“Yes, I am.” He put the wallet away. “I’m looking for Norman Gladwell. I have something of his that he misplaced. Any idea where I might find him?”
“Mommy, I want juice!” a girl’s voice shouted from inside.
“Just a minute, sweetie.” She set down the fidgeting toddler and he scurried up the stairs to the main level. “I’m really sorry to tell you this, Officer. But you’ve wasted a trip. Norman passed away last month.”
Chapter Twelve
Kinley
Rowdy dozed in the back seat of the truck on her new plush dog bed. They’d stopped in Anchorage on the way back to Sunset Ridge to pick up dog supplies—food, bowls, enough treats to last a year, toys of multiple varieties, two new leashes, and even a doggie life vest for those days when the water looked rougher than normal.
The news that Rowdy’s owner died a month ago was a shock Kinley still hadn’t fully digested. The abandonment Ryder suggested earlier made more sense now. An overwhelmed relative, perhaps? It still didn’t answer the question of why the new owner didn’t surrender the dog to the shelter. Why leave her to chance in a small town three hours away?
Whatever the answer, Kinley felt hope that the pair wouldn’t be split up. Not today, not for years to come.
She smiled at the memory of grabbing a second cart at the pet supply store because Ryder filled the first one so full that toys were spilling out. It warmed a place in her heart to know he’d still have the dog after she boarded a plane in a few days.
“Are you disappointed we didn’t stay in Palmer?” Ryder asked as they rounded a curve with a breathtaking view of mountains and an expansive lake. Kinley had felt her inner tourist come to life multiple times today. There wasn’t a stretch of road that bored her.
She almost saidwe can go back another timebut stopped the words before they slipped out. Would there be another time? “No, it’s probably better we’re closer to home.”
The Army had given Kinley a purpose—a direction when she needed one most. It became her whole life, her identity. She didn’t know how to be anything other than a soldier. The idea of becoming a military pilot thrilled her. But admittedly, the excitement had dulled since the moment Fiona called about a broken wrist.
After only a few days in Alaska, Kinley felt herself starting to wonder. Was it time to close that military chapter of her life? Was she supposed to turn a page and start a new one?
“You know, people usually smile when they see scenery like this,” Ryder teased.
The urge to hold back from him didn’t seem to exist anymore. Not to the extent it had the day he found her standing beside the town sign. Their friendship, however brief, had always been thiseasy. “Thinking about flight school, actually.”
“Would be pretty epic to fly a Blackhawk through the Wrangell Mountains.” Ryder shifted hands on the wheel. Her pulse jumped when his free hand slid over the console, reaching for hers. The graze of his fingers felt both exhilarating and natural. “They have aviation units in Alaska.”
Not in Sunset Ridge. “True.”
“You don’t have to make any life-altering decisions today, Kinley James. Just enjoy the view. And I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
The mile marker promised they were less than half an hour from home, but Kinley wasn’t ready to return yet. “Should’ve packed a picnic.”
“I have a better idea. We’re about to pass through an itty-bitty town in a few miles. I know a place that makes great sandwiches. Don’t tell anyone, but I sneak over there about once a week to grab myself a meal after a long shift.”
“Aren’t you full of surprises, Mr. Homebody?”
Ryder flashed her a smile she was much too accustomed to seeing. What would her days be like without it brightening them up? “What do you say we grab a couple sandwiches and take a detour down a dirt road? That picnic thing sounds doable, and I know just the spot.”
The sandwich shop was as quirky and charming as promised. The elderly couple who owned it welcomed Ryder, one of their very favorite customers, they claimed. Ryder ordered two of hisusualsand grabbed a couple of waters from the cooler.
Kinley stared out the window, watching Rowdy stand on the center console in the truck. She no doubt smelled the inviting aroma. What would it be like to have a dog? She’d grown up with a cat, reason enough for Fiona and Mom to say no. But even on her own, the Army made having a dog of her own difficult.
Ryder placed a hand on Kinley’s shoulder, drawing her back to the moment. He leaned closer until his lips were hardly an inch from her ear. “If you don’t love this sandwich, I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.”
“Here you go, Ryder. You two enjoy, now.”
He reached for the bag held out to him, but Kinley couldn’t seem to get her feet to work or her breath to slow. Having Ryder that close, it reminded her of their first kiss. The thrill and possibility that was supposed to be stretched out before them but never was. Thousands of miles would separate them soon, but that didn’t stop Kinley from wanting that experience.Just one more time.
“Ready?” he asked, holding the door open for her.
Rowdy perked at the enticing aroma when they hopped into the truck. Kinley wasn’t certain what she was smelling, but she’d bet bacon and salami were part of the equation. Whether her stomach rumbled from hunger or was filled with pesky butterflies, she wasn’t certain.Maybe both.
“Easy, girl,” Ryder said to Rowdy, calming her whining as he turned back onto the highway. All rested up, Rowdy seemed hungry and ready for adventure. “It’s just a short drive. I promise I’ll share.”
