Page 135 of One Last Shot

The strawberry-chocolate shake was delicious, of course, but he couldn’t finish it. Especially after she delivered his order of chicken, not meeting his eyes. Yeah, he’d lost his appetite. “Can I get a box?”

She nodded. Tore off his check and left it at the table. Returned with a box, picking up the twenty he dropped on the check.

“Moose—”

“Keep the change, Tillie.”

She pocketed it. “I?—”

“Nope. It’s all good.” He forced a smile. “Thanks for the shake.” Then he pushed out of the booth, carrying his midnight chicken, and headed outside into the sunny Alaska night.

He’d forgotten his pie. But it didn’t matter.

He’d have to find a new late-night diner anyway.

CHAPTER 15

“We’re glad to have you back, Boo. The team seemed like a three-legged dog without you.” Moose stood at the briefing board at the Tooth, talking through today’s training outside in the sound.

Which she wouldn’t take part in, thanks to her stupid knee.

“Glad to be back,” she said from where she sat at the table. Across from her, sitting in for today’s briefing, Dodge winked. His wife, Echo, had an appointment later today for an ultrasound.

“How’s the knee?” Axel said.

“I can walk on it, but doc says no running quite yet.” Could be a month, actually, although in the few days she’d been back, she’d started taking walks on the Kincaid Trail.

Of course, that also conjured up that happenstance meeting with Oaken so long ago. Her mind just wouldn’t let him go, despite her efforts to quit him.

Or to get his stupid song out of her head.

“The gear room desperately needs your touch,” Moose said. “Would you mind digging in while we’re out today?”

“No problem.”

She listened half-heartedly as Moose explained today’s training—a rope rescue from an overturned boat in the sound. “Axel, you’re in the water. Shep, you’re on winch, and London, you’re the spotter.”

Boo wanted to offer, but she’d probably lose her balance and just re-crack her knee.

“Dodge will copilot, and we’ll run it twice, him at the controls for the second run.”

Dodge gave him a thumbs-up.

“We’ll be working with the local sheriff’s office for this one—they’ll have the boat in the water and will provide dummies for the haul out. With more boats heading out for recreation and fishing, there’s no doubt we’ll get more callouts, and we all need to be ready.”

Already the sun had started to dominate the day with nearly eighteen hours of daylight. No wonder Boo felt a buzz under her skin, an adrenaline that had kept her awake since returning to Alaska.

Had nothing at all to do with the recent promotion ofThe Sizeup: A Grizz Production. And shots of Oaken dangling from a chopper, along with a couple of close-up interviews with Moose and Oaken. One shot with a voiceover even showed them eating midnight chicken at the Skyport, Tillie serving them shakes.

Maybe she should leave the country?—

Around her, the others had started to get up, heading for the door. Dodge came over to her. “Echo is at the motel. She’s coming by later, after her appointment. I know she can’t wait to see you.”

Sweet.Boo rose, needing coffee, her knee already aching. Maybe she’d put too much into PT this morning.

“Boo.” Moose stopped her with his voice, and she rounded back to him.

“’Sup?”