Sage’s POV
The late morning sun filtered into the kitchen, casting a golden hue across the countertops as she zipped up her range bag. Her dad, Lawrence, stood across from her at the counter loading magazines with steady hands and casual ease.
"You ready to embarrass yourself again?" he teased with a sideways grin, lifting an eyebrow.
She scoffed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "That was one time. And my scope was off."
“Keep telling yourself that, June Bug.”
They headed out to the truck and drove through the sunlit backroads, windows cracked to let in the fresh California air. At the range, Sage found her rhythm quickly. Her dad barked out target locations, and she hit most of them clean. She could feel the old training coming back, muscle memory rising to the surface. Her group
