“Leave it.” The pilot didn’t spare the keys a glance. Despite his sloshed appearance, the man’s hands were steady on the controls. He knew what he was doing. Reece couldn’t bring himself to calm the fuck down and trust the pilot.
Ten minutes later, his stomach resembled the inside of a tornado when Billy’s comforting words broke through the howl of battering wind. “Hang on, son. We’re going in.”
“We’re landing?” Reece craned his neck to look out the window, but thick clouds obscured his view.
“Yup. It’s gonna be a little rough, though.”
Reece grimaced. After what he’d just been through, a rough landing sounded like heaven. The old man tapped a dial, flicked switches then banked left. The change in direction and drop in altitude gave Reece a view of land as cloud cover slowly parted. He caught sight of an inlet and tensed as the planed dipped once, twice, then settled into a slow descent. Several minutes later, the floats skimmed the water and came to rest alongside a short wooden pier.
A couple more minutes and Billy opened the door. Reece grabbed his duffle and jumped out. Ignoring the cold, he dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. “Good ol’ terra firma.”
“Told you I’d get you there safely. Billy stood at the door. “C’ mon, your ride’s up there.” He jumped down and pointed to a lone pick-up truck parked several yards from the end of the pier. “Hang on a sec. I need to get the cabin keys.”
Good luck finding those. Reece grinned. The pilot climbed back into the plane and searched among the scattered keys. The old man lifted each set, scanned it, uttered a soft curse then threw it back down. “Got it,” he finally shouted, jumped out, and secured the door.
Reece glanced around the deserted area and up at the tree clustered land in front. No welcoming lights of homes stood among the trees, just bland darkness.What have I gotten myself into?Swinging the duffle onto his shoulder, he followed the pilot.
Chapter Three
Aria Singh snuggledinto her black hoodie. She shook her head and rounded the corner toward home. What insane person ventured out into the early-morning darkness at five a.m.? Well, lots of people. How many, however, stupidly braved a frigid morning for a run.I’m such an idiot.She cursed lightly. Her sneaker covered feet slapped loudly against the wet road—a stark contrast to the cold silence. The brisk edge to the chilly temperature burned her lungs.
Running sucked. Nothing, however, sidetracked Aria from maintaining her daily fitness regime. Not even the iciness that suddenly hinted winter was on the rise. Mid-October in Shadow Valley, Wyoming, was unpredictable. Today, the sun peeked from behind gray clouds, and the temperature remained nippy. Tomorrow might be warmer or engulfed by thunderstorms, blizzards, and ice storms. Whatever took Mother Nature’s fancy. Aria didn’t do winter well but had adapted.
When she hit the last dip in the road and crested the embankment, she slowed to a stop. She bit her bottom lip and surveyed the lone vehicle at the end of the road. It was too far to make out the plates or its passengers. The running engine and headlights indicated at least one occupant, the driver. Aria fought back the stirrings of panic. Probably some lost soul. Highly unlikely. The only cabins in the area belonged to her, her boss, her friend Kelly, and were driving distances apart.Chill out, girl. She had to learn not to view everything as a threat at first sight.
She stood rooted to the spot. The vehicle made its slow descent toward her. Tires hissed in a menacing threat against the wet road. Aria widened her stance. She planted her feet firmly on the ground. Whatever the danger, she’d face it head-on. No running. Despite her rigid stance, her breathing quickened. Her heartbeat raced double time. Her stomach muscles clenched. The SUV cruised by her without stopping. Black tinted windows shielded her view of the interior. Her gaze remained transfixed until the taillights disappeared down the embankment and out of sight.
Only then did she breathe. She doubled over and gripped her knees.Geez, woman, what the hell were you thinking?It could’ve been anyone. She considered herself intelligent and diligently wary but bravery. It wasn’t her forte and her stance just now, an apparent first. With a final deep breath, Aria straightened. She glanced over her shoulder once more, raced up the driveway toward the cabin and the start of a new day.
****
LATER THAT EVENING, Aria tossed the remains of her cold coffee down the sink then rinsed her cup. On her way to her office, she paused and peeked in at Prisha’s door.
“Hey, Sweetpea. Want anything?”
The miniature green-eyed angel staring at her between a swarm of dolls made her smile. Prisha shook her head. What looked like a mess righted itself at bedtime. Every night the child played with her toys until she was tired. Her routine, however, never changed. She diligently set each doll back in its correct place on the shelf and packed her bag for school before she brushed her teeth. Her neatness for her age amazed Aria. At six years, the child’s personality boarded on a perverse charm. The adults she met, struggled with appropriate answers to her endless stream of intelligent questions.
