Page 33 of Flashback

As the whole crew, hotshots and smokejumpers, lounged outside behind the building, Dakota savored his last bite of cookie—even burnt, they were a hundred percent better than an MRE—and glanced at Allie across the picnic table. She laughed at something one of the girls said. Dusky sunlight caught the brunette strands, turning them auburn. Her eyes found him and she grinned.

Their moment in the infirmary blazed through his mind. Dakota standing in there, exposed, his bleeding wounds open for Allie to see. And rather than run away, she’d come close, bandaged him up, and called him a hero. It’d completely unarmed him. When was the last time someone had taken care of him like that?

He could fall fast for a woman like her. He should thank the good Lord above for the interruption.

The smoke alarm had been a nice touch. Very appropriate for the way it’d almost felt like the room was on fire.

I tried, Lord, to take care of the injury myself, to not be drawn in by those gorgeous eyes of hers. So thank You for stopping me before I did something that I would regret.

He was too much like his father to be with someone as good as Allie Monroe. Sure, he’d had his share of girlfriends in the past—the strong, independent ones that didn’t want a lot more than a good time. Temporary pleasures to distract himself.

Until God had got ahold of him, his body and soul battered and bruised, and shown him something more. Something eternal. He’d welcomed him with open arms, and it’d changed him forever. But he still had a lot of growing to do.

But maybe if he could get his act together, prove to her and not just the team that he was good, maybe somewhere down the line there could be chance for a future with someone like Allie. He could help solve this case and protect the boys to start.

She looked down at her phone and jumped up from the table. What was wrong?

He followed her to the side of the building, away from the chatter.

Allie spoke into the phone. “Hello? Jen?”

She looked at the screen, confused. “She didn’t say anything. Just hung up.”

“Maybe she dialed by accident.”

“I thought I heard something in the background. A crashing sound.”

“Try calling her back.”

She did and got no answer. “I think we should go check on her.”

“After what I heard about a murder in the forest, I have questions of my own. Maybe if Ray isn’t around, Jen will let us talk to Ethan again.”

“What did you hear?”

“A body was found at another fire. A body someone tried to use the forest fire to cover up. And it had two gunshot wounds. One to the back. One to the head.”

Her eyes widened. “You think Ethan was telling the truth? The scary man isn’t Ray?”

“I don’t know. But I think we should find out.”

“I do too.” The determined set to her mouth stirred something in him again. He always had liked a woman with guts. Someone who could stand up to the hard stuff and not cower like his mother had.

They took Allie’s car to a run-down house on the edge of Ember. The white paint had long since turned a dull gray. Rust stained the siding beneath the spigot that poked out of the side of the house. The flower beds were overgrown, but the yard was mowed short and neat. A couple bikes lay in the grass. It was run-down but tidy.

Allie checked the address on her phone again. “This is the place.” Her forehead wrinkled as she took a good look at the house and yard. Was she worried? Upset? Disgusted?

The house didn’t look much different than the one he’d grown up in. And Allie probably had no clue what kind of darkness and filth was in a house like that. Not with all the stories she’d told him on their long ride about her good Christian family with all her brothers and sisters, their sing-alongs, backyard barbecues, and home-grown goodness.

She shouldn’t be anywhere near someone like Ray Haroldson. “When we get up there, you should stay behind me in case Ray gets upset.”

“Or maybeyoushould wait here in the car. Because there is noif. When Ray sees you, hewillget upset. And we don’t want any more trouble for Jen or the boys. I’ll go.”

She might have a point, but—“There’s no way I can sit here and let you face him alone.” She didn’t know what people like his father and Ray were capable of.

“Why don’t you wait by the side of the porch. You’ll be out of sight but close if anything happens.”

He clenched his fist. “I don’t like it. I should be the one?—”

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