he finally wiggled free.
“Can we go eat a burger with Mr. Witherspoon? Can we?”
The eagerness in his voice made it hard to say no, but it wasn’t fair to keep Josiah any longer than necessary. “I’m sure he’s—”
“I think that’s a great idea, Robbie. There’s a place not too far from here that’s a favorite of mine. After we eat, then I can take you two to the hangar so your mom can pick up her car.”
Robbie looked at Buddy. “What about him?”
“He’ll be fine while we’re inside. I imagine he’s pretty tired. He’s been working a lot today.”
So have you, Ella thought, glimpsing in Josiah the same weariness she felt, but he must have sensed how important doing something normal and nonthreatening was for her son. Usually when Josiah came to a SAR operation, he did his job and went home. He was all business. But not now. The smile he sent her son made her want to join in.
“Can I pet Buddy?” her son asked.
“Sure. He loves the attention.” Josiah squatted next to Robbie after he moved to the German shepherd.
“I wish I had a dog like this. No one would bother me.”
Josiah peered up at Ella. “You don’t need to worry about that man now.”
“You know about the man?” Robbie’s forehead scrunched.
“Yes.” Ella clasped Robbie’s shoulder. “Honey, when we get back to camp, you can tell the police what the man looked like. They’ll find him.”
Robbie ran his hand down Buddy’s back, stroking the dog over and over while Josiah stood next to her son. “How’s Travis and Michael?”
“Travis is at the command center. They’re still looking for Michael. He may even be with Travis by the time we arrive at camp.” At least she hoped that was the case. The idea that Michael might still be lost while the man hadn’t been found gave her shivers. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
The realization it could still be her ex-husband mocked her. Until she found out for certain, she needed to start making plans to leave Anchorage. She’d disappeared once before. She could again. But the thought of leaving the life she had carved out for her and her son in Alaska swelled her throat with emotions she tried not to feel. She loved Anchorage and the people she’d become friends with. She didn’t want to leave.
“Let’s go. I imagine you’ve got a camp full of people anxiously waiting to see you.” Josiah rose and said to Robbie, “You want to hold Buddy’s leash and lead the way?”
Her son’s smile grew even more. “Yeah.”
Ella fell into step with Josiah while her son took off with Buddy. “Maybe I should think about getting a pet for Robbie.”
“I can help you with that. Buddy became a daddy eight weeks ago. My friend will be selling most of the puppies soon, but I can have the pick of the litter free. I hadn’t intended to get another dog, so if Robbie wants one, he can have my free one.”
“A mix breed or a German shepherd?”
“A purebred German shepherd. This guy trains dogs for search and rescue. He’ll keep two pups to train, then sell them later.”
Her pride nudged forward. Ever since escaping her abusive marriage in Georgia and relocating to Anchorage, she hadn’t depended on others to help her. It had taken all her courage to seek aid through the New Life Organization and break free of Keith. She was thankful to the Lord that she and Robbie had been able to make it on their own without constantly glancing over their shoulders, looking for Keith, who should have been in prison for years. For four years, she’d been able to live without being scared for her life and now... “I can’t accept one. You should take the puppy and sell it.”
“I don’t need the money. Outdoor Alaska is a successful business. I’d much rather see a child happy with a new pet. I always had one while growing up, and they were important to me.”
What if it really was Keith in the woods? A dog would only complicate their lives if they had to move. “I appreciate the offer.”
He tilted his head, his gaze slanting down at her. “But?”
Her gaze drifted to Robbie with Buddy. “A German shepherd is a big dog. He’ll need to be trained. Any suggestions?”
“I can help when the puppy’s old enough.”
Again the words I can’t accept perched on the tip of her tongue, but one look at her son petting Buddy shut that impulse down. Her son was frightened more than most children because of the memories of his abusive father and his temper, all directed at her. Although he’d only been four when she’d finally successfully escaped Keith, a raised voice still shook Robbie, and any man with curly blond hair like his father’s scared him to the point that he tried to hide if he could.
She didn’t realize she’d stopped walking until Josiah’s worried voice said, “Are you all right?”
She blinked, noting her son had paused by a big tree and waited for them to catch up. “Thanks for the offer to help train the dog when we get it.” She hoped by the time the puppy was old enough to be separated from its mother, she’d know for sure who the man in the woods was.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “Good. My sister has been teasing me lately. Accusing me of being a hermit when I’m not working.”
“When did you leave the Marines?”
“Eighteen months ago. Alex and I grew up in Anchorage. We both left, but she came back when our parents died in a small plane crash and took over the running of the family business, Outdoor Alaska.”
“Your store has really grown since I first arrived.”
“That’s all my sister. She’s driven.”
“And you aren’t?” She started walking again, the darkness of the woods throwing Josiah’s face in shadows.
“Driven? I’m not sure I would use that word to describe me.”
“What word would you use to describe yourself, then?”
“I’m just not as driven or singularly focused as I once was. Except when searching for a lost person—when someone else’s life is in the balance.”
What was he not telling her? Studying his closed expression, she knew there was so much more he kept to himself—like she did. She couldn’t share her past with anyone. That would put her and her son in danger. What happened today had ended well for Robbie, but if Keith ever found them, she knew it wouldn’t. The thought sent a shudder down her spine.
When they arrived at the camp, Robbie saw Travis and ran toward him with Buddy trotting alongside.
Ella scanned the area and glimpsed Detective Thomas Caldwell talking with David. “I hope Michael was found,” she said to Josiah.
“I’ll get Robbie and Buddy and be right there,”
