Chapter 61
Thunder was still in the truck when Kori got back, sitting perfectly still as he watched everything through the thick snow.
Flint had been taken away. Members of The Remnant were being led away in handcuffs, most of them muttering things about tyranny and government overreach.
Kori tuned them out.
Pete was being assessed by a medic who was crouched beside him. Herb had his arm around Billie, and both of them were wrapped in emergency blankets. Another paramedic took Mackenzie’s blood pressure.
When her sister saw her, she excused herself. She took off the cuff and rushed toward her.
Something had shifted in her expression. Relief and guilt mingled together.
Instead of talking, Kori pulled her sister into a hug.
Mackenzie went stiff, and Kori wondered if her sister might reject the embrace.
A moment later, Mackenzie folded and fell into her sister, sobs escaping.
They held each other for a long time.
When Mackenzie pulled away, her eyes were wet with tears. “Kori, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.”
“You don’t have to do this here,” Kori murmured. “We don’t have to do this right now.”
“I need to.” Mackenzie shook her head. “The thing that happened with Flint . . . it only happened once. Not that that excuses it. But it didn’t mean anything, and I’ve felt terrible about it every single day since.
” Her voice broke slightly on the last word.
“You’re my sister. Nothing was worth losing you. ”
Kori looked at her. At the bruise on her cheekbone and the cut above her eye and the face she’d known her whole life.
“I know,” she murmured. “I feel the same way. But we all mess up sometimes.”
“Not you.”
“Oh, believe me. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes—like holding grudges.” She paused and drew in a shaky breath. “After Mom and Dad died, I actually started going back to church. But there’s a lot I’m still learning. When I met Naomi King—”
“Who?”
Kori shook her head. “It’s a long story.
But it’s a beautiful one of forgiveness and .
. . and grace. It made me realize that I’ve been going through life with the same energy I used in the courtroom.
I want justice. I want no mercy for those who’ve wronged others. But I can’t live my life like that.”
“Oh, Kori . . .”
“It’s true,” she continued. “I want God’s forgiveness and grace in my life more than anything else. But that means I need to offer it to others as well. Not forgiving the people who’ve hurt me doesn’t protect me. It’s just made me bitter. I don’t want to be bitter anymore.”
Mackenzie wiped the moisture from beneath her eyes. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“I think . . . I think a lot of what happened was because of the grief of losing Mom and Dad the way we did. We both handled it badly. We both went looking for things in the wrong places. I looked for comfort in success. You looked for it in other ways.”
Mackenzie wiped her eyes again. “I just wish I could go back and have a do-over.”
“How about we have a do-over now?”
Mackenzie sniffled before nodding. “I’d like that. I’d like that so much.”
“It’s going to take time,” Kori said. “I mean, realistically speaking. But I know we can do it.”
“I know we can too.”
They hugged again, longer this time.
More than ever, Kori was so thankful for answered prayers.
Wyatt went to find Kori.
He slowed his pace when he saw Kori and Mackenzie together. They were hugging.
Kori glanced over her sister’s shoulder and found his eyes. She looked wrung out and relieved and something else . . . maybe at peace.
He nodded once to confirm she was okay.
She nodded back.
Relief filled him. He’d hoped Kori and her sister would make up. He realized they still had a long road ahead, but he was thankful they’d come this far.
He started to check on Pete when tires crunched on the snow behind him. He turned to see a truck pulling onto the scene, moving fast but braking hard.
Max. He was out of the truck nearly before the vehicle had fully stopped.
He crossed the distance to Herb and Billie and pulled them both in without a word. Billie buried her face against her nephew’s shoulder.
Wyatt stood back and watched everything play out.
After a moment Max pulled back and looked them over, his jaw tight. “Are you hurt? Both of you, talk to me. Please.”
“We’re all right.” Herb sounded rough as he said the words. “Those people showed up last night. Said they needed to use our property, that it was important. Said we’d thank them one day.”
“Herb started to grab his gun, but it was too late,” Billie said. “They tied us up and put us in the barn.”
“We thought we were going to die.” Herb’s voice cracked. “Right there on our own property.”
“You’re safe now.” Max gripped Herb’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier.”
He stood with them another moment before turning toward Wyatt.
He extended his hand, and when Wyatt took it, Max gripped it hard. “Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”
“I’m just glad I got here in time.” Wyatt meant the words. “I tried to call you.”
A shadow moved through Max’s expression.
“When Kendra and I broke up last night things got . . . well, she got angry. She slapped the phone out of my hand. It hit the floor and shattered.” He shook his head.
“I don’t like to speak badly about people .
. . but I could have really used that phone today. ”
Wyatt didn’t know the full story, and this wasn’t the moment to ask for it. “I understand.”
Max nodded and turned back to Herb and Billie.
A paramedic appeared at Wyatt’s elbow. “Sir, I’m told you took a fall and may have injured your shoulder and knee. Can I take a look?”
Wyatt started to wave him off but thought better of it. “Yeah, go ahead.”
He sat on the bumper of the ambulance and let the paramedic work. A moment later, Thunder bound toward him, tail wagging.
Wyatt reached down and scratched behind his ears. “You did good today, buddy. Real good.”
Thunder panted as if glad this was all over.
So was Wyatt.