Page 34 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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13

Aspen

The next morning feels almost normal.

Almost.

Grandpa is sitting at the kitchen table eating oatmeal like nothing happened.

Dylan laughs at something Buddy does, and the sound hits me right in the chest.

Relief.

Pure, overwhelming relief.

He’s okay.

Grandpa is okay.

For now.

And for a moment—

that’s enough.

I reach out, brushing my hand lightly across Dylan’s shoulder as I pass.

Just to feel him there.

Just to remind myself he’s still here.

Dylan is packing eggs into a carton for the neighbor who buys them every week.

If I didn’t know better…

I’d think everything was fine.

But my nerves still haven’t settled from last night.

Havoc and the Rangers saved Grandpa.

Just like that.

They moved like a team that had done rescues before.

Professional.

Controlled.

Military.

Joseph would have recognized them instantly.

I pour coffee into a mug and stare out the window.

Life is strange, how the Ranger’s moved to the same town where Joseph’s grandpa lived.

The mountain is peaceful this morning.

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