Twenty years in the military, and this is perhaps the most important mission yet. If I thought losing my brothers broke me, losing Ashley would kill me.
I’ll find her. Goddamnit it!
Michael is waiting on the steps when I come out. “The police will be here soon.”
“I’m not waiting,” I tell him, crouching to tighten the laces on my boots. “I need to find Ashley soon. I will never forgive myself if something happens to her.”
“Matt, what happened between the two of you? What are you not telling me?”
I broke her heart. I betrayed her trust.
I’m going to find her and win her back, but I don’t tell him that. Instead, I walk out and follow Ashley and Penny’s steps into the desert.
Please wait for me, I silently pray.I’ll make everything right. Please wait for me.
***
I squint, the sun a burning eye in the cloudless sky. Sand stings my face as a hot wind whips around me. It’s as hot as the depths of hell, but all I can think of is the woman who’s been out here in this heat for almost three hours.
Three goddamned hours!
Christ.
I shift my eyes from the soft print of Penny’s paws to the horizon. There are so many fucking rocks that it would be hard to see her in the distance. I hope to God that they found shelter somewhere and aren’t wandering aimlessly.
I pause and listen, hoping to hear Penny’s bark, but…nothing. The silence is only broken by the howl of the wind and the occasional cry of a hawk circling high above. I’ve been walking for an hour and Penny’s prints are starting to fade, so I look around for a subtle disturbance of sand, a broken twig, or misplaced stone…
“South,” I mutter when I notice the path has changed and there are broken stems in the shrub, almost like someone stepped over them. My heart races as I move closer to a small, isolated cluster of cacti and kneel for a closer look. The crouch sends a clean ache through my left knee—but it’s the kind I can work through. I trace my fingers over the delicate patterns on the sand, certain now more than ever that I know where they went.
My left knee twinges with discomfort as I get up and follow the fading tracks toward the rocky area that leads off toward a cliff. Michael and I used to take this path when we were boys and our parents were alive. We’d camp out here, trade stories, then watch the stars until dawn. It’s no place for someone without any hiking experience.
A small whimper stops me, heart racing as I hold still and listen for it again. And when it comes, it’s the most amazing sound I’ve heard in my entire life. I follow the sound to a rocky outcrop, a jagged formation that offers a small amount of shade.I push onward, my muscles burning and my throat dry as I carefully move through the uneven terrain, scanning the rocks.
My breath hitches as I spot them.
Ashley is huddled against a large boulder, her face flushed and damp with sweat, her eyes half closed against the glare. Penny is curled beside her, panting, her tongue lolling out. I rush toward them, relief washing through me in waves. I damn near pass out. Penny whines softly when I reach them, nudging Ashley with her head. Ashley turns toward the motion, blinking up at me.
“It’s okay,” I tell Penny, patting her head with my left hand as I use my right to check on Ashley. Other than a few scratches and cuts on her arms and legs, she appears mostly uninjured. “Just tired. You’re both fine. I’ll get you out of here.”
I pull out a bottle of water from the rucksack, then help Ashley sit up. She stirs, her eyes finding mine, and I am rewarded by a small smile. “You’re here,” she murmurs, lifting her hand to my jaw. “Knew you’d come.”
“Yeah, baby. Drink this,” I rasp, emotions clogging my throat as I bring the bottle to her lips. She takes small sips, and I don’t pull away until she’s had enough. I grab a small cup and pour some for Penny, who perks up, wagging her tail weakly as she drinks.
“Can you walk?” I ask, brushing sweat-damp hair off her temple. “I’ll help you, but the terrain going back is rough on my knee. Let me get you up and steady, and then we walk together.”
She nods.
I get her to her feet with my good arm braced under her shoulders, my left hand on her ribs to keep her upright. She’s wobbly the first few steps, but she finds her legs. Penny’s leashis in my other hand. We move slowly—slower than I’d choose if I weren’t favoring the knee and her dehydration both, but slower is what we have.
I drop my face into her hair as we walk and breathe in deep, cursing myself for a fool.
How the fuck do I go back? Is it possible to even go back?
Ashley stumbles once, leaning hard into me, and I tighten my grip. “Almost there, baby.”.
“Matt, how far from the house are we?” she asks, looking around.
Before I can answer her, I hear the sounds of people approaching, and then my brother appears with a group of men he works with—and a woman I recognize from the photograph on Ashley’s company's website. Diane. Her boss.
