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They turned away from the trail and hiked down the slope, the same way they had yesterday. Thank goodness for the little bit of rain that had fallen last night. With the fire to the west of town and the wind pushing the smoke away, the air was cleaner.
“What about you? Think you’ll ever tell your family about Christian?”
“And taint the Monroe name in Twin Valley, Idaho? That would be a bad idea.”
Dakota flipped over another log. It smoked, a thin line of orange outlining the embers under it. He led her around the area, quiet for a minute. They stood on a small ridge, looking out over the burnt trees and blackened boulders.
“Is that why you don’t answer your dad’s calls? Or go visit them?”
Allie lifted a shoulder and avoided his direct gaze. “I dunno. Maybe.”
He stayed silent for a moment. Poked at the ground with his stick. “When I finally got the guts to admit to Will I’d been kicked off the SWAT team, it was humiliating, but it was also the first step toward healing. Of course, I didn’t handle it well when he insisted I needed rehab. Obviously. I wasn’t expecting an ankle injury to lead to a painkiller addiction, and I did my best to hide it. No one was fooled. I know how things just sneak up and take over our lives without us realizing it. But the way you talked about your family on that car ride, it sounded like you missed them. Like you have a good thing there. I think you’re hurting yourself not telling them.”
No way. “You don’t get it. My family is…complicated.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“Yeah, but my father is the pastor at a church. I would ruin his reputation. And like you said, God’s forgiven us, so why dredge all that up again when I’ve put it all behind me?”
“I’m the last person who should be giving anyone advice. I just know how heavy it is to carry that kind of thing around. And it’s not like you have to shout it from the rooftops. But it sounded like you used to be close with your family. Wouldn’t the people who love you the most understand?”
Would they? Not if they knew everything. Dakota didn’t even know everything. No one did.
But his touch and his words reached the tender places of her heart, infusing some light in those dark places. He tugged her hand to stop and faced her. The fire might’ve gone out in the forest, but the air between them heated like an inferno.
Dakota brushed a strand of hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, setting off shivers across her skin. He traced her brows, her cheek, and moved to her jaw.
“Thank you for coming out here with me and for helping me keep the boys safe,” she said softly.
Somehow, the space between them shrank. Allie didn’t know if she moved or Dakota did. But he was still too far away.
He leaned forward, his nose gently nudging hers. They stayed there a few seconds, sharing the space, until she couldn’t take it anymore.
She tilted her face up, her lips finally meeting his. Tentative at first, then hungry for more, she fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him closer.
He got the hint.
His arms wrapped around her, molding her to his body, and he met her kiss for kiss. The moment tasted of coffee and cinnamon and smoke.Please don’t let it end.
Colors and light flashed across her mind as she soaked in Dakota’s passion and energy. The man was strength and masculinity and heat. So much heat. And she couldn’t get enough.
A dog barked in the distance, and reality crashed in. Again.
Dakota pulled away, though not completely. He still held her.
Allie didn’t want to open her eyes. She wanted to stay there in that perfect moment, try to recapture the warmth they’d shared, but the spell was broken. She looked around.
“Did you hear that?” Dakota asked.
The bark was closer now. Wait! She knew this bark.
She pulled out of Dakota’s arms. “It’s Scout!”
Dakota missed Allie as soon as she left his arms. But the joy in her face when she realized it was Scout barking was unmistakable.
Please, let it be Scout.
Allie ran over to the edge of the ridge and stopped. She cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled. “Scout!”