by Vella Munn
“You can promise that?” Bert asked. “I know what you said, but I don’t understand how a dog can focus on a single smell.”
“Kona can.”
For the first time since Jake met Bert, the man didn’t have a reply or retort. If it felt right, he’d tell Sari he admired her approach. She hadn’t given Bert enough to chew on.
When Judee started toward the campsite, Sari went with her. The two women crouched over a sleeping bag buried under a pile of clothing. Sari picked up another bikini using her fingertips, straightened, and walked away. She called Kona to her side.
Jake couldn’t say why the young woman was making it hard for him to concentrate on his game plan. She was attractive in a healthy, uncomplicated way, but it had been a long time since he’d been attracted to a member of the opposite sex. It couldn’t be that. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, an athleticism most people couldn’t match. She clearly treated her body like a tool.
She wasted no time presenting the underwear to Kona who sniffed repeatedly, his long, whiplike tail moving slowly. They were carrying on a conversation meant for them alone, human and dog in sync. After maybe a half minute, Kona lowered his head and started trotting around the campground. He showed no interest in the barbecue pits.
Today’s volunteers were pros who knew to leave the dog to do his job. Jake kept an eye on Bethany’s parents and the other campers to make sure they didn’t do or say anything to distract Kona. The campers had offered to help search but he’d told them to hold off for now. Mostly he didn’t want to have to worry about the untrained getting lost or in the way.
Kona’s wide arcs tightened. Every human eye was on him, but he was oblivious to their presence. Surely the dog couldn’t comprehend that what he did or didn’t accomplish had a great deal to do with whether a girl would survive. To him it was a game, one he’d be rewarded for by the most important human in his life.
His wife had wanted a dog; they both had, but they’d agreed to hold off until they had room for one, which was why at one point they’d looked at the place Sari was renting.
The old, sharp pain gnawed at Jake. Well-versed in the battle, he clenched his fists and shrugged to redistribute his backpack and the rifle the Shermans had stared at but hadn’t asked about. As soon as Kona located Bethany’s scent—when not if—he’d have something to do. In the meantime—
“Find,” Sari said. “Find.”
Kona’s pace slowed. He’d narrowed his search to a twenty-foot-wide area. One path was the start to a bike route while the other led to an observation area and beyond that, the Swan Mountain Range. By the time Jake joined Sari, Kona was standing on the second path staring into the forest.
“Tell me,” Sari said. “Where will this one take us?”
“Deep into the mountains. Before long the path becomes a narrow trail.”
She gnawed on her lower lip. “Figures. How do you want to handle this?”
“By getting going.”
“Good.”
Jake had tried to convince Bethany’s parents to stay in camp but they’d refused, not that he blamed them. Unfortunately, they were used to walking on city streets, not trying to cling to steep, narrow trails full of ruts, rocks, and vegetation. This was wilderness plain and simple, sometimes a joy to explore, sometimes a survival test.
To the uninitiated like the Shermans, today was close to perfect when it came to early fall weather. They might not have taken note of the clouds to the north. If Bethany had been bent on proving herself, she could be above the tree line where there was nothing to slow the wind.
“I don’t get it,” Bert said. “Bethany insisted one hike was enough for a lifetime. No way will she risk ruining her shoes. Are you sure the dog smells her?”
“He does.” Sari didn’t look at Bert.
“I’m still not convinced. You don’t know my daughter. She loves her comforts.”
Maybe but something had taken the girl from her family’s side. From what he’d been told, Bethany had been missing for a couple of hours before Judee became alarmed enough to call nine-one-one. The call had been routed to the Bigfork ranger station, which was why he was here. By now, Bethany had been out of sight for going on four hours, a lifetime for a city girl.
“What’s the weather report?” Sari asked a half hour later. “I didn’t take the time to check.”
The two of them were far enough ahead of the others that their voices shouldn’t carry. Sari had been in the lead with him close behind. She walked with her legs apart to help balance her slight weight on the uneven ground and looking as if she could do this forever. The Swan Lake campground was on an open area complete with picnic benches, but it hadn’t taken long to move into the trees. It would remain like that until they reached a much higher elevation.
“About fifty percent chance of rain at the lake by night,” he answered.
“And in the mountains? Never mind. I think I know what you’re going to say.”
She glanced back at him, and in that moment he connected with her. They didn’t need to spell anything out. Things could go sideways if a storm hit. He’d added Bethany’s sleeping bag and a coat he kept in his vehicle to his backpack in case they couldn’t return with the girl until morning, if they found her. Providing for the girl’s comfort had meant he’d had to leave his tent behind. It wasn’t the first time.
“How long have you been doing search and rescue?” he asked.
“Not long. What about you?”
She was deflecting, changing the conversation just enough to keep him from questioning her expertise. Even if he had concerns in that department, and he did, what was the point? If not for Kona, they wouldn’t be on this trail. Instead, everyone would have spread out around the lake looking for something, anything.
“About five years,” he said. “What happens when the trail ends? Kona can work cross-country?”
She didn’t immediately answer. “We’re going to run out of trail?”
“In about a quarter of a mile.”
“Damn.”
“Yes, damn. About my question—”
“Where the scent is makes no difference to my dog. He’ll go where he needs to.”
He fell silent while Bethany’s family repeatedly called her name. Even her brother added his voice. Keddy sounded both angry and scared.
“This is killing them,” he said. “Like Bert said, his daughter loves her creature comforts.”
Sari increased her pace until she caught up with Kona. “Sometimes creature comfort isn’t enough reason to keep a person where they don’t want to be.”
“You’re right,” he said when he wanted to ask where her comment had come from.
This was the first hint of a semi-personal statement. He expected to hear more. Searches had a way of doing that to people. Strangers bonded, stayed close throughout the action, then went their own ways. Most never forgot the connection, which was why he was determined to keep his mouth shut about certain things.
That said, the longer they walked, the more he wanted to know about Sari. So far she had no past, no story. He didn’t know where she’d come from, why she’d agreed to move to this part of Montana, whether she’d left anyone important behind, where she wanted to be in a few years.
Maybe, like him, she deliberately didn’t look that far into the future. Maybe, like him, it was about getting through one day, one night at a time.
“That’s it?” She moved to the side so he could join her. “The trail’s end?”
“Yes,” he said with her shoulder inches from his and the wilderness all around.
Find out what happens next...
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Montana Rangers
Book 1: Ranger’s Legacy
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About the Author
Vellla Munn writes contemporary and historical romances to satisfy the insistent voices in her head. She’s convinced she has the best career in the world. Also thanks to those voices, she no longer has any other marketable skills.
She’s had more than 50 books published and is beyond exited to have joined the Tule Publishing family with a contemporary romance series set at Lake Serene, Montana. The series draws on her love of the wilderness as backdrop for new beginnings and love.
Vella lives in rural Oregon, is married, has two sons, and four grandchildren. She’s owned by two bossy dogs and is working on her master’s degree as a certified hermit. email: [email protected]
Visit her website at www.vella-munn.com
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