Off the Map (Winter Rescue #2) by Tamara Morgan

returned to animation. The shuttered look in her eyes sparked, and her nostrils flared in a way that signaled her oncoming wrath. She was furious. She was furious with him .
    He was never so happy to see an angry woman in his life.
    “This dog means so much to you that you’ll risk your life for a chance at getting her back,” she said, and took a step toward him, her soapy yellow gloves dripping onto the floor.
    He held fast. “Yes.”
    “This dog—who you willingly sold to a stranger almost a year ago—goes missing in the line of duty a hundred miles north of here, and you think it’s your responsibility to retrieve her.”
    This time, she lifted her hands but didn’t take off the rubber gloves, making her appear about as warm and welcoming as a serial killer about to finish the job.
    Still, he held. “Yes.”
    “This dog is no longer your responsibility in any way, shape, or form, but you want me to risk my entire career for a remote chance at saving her.”
    “Yes.”
    “Goddammit, Scott.” She stripped off the gloves, and he realized he might actually make it out of this with all his body parts intact. “You do realize I’m not exaggerating, right? I could be permanently grounded for this. I’ve seen the weather reports up there. No one can land in that storm. Ten-to-one we’re going to end up buried in a snowbank somewhere, forced to wear each other’s skin for warmth.”
    There was no need for her to spell it out. He’d already imagined the worst. He’d been imagining the worst since he almost lost her the first time. “Believe me, I know. But you’re the only one—”
    She held up her hand, silencing him. “I heard you the first time. I’m the only one brave enough. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I get it. Carrie Morlock is a big ol’ risk, but sometimes, a risk is exactly what you need.”
    She was more correct than she knew. She was the biggest risk of all.
    “It’s not just that you’re the only one brave enough,” he said. “You’re also the only one good enough.” And kind enough. And strong enough. And willing to keep pushing when everyone else had given up on him.
    She swore. “You’re a bastard, you know that? The one time you’re willing to lay out a compliment, and it’s on my flying skills.”
    She wanted compliments, did she? “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and I’m having a hard time figuring out how I’m supposed to live without you.”
    Even though he spoke the truth, the hard flash of her teeth proved she didn’t believe a word. Not that he could blame her. He wouldn’t believe himself, either. Nothing he’d done or said during their time together would have indicated how near he’d been to following in his father’s footsteps. Head over heels, crash and burn, up in a fiery puff of smoke. Take your pick—every disastrous cliché applied.
    “All right. I’m in.”
    His heart surged, but he maintained a wary front. “On what condition?”
    “No condition,” she said. “Let’s just say I’m moved by your concern. I can respect a man willing to fight that hard for someone he loves.”
    He waited patiently for the rest, but it seemed that was all she had to say.

Chapter Five
    “Thanks for taking the time to see me before the meeting.”
    Carrie managed a smile and pushed a paper cup of coffee toward Newman, hoping he wouldn’t notice it was missing a good three inches off the top. She always drank too much when she was anxious—it was some kind of evolutionary need to pump her body with fluids so she could push them all out in a nervous sweat later—so a healthy portion of his latte had made its way into her stomach already.
    She was going to need the caffeine more than he would, anyway. It promised to be a long night.
    “No problem.” She cast a glance around their empty meeting space, a church rec room with poor ventilation and buzzing fluorescent lights overhead. Their Search and Rescue group didn’t