Authors: Bonnie Leon
“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.
K
ate 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 enjoy 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.
“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 them, 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?”