The Strong and Courageous

By Beth Blair Heavener

When eleven-year-old Bella Breeland was swallowed up in the extremely dense Gemini Forest in northern Florida, she had no idea how her careless actions would come to affect the lives of so many others.Jenna Breeland: a single parent trying to run her veterinarian clinic alone after her husband and partner in the clinic had left her for another woman. Raising Bella alone had become a challenge that sometimes left her defeated.Jonathan Gonzorelli: a hard-hearted homicide detective who was called in by his police chief to help locate Bella. He was not happy about being placed on "lost kid" detail.Jamison Matthews: a broken-hearted veterinarian on vacation from Breezy Shores, Florida, who finds himself unexpectedly joining in the search for Bella.Donna Bailey: Bella's beloved aunt, whose life changed drastically when Bella got lost.Bella Breeland: a feisty eleven-year-old whose motto had become "If it's too good to be true, it will probably come unglued." Bella bit off more than she bargained for when she ran after her little dog who was chasing a rabbit into the dense forest. Following the dog, it was only a few minutes before Bella realized she was completely lost.However, like Joshua in the Bible, those who are strong and courageous will always come out the victor with God's help.This is their story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098069704

Book preview

Chapter 1

Sunday, 4:30 p.m.

Mom! Where are you? Why can’t you find me? I’m cold and hungry and scared. Bella began to cry. Mommy, Bella pleaded. Please find me! I can’t find the path I took into the forest.

Bella knew that with her history of habitually coming home late, her mother was probably ignoring the fact that Bella had not come back to the picnic area after walking her dog. "I know I’m always trying to find ways to make her mad. I don’t know why I do that." In her eleven-year-old mind, it was her mom’s fault that her beloved daddy had left them when she was only nine. Her heart was still broken. She missed him more every day.

Today was supposed to be a family outing for Bella; her mom, Jenna; Aunt Donna; and Bella’s dog, Valentine. Bella had wanted no part of it. Stupid picnic. Who does that anyway? Bella grumbled. I’d rather have a McDonald’s Big Mac and a shake, not baked chicken and some gross pasta salad with something called cashew mayonnaise. Geesh, Mom. Bella decided to eat a piece of chicken anyway because she was starving. I guess it’s better than nothing, Bella retorted to her mother.

Valentine had sat at Bella’s feet with an irresistible expression on her furry face, begging for a piece of chicken. Bella could not resist and snuck a look to see if her mom was watching. Her mother was a veterinarian and was very firm about not feeding animals people food. Under her breath, Bella told the little dog she could have a piece but don’t let Mom know. In the excitement over the chicken, Valentine could not contain a happy little woof, and Jenna looked to see what mischief was going on.

Bella, how many times must I tell you? No people food! It’s not good for her.

Bella felt the old familiar anger at her mother begin to rise as it always did when Jenna reprimanded her. Dad never got mad at me about anything. She gets so crabby over every little thing. I just wish she’d be more fun, like Dad when he was still here. Bella felt the sting of tears in her eyes but refused to give in to them.

Her aunt Donna said in a kind voice, Finish your chicken, dear, then take Valentine for a walk. We’ll be leaving soon. Bella was glad to escape and stomped off down the sidewalk with her little dog trotting beside her.

How Bella loved that furry little brown dog with the lopsided grin and floppy ears. A mutt, the rescue shelter had called her. Oh, they were wrong about that. To Bella, Valentine was the most beautiful dog in the entire world. How could anyone call her a mutt when she brought so much joy to a little girl’s heart? Valentine was much more than just a dog to Bella. She was her best friend but also the last gift her dad had ever given her. Bella was filled with such happiness when her dad had presented the puppy to her on Valentine’s Day. With her red harness, leash, and little red bell on her collar, Bella decided to name her puppy Valentine. Two years later, she was now a full-grown dog but still as cute as ever. Bella and Valentine were inseparable.

Lost in thought as she walked her dog, Bella was paying no attention to her surroundings and the fact that they were now at the end of the sidewalk that surrounded Gemini State Park. Suddenly, Valentine bolted off the path into the forest to investigate a noise in the brush. Bella, holding tight to the leash, followed her down a path.

It’s probably a rabbit or something. Come on, girl, let’s turn back.

The dog had other ideas. Lunging deeper and deeper into the dense trees, Bella lost her grip on the leash and the dog plunged forward.

Valentine, come back here now! You are going to get us both lost!

Most of the time Bella kept the red harness and leash on her dog, but this morning her mom had told her to wash it, so Bella put on the old pink camo harness instead. The snap of the leash attached to the harness had come undone, and the dog took off running after the animal in the brush.

Valentine, come. Come to me! Bella commanded. The dog seemed to be much more interested in the elusive animal than to come to her mistress. Bella began to worry now. What if Valentine gets lost and I can’t find her? She continued to call, but the dog kept going deeper into the dense forest. Bella felt her stomach start to creep up into her chest. Oh, please Lord, please don’t let Valentine get lost. She’s all I have in the world that my dad left to me. Please, Lord.

Bella continued deeper into the woods. She could still hear Valentine, but her bark had become much fainter now. Think, Bella, think. Bella knew she needed to figure out this situation soon or she would not be able to find her dog. There! She heard the dog bark again, but which way had the sound come from? Looking back at where she thought she had entered the woods, it seemed that her surroundings were no longer familiar. Well, Bella, this appears to be yet another big mess you’ve gotten yourself into.

After a while, she could no longer hear Valentine’s bark. That scared her. How would she find her dog now if she could not hear her?

Bella yelled as loudly as she could. "Valentine, come to me. Now you’ve gotten me lost and I can’t find my way back. Please, Valentine, come, just like you were taught. Bella started to cry. Ever since the day her dad left her and her mom two years ago, she’d always said, I am not a crybaby. Nope, that’s not for me. I refuse to cry."

On this day, however, she could not contain a salty tear that trickled down her cheek. The sting told her she must have gotten scratched by a bramble. At that point, Bella started to cry in earnest. Good gravy, Bella, now you are a blubbering idiot. A lost, blubbering idiot! She began to yell even harder now. She was yelling and pleading for her mother to find her.

Chapter 2

Bella Lorraine Breeland was eleven years old but she never missed the opportunity to tell everyone that she was eleven going on twelve. To Bella that was a very important fact. Truth be told, it was more like she was eleven going on eighteen.

Her dad had left her and her mother, Jenna, when she was only nine. To Bella, it was the day her world stopped. Dr. Jeff Breeland had been Bella’s idol. She thought he was the greatest dad in all the world. Jenna worried terribly about the little girl’s attitude toward her after Jeff had left them. It seemed to escalate as Bella got older. Apparently it was Bella’s way to deal with the heartbreak of losing her father. She would lash out at Jenna every chance she got. Jenna tried her best but sometimes she felt like a failure as a mother. She prayed every day that this attitude situation would change. For some reason, Jenna felt that it would, someday soon.

For all the grief Bella caused her mom, she truly was a very remarkable young lady. However, she didn’t have many friends. I just don’t like what they like, Mom, she would reply when Jenna tried to get Bella to invite some little girls over for a sleepover. They like all that social media stuff and stupid TV shows that aren’t educational. I like the Weather Channel and the cooking and baking channels. That is what I’m into, Mom, not their stupid stuff. They just don’t get me.

No, other kids really did not get Bella. She was at her happiest when sitting on her bed with her dog Valentine watching the different Food Network shows on her iPad. Her strongest ambition in life was to be a Food Network star with her world-famous cupcakes. Bella had started a little cupcake business when she was only ten. She had named it Bella’s Baby Cakes, and many of her mom’s friends, relatives, and even some of her teachers were her best customers. After all, she was only eleven now, but someday she would be the owner of a famous cupcake bakery.

Her most favorite of all cupcakes to bake were called Impostor Cupcakes. That was when she made a cupcake look like something other than a cupcake. She could make a cupcake look like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, or a lunar moonscape, a pizza, or a floral masterpiece, even Mickey Mouse. Bella was very good at what she did for being only eleven years old, and she loved all the wonderful compliments she got for her Bella’s Baby Cakes. She watched all the food channels that showed cupcake baking, decorating, and anything else that would help her to be even more successful. She had a collection of cookbooks she’d found from yard sales and thrift stores. Bella had decided she’d like to grow up to be the next Duff Goldman, only female. He was one of her idols.

Bella had always had big dreams and knew that someday she would definitely become famous.

Little did Bella know, she would become famous all right, but not for the two things she thought she had wanted to be famous for.

Bella’s other love, besides her dog Valentine and cupcakes, was writing. Even when in kindergarten, Bella had displayed some talent for writing. Her teacher picked up on it right away and encouraged little Bella to write what she was seeing and feeling. It was in the third grade that Bella had really begun to shine with her stories. Her teacher asked if she’d like to write a weekly article for their school newspaper. Bella said she thought she’d like that very much.

She decided to call her stories The Information Station. Each week she would choose a new topic. Some articles were about the animal hospital where both her mom and dad were veterinarians. Some stories were about a different dog or cat breed that came into the clinic. Bella loved to go to the clinic after school and pick an animal to write about. Most often, it would be about a special dog or cat, but sometimes different kinds of animals would come in.

Once, a bearded dragon was brought in, and Bella wasn’t sure she liked it at all. But the owner loved it, so Bella thought to herself, Well, everybody loves somebody. Another time, someone brought in an injured baby raccoon that Bella fell in love with. She did all sorts of research about raccoons before she wrote her article. It turned out that it was the article the students voted best article of the Gemini Grade School newspaper. Bella was very proud of her little mini trophy.

One day in fifth grade, a classmate asked Bella why she didn’t have a dad. Bella had never before been confronted with this question and it caught her off guard. She had to think on her feet to answer in a kind way. Well, you see, Miranda, every family is different. My daddy had to leave when I was nine. He got called away to the Foreign Legion, and we don’t know when he’ll be back. So, for now, it’s just my mom and me and Aunt Donna. Miranda nodded sympathetically, even though she had no idea what the Foreign Legion was.

Feeling like she had handled that situation with grace and poise, Bella smiled to herself. She was proud that she didn’t get angry with her classmate, even though it was kind of rude for her to have asked such a question as that.

Chapter 3

Sunday, 3:45 p.m.

"Bella, Bella, where are you? I can’t find you, baby. Please don’t hide from me anymore. You know how it worries me. Bella? Bella! Jenna screamed repeatedly. We can go back to town and I’ll get you that Big Mac and shake and even french fries. Please, honey. This is not a funny game anymore."

Jenna was beside herself. She knew Bella must be getting hungry and thirsty by now. It had been nearly three hours! I know she didn’t mean to wander off and get herself lost. If only Bella could understand how hard I’ve been trying. With each passing year it seems she misses her father even more. All her other classmates have two parents. I know it bothers Bella that she doesn’t.

Jenna’s sister, Donna, came walking toward her. They had each gone a different direction along the sidewalk that ran beside the forest. Neither had found any trace of Bella.

Once again, as had been the case for the past two years, Jenna’s thoughts drifted back to that day when her world came crashing down. Her