Page 30 of One Last Shot
She’d spent all of yesterday trying to design a training schedule that wouldn’t kill Oaken and would still provide decent footage for the show. Any way she looked at it, her gut said this would be a disaster. For Oaken, for her—and heaven help anyone he actually had to rescue.
Angling onto the trail that led back to Kincaid parking lot, she picked up her speed, pushing to an all-out sprint. Another runner glanced over at her as she passed him, and she lifted a finger to wave. She liked the anonymity of her life in Alaska.
And now... yeah, she could just see it:Boo Hoo Kingston is back in her latest reality-show fiasco.
And all the old articles would resurface.Watch Boo Hoo Kingston lash back at Blake Hinton in scathing Instagram rant.
Bad, bad idea.
Or maybe that’s what the producers were hoping for—clickbait, scandal, and sensational press that would only dismantle her life, again.
She should march into Moose’s office and resign now, before everything went south. But aw, she really liked it here.
Hitting the pavement, she slowed a bit but kept her pace high, pushing herself as she wound around the coastal trail back to Kincaid Park, leaving the sound behind. Her Rogue unlocked as she drew near it—one of four cars in the lot this early in the morning. Her words to Oaken about the Midnight Sun Killer flitted through her mind. Probably just a rumor, something to scare women into being ultracareful.
Popping the back end, she zipped open her duffel bag, grabbed her water bottle, and sprayed water into her mouth. Wiped the moisture and then put one foot up on the tailgate to stretch.
Then the other.
Hamstringswere tight today.
She pulled off her outer layer, sweating now, and spotted a man emerging from his car.
Wait—“Oaken?”
He wore workout gear. He hadn’t shaved, his brown hair was crushed under a wool cap, and he wore a thin pullover, running shoes, and a pair of shorts over leggings, all of it hugging his clearly fit body.
He turned, blinked. “It’s Boo, right?”
“Yeah. What are you doing here?”
“I’m at a hotel in the area, and they said this was the best place to get some fresh air.” He offered a thin smile.
“All of Alaska is fresh air.”
A moment, then, “Right.”
Maybe that was a little snippy. It wasn’t his fault that—oh,she needed to stop comparing him to Blakeright now. “Oh, sorry. I’m just... I haven’t slept well over the last couple days.”
“I get that. This is the first morning I haven’t spent at the hospital.”
She reached for a towel and ran it over her face. “How’s Mike?”
“As of this morning, no change. His wife and kids got here yesterday. They’re staying at a hotel near the hospital.”
She hung the towel around her neck, considered him. “Listen?—”
“It wasn’t my idea?—”
Their words ran over each other. He held up his hand. “Sorry. You first.”
She shrugged. “I just wanted to say that I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Uh, thanks? But I promise, I can take care of myself.”
Her mouth made a thin line.Great. Another tough guy.
“I was going to say that this wasn’t my idea. ButMike and his family need this to work, so...” He smiled now, something real, and no wonder he was a star.