Page 29 of SEAL by Fate

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THE CABIN WAS eerily quiet when Gray stepped inside. The fire had been allowed to go out and all that was left was a few burning red embers. He took his gun from his waist, aimed it toward the floor as he moved quietly through each room, coming up empty.

Where was Stormy?

The snow had started again and was coming down fast, but he didn’t see any footprints outside the front door. He flung open the backdoor and there, in the fresh snow, he found what looked like the last remnants of prints made by snow shoes and another set of what looked like dog tracks.

His heart pounded. If he hurried he might be able to follow the tracks before the snow covered them.

Closing the door behind him, he zipped his coat all the way up to cover his face and stepped out into the blustery wind. “Stormy?” he yelled, but the wind caught his voice and tossed it back into his face. His mind scrambled with questions. Did she leave the cabin on her own? Or did someone come and take her? How did the dog play into all this?

He made it almost to the wood’s edge when the footprints stopped. The snow was coming down so fast. He couldn’t seem to get enough air into his lungs. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

“Stormy? Where are you?” He didn’t know if it was possible for anyone to hear in the wind, but he had to try. He scanned the area frantically, but visibility made seeing very far impossible.

His mind raced. What could he do?

He had to find her…

Then he heard something. Maybe a dog’s bark?

Ice crystals formed around two shadows and then he saw her.

Gray didn’t wait for Stormy, but he dashed forward through the snow and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her in close and hugging her. He heard a faint growl of protest and Stormy saying, “It’s okay, girl. He’s friendly.”

Gray pulled back, looking down at her, barely able to keep his concern from his voice. “Where were you? What the hell were you doing out here? You could have gotten lost.” He was at a cross between yelling and never letting her go again. “Do you not realize how dangerous this storm is?”

Her gaze narrowed. “You’re late. You told me three hours. I’ve been waiting forever. Do you know how hard that is when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere?” She stomped around him and he saw the snow shoes. Those would have been nice to have earlier. He grimaced and followed her inside. And the dog.

He closed the door against the wind and toed off his boots, depositing his jacket on the counter. “Stormy?”

Once she had the shoes off and the plastic bags she’d wrapped around her feet she looked at him. “What?”

“I wasn’t gone that long, and you have a dog and snow shoes? What did I miss?”

Her face softened some. “She showed up on the doorstep. I couldn’t allow her to stay out in this weather. She was freezing. I found the snow shoes and the rope in a storage space in the closet. And a bottle of whiskey stashed in the back of one cabinet.” She untied the rope from the dog’s collar. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”

She could have easily reached in and squeezed his heart. “Is that why you took off into the snow? You didn’t give me much credit before you decided I wasn’t planning to keep my promise.”

“I thought I should take Lola out and just see if there was any sign of a neighbor. They could be worried sick about her. We didn’t get far when the snow started and thankfully, she helped me find my way back.”

“Lola?”

“I couldn’t just keep calling her dog.”

He noticed that her fingers were pale blue, and so were her toes. “What in the hell were you thinking?” Stomping across the kitchen, he lifted her into his arms.

*

“Wh-What are you doing, Gray? Put me down. Right now.” She pushed against his chest, but not hard enough because he didn’t budge. Lola growled, “Hush, Lola. It’s okay.”

“You’re not supposed to do that.”

“What?”

“Name a dog that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Fine. Now put me down.”

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