Page 59 of Flashback

Nope. Belle.

Allie cleared her throat and answered it.

“Hey.” Hopefully the false cheer would throw her off the scent.

“Any news about Scout?”

Allie focused on the western-style lettering of the thrift store across the street. “I saw him. He’s alive, but he ran off, and a crazy man named Earl was shooting at us, so?—”

“Say what?!”

She walked to the next pole and stapled another poster while she told Belle everything that had happened in the woods.

Almost everything. No need to share the details about kissing Dakota or her emotional breakdown.

“Allie, what’s wrong?”

Shoot. Shoulda known Belle would pick up on her internal distress.

“I’m fine. Just…worried about Scout.” Hopefully Belle would leave it at that.

But the silence on the line did not bode well. Even from a couple hundred miles away, her best friend was reading her.

“Allison Jane Monroe. What’s going on? What happened with Dakota?”

“Why do you think something happened with Dakota? I lost my dog. I almost drowned. Obviously that’s been very upsetting.” She slammed the palm of her hand against the stapler harder than necessary.

“Because I haven’t heard this kind of heartbreak in your voice since that jerk Christian left you.”

“It’s that obvious, huh?” Her throat tightened, making it hard to swallow.

“We’ve known each other since the church nursery. Spill it. What did he do to you?”

The tears started in earnest. “He didn’t do anything, Belle. It’s me. I’m the problem.” She turned the corner and walked toward her vehicle, keeping her head down.

“You’re not a problem! How can you say that?”

“Because I’m the one doing the leaving this time. Dakota deserves someone better. I should’ve never let it get as far as I did. There was never any future there.”

“Why the heck not? He’s a real-life hero. He saved your life. Twice.”

“I know. That’s why he deserves someone else. No matter how much he thinks he’s falling for me?—”

“He said that?”

Allie sighed. She reached her car and sat behind the wheel. “Yeah. He asked me to give him a chance.”

“Then for goodness’ sake, give the man a chance. What more are you waiting for?”

“I told you. Marriage is not my calling?—”

“You never once told me why though. When we were kids, all we talked about was growing up and getting married. Havingourkids in the church nursery together. So you’re gonna tell me that one guy breaks your heart and you’re going to give up on it all?”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Allie traced the stitching on her steering wheel. Too bad her own life wasn’t so nice and neat. Everything lined up the way it should be.

“Then explain it to me. Because I know there was a lot more that went on with Christian than you’re telling me. I’ve never pushed, but maybe I should’ve. Because you’ve never been the same since. What really happened?”

She’d already been through it once. Maybe that was how Belle’s quiet question broke the dam. Or maybe she was simply tired of carrying it all. Either way, Allie allowed the whole story to come out.

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