by Bonnie Leon
“I heard you found a couple of cans with fouled gasoline in them.”
“I did.” Kate shook her head. ““Finally got through all the inventory of fuel. I’m going to talk to the supplier the minute we get back. Jack said he’d talk to him, but I figure it couldn’t hurt to give him an extra chewing out.”
“Yeah, you’d think they’d be more careful. This is the last straw. We’ll be finding a new supplier. Jack isn’t about to put up with that kind of carelessness.” Mike folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. “A lot better ride today.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when the plane hiccupped.
Kate tossed a meaningful glance at him.
“It’s nothing.”
Kate looked at the forest below and wondered if there was a place to put down if they had to. You worry too much, she told herself, and then the Pacemaker cut out again, then sputtered. Power seemed to drain from the engine.
Mike was no longer casually sitting back. “This isn’t good.” He adjusted the mixture, but the plane continued to run rough. “Brother! What is it this time?” He glanced at her. “You check the fuel before you filled it up?”
“Yes. It was fine.”
Mike gazed down at the forest below. “We need to find a place to land.”
Kate dropped down over the Susitna, hoping for a sandbar big enough to put down.
“There!” Mike pointed upriver. “That looks good.”
Kate headed for the spot. “Radio Jack. Let him know where we are.”
Mike grabbed the handset. “Anchorage airport, this is Pacemaker 221. Over.”
The radio crackled to life. “Pacemaker 221, this is Anchorage airport. Go ahead. Over.”
“Anchorage, we’re in trouble. Over.”
“Unable to copy. Say again. Over.”
“We’re having engine trouble. Over.” Mike shouted into the radio.
“What’s your location? Over.”
“We’re putting down on the Susitna River. Over.”
“I need more than that. Over.”
Even with radio buzz, Kate could hear the strain in Jack’s voice. He was worried. For a moment she almost liked him.
While the plane bucked, Mike grabbed the map and searched for their location. “Where are we?”
“We just passed Gold Creek.”
Mike looked out the window. “Anchorage, Pacemaker 221 is north of Gold Creek. Over.”
“Say again. Over.”
“North of Gold Creek. On the Susitna. Over.”
“Copy that, 221. We’ll get someone out to you. Over.”
“We’ll be here. Over.” Mike looked at the horizon. “Not much daylight left.”
Kate couldn’t worry about the daylight. She had all she could handle just to keep the plane in the air. The trees were close, nearly tickling the plane’s underbelly. “I need a few hundred more yards.”
Mike primed the engine, and instead of getting any lift, it backfired.
“It’s going to be close. Hang on.” As the water and trees came at her, Kate’s mind flashed to Rimrock Lake. She fought to keep the nose up and feathered the pedals to maintain level. The sandbar seemed out of reach. As she came in, she checked for debris. A log had washed up and lay to the left, she turned the plane right, hoping there’d be enough room to stay clear of the log and the water on the other side. The wheels hit hard and the plane bounced. Pigs squealed as Kate managed to bring the plane in. It slowed and then came to a stop.
“You did it!” Mike whooped and grinned.
“You like this kind of thing, don’t you.”
“Sometimes.” He shrugged. “Makes life interesting.”
“I could do with a lot less interesting.” She looked around. “It would have been easier if I’d had Jack’s pontoon plane.”
The engine sputtered and died as Mike headed for the door. “I’ll take a look at the engine.” He grabbed a toolbox and climbed out.
Kate followed with Angel behind her. The dog took off across the small island and sloshed into the shallows.
“See anything?” Kate asked.
“It’s almost too dark to see.” He rummaged through the toolbox and came up with a flashlight and took another look. “Huh. You’ve got a loose wire running to the carburetor. Must have shaken loose.” He looked more closely. “It actually looks kind of ragged, like it’s worn out.”
“I should have caught that,” Kate said.
“Can’t find everything. We’ll need to replace the wires before we can take off.”
“I’ve got some extra supplies.”
Mike jumped down. “It’ll have to wait until morning. We don’t have enough daylight to fix it and get off the ground and still make Fairbanks.” He sloshed through the shallows. “Better find a place to make camp for the night.” Angel appeared from the brush and leaped on Mike. “Hey, girl. You been on an adventure?” He patted her.
“Mike, sometimes you drive me crazy. You act like this is an adventure. We nearly crashed and now we’re stuck out here.”
Mike leaned against a tree and watched Kate splash to shore. “Might as well make the best of it.” His easy smile lit up his face.
None of it seemed humorous to Kate. The last time she’d been forced down she’d been stranded with Nena and wondered if they’d survive. It had been October and the nighttime temperatures had been below freezing.
“Won’t be too bad,” Mike said. “As long as the bugs don’t eat us alive.”
Kate gazed at the darkening sky, where lacy clouds sifted over a pink background. Mike was right. She needed to lighten up.
He walked down the shoreline. “We’ll need a fire. Once the sun sets, it’s going to get cold.”
While Angel sniffed her way along the edge of the forest, Mike and Kate gathered wood. Mike soon had a fire going. With darkness pressing in, he and Kate hunkered down close to its warmth. Kate was thankful she wasn’t alone. She prided herself on being independent, but company was always welcome when stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. “You hungry?”
“Starved. What you got?”
“Not much. I wasn’t planning on spending the night out here.” She picked up the flashlight, pushed to her feet, and headed for the plane. “I suppose we could have roast pig,” she teased.
“Sounds good to me.”
Kate climbed inside the plane. She checked the piglets. They seemed content, sleeping in a pile. She dipped water out of the river into a container and set it in their enclosure, then scattered grain for them. They immediately came awake and snuffled up the meal. Kate grabbed a couple of blankets and her pack and headed toward the fire.
Mike met her. “What, no little pig for the spit?” He chuckled. “Here, let me give you a hand.”
Kate handed him the blankets. “They’re too cute to eat. I’d hate to be stuck here long enough to actually have to do that.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be on our way in the morning.”
The two sat down close to the fire, and Kate took crackers and a can of sardines out of her pack. “Sorry. I promised not to serve you sardines, but it’s the best I can do tonight.”
“I like sardines.” Mike fished a tool knife out of his pocket and cut open the lid. He took out a small salty fish and handed the can back to Kate. She held out another can. “And this one?”
He looked at the label. “What, dog food in a can?” He shook his head and opened Angel’s dinner. “You’re one spoiled dog,” he said, shaking the contents onto the ground in front of Angel.
Kate took crackers out of a tin and placed a sardine between two of them. She took a bite and handed the tin to Mike. “Not bad.” She heard something splash in the river and looked into the darkness to see what it was.
“Probably just a fish.” Mike leaned back and ate another sardine along with a cracker. He munched on the small meal. “Got anything else?”
“I made some ginger cookies.” She grabbed a stack of them wrapped in waxed paper, opened the
m, and handed a couple to Mike.
He stuffed one into his mouth, then smiled with his cheeks bulging. “Delicious. Don’t ever tell me you can’t cook,” he said around the mouthful.
“I try.” Kate felt a flush warm her face. She didn’t feel like a good cook and taking a compliment felt awkward. She had no difficulty accepting praise about her flying. But that was different; she knew she was a good pilot. Cooking was domestic. And right now she felt anything but that.
Kate sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms circled around her legs. She watched orange, yellow, and blue flames lick at wood and hot coals. “This almost feels like a campout.”
“Yeah. Not bad.” Mike gazed at her in a way that made Kate’s cheeks heat up. “Can’t say I mind being stranded with you.” The light of the fire flickered in his eyes.
Kate didn’t know what to say and mumbled, “You’re good company.” Was it possible that he could be more? She felt self-conscious, realizing he was still watching her. He’d never replace Paul, but he was a good man. She tried to imagine what it would be like to spend her life with him. It might be nice, she thought, then told herself, it’s just the romantic setting here. Keep your head on straight.
Quiet settled over them. The hoot of an owl cut into the hush of the night. A rustling came from inside the plane as the piglets established their sleeping places. “I’ll be taking another load of baby pigs out to Patrick and Sassa next week.”
“What, have you become a barnyard pilot?” Mike chuckled.
“Guess so. Lily radioed in an order to a local farmer. Sassa said they lost several of theirs to a hungry fox.”
Mike nodded, and then a long silence dragged out between them. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “That’s really something about Lily, isn’t it?”
“What about Lily?”
“You know . . .”
“Know what?” Kate felt her interest pique.
“Well . . . that she’s in a family way.”
“Lily’s pregnant?”
“Yeah. I thought you knew.”
Kate shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything.”
“Maybe I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. Just figured everyone knew—the way word travels through the bush.”
“How do you know?”
“I made a delivery out at Susitna Station the other day and Charlie told me.”
“You think it could just be one of those gossipy things and not actually true?”
“Charlie doesn’t lie. He likes a good story, but he’s not the kind to say anything malicious.”
“That’s true.” Kate wondered who the father was. Lily’d only been back a few months and she didn’t have a local beau. Only man she was even friends with was Paul. Kate remembered how Lily had talked about helping him out with his garden and how they’d gone fishing together.
A thud went off in Kate’s head. Paul? No. It couldn’t be him. Even if he did have feelings for her, he wouldn’t do something like that.
“Did Charlie say who the father is?”
“Nope. No one’s talking, but the scuttlebutt is that it has to be someone she met in Seattle. If the rumors are accurate, she’s due in the fall.”
Mike pushed a piece of wood into the fire with the toe of his boot. “Have to say it shocked me. I thought Lily was a nice girl.”
“She is,” Kate snapped. “Why is it that whenever something like this happens, it’s the woman who gets blamed? How do we know what happened?”
Mike stared at Kate a moment, then said, “You’re right. Sorry. But no matter what, Lily will be fine. She’s a strong gal. And Patrick and Sassa will see to it that the father does right by her.”
Kate nodded, her mind on Paul. How did he feel about it? Would he come to Lily’s aid, maybe even deliver the baby? It made sense. He was a doctor and they were neighbors, after all.
Mike studied her. “You okay? You look a little green around the gills.”
“I’m fine. Just don’t think that fish agreed with me.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. What was wrong with her? Paul had called it quits two months ago. He could care about anyone he wanted to. He’d find someone and so would she.
Mike picked up one of the blankets and moved close to Kate. “Here, lay down. Try to get some sleep.”
Kate obeyed. He draped the blanket over her, and then tucked it around her shoulders. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “You know, I still love you,” he said.
“I know.” She looked up at him. He made her feel cared for, protected. She wanted to love him.
“I know you don’t feel that way about me, but maybe with time. I want to share my life with you, Kate.” He sat beside her, leaving a hand on her shoulder.
Kate wanted to lean against him, to feel the warmth of his tenderness and love. She needed to be loved. Taking a deep breath, she said, “There’s no one like you, Mike. You’re my best friend.”
“Friendship’s only a place to begin. I want more than that. I know couples who started out just as friends.” He gazed down at her. “I’d make you happy.”
Kate looked into his charming blue eyes. “I believe you just might.” A smile touched her lips. “There’s no one I trust more than you.” She willed the words “I love you” from her mouth, but she couldn’t say them.
Mike leaned closer, his breath caressing her face. His lips barely grazed hers. She felt an unexpected heat in her belly. He kissed her again. This time their lips embraced. Warmth became a flame.
His face only inches from hers, Mike ran a hand over Kate’s forehead and eased back a loose strand of hair. Kate studied his handsome features. Even now he seemed at ease.
“I remember the first day we met. You sidled into the shop with that trouble-free smile of yours.” Kate didn’t love him the way he needed . . . but maybe in time it would come. “You’ve always been special to me.”
If it were possible, Mike’s expression warmed even more. He gently pressed his lips to hers, then deepened the kiss. Passion building, Kate’s arms circled his neck and pulled him closer. They held each other for a long while.
Mike loosened his hold and looked down at her. “Will you marry me, Kate?”
She could see hope and passion in his eyes. How could she turn him down? Maybe it was time for her to be practical. She wanted to say yes.
Instead, she said, “Can you give me a little time to think about it?”
— 16 —
The most delicious moose roast I’ve ever eaten,” Kate said.
“You’ll have to get the recipe.” Mike rested a hand on his stomach.
“We’re thankful you’re here. The two of you could have been killed when your plane went down.” Albert wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What happened anyway?”
“A wire came loose. I must have missed it when I did my inspection,” Kate said. “I’ll be more careful from here on out.”
“Thank goodness you’re safe and sound.” Helen started to clear the table.
Kate picked up a plate.
“Oh no you don’t. It’s Albert’s turn to help.” Helen took the plate from Kate.
“The guys probably want to talk. I’m more than happy to help.”
“Why don’t you and Mike take a walk? It’s a beautiful evening.”
Mike stood. “Sounds a heck of a lot better than doing dishes.” He winked at Kate.
“Okay.” Kate gave in. She’d been avoiding being alone with Mike. She knew he was waiting for an answer to his marriage proposal. Although she cared for him deeply, she wasn’t sure whether she should marry him. What if the kisses they’d shared and what they’d felt when they were stranded that night had more to do with a clear summer evening, a crackling fire, and the thrill of survival than it did with love?
“Let me get my sweater.” Kate headed toward the front door and took the sweater out of the closet. “It’s chilly out.” She pulled it on quickly before Mike could help her.
He opened the front d
oor and held it for Kate, then followed her out. They walked down the front path to the road. He stopped at the edge of the yard. “Which way?”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
“How about toward the creek.” He looped his arm through hers. “I like it there. It’s kind of romantic.” He lifted his brows and smiled.
Kate gave him a teasing look. “Sure.” He expected an answer. He’d waited patiently for three weeks.
They strolled down the road.
“So, you have any more trouble with your bird?” Mike asked.
“Nope. Since the repairs were made it’s been running perfectly. I had to make a couple of trips using Jack’s pontoon plane. I don’t know why he brags it up. It doesn’t carry close to the load mine does, and it’s not nearly as stable in rough conditions.”
“You know Jack. He’s always got to have the best.”
“You would have thought I’d never flown the plane before the way he gives me detailed instructions about how to fly the dang thing.” Kate shook her head. “I hate having to use it.”
“Don’t let him get to you.” Mike took her hand and gave it a squeeze and kept hold of it. “He does the same thing to me and everyone else.”
Kate liked the feel of her hand in his. “I wish I could get one of those amphibian planes.”
“They’re not making them for our kind of flying, but they will. Just be patient.”
Kate nodded. “The sooner, the better.”
When they reached the bridge, Mike released Kate’s hand and leaned on the rail, gazing down at a tumbling stream. Neither of them spoke. The air smelled of wildflowers and pollen. The breeze blew leaves into the air.
“Fall’s coming.”
“Seems like summer gets shorter and shorter.” Kate knew she was stalling.
Mike straightened and faced her. “Okay, Kate. I don’t know if I can wait anymore. If deciding is so difficult, maybe that’s your answer.”
“I just want to make sure that I don’t make a mistake. I’ve thought I was in love before and then things went bad.”
He circled his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “So, you think you’re in love?”