Page 32 of Her Honorable Hero

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Miranda and Griffraised their heads as they heard Livvie’s cry through the baby monitor. Griff looked down at Miranda. She gave him a half-hearted smile, but he must not have bought it.

“Sounds like she needs her diaper changed,” he said. “It’s my turn for the next two weeks since I just got back from deployment.”

“You talked me into it.” Miranda waved her arm and watched Griff walk out of the bedroom. She rolled over and hugged his pillow and listened intently. Another one of her greedily hoarded secrets was that she loved listening in when Griff talked to their daughter. He didn’t just talk nonsense, nope, he talked about his hopes and dreams for his little girl.

Miranda wiped away a tear. Imagine a father wanting the world for his daughter. A father who adored his daughter.

By the time Griffin came back, she had herself back under control and a smile firmly in place.

“It’s a damn good thing today is Saturday,” he said as he eased into bed. “We’re sure not getting much sleep.”

“Well, we are now. Turn out the light.”

She watched as he turned off the lamp, but even in the darkness she saw his intent stare.

“What?” she asked.

“I need to hear more.”

She was going to protest, but then realized that tonight was the night to share. Maybe not everything. But this. At least this.

* * *

Three Years Earlier

“Scarlett,”Miranda cried out. She felt tears threatening again and thought about baseball to force back the wetness.

No wonder the woman hadn’t been able to hear her. She was hanging out of one of the broken windows. It almost looked like she had been trying to crawl out of the train.

“Miranda, did I hear you call Scarlett’s name?”

“Josiah?” She turned her light toward his voice. He was a few yards away, climbing over wreckage. “Yes, I found her. She’s partially covered by this seat, and it looks like she tried to climb out a window.”

Tufts of seagrass surrounded Scarlett’s torso, and the scent of the ocean wafted inside the railcar. “I can’t tell how badly she’s injured because her head and shoulders are outside.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Miranda still needed to find the baby. The little girl could be anywhere. Miranda’s gut told her she was somewhere near Scarlett. Please say she was right.

She heard a crash, then a scream. She turned her light to see what had made the noise.

“Is everyone all right? What happened?” It was Griff’s voice.

“I’m fine.” A woman answered. “It was a luggage rack and suitcases that fell. It scared me.”

Miranda could hear Jeremy crying, then she heard Susan start singing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ to distract him. A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped.

“Whoa there, it’s me,” Josiah said. “Where’s Scarlett?” She could hear the underlying panic in his voice.

She pointed her phone’s flashlight at Scarlett’s prone figure. She was pretty sure she’d seen her breathing, but she couldn’t get to her because of the seat.

Josiah sucked in a deep breath at the sight of his wife, then he lifted the seat as if it weighed nothing and knelt next to her. Ever so slowly, he began to pull her back into the railcar, doing his best to support her head and neck as he did so. Miranda didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until she saw Scarlett’s eyelids twitch.

The woman’s lips moved. Miranda was pretty sure she formed the name, “Josiah.”

“I’m here for you, Scarlett Ann. I’ve got you, Love.” His hands gently took inventory of her body. She moaned in pain as he ran his hands lightly over her ribs.