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Her eyebrows rose.
Bridger held his breath.Uh oh.
“Seriously?” She leaned closer to the speaker. “I am not in the ‘need to know’ category. Not even close.”
But Jason being Jason, he didn’t back down. “‘Fraid you are this time. Do the math, woman. It’s twelve days to Christmas. There are a lot of things you don’t need to know.”
Jane’s mouth rounded in an O of surprise. “Fair enough.”
Bridger blinked, awed by Jason’s quick mind. No way he could have come up with an excuse that fast.
The conversation wound down, the earlier lightheartedness replaced by a sense of urgency. But before they hung up, Jane asked the question Bridger knew was weighing on her heart.
“Jason, do you think… Will you be home for Christmas?”
The silence on the line was heavy, laden with unspoken emotions. Bridger and Tai shared a look, both knowing the answer before Jason spoke.
“I… I don’t think I can make it back that quickly, sis. I’m sorry. But soon, I promise.”
Jane’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she forced a smile into her voice. “I understand. We’ll save your presents for when you get here.”
Jason’s voice was rough, thick with emotion. “Thanks, Jane. I appreciate that. I’ve got some great things for Kellen. I can’t wait to see his face when he opens them.”
“Before we hang up, Jason,” Jane’s voice was stern over the static-filled line, “promise us something.”
Jason’s gruff reply echoed back, “Depends on what it is.”
“You can’t go at this alone. Let Bridger and the team in,” Jane implored. “It’s what’s best for you. For all of you. And for me and Kellen.”
A moment of silence filled the airwaves before Jason finally responded. “Okay. You’ve got a point there, baby sis. Give me a couple weeks and I’ll bring the team in. I promise.”
Their voices then joined together in prayer, a chorus of faith and determination crackling through the connection until nothing but silence remained. The line had gone dead.
Bridger pulled Jane into his arms, feeling the slight tremble in her shoulders. He held her close, wishing he could shield her from the disappointment and worry.
“He’ll be home soon,” he murmured into her hair. “We’ll make sure of it.”
Tai stood, his expression determined. “I’m going to reach out to some of my contacts, see if we can get any intel on the situation in Endurance.”
Bridger nodded, grateful for his friend’s proactive nature. “Good idea. I’ll touch base with the rest of the team, let them know what’s going on.”
As Tai headed for the door, Bridger turned back to his wife. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had escaped.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this. We always do.”
Jane leaned into his touch, her eyes searching his. “I know. I just… I want our family to be whole again.”
Bridger’s throat tightened. He wanted that, too. More than anything.
“We will be,” he promised. “One way or another, we’ll all be together again. That’s what Christmas is all about, right? Family and love and miracles.”
Jane’s smile was watery but genuine. “Right.”
Bridger kissed her softly, pouring all his love and reassurance into the gentle press of his lips.
No matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. As a family.
And maybe, just maybe, they’d get their Christmas miracle after all.