Celebrating Tina

  Celebrating Tina

  Stryker Security Force - Book 3

  Sara Blackard

  Copyright © 2020 Sara Blackard

  For more information on this book and the author visit: https://www.sarablackard.com

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  Cover Designed by MethodMike.

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  Author photo by Michele Flagen https://micheleflagenphotography.pixieset.com

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  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  One

  Tina West breathed in the crisp mountain air, relishing the frosty nip on her cheeks. The mountains stood still and silent, except for the frantic crunching of snow her Belgian Malinois, Scout, made as he dashed through the trees. Could the forest feel her grief? Was it absent of its normal squirrels’ chatter and bird song in mourning with her? She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the sorrow wash over her — galvanize her to remember why she was out here training Scout when she could be back at the ranch having Thanksgiving dinner with the rest of the Stryker crew.

  This Thanksgiving was the first one in four years that she’d thought she might move past the horror and hurt the holiday always brought. She should’ve known she couldn’t escape the memories.

  Tina huffed, swiping the tears that cooled her cheeks even more. How she wished she could go back in time and pay attention. To notice something that would have told her what her foster dad had been doing to her sister. Fruitless wish since time travel was impossible.

  Scout whined at her feet, pushing his head against her hand. It was strange how animals could sense your emotions. She forced a smile as she scratched behind his ear.

  “Come on, Scout.” She motioned with her hand. “Let’s get going.”

  Scout took off through the snow, bounding like a deer. He stumbled, rolled into the knee-deep snow and popped out covered in white. Joy bubbled up Tina’s throat and spilled out, filling the silence with the lighthearted sound. A squirrel protested the intrusion from the trees, further breaking the melancholy. Yep, she needed this. Needed the focus of training Scout so they could be the best search team in Colorado, helping those lost and doing her part in taking down evil people.

  She rushed after her dog. Her snowshoes crunching in the crusty snow. She pushed herself faster through the trees. When she had woken up with her stomach twisting and revolting at the thought of food and people, she’d moved up her training excursion.

  Her boss Zeke hadn’t been happy, the grumpy slash of his eyebrows comical as Eva, his fiancee’s daughter, had twirled circles around him. Rafe, the resident gadget geek, had loaded her down with enough gear to survive the apocalypse, and Derrick, aka Mother Goose, had made her promise to check in no later than 1500 hours as he’d double checked her gear Rafe had just finished repacking.

  The attention had jabbed her tattered heart, like suturing a wound without numbing the area first. It pulled and hurt, leaving her exhausted though she’d just gotten up.

  Yet, the overprotective treatment also left her feeling more together than she had in years. Like maybe she had found a family not monstrous to its core. Somehow she’d landed herself smack dab in the middle of a clan of friends that had adopted her as their little sister. It left her full and uncomfortable. How could she ever trust after all that had happened to her?

  She slowed as she came to an overlook, her breath fogging in front of her face in choppy puffs.

  She scanned over the top of the snow-covered trees into the valley below. While beautiful, the icy scene made her wonder if she would always freeze out others? Always keep them at a distance? She didn’t want to end up like the ice queen in one of Eva’s fairy tale books, cold and loveless.

  “Get a grip, Tina.”

  Scout cocked his head at her as if questioning her sanity.

  Tina laughed. “I know. I’m wondering if I’m crazy, too.”

  She pulled up her sleeve and glanced at her watch. Rolling her eyes, she plopped her pack in the snow at her feet and snatched the sat phone Rafe had forced on her.

  “Time to check in with Goose.” Tina smiled at Scout. Derrick’s dreadful nickname was perfect for the man who constantly triple checked everything and everyone.

  Scout hung his tongue out and grinned. She still couldn’t believe Zeke had brought the dog home for her, saying he’d be the perfect addition to the Stryker team if she was willing to train him. She’d fallen instantly in love with the idea and the dog and had spent the last month training almost non-stop when she wasn’t watching Eva.

  Tina leaned against a jumble of boulders and dialed home, pulling a miniature candy cane from her pocket. The little candies were the only good thing about the holidays. Scanning the terrain below, she searched for where she could pop her tent for the night. A breeze teased the ends of her hair and rattled the naked aspen branches. The quiet of the backcountry settled on her, almost suffocating her with its emptiness.

  Maybe camping alone wasn’t the brightest idea, especially on this day. The ghosts of her past might assault her more in her solitude than she had originally considered. A chill skated down her coat collar, sliding along her warm skin. She shivered as the call connected.

  “Hey, Tiny Tina.” Rafe’s teasing voice came through the phone. “How’s the training going?”

  Tina huffed at the annoying nickname. She couldn’t help that she had stopped growing at five foot two. While she wasn’t thrilled with the name, it was another stitch that sutured her to the Stryker family.

  “It’s going great. Scout is taking to the snow.” Tina chuckled at Scout rolling on the frozen ground like he was in heaven. “It’s gorgeous back here.”

  Clicking came through the phone, followed by Rafe’s low whistle. “According to the GPS, you’ve gone over fifteen miles already.”

  “Really?” The number both energized and tired her. Sore muscles, here I come.

  “Listen, we just got word that there is a backcountry skier that hasn’t checked in.” Rafe sighed. “His GPS tracker last reported him in your area. The police chief didn’t sound too concerned when I called to get info, but the guy’s mom is freaking out.”

  Rafe snickered, causing Tina to grin. Being ex-special forces, the men at Stryker Security weren’t the most coddling, unless it was Eva. That four-year-old had all those mighty warriors clutched in her teeny grasp.

  “Has S & R been called out yet?” Tina poured water in the collapsible bowl for Scout as her pulse ramped up with both excitement and worry.

  What if she didn’t find the skier? What if she and Scout wandered right past him?

  “Nah, not until tomorrow,” Rafe answered.

  “All right. We’ll start looking.”

  “Look, this guy probably just broke his GPS, and he’ll show up in time for his mommy’s pumpkin pie.” Rafe’s tone, while joking, held a hint of warning to it. “Don’t compromise your safety for someone we’re not even sure needs rescuing.”

  Tina ruffled, but forced a laugh. “Watch out, Rafe, or I’ll start calling you Goose.”

  “Psht, whatever. I just know you, and you’ll help others while putting yourself at risk.”

  “And you guys don’t?”

  “We’ve trained for the last decade. You haven’t.”

&
nbsp; Tina rolled her eyes.

  “And before you get all bent out of shape, I’m just saying be careful.” Rafe huffed, and Tina could picture him smoothing down his hair in his exasperation. “I like having a little sister around to pester again.”

  Hookay. Tina’s nose stung, and she blinked to keep the tears at bay.

  “I’ll be careful.” She cleared her throat. “What’s the guy’s name?”

  “Milo Bishop. He’s a cop here in town.” Rafe’s words had her heart racing again.

  It couldn’t be the Milo Bishop, her secret crush her freshman year. He was too capable, too larger-than-life to get lost in the woods. She capped her water bottle, ignoring the way her hands trembled.

  “Got it. I’ll check in if I find him, otherwise, I’m planning on setting up camp before dark, then heading out in the morning.”

  “Copy that. Keep alert. I wouldn’t want the mountain lions to eat you. Sweet dreams, Tasty Tina.” Rafe laughed, then hung up the phone.

  Tina covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head. Had he just called her Tasty Tina? Tina’s gaze darted behind her, then scanned the trees. Her heart beat wildly in her chest at Rafe’s joke. Of course, mountain lions roamed the area, but surely they wouldn’t get close with Scout around. Tina glared as she shoved her water bottle into her pack and stood. Big brothers, blood or not, could be so annoying.

  Two

  Milo Bishop’s fingers ached as he scooped snow from the drift. Ripping off his gloves, he shoved his freezing hands into his coat beneath his armpits and scowled at the pitiful excuse for a snow cave. He glared up at the mountain slope that had bucked him from his skis like a wild mustang and thrown him down the steep rocky side. That rock he had grazed as he had crested the peak had popped out of nowhere.

  He growled, forced his hands into his gloves, and attacked the drift again with the piece of bark he used as a shovel. If his brother Jase had just come like he said he would for their annual Thanksgiving ski, Milo’s mind wouldn’t have been distracted. He would’ve enjoyed the day in the backcountry instead of wondering if he’d survive the night. He shifted his position to get a better angle at the drift and pain ratcheted up his leg, causing him to buckle to the snowy ground.

  “Aaagh! Stupid knee!” He chucked the piece of bark into the drift. “Stupid mountain!”

  He lay in the snow, his eyes closed to the pain throbbing in his knee and embarrassment thrumming through his blood. It wasn’t his brother’s fault that Milo wasn’t paying attention. He should’ve known better than to come out alone. Heck, at the very least he should’ve replaced his pack when he’d busted the chest buckle instead of coming to the backcountry with broken gear. Then his pack wouldn’t have wrenched from his back when he’d crashed, and his predicament wouldn’t be so dire.

  He tucked his hands under his arms and stared up at the clouds as they blew across the Colorado robin’s egg colored sky in a fast clip. The trees towering above him had darkened, the sun closer to the western horizon than he liked. Dusk would come quickly in the gulch’s bottom.

  What had he been thinking? He’d been impulsive, giving in to the desire to be free to do whatever he wanted like his brother Jase did. He should’ve known being reckless would end badly for him.

  Life only worked when he kept things under tight control, inhibiting his wants and emotions to do what needed to be done. He had lost his chance at off-the-cuff adventures when life had thrust him into manhood after his father’s murder. His mom and brother depended on him. What would happen if he froze out here because of his rash stupidity?

  The image of his mom collapsing in exhaustion from working two jobs again had him gritting his teeth. It had broken his heart to watch her become a shadow of who she’d been before the murder, working eighty plus hours at minimum wage jobs while he and Jase were in high school. It was why he’d joined the force instead of going to college. Well, that and the burning desire to keep low-lifes like the one who’d killed his father off the streets.

  It pinched that Jase got the carefree life Milo had thought he had wanted, screwing around at college and doing whatever he felt like while Milo struggled to keep their family afloat and his emotions under wrap. He hadn’t been able to brush off the weight of responsibility so easily. Hadn’t wanted his mom to struggle when he could help. Now, thanks to his carelessness, he may have put his mom back where he’d worked so hard to pull her from.

  He groaned as he rolled over, careful to keep his weight off his knee, and stared up the slope. Could he find some kind of crutch and make his way to wherever his fall had buried his pack? He shook his head. Putting weight on his leg would likely result in another tumble down the hill. Maybe crawling would be a better option?

  A strong wind whipped through his coat with what sounded like his name floating on it. He scanned the area, as if someone else would be crazy enough to be out here in the middle of nowhere. Great. Not only was he stranded in the snow without a pack, but now he was hearing things.

  He took one last fleeting look up the slope towards where he thought his pack might be, then turned back to digging out a shelter for the night. He doubted there was time to climb up to his gear and back down before darkness fell, so whatever measly shelter he could scrap from the snow would have to suffice.

  He went back to digging, the grating noise and his choppy breaths loud in his ears. He’d make it through the night. He might lose toes and fingers to frostbite, but he’d survive until someone showed up to rescue him.

  Which would be better to lose, toes or fingers? He grimaced. Most women he knew would balk at a three-fingered man, but toes he could hide. Not that he had any desire for a relationship right now, anyway. He had to get Jase through college before he could even think about his next phase in life. He had it all planned out, though. Once Jase graduated, Milo could start looking for a wife.

  His hands stung, and he shook them out. He’d probably be better staying a bachelor with his line of work. He never wanted to leave a wife struggling like his mom had had to.

  He snorted. He hadn’t had a date, let alone a girlfriend since his sophomore year in high school. Now he was contemplating marriage? The cold was messing with his mind.

  The rush of feet dashing across the snow whipped him around to the next disaster in his misadventure. Freezing to death sounded better than being mauled and eaten. A large dog with a pack harnessed on its back careened towards Milo, its tongue hanging out the side of a mouth that appeared to be smiling. The beast landed on his chest, knocking him back into the snow. Its entire body wagged as it licked Milo repeatedly on the face.

  He laughed at his futile attempt to push the dog off. “Okay. You found me.”

  How had search and rescue already been called out? They shouldn’t have even worried until the next morning. Sure, he hadn’t contacted his mom to check in like he said he would. Did she think so little of his abilities she had already sent out the cavalry? Milo pushed at the dog. How humiliating.

  “Scout, for goodness sakes, let the man breathe.” A woman’s exasperated voice pulled both Milo and the dog’s attention to the path the dog had come from.

  Scout pushed off Milo’s chest and careened towards the woman. The force snapped his head back against the snow, and a new pain exploded through his brain. Milo squeezed his eyes shut. Just great. Frozen fingers and an aching head. The crunching of snow and a plop beside him had him squinting one eye open against the throbbing ache.

  “Milo.”

  His name puffed from the woman in obvious relief, filling the air with the scent of peppermint. Was she some kind of Christmas angel? Her blonde hair poked out of her stocking cap and framed cheeks pink with cold. She was small. If he could stand without buckling to the earth, she probably wouldn’t even come up to his armpit. He peeked back the way she had traveled from, but the area was empty. What was this tiny, beautiful woman doing out here alone?

  She tore her glove off with her teeth and slid her warm fingers down his cheek before t
aking his wrist and checking his pulse. Would she realize his pounding heart was because of her soft touch and not her dog’s trample? Her light brown eyes held such worry he wondered if he was closer to dying than he thought.

  “Milo, are you okay? Can you talk to me?” Her questions snapped him back to reality.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” He groaned through gritted teeth, pushing himself up to sit.

  Just great. Not only had he been an idiot going on this harebrained ski ill-equipped, but it appeared his embarrassment would be complete with a goddess rescuer. That’s it. No more risky adventures. No more impulsive decisions. He peeked at the gorgeous woman next to him. It only resulted in trouble.

  Three

  Milo Bishop. I’m rescuing Milo Hotstuff Bishop. Tina tried to calm her inner freak out as Milo sat up with a grimace. It didn’t work. All the hopes of her freshman self being seen by the incredibly intriguing and completely gorgeous senior Milo Bishop bombarded her thoughts. How she’d sit by the front window of her foster home pretending to read when she knew Jase, her foster brother’s best friend who happened to be Milo’s younger brother, was coming over. If she glanced up at just the right time, she’d glimpse Milo when he dropped Jase off. Or how about all the times she’d hunkered at the small table in the school library during study hour, willing Milo to turn around from his study spot and notice her.

  Wow. Had she really been that pathetic?

  The memory of the one time he’d searched the shelves close to her table for a book came to mind. He had smiled and said hello, but the flash of perfect teeth and the sexy timbre of his voice had short-circuited her brain. Awe and mortification had merged as she had flapped her mouth like the rainbow trout her foster brother, Blake, liked to catch when they went to the river. Her face had erupted into volcanic temperatures, and Milo’s lips had pinched like he tried hard to stifle a laugh. She’d stopped stalking him during study hour after that, preferring to hide in the far corner where the encyclopedias collected dust.