Page 50 of Through the Fire
Chapter 15
It’d been another rough workweek, but Kit had survived, and she was determined to enjoy her day off. If she had her way, it would be free of other cops—especially secretive, suspicious ones—and full of her favorite things: dogs, kids, and sleep. And Wes, her mind added, and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered around in agreement.
“Here it is,” she said to Justice, turning at the cockeyed mailbox. Both times she’d been here—after her dog had led them to Jules’s house twice—they’d been leaving, rather than arriving, but she recognized the driveway instantly. It was little more than a two-track path that led her through the woods, the trees close enough to run scratchy branches over the sides of her SUV. The thick evergreens blocked out the early-afternoon sun, turning the twisting, narrow driveway into a gloomy tunnel.
“There can’t be two driveways this claustrophobic,” she muttered as she came around yet another turn and saw the path continued even farther into the trees. “This must be the one they use in every single horror movie.” It seemed to take forever, but she finally rounded the last curve. The trees thinned and the yard opened up, revealing the huge, dilapidated wreck of a house.
Pulling up in front of the house, she parked and got out as Sam and the three kids she recognized from the diner as his siblings piled onto the porch. Jules was the last out of the door, but she quickly took the lead down the steps toward Kit. Although she gave a welcoming smile, Jules’s expression was unusually guarded.
“Hey, Jules,” Kit said, smiling wider to try to break the strange awkwardness. “Thank you for letting me borrow Sam. I’ve been hoping to start Justice’s off-leash training for a while, but it requires a competent helper, and not that many people have the patience to work with bloodhounds.”
Jules looked a little startled before her expression eased and her smile became more genuine. Kit opened the back door of the SUV, letting Justice hop out, although she kept him next to her.
“Is it okay if Justice says hi to the kids?” she asked, feeling him quiver with anticipation under her restraining hand. “He’s very friendly.”
“Of course,” Jules said. “Everyone here loves dogs.” She gave the youngest a glance. “Some more than others, right, Dee?”
The little girl didn’t seem to have heard the question. She was too busy staring at Justice with longing eyes. “Oh, he’s beautiful. Can I pet him? Please?”
“If you do, he’ll be your lifelong friend,” Kit said, smiling as she released Justice. Immediately, he bounded straight for the kids, nearly bowling Dee over in his enthusiasm. The little girl didn’t seem to mind. As the kids, including Sam, swarmed around the dog, who basked in the attention, Kit made her way closer to Jules. “I really do appreciate you letting Sam help me with training.”
Jules eyed her searchingly before her smile returned—as did her caution. “He’s very excited about learning to train Fifi, the rescue bloodhound. Theo’s been trying to help, but…” She spread her hands out in an exaggerated shrug, making Kit laugh.
“It’s like I told Sam,” Kit said. “Training a bloodhound is a…unique experience, requiring a lot of patience.” They both watched the kids fawn over Justice for a few seconds. “It also requires a high tolerance for drool.”
That made Jules laugh, and her shoulders dropped slightly, making Kit realize how tightly the woman had been holding herself. “Will you be at Nan’s?”
“We’ll pick up the dog Sam’s working with there, but I was thinking we’d go a few more miles north, get a little farther into the mountains where there are fewer dogs and people to act as distractions.”
Jules’s tension returned. “A few miles north? Where will y’all be exactly?”
Hiding a small flash of embarrassment, Kit concentrated on keeping her voice even. “I was thinking the fire lookout tower, if Wes doesn’t mind.”
“Wes?”
“Wesley March, the forest service fire lookout,” Kit explained, feeling a warm glow in her belly as she thought about him, even as she mentally laughed at her silliness. She was a grown woman, a cop, and she still found herself wanting to grin dopily when she said his name. “He was the big, bearded guy sitting with me at the diner.”
“Excuse me a second,” Jules said, taking a few steps away as she pulled out her phone. She tapped a message on the screen, and Sam took a step closer to Kit. His face looked a little flushed.
“Sorry,” he said quietly. “She’s p-prot-t-tective.”
“Understandable.” She gave him a smile. “That’s what big sisters do. I have a little sister, so I know all about it.”
Despite her words, he glanced away, looking uncomfortable.
“Question for you,” she said, drawing his gaze back to her.
Instantly, a shield dropped down, hiding Sam’s expression. “Wh-what?”
“The dog you’re working with… Is her name really Fifi?”
A quick flash of relief crossed his face before he answered. What horrible question had he expected her to ask? “Y-yes. Unf-fortunately.”
She groaned dramatically, covering her face with her hands.
“I like the name Fifi,” Dee protested, and one of the twins made a fake gagging sound.
