s eyes were full of fire and love as she turned all of her attention to Lauren. “I know you miss him. You’ve lost so much, and I don’t want you to lose anyone or anything else.”
Of all the people at the table, Bella had lost the most. She’d lost as much or more than Lauren, and she still kept her head up. She’d shown them all how to be strong in the darkest of times. From homeless and lost to loved and saved, Bella was a walking example of how Jesus and the kindness of strangers could put anyone on a path paved with goodness.
Asa glanced from Jacob to Lauren. Of course the man had a right to be scared. The criminal who’d been an accomplice to his shooting was living right down the road. Asa had a family to consider.
Lauren understood all of it, but that didn’t mean Anthony mattered to her any less. She also knew in her gut that she needed to help Zach. It wasn’t just about her. If he gave up his old ways, then no one needed to fear him anymore. A criminal could become a model citizen. She’d seen it happen more than once.
When Asa settled his gaze on Lauren, there was a plea in his eyes she couldn’t ignore. “Zach is a wild card. He’s not the answer.”
“But he hasn’t caused any problems, and none ofhis crimes included harming people. I’m just trying to help him.”
Travis looked up from his daughter’s eyes and brushed a hand through his hair. “We want to trust him because we trust you. It’s just that a guy like that is unpredictable.”
“How can you say that?” Lauren squared her shoulders and met Travis’s gaze. “Aren’t you friends with Gage? In fact, weren’t you friends with himbeforehe decided to get his act together? Wasn’t he stuck in the same darkness as Zach only a few years ago? Gage isn’t that guy anymore.”
The room fell silent. They were all thinking of the price Gage paid for his freedom. He’d literally fought to the death for it. He’d killed Zach’s brother, Rome, to protect Hadley, and now the weight of a life snuffed out sat on his shoulders every day.
Asa defended Lyric, a former criminal. Travis fought for Bella, a homeless stranger. Why couldn’t she choose to help someone when she saw a need?
Lyric walked into the room and halted when she saw all of her friends locked in a tense face-off. “What’s going on in here?”
Lauren couldn’t lose the opportunity. She fisted her hands on the table and turned to Travis. “I need you to get Zach a job at the ranch. Please.”
The silence choked her as Travis glanced at his wife, contemplating the risks of bringing this man so close to their home. “Let me think about it.”
Lauren asked. “Would Gage be able to work with Zach?”
Travis shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“If he doesn’t want to, then I’ll let it go,” Lauren promised. She turned to Bella and took her hand again. “And if you don’t want him at the ranch, then I’ll find somewhere else for him to work.”
“Why can’t he find his own job?” Jacob innocently asked.
“That’s a good question,” Asa mumbled.
Lauren directed her answer to Jacob. “Because he doesn’t have a car, money, or even a phone. It’s hard to apply for jobs when you can’t get there or when nobody will give you a chance.”
Lyric sat between Asa and Jacob. “I’m glad you’re helping him.”
Asa lifted his chin to his wife with a wide-eyed look that could have knocked them all to the ground. “What?”
“I know what it’s like to have nothing. I also know that I would still be stuck at rock bottom if someone hadn’t reached down and helped me up.”
