Page 64 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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Because I can’t do that to him again.

Not when he’s just starting to feel like he belongs somewhere.

“It’s not safe here.”

“This is my home now. We are not running.”

Her voice doesn’t waver.

I respect that.

But it doesn’t change the situation.

“They came once,” I say.

“They’ll come again.”

She turns to face me.

Eyes steady.

“I’m not running.”

There it is.

The strength Tank saw.

The strength I see now.

I nod slowly.

“Then we don’t run.”

Her breath catches slightly.

“We fortify.”

Her eyes search mine.

“And you’ll stay?”

The question is simple.

But the answer isn’t.

Because staying means something.

Something I’m not ready to name yet.

“Yeah,” I say finally.

“I’ll stay.”

Buddy barks like he approves.

Aspen exhales slowly.

And I realize something I probably shouldn’t—

This just stopped being a mission.

And started becoming something else.

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