Page 16 of Rangers Unexpected Return

Sunlight pushed through the curtains. A ceiling fan turned slowly overhead. The room smelled like fresh paint, clean sheets, and the piece of apple pie Agnes had insisted I keep beside the bed.

Max growled again.

Someone moved in the hallway.

Slow footsteps stopped outside my door.

The knob turned.

I came off the bed as the door opened.

Trigger stepped inside carrying two coffee cups.

Max lunged across the room.

Trigger yelped and threw both hands into the air.

Coffee hit the wall.

“MAX!”

The dog stopped three inches from Trigger and looked at me.

“Friend,” I said.

Max sat.

Trigger stared at him.

Then at the coffee dripping down the wall.

Then at me.

“You could have said that sooner.”

“You could have knocked.”

“I brought you coffee.”

“You broke into my room.”

“I opened an unlocked door.”

“Without knocking.”

“We didn’t knock when we were Rangers.”

“We also carried weapons and slept in buildings where people wanted to kill us.”

Trigger looked at Max.

“He wanted to kill me.”

“He wanted to stop you.”

“With his teeth.”

“They’re effective.”