Page 10 of Flashback

Guess he couldn’t blame her for that. Not with the way they’d met. But like it or not, he wasn’t about to let her walk into a forest on fire by herself. Not with the smoke growing thicker by the minute.

The chatter on his radio indicated the fire was headed right for the campground, and the crew was busy trying to dig a break line to protect it.

But fires were unpredictable. All it took was a few sparks—a snag to fall the wrong direction, to cross the barrier the crew was frantically trying to make—and the campground would be consumed.

They needed to find those kids quickly.

But his new life he was trying to build here could also go up in flames just as easily. Being a rookie meant starting all over again. He was breaking new ground on this team. If they heard he was an addict, how he’d let his last team down, it was all over.

So he needed Allie to trust him. And more, to keep his past to herself and not blab it to the crew. Especially if she already knew Emily Micah. And since she worked closely with his sister-in-law Dani, it would go a long way to proving to his brother that his investment in Dakota’s rehab hadn’t been a waste, that Dakota truly was building a new and better life here.

Could he convince her?

He needed to.

Time to dig up some of that Masterson charm.

“Hey, wait up. I guarantee my pack is heavier than yours.” Dakota infused a lightness he didn’t really feel into his words.

Allie paused on the trail. Scout continued to sniff. “We need to cover as much ground as we can as quickly as possible. I think Scout has their scent.”

“Good.” Dakota caught up to her. There was just enough room to walk side by side on the trail. “Did Scout train at the SAR Training Center too?”

“Yeah. We worked with your sister-in-law. She’s actually the one that picked out Scout for me.”

“How is Dani?”

Allie paused and finally looked at him. “She’s good. Have you stayed in touch with her and Will and the boys?”

“Mostly just by email and text.”

“Actually, your nephews aren’t too far from here. They’re at a youth camp farther north.”

“Yeah, Sam and Josh told me. So is Scout certified?”

“Not yet. That’s why we’re here. We’re trying to finish his training, but he’s proving to be rather stubborn. Well, more stubborn than Dixie ever was for me.”

“I’m really sorry about Dixie. I can’t imagine how hard it was to lose her.”

Allie only nodded. She turned away, eyes scanning the thick forest surrounding them.

Dakota could’ve palmed his forehead.Way to make a girl feel comfortable by bringing up her dead dog.

“Are you still living in Benson?” That was better. Neutral ground.

“Yup.” She stopped and pulled her backpack off. “Scout, come. Let’s keep you hydrated.” The dog didn’t listen. Instead he continued up the smoky trail.

“Scout! Come.”

This time the black Lab stopped and looked at her, but he still didn’t obey her command.

“Come.” Allie pulled out a water bottle and collapsible doggie-dish. Finally, Scout trotted back to them and lapped up the water.

“Is that normal for him not to listen the first time?”

Allie glared at him over the water bottle she chugged. “He’s still in training.”

Lovely. He’d hit another nerve.

---