Page 65 of Flashback

Three loud bangs sounded, flashing light so bright Allie could barely watch.

Ray staggered backward. The knife fell.

He clutched his chest, and blood blossomed on his shirt.

Dakota clambered to his feet, his chest heaving, the gun still pointed at Ray.

But the bigger man fell to the ground and didn’t move.

Dakota kicked the knife away. He bent over and put fingers to Ray’s neck, checking his pulse. But in the dim light of the moon, what looked like remorse and pain flashed on his handsome face.

Dakota staggered over to her with a flashlight now shining. He cut the tape at her ankles and then her wrists.

He fell forward but caught himself on the tree trunk. His moan went right to her heart.

“Kota, are you okay?” Allie rushed to him.

“Check…Scout.” Dakota’s breathing was labored. He sank to the ground and pointed over to the black Lab with his flashlight as he handed it to her.

Allie leaned over Scout’s still body. He was breathing, at least.

“Scout? Do you hear me?”

His black nose twitched. He opened his eyes and raised his head.

“Hey, buddy. I’m here.” She sank her fingers into the loose skin around his neck. She buried her nose in his fur and let the tears fall. “It’s gonna be okay.”

His tail gave a weak thump, and he allowed Allie to check him over while he lay there, watching her warily. She listened to his breathing. A little fast, but not horrible. She checked his gums.Normal. With a light hand, she scanned his body for wounds. “You doing okay, boy?”

He sat up, then stood. The Lab moved tentatively, but he could stand and walk on his own. That was a good sign.

Dakota, on the other hand, had his arm pressed against his stomach. She moved slowly over to him, fighting the dizziness. He didn’t protest too much when Allie lifted his hand. “You’re bleeding.”

“Yeah. He caught me in the same side as my cut from the tree fall. Help me up.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” She crawled over to where Ray’s phone had fallen on the ground and called emergency dispatch.

He didn’t fight her too much, which made the rumble of concern in her gut a full-on siren. But as they waited for help, there were a few things she wanted to get off her chest.

“You came back for me.” She wiped the ash off Dakota’s forehead. Scout lay next to her, his snout resting on Dakota’s leg.

“Of course I did.” His face wrenched in pain, but he sat up. “But I shouldn’t have left in the first place. I told you I’d be there for you, but I let you walk away.”

She reached out, rested her palm against his chest. “You were right. I was too afraid to let anyone know the truth about what I’d done. I shut everyone out. Including you. But…if you think you can live with my past, with the consequences I can’t change?—”

He pulled her in closer, quieted her with a tender touch on her lips. His finger traced her bottom lip. Then her brow. His head dipped low, their foreheads together. “Just a chance, Allie. That’s all I’m asking for. We can’t change our pasts, but they don’t have to define us either. And I think we could have a pretty awesome future together. What do you say?”

She closed the space between them, finally her lips on his. He kissed her back softly, as if savoring each point of contact.

Yeah, she could get used to this.

Scout sat up and barked.

Allie laughed. “Guess we know what Scout thinks.”

“Smart dog.” Dakota scrubbed Scout’s blocky head.

“He is, isn’t he? I always knew he had good instincts. But I believe we weren’t finished yet.” She leaned in for another kiss, this time wrapping both arms around his neck, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair as he met her passion with plenty of his own.

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