by Bonnie Leon
Jack’s brows furrowed. “What happened with you and the bear?”
“When I tried to deliver mail, it came at me. Paul shot him, but only wounded him. He had to go after him and finish him off.”
“How honorable.” He snickered.
Kate decided to ignore the comment. She walked to the chart on the wall and recorded her return time and date. “Do you have any runs coming up?”
“Nope. Lost the one and nothing since.”
“Guess I’ll head home. I’m available if anything comes in.”
“If Alan gets his plane running, he’s the next one up.”
“Sure. I understand.” The phone rang as Kate headed for the door.
Jack picked up. “Hello.” He listened, then dropped the receiver back in place. “That was Mrs. Towns. She said her daughter’s at the hospital.”
“The hospital? She’s having the baby?”
“That would be my guess.”
“I gotta go.” Kate headed out the door and hurried to her car. She slid in behind the wheel, revved the engine, and headed for Third Avenue. She’d promised Helen and Muriel she’d be there when the baby was born. She wanted to be there.
Splashing through puddles, Kate approached the four-story Railroad Hospital. She pulled into a parking area and stepped carefully through a muddy drive. Hurrying up a wooden walkway that cut a path through the middle of a flower-strewn lawn, she tried to quiet her worries. Things could go wrong when having a baby.
Kate took the front steps two at a time, swung open the front door, and walked into a small lobby. She stopped at the front desk to ask directions, and then headed for the waiting room.
Helen sat, appearing calm, her knitting needles clicking. She looked up. “Oh, Kate. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Albert and Terrence stopped pacing momentarily.
“Hi,” Albert said.
Terrence nodded and tried to smile. He resumed pacing.
“Is Muriel all right?” Kate asked.
“The doctor says she’s fine.” Helen rested her hand on the chair next to her. “Come. Sit. It’s going to be awhile.”
“How long do you think before the baby gets here?”
“Too long,” Albert said with a chuckle. “Babies always take too long.”
A smile lifted Helen’s lips. “Babies arrive exactly on time.” She settled calm blue eyes on Kate. “And don’t worry about Angel. Our neighbor offered to check on her.”
Kate nodded and sat down. She hadn’t even given Angel a thought.
Terrence pushed fingers through his light brown hair and adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. “I wish we’d hear something.” He glanced at a door leading from the room. “Something.”
The tension in the room made Kate feel edgy. She folded her arms over her chest, sucked in a breath, and let it out slowly. She stretched her arms over her head and then rolled her shoulders back. Helen seemed completely relaxed. Kate wished she knew how to knit. Maybe it would help.
It was an interminable five hours before Muriel presented Terrence with a son.
When a nurse finally allowed family into Muriel’s room, Kate hung back while Terrence met his child. Helen and Albert went in next. He glanced at Kate. “You coming?”
“I’ll wait. This is for family.”
She leaned against the corridor wall, studying pallid green walls. So, Muriel was a mother. It was a wonderful thing. Really. So why did she feel so melancholy? She was happy for Muriel and Terrence, but thoughts about life without Paul—and the family they could have had together—made the contrast all the more painful. She wanted it to be her. What if it never was?
With effort, she tried to shake off the dark thoughts. Staying on that path would do her no good.
The door opened and Helen peeked into the hallway. Her face radiated joy. “He’s beautiful!” She motioned for Kate to join her. “Muriel wants to see you.”
Putting on what she thought was an appropriate smile, Kate walked into a room with several beds. Cotton curtains provided privacy for other new mothers. Propped up on pillows, Muriel rested in a bed near a window. Terrence hovered beside her, gazing down at his little boy. Muriel held a swaddled bundle in her arms.
She looked up at Kate. “I can hardly believe he’s here.”
Muriel’s blonde hair was plastered to her head and her face was splotchy red, but the joy in her eyes made her look beautiful. Hunger for a child of her own engulfed Kate.
“How are you?” she managed to ask without revealing her inner feelings.
“Tired. But I’ve never felt better or happier. The doctor says he’s perfect.” She looked down at the infant. “I’d like you to meet Gerald Kenneth Stevens.”
Kate stared at the baby. His eyes were closed and he had a pudgy fist pressed against his lips. “He’s so cute.” Happiness for Muriel flowed in like a tide, covering Kate’s emptiness.
“Would you like to hold him?”
“May I?” Kate allowed Muriel to lay Gerald in her arms. Gently she cuddled him, feeling slightly clumsy. She pressed her cheek against his and breathed in the fragrant scent of newness. Her heart constricted. Looking at Muriel, she said, “How amazing—you’re a mother.”
“I can hardly believe it.” Muriel looked up at Terrence and took his hand. “We’re a mom and dad now.”
“Was it terrible, the birth I mean?”
“At first, but then they gave me something and I barely remember his being born.”
“Can I hold my grandson?” Helen asked, moving in beside Kate.
Kate placed the baby in Helen’s arms.
Helen kissed his forehead. “Oh, you’re so handsome,” she said and moved to a chair, cradling Gerald against her.
Kate turned to Muriel. “He is perfect.”
With love lighting her face, Muriel gazed at her son.
All of a sudden, Kate knew that being a pilot wasn’t enough. She wanted more. She felt submerged by loneliness and longing. “I better go. I’ve got a flight.” She needed to get outdoors and away from the happy family scene before she exposed her heartache.
“Congratulations, Terrence and Grandma and Grandpa.” She leaned down and kissed Muriel’s forehead. “I’m so happy for you.” Kate meant it. She just wished that being a wife and mother was something she could share with Muriel.
Fighting tears, she headed to the airport. It was late, but maybe Jack had a run for her. She’d feel better if she could work. Getting up in the air always cleared her head.
Kate stepped into the shop. Jack hadn’t moved. “Hi. Any flights come in?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Muriel had her baby and she’s fine, so I figured I’d check to see if you had a run for me. There’s plenty of daylight.”
“You missed one while you were gone. Alan took it.” Jack sounded almost gleeful.
Kate wondered if she ought to stay. She didn’t like Jack’s company but going home to an empty room seemed worse. “I think I’ll stick around for a while and see if anything comes in. My plane needs cleaning anyway.”
“Suit yourself.”
Carrying a bucket, Kate wandered out to the Bellanca. Opening the door, she climbed inside and went to work, picking up bits of trash left over from mailbags and items that travelers had left behind. After that, she swept it out with a hand broom.
The sounds of a plane caught her attention and she looked up to see Mike’s Fairchild gliding toward the runway. The wheels touched down and the plane took one small hop before Mike taxied into the grass and stopped.
She swept out the last of the dirt and moved onto the steps. Mike climbed out of his plane and waved to her. In his usual relaxed style, he ambled toward her. Just seeing him made Kate feel better.
“How you doing?” he asked, playfully punching her arm. He looked more closely. “Something wrong?”
“No. I’m fine. Muriel had her baby.” She tried to sound cheerful.
“She did?” He pushed his fingers through unruly
brown hair. “What she have?”
“A boy. They named him Gerald. He’s really cute.”
“Well, how about that.” Mike grinned. “Muriel’s a mama.”
Jack stepped out of the shop and hollered, “Hey. Mike. Got a run for you.”
Mike lifted a hand to Jack, then turned to Kate. “You been waiting?”
“Uh-huh.” Kate clenched her teeth. This trip ought to be hers.
She and Mike walked toward the shop. Jack waited outside the door.
“What’s up?” Mike asked him.
“A call just came in for a rescue. A couple of climbers got themselves in trouble and need a lift out.”
“No problem,” Mike said. “But Kate’s here and she’s been waiting.”
“I need a man on this one.”
“Why? One of the climbers badly injured?”
“Yeah.”
“How bad?”
“I don’t know. Pretty bad, I guess.”
“Did he make it to a pickup point?”
“I guess.” Jack’s eyes slid away, but only for a moment.
“Well, if he can make the pickup point, I figure he’s doing good enough for a woman pilot to get him home. Doesn’t sound like she’d have to carry him.” Mike crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m beat. I’d rather not go out again.”
“I’m ready,” Kate said.
“Fine.” Jack thrust a map at Kate. “The coordinates are there. You ought to be able to get close enough to give them a lift.”
Kate swallowed her anger and managed to say, “I’m on my way.”
Mike walked alongside Kate. “Hey, you mind if I tag along?”
“I thought you were done in.”
“Yeah, but this sounds like fun, and I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you for a while.” He grinned and looked over his shoulder at the shop.
“Okay. I could use the company.”
Kate headed her Pacemaker toward Mount McKinley while Mike studied the map. “The hikers are on the south side, low elevation. Shouldn’t be too thorny a pickup.”
Mike and Kate fell into their usual amiable banter. It was like old times. Kate felt more lighthearted. She didn’t know what had come over her at the hospital. Maybe she was worn out. There was more to life than being a mother. Children weren’t everything.
On McKinley there were no easy landings, but these hikers were waiting at one of the more accessible locations. Kate had no difficulty getting the plane down. One of the climbers had an arm trussed up, but didn’t have any trouble getting around and refused help climbing into the plane.
With the two onboard, Kate took off and headed for the airfield. A few miles out, the engine sputtered and the plane dipped as it lost power. Mike tinkered with the mix and it evened out for a while, then sputtered again. Kate checked the magnetos and the carburetor.
“We better get this bird down,” Mike said.
“We’re nearly home. Maybe if I switch the tanks.”
“I’ll do that. And the choke might need adjusting.”
“What’s wrong?” one of the men in the back hollered, his voice near hysteria.
“Nothing to worry about. We’re fine,” Kate called. She focused on the airport in the distance. She could see the wind sock flapping lazily. Nearly there. Come on. Come on. She fought her natural response to grip the control wheel too tightly. If she did, she’d lose the feel of the plane.
“You concentrate on getting us on the ground and I’ll take care of the mixture,” Mike said as the plane backfired.
“What was that?” one of the passengers demanded.
“Just priming the engine,” Mike called. He glanced at Kate, then turned his attention back to the controls.
Thankful Mike had decided to join her on this trip, Kate dropped down just above the trees as they approached the field. Barely clearing them, she brought down the plane a little fast. It hopped a couple of times, but she held it steady, and finally they rolled to a stop.
“I thought we were going to die,” one of the climbers said.
Kate barely noticed him, her mind on what had just happened. As the men unloaded, she managed to smile and stood at the door.
Mike helped haul the supplies to the office, then they returned to the airfield. “We better have a look at the plane,” he said. “Check the gasoline mixture. Maybe we got a bad batch. Don’t want any of the other pilots having trouble.” In a friendly gesture, he slapped Kate on the back. “By the way, you did a good job getting us down.”
“Thanks.” She stopped at the plane. “I’m glad you were with me to help.”
“We’re a good team.” Mike’s expression turned gentle.
Kate felt an unexpected rush of pleasure. “Yeah. We are.”
“How about having dinner—my place.” Mike glanced at his watch. “Uh, I mean a late-night snack.” He grinned. “Dinner was hours ago.”
“I’m starved. What do you have?”
“Some sardines and crackers, a few eggs . . .” He shrugged. “I’ll have to look. It’s been awhile since I went to the store.”
“I don’t know. I want to have a look at the plane.”
Mike glanced at the darkening sky. “It’s late and I’m beat.We can have a look in the morning.”
Weariness weighed on Kate. “Okay. I’m tired too.” Kate liked the idea of spending time with Mike. He was fun. And she could use some casual time. Life had been too stressful. Mike was the perfect guy to help her loosen up.
— 15 —
Kate drained off a small amount of gasoline into a clear glass and held it up to the light. She studied the liquid. Water. And a lot more than would accumulate from condensation.
“Hey Kate, you find anything?” Mike asked as he approached.
She extended the glass to him. “There’s water in the gasoline. It’s a wonder we stayed in the air at all.”
Mike examined the plane’s fuel tank. “Looks sound. You figure you got some bad gas?”
“Most likely.” Kate fixed her eyes on Mike. “You don’t think Jack would do something—”
“No. Never. He’s surly and pompous, and he doesn’t like you much.” Mike flashed a grin, then quickly sobered. “But he wouldn’t purposely hurt someone, especially not a pilot. And even though he’s cantankerous as a cornered coon, he admires good pilots, even you.”
“Me? Every day I leave here, he’d just as soon I didn’t come back.”
Mike chuckled. “He just wants you to think that.” He rubbed a day’s worth of whiskers. “If it was done intentionally, it was probably some kids goofing around. We’d better check all the gasoline in stock and keep it under lock and key. I’ll talk to Jack about it.”
“No. I’ll tell him. It’s my plane, my flight.” Kate wished they’d found an explanation. She wouldn’t relax until they did. “I’ll check the fuel supplies. But first I’ve got to empty and clean my tanks. I need to get back in the air.”
“Okay. I’ll have a look at my own gasoline and tell the fellas to do the same. See you later.” Mike took a step toward the shop, then stopped and looked at Kate. “By the way, I had a good time last night.”
“Me too.”
“Maybe we can get together again?”
Kate hesitated. Her heart was still tied to Paul, and she wasn’t ready to give that up. But being friends with Mike, hanging out together, was something she really wanted. Hopefully he could handle just that. “Sure,” she said. “Only next time let me do the cooking. I’m not a great cook, but I can do better than sardines and crackers.” She laughed.
“You got it.” He strode toward the office.
Kate watched him go, thinking back over the previous evening. Mike had been full of stories and jokes that she’d never remember. And he’d managed to beat her at several hands of rummy. They did have fun, but she wished she’d been with Paul instead. I’ve got to stop thinking about him. He’s not in my life anymore, she thought, frustrated with herself.
Kate knew that if she wanted to e
njoy what she had, she needed to accept things as they were. And Mike was no slouch. He was good-looking, fun, and crazy about her.
Over the next several weeks, Kate and Mike spent more time together. Although Paul was often in the back of her mind, Kate enjoyed Mike’s company and found herself thinking about him more and more.
Kate was scheduled for a flight to Fairbanks, along with Mike, who was picking up a plane and flying it back. She was giving the plane a final inspection when he showed up.
“Hi there,” he said. “Kind of late getting started.”
“Yeah, guess the farmer had trouble transporting his stock—car trouble or something. So we’ll be chasing the sun all the way north.”
The cargo was unusual, but in Alaska pilots hauled all sorts of freight. Today Kate’s delivery was a trough, with piglets in it. When she saw what was being shipped, she laughed. A pilot’s life was never boring. She hoped the little critters traveled well.
Mike helped Kate load the trough while piglets scurried back and forth, squealing at the top of their little lungs. “Figure by the time we make Fairbanks, the plane will stink to high heavens.” He lifted his hat and resettled it on his head. “They’re cute.”
“And noisy.”
While Mike cranked the plane, Kate dropped into her seat and went through a checkoff list.
“All set,” Mike called from outside.
Kate lit off the engine and the piglets squealed their fright. She glanced back at them, hoping they’d quiet down. Just the idea of listening to that noise the entire flight gave Kate a headache.
“Hope they simmer down,” Mike said, taking the seat beside Kate.
“Me too.” She looked back at the cargo. Angel hovered over the trough, her tongue lolling and tail wagging. “Angel, you leave them alone,” Kate ordered. “I can’t have her eating the shipment.” She laughed, but watched until Angel curled up on the floor next to the trough.
When the plane headed down the airstrip and lifted off, the piglets raised a horrible racket.
“This is going to be a long trip,” Mike said, sinking deeper into his seat.
Once in the air and on course, the piglets seemed to adjust and settled down. But a stink soon replaced the noise, and Kate thought she might prefer the racket.