Leave No Trace

Remember when I told you Todd wants us to move in together? Of course. Well, he keeps trying to find places. This is good, unless none of them suit. None of them? Not a single one? Incredulity rang in Brian's tone. We have specific needs. Todd needs it to be close to downtown, so it's convenient to the firehouse. I need a backyard for Hawk. We need it to be local to a green space for exercise and training. I'd like to still be close to Kara. She paused for a moment. And I need to be able to afford it. Turn right here on Industrial. Yes, ma'am. He took the turn, the SUV angling higher as they wound up the hill. The money could be the hardest part with those requirements. Although the other points don't make it easy either, not in DC. As far as staying close to your sister, that's kind of going to depend on her, isn't it? Yes. And the fact that my moving out means she's now forced to be in the housing market is also weighing on me. She'll have to carry the whole cost of a house on her own. That was the original point of us buying a house together. Individually, we couldn't afford anything much, but together we could manage something nice in Arlington. It's not downtown DC, but it works for us. You're dragging your feet because you're feeling guilty about leaving Kara behind. Why isn't she shacking up with McCord? Surely the Washington Post's crack investigative reporter must be pulling in a decent salary because he hasn't asked her. You do realize it's not 1950, right? She can ask him. She almost did, but she doesn't want to rush their relationship because of finances. She's afraid he might see it as angling for his paycheck versus him If she asked him now, McCord would get it. He's a pretty down-to-earth guy. I mean, not as down-to-earth as Todd, but firefighters are a breed unto themselves. He flashed her a saucy grin, his green eyes laughing as he wiggled his eyebrows. Thank God for that. Despite her grim mood, she chuckled. Only you would say that. Any gay man or straight woman with eyes in their head would say that. Now that I've lightened your mood, continue. Todd texted he's found yet another place he'd like me to look at. How many would this make? Meg Shrug accompanied a vague hand gesture. I don't know, 12, 14? Brian winced. If he thinks you're stalling, I can see his point. And that's definitely what it looks like. He asked you to move in together last November. You're pushing five months now. I'm trying to find the right place. And yes, before you point it out again, because I know you will, I am feeling guilty about leaving Kara behind. You're not leaving her behind. She's a 30-year-old woman. She can live on her own. She had to know your living situation wouldn't last forever. But fess up. You're also feeling guilty about Hawk. He loves living with Saki and Blink. You're worried about him getting lonely on his own. Meg thought back to that morning before the call came in. Hawk curled up on the dog bed in a pile with Saki, Kara's mini blue-nosed pit bull, and Blink, her retired Brindle racing greyhound. Yeah, I am. We could always get another dog for Hawk, but then I'd be leaving that dog alone every day when Hawk and I went to work. And that's not fair either. Take this right. Knowing they were getting close, Meg gathered her long black hair into a twist, wound it into a loose bun, and pulled a hair elastic off her wrist to secure it. Then the next ride after it onto Snake Nation Road. Brian's lip curl paired with a shudder nearly made her laugh again. Seriously? Snake Nation? Maybe Lauren and Scott would be better suited to this case, Brian said, referring to the other two members of the FBI's human scent evidence team, along with their dogs, Rocco and Theo. It's not too late to give them a call. No such luck. It's all you and me. Is that really what it's called? You're not trying to distract me from your tale of housing woes with snakes. Meg scanned the surrounding forest, a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees that hinted at their altitude in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's springtime, and we're headed up into the wilderness at the peak of Rocky Mountain. I'm not sure snakes are gonna be our biggest threat here. I think a bigger risk will be all the moms out there with their babies. Bears, bobcats, coyotes, foxes. We're gonna have to steer clear of them.