Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
11
FOSTER
The alarm went off at five thirty, but I was already awake, staring at the cabin ceiling and listening to Tommy’s steady breathing from the bed three feet away.
It felt like Christmas morning. Today was another big SAR drill, one I’d spent the past two evenings meticulously planning for this week’s SAR cohort.
I fucking loved this job. Being able to spend every single day teaching search and rescue was a dream come true. Watching the students’ eyes light up as they suddenly grasped a concept, or answering smart questions that showed just how much they cared about their jobs, was addictive.
As I ran through everything I needed to do to prepare for the day, I felt that familiar calm settling over me, the one that always came when I knew I was exactly where I belonged.
Chickie must have sensed my movement because she lifted her head from her spot in the corner, tail already starting its morning helicopter routine. At six months old, she was still more enthusiasm than skill, but something about today felt different. Like maybe we were both ready to prove ourselves.
“Morning, girl,” I whispered, swinging my legs out of bed. “You ready to show these kids how it’s done?”
She bounded over, pressing her cold nose against my palm and doing that full-body wiggle that meant she was ready for anything.
Across from me, Tommy stirred but didn’t wake. I tried to remind myself it was a good thing. The only reason we’d slept in separate beds was so that both of us could catch up on sleep before the big day.
For the past several nights, we’d stayed up way too late fucking around. Then, after falling asleep together, one of us would inevitably wake up to take a piss and wake the other, starting the fuck-around-and-fall-asleep cycle all over again. I hadn’t had this many frotting and hand-job sessions since the law enforcement academy when I discovered two guys in my rookie class and I all shared something in common.
Tommy had talked a big talk about sucking me off, but inevitably, neither one of us took the time to do more than reach for each other and get off as quickly and desperately as possible. And I, for one, wasn’t complaining. As long as my orgasm happened at Tommy Marian’s hands, I didn’t give a shit how it came about.
I dressed quietly in the pre-dawn darkness—tactical pants, base layer, boots that had seen more miles than most people’s cars. As I packed my gear, Chickie danced around my feet, somehow managing to anticipate every piece of equipment I reached for.
GPS unit. Extra batteries. Emergency beacon. First aid kit. Hydration pack…
The familiar ritual steadied me, each item in its designated spot on my person or in my pack.
The real test today wouldn’t just be for my students. Chickie had been working scent articles for weeks now, but this would be her first complex search with multiple distractors and challenging terrain. If she could hold focus today, actually track instead of just following her nose toward whoever had the best treats…
“Ignore Tommy out there,” I murmured softly to her as she sat perfectly, watching me with those intelligent brown eyes. “He is not today’s victim, understand? I promise you can find him all you want after the drill.”
Her tail wagged in double time at the mention of his name, thumping on the bare wood floor with every pass.
Before I headed out to plant the clues and target dummy, I leaned over Tommy and blew hot air behind his ear before pressing my lips in the same spot and murmuring, “Wake up, Doc. Big day today. It wouldn’t do to oversleep. I have it on good authority someone is going to need a complex medical response from your team later.”
His hand snuck out of the sheet and into my hair as he held my face close. “Get your clothes off and get into this bed,” he mumbled sleepily. “Doctor’s orders.”
“No can do. I need to get out and back before breakfast at seven. Can you bring Chickie to the dining room? I don’t want her cheating the drill by coming with me to plant the target.”
“Mmhm. Chick, come.” He took his hand out of my hair and patted the bed. Two seconds later, he was covered in hound.
By the time I slipped out of the cabin, the sky was starting to lighten behind the mountains, painting everything in shades of gray and gold. The morning air bit at my skin—crisp enough to keep me alert, but not cold enough to need special gear.
Perfect SAR weather, actually. It was forecast to be the kind of day that drew tourists to this region every summer. Giant blue sky, comic-book clouds, and clean, pine-scented air.
I fucking loved living in the Rocky Mountains, and this was one of the many reasons why.