Free Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

advance.”
    “For what purpose?”
    The junior agent was new to the bureau and had a lot to learn. “You remember a few years back a man carrying a bomb was arrested at the Canadian border?”
    “Yea, it was big news. He planned on setting it off in the middle of the New Year’s celebration at the Seattle Space Needle. You think…?”
    “It’s a possibility, and my guess is the bikers delivered part of the package.”
    “You mean a bomb?”
    Wilkes nodded. “Makes sense. Seattle has the second-largest New Year’s gathering outside of Times Square. Like I said, this wouldn’t be the first time the Space Needle has been a target.” A new sense of urgency filled him. It was more important than ever that they find Ashley Davison before her plan succeeded.
    “I have a question,” Buckley said.
    “Sure.” They climbed back into the car.
    “What about the puppy? Why would she take the dog?”
    Wilkes had wondered the same thing, but then it came to him in vivid clarity and he bit down hard on his jaw. “I don’t even want to say what I think it might mean.”
    “Tell me,” Agent Buckley insisted.
    “Trust me, Buckley, you don’t want to know.”
    “Sick bastards,” Buckley mumbled.
    “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“So,” Ashley said, paying an inordinate amount of attention to her fingernails, checking her cuticles. “When I spoke to your mother, she said you aren’t currently involved in a relationship.”
    “I believe I was the one who told you that, but only because you insisted on knowing if I was married or involved.”
    “No, I didn’t,” she argued, embarrassed when she realized she might have, though purely for practical purposes.
    “As I recall, you took one look at me and sized me up as a serial killer.”
    “Oh, that,” she said, and had to admit he was right. “I was only being cautious. A girl can’t be too careful these days.” She watched
20/20
and
Dateline
religiously.
    He made a low scoffing sound. “Do you feel safer now?”
    “I suppose.” She made an effort to sound offhanded, as though she hadn’t completely made up her mind. Basically, she had. Dash had proven he could be trusted. It wasn’t every guy who would leap over a fence to rescue a puppy, and that wasn’t all. This guy had gone above and beyond in every way. More and more she found herself grateful they were sharing the ride. She enjoyed his company and she felt safe with him. Protected. Besides, he was fun, and the banter between them kept her entertained.
    Dash didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but Ashley could tell something was on his mind by the way his fingers tapped against the steering wheel.
    “What exactly did my mother tell you?” he asked in a disinterested sort of way.
    Ashley wasn’t fooled. “I don’t remember,” she lied.
    “Yes, you do. Just tell me.”
    “Well, she said that by age thirty she’d given birth to both you and your sister. She also mentioned that she didn’t know what it’s going to take for you to find a decent girl and settle down.”
    He snorted softly. “That sounds like my mother.”
    “She blames the army.”
    “She was against it when I decided to enlist,” he mentioned. “A lot of mothers are, and with reason, I suppose.”
    “Was it a good decision?” Ashley was interested in hearing his side. Although they weren’t well acquainted, she didn’t think he was the kind of man to make a spur-of-the-moment life decision. She suspected something had led to it. Instinctively, she knew it was a breakup with a woman. She’d once read a story that claimed relationship breakups were the number-one or -two reason men signed up for the armed services.
    “It was a good decision for me. I gained a lot of knowledge that’s helping me in civilian life. It’s why I was chosen for this interview. Besides computer skills, the military taught me discipline and how to work as a team. My unit became as tight as brothers.”
    “What about