Page 30 of Flashback

Okay. Maybe they did. Not because of thesparksBelle teased her about. Because she hadn’t given him an answer to his request to keep his past quiet—a desire she knew so well. So well, neither Belle nor her own big, perfect family had a clue why she’d left college and gotten into search and rescue.

She looked around, the ache of missing a furry friend to hold acute. It was too quiet without Dixie. Without Scout. The constant squeeze in her lungs tightened as she pictured his sweet, furry face.

Scout. Please be okay, boy. Please.

Because she couldn’t go through losing another SAR dog.

She’d gottenhersecond chance through SAR. Obviously she was failing at the moment, but once she found Scout, she would be back in the game. How could she deny Dakota his own chance at redeeming himself?

The sound of trucks rumbling grew louder. Allie stepped outside just as the hotshot crew pulled up in a white van. Acouple trucks with Jude County Hotshots emblems on the side followed.

Emily hopped out of the front seat and opened up the rolling garage door. “How’s dinner coming along?”

“Haven’t burned it yet.”

“Good, cuz this is a hungry crew.” Emily walked into the garage and plopped her helmet on a shelf. “Although, I should warn you about Dak?—”

A young guy with dark hair and a goatee came up to them. “Who’s th-this?”

“Allie, meet Mack,” Emily said. “He and his big brother Hammer are from Trouble County. Mack here is the baby of the group.”

Mack shot Emily a look of brotherly annoyance before he shook Allie’s hand. “D-don’t listen to h-her. No one else does.” He smiled shyly before moving toward the building.

Allie watched the others hopping out of the van.

Emily nudged Allie’s arm. “He’ll be in the last truck, with Kane.”

Heat infused Allie’s cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Brace yourself.” Emily suddenly grew somber. “It’s not good. There was an accident on the break line.”

The flutters erupted into a full-on panic. Something had happened to Dakota? She spied the shock of red hair coming from the other side of the van, but instead of walking on his own two feet, Dakota was being carried by three burly guys.

“Oh my gosh! Is he okay?” Without waiting for Emily’s answer, Allie rushed up.

The guy she thought was Kane, the one that had been with Dakota and Emily earlier at the campground, had a grim look on his face. “Not sure if he’ll make it.”

“What?” Allie reached to help them. Dakota’s face was covered in dirt and soot. He grimaced in pain as they jostled him. “What happened?”

“A tree fell on him.” The man holding Dakota’s right side had scarring on his cheek and his neck. His eyes were serious, concerned.

Allie gasped. “Shouldn’t you be taking him to the hospital?”

Kane did a slow shake of the head. “We didn’t think he’d make it that far. And he begged for the last thing he saw on earth to be your beautiful face.”

Allie blinked.

“Knock it off, guys.” Dakota swatted at the big blond with a beard. “Seriously, Ham. Put me down.”

What was going on?

“Are you sure?” Ham asked. “We’re only trying to help.”

“Let. Me. Go,” Dakota growled.

“All right, boys. You heard the man,” Kane said.

All three men dropped him. Dakota hit the ground and groaned. “Gee, thanks.” He got up, albeit slowly, like he might truly be injured. But the others snickered and walked away. So it couldn’t be too bad, right?

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