Read Off the Map (Winter Rescue #2) for Free Online Page A

“It’s kind of adorable, if I do say so myself. Are you sure you want to ruin it by poking holes in it?”
    “Yes. Absolutely.” It wasn’t going to be easy to stab the straight pins into the plastic of the doll’s back, but Carrie could always go for the flexible rubber on the legs. Scott had magnificent thighs, all hard-packed muscle and hairy skin. It would be a delight to cause them to seize up in agony. “Do you think we should give him different pants?”
    “I’m not sure my sewing skills run that high, and I only have the tux he came in.”
    Tuxedo pants and a handmade red vest weren’t exactly Scott’s normal winter attire, but she doubted they could find the tight Henleys and faded jeans he favored during the colder months. Ken’s style was a little too high-end for the scruffy, dog-loving man who’d broken her heart.
    “It’ll have to be good enough.” She wrangled the doll’s arms into the vest and added a few black swirls on his upper arm, satisfied with the overall result. “There. Meet Voodoo Scott.”
    Lexie extended her forefinger and shook the doll’s hand. “Hello, Voodoo Scott, you big ol’ meanie. I hope you’re prepared to pay for what you did. Nobody makes my friend feel like garbage and gets away with it.”
    “Damn straight.” Carrie spoke with vehemence, but she suspected Scott could treat her any way he wanted and walk away unscathed. He had all the leverage in their breakup, emotionally speaking. She might retain the power to make him angry, but he was the one who could still make her cry.
    She glared even harder at the doll, channeling as much of her emotion as possible at Ken’s smug plastic face. “Let this be a lesson in manners. I might not have put a curse on you before, but I sure as hell am going to now.”
    Lexie giggled and tucked a strand of her honeyed blonde hair behind her ear. “I know this is incredibly juvenile of us, but I can’t remember ever having this much fun getting back at an ex.”
    “That’s because you never had to do it with me before. I’m an expert at losing people with a flourish.” It wasn’t until the words left her mouth that she realized how pathetic she sounded.
    She wasn’t the only one.
    “Oh, sweetie.” Lexie’s expression turned to one of sympathy, and she reached over to give Carrie’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m so sorry. I know things are tough right now, but you’ll bounce back. I’ll make sure of it.”
    Carrie didn’t say what she was thinking—that Lexie couldn’t make sure of it, even if she wanted to. Like Ace and Max and Scott, Lexie was a part of the total SAR package. Her boyfriend Fletcher was a dedicated member of the team and not likely to shift loyalties anytime soon. They were a collective, like Musketeers. You crossed one, you crossed them all.
    It was a truth Carrie had encountered far too many times in her life. There were only so many awkwardly ended poker nights before she stopped being invited, only a few more voodoo doll parties before Lexie turned her ringer off whenever she called. That was the worst part of all this. Everything Scott had said last night about her trying to encroach on his friendships was true. She tried too hard and pushed too much, scared people off by never knowing when to take a step back. Crazy was coming on a bit strong, but then, that was exactly what she did most of the time. Came on too strong.
    She always had. A forceful personality was all there was to rely on when you’d grown up as an only child and an Air Force brat—a double whammy in the impossible-to-make-friends category. Unless you wanted to spend the majority of your time sitting alone in a corner with snack cakes, you found a way in no matter what the cost.
    Carrie had developed excellent skills at finding ways in, but she wasn’t so good at staying there. This thing with Scott was clear proof. If it came down to it, the Search and Rescue team would choose him over her—and with good reason.