Wings of Promise (30 page)

K
ate took long strides, swinging her arms at her sides as she headed toward the mercantile. The cold bite of the wind and the light snow falling invigorated her. It was wonderful to be back in Anchorage.

“Hey, slow down,” her father called.

Kate looked back at him and forced herself to a more leisurely pace. “Sorry. Since we left Yakima, I’ve been imagining this reunion. I can barely wait to see Albert and Helen. I hope Muriel’s there.”

Her father smiled and looped an arm through hers. “I’m excited too.”

When they reached the general store, Kate allowed her father to open the door for her. Angel leaped in ahead of them both. She seemed just as excited to be home as Kate. The sound of the ringing bell carried a flood of memories.

“I’ll be right there,” Helen called from the back of the store.

Kate waited, anticipation building. A few moments later, Helen stepped out from between two rows stocked with canned goods. Her eyes fell upon Kate.

“Oh, good Lord!” She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “We didn’t expect you until tomorrow.” She rushed to Kate and pulled her into her arms. “Blessed day!” When she stepped back, she noticed Bill. “How good to see you.” She gave him a friendly hug.

“It’s a real pleasure to be here,” he said. “Sorry about our early arrival, but the weather was turning bad, so we slept less and flew more, hoping to get here ahead of the storm.”

“I’m so glad you’re early. I’ve been having a terrible time waiting.” She bent over and stroked Angel’s heavy coat. “And you look absolutely beautiful.” She wrapped her arms around the dog’s neck and gave her a hug.

“Where’s Albert?” Kate asked.

“He went home to put wood in the fire. With the temperature dropping, we figured the stove would need some extra to keep the house warm. He should be back anytime.”

Helen stood, hands on her hips, and studied Kate. “You look wonderful, dear—tanned and robust.”

Kate glanced at her father. “Mom and Dad spoiled me, plus I spent a lot of time working out in the sun.”

“She was a big help to us.”

“I can imagine.” Helen’s gaze moved to the door. “Oh, here’s Albert.”

The bell rang and Kate turned just in time to see him walk in.

“Why, Kate, what a surprise.” He headed straight to her. “Wish I’d known, I’d have picked up Muriel and the baby on the way.”

Kate wrapped her arms around her dear friend. “It’s so good to see you and to be back. I can’t wait to see Muriel and the baby.”

“A quick call will fix that. She’ll be here in a jiffy.” Albert shook Bill’s hand. “Welcome. And thank you for bringing Kate back to us.”

“This is where she belongs,” Bill said.

“I’ll call Muriel.” Helen headed for the telephone.

Albert gave Angel a pat. “Nice to see you again.” He glanced at Kate. “She looks happy to be home.”

“She is. I’m sure she knew exactly where we were when we landed. She hurried to the door, her tail in high gear.” Kate smiled, her joy feeling as if it would spill over.

“So, you’re going back to work for Jack?” Albert asked.

“It looks that way. He gave me my old job. I wasn’t sure he would, but he needs another pilot, so I’ll be going in tomorrow.”

“Not even a day to rest and to catch up?” Helen asked.

“I’d love to do that, but I don’t want to give Jack any reason not to keep me. Besides, I don’t have much to do to settle in—just a couple of bags to unpack.”

“And I’ve got to head south,” Bill said. “Need to get back to Washington before the winter weather hits.” He glanced out the front window. “I’m hoping this one blows through in a hurry.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be much. But we’ve had some good snows the last couple of weeks.” Albert ruffed up Angel’s fur. “I figure you’ll be happy to see the snow again.”

“She loves it. Yakima gets snow, but not like here.”

Helen’s blue eyes glowed with some sort of secret pleasure. “Your living arrangements probably aren’t going to be what you expected.” She looked as if she were bursting with a surprise.

“Oh. I thought I was going to stay here, at least for a while. Did you decide to go ahead and renovate right away?”

“We’re not ready yet, and of course you can stay, if you like, but I think you’ll probably want to make a change.”

“This’ll be fine, as long as you don’t need the room.”

Helen’s smile brightened as she walked to the register. Opening a drawer, she took out a bulging envelope. “This came for you a couple of days ago. We would have told you about it, but you’d already left Yakima.” She handed the envelope to Kate.

Opening it, she slid out a document. It was Mike’s will. Tears immediately surfaced. Kate scanned the paper, but couldn’t read it through her tears.

“What is it?” She looked at Albert and Helen.

“Mike’s will and the deed to his house. He left it to you.”

Astonishment welled up inside Kate. Wiping her eyes, she looked back at the papers. “He gave me his house?”

“Uh-huh.” Albert swung an arm over Kate’s shoulders and hugged her from the side. “The attorney handling his affairs was a little slow getting the paperwork done. And I guess there was an argument from Mike’s brothers about the whole thing, but as it turns out, the house is yours.” He took a set of keys from the cabinet drawer and handed them to Kate. “You own it free and clear.”

Kate pressed the papers against her chest. “I can barely believe it.” She closed her eyes and tears leaked onto her cheeks. The house was supposed to be theirs, not hers.

Bill stayed two extra days to help Kate with her move, then it was time for him to fly south. Kate hated good-byes, and this one felt more permanent than any other. She clung to her father. “I’ll try to get back in the spring to visit. Tell Mom I love her.”

“I will.” He climbed into his plane, and settled into the front.

Kate stepped back and watched him take off. He maneuvered beneath a heavy layer of clouds and Kate prayed for good weather.

Jack gave Kate a week off to settle into her new home. It wasn’t like him. Kate wondered if he was getting soft. She hoped so.

The house had been sitting empty for a couple months and needed some sprucing up. Kate also added a few personal touches—some fresh paint, a carpet in the center of the front room, a lace doily on each end table and the coffee table, and a few pictures here and there.

The previous evening, she’d had the Townses, plus Muriel and her husband and their little boy, over for dinner. It was the first time she’d ever entertained on her own and prepared a meal for company. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and the food wasn’t bad.

Now the house felt empty. It would take time to adjust. She expected to see Mike at any moment. Everywhere she turned, it seemed that he should be there.

She dusted a photo of her parents and set it on a shelf beside a picture of Mike. She picked up the photograph of him standing beside his plane. Her heart ached. Maybe she hadn’t loved him with a romantic love, but he was one of the finest people she’d ever known, and her dearest friend. She’d never stop missing him.

She set the photograph back on the shelf and turned to look about the room. She remembered her first visit here. Mike had made spaghetti and they’d played cards.

The phone jangled, startling her. It was Mike’s phone. No, it was hers now. She picked it up. Jack was on the other end.

“Hey, that you, Kate? I’ve got a job for you. How soon can you be ready?”

“Right now. I’ll come in right away.”

Jack didn’t respond and the phone went dead.

Kate stared at the receiver. “Everything’s back to normal.” She smiled at Angel as she hung up. “You ready to go flying?”

Angel stood, her tail wagging.

Kate’s mind went to the flight. Where was she headed? Her stomach tightened with trepidation, but she told herself everything would be fine. She’d be fine.

When she stepped into the shop, Jack was hunkered over a map. He looked up and leaned back in his chair. His eyes went to Angel. “Still got that dog, huh?”

“We’re partners.”

Jack fired off the assignment. “I’ve got two hunters coming in. They need a ride to Kotzebue. Think you can pull that off?”

“Sure. No problem. It’ll give me a chance to see friends of mine who live up there.”

“You won’t have time to lollygag with friends. The fellas you’re flying up are hunting polar bears. And while they’re out on the ice, I’ve got some other runs for you.”

Kate felt the lump in her stomach tighten. “Am I taking them out on the ice?”

“No. Just to Kotzebue. They’ll catch a ride on a sled from there. While they’re out, I need you to make a pickup in Fairbanks and then drop it off in Talkeetna.”

“That sounds fine,” Kate said glibly, but her nerves were jumpy. This was her first trip and it was no easy run. Plus she’d miss Thanksgiving with the Townses. That was what piloting in Alaska was all about, though. She couldn’t worry about holidays. She glanced out the window. “At least the weather’s clear.”

“For now.” Jack chewed on the end of a cigar. Looking out from beneath heavy brows, he leveled a serious expression on her. “Make sure you’ve got your survival gear. Never know what to expect up there.”

Kate thought she’d heard concern in Jack’s voice. That was something new. “Sure. I always do. When are my riders supposed to be here?”

He glanced at a clock on the wall. “In about thirty minutes.”

By the time Stanley Greenwood and his buddy Ralph Donaldson arrived at the airfield, Kate and Angel were ready to go. The plane was packed and warmed up.

Both men seemed friendly. Stanley was tall and slender with shockingly blond hair. He was more reserved than his heavyset friend Ralph, who was talkative and outgoing.

While Ralph and Stanley helped Kate load their gear, they teased one another and bet on which one of them would bring down a bear. Angel sat up front, ready to go.

Once they were in the air, Ralph asked, “How long you been flying?”

“Since I was a girl,” Kate hollered over the roar of the engine.

“You that woman pilot everyone’s been talking about?” Ralph asked.

Kate shrugged. “Hard to know. I’ve been out of town for a couple of months—visiting family in Yakima, Washington.” She looked at him. “What are people saying?”

Ralph acted like he was sorry he’d brought up the subject. He glanced away, then said, “Just that you’ve had a hard time of it, losing a plane and then your fiancé this last year.”

“Yeah, I’m that pilot.” Kate clenched her jaws, determined not to show any emotion.

“But I also heard you’re a darned good flyer.” He smiled. “Glad you’re back in the air.”

“Me too.” She stroked Angel’s head and shoulders. “Isn’t it kind of early in the season to be hunting polar bears?”

“Yeah, but our friend Seth said the ice is in, and I’ve been itching to bring down one of those big white bears.” He grinned. “Done every kind of hunting except that.”

Kate nodded. As many times as she’d flown hunters in and out of the territory, she’d never really understood what drove them. Hunting for food was one thing, but a lot of hunters were after trophies or bragging rights about their remarkable hunting experiences.

The weather held all the way to Kotzebue. Even so, mountain currents made the plane buck, and frigid temperatures created a lot of extra work for Kate. The days were short, so getting the plane on the ground before dark was a challenge all its own. By the time Kate spotted Kotzebue, she was weary, but the trip had helped to rebuild her confidence. When they approached the landing field, the sun lay low on the western horizon, turning the sky the color of an overripe peach.

Joe had set out the firepots, making it easy for Kate to see the landing site. She brought the plane down smoothly and turned onto a cleared area. Nena stepped out of the cabin at the edge of the runway, her smiling face peering out from within a parka hood.

As soon as Kate opened the door, Angel leaped out. Ralph and Stanley grabbed their bags and rifles and climbed down the ladder. Kate followed.

Nena greeted her with a big smile and open arms. “I have missed you. I’m glad you come back.”

Kate hugged her friend. “I’m glad to be here. It’s so good to see you.”