“Perfect timing.” Amka laughed softly.
Yeah, the supply plane came once a day during the summer season. “How about lunch?”
“I could do a late one after the rush here,” Amka said. There was a pause. “Why? What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could talk,” May said.
Silence stretched for a heartbeat. “Is everything okay? Am I okay? Is the baby all right?” Amka asked quickly.
“Oh, yeah. You’re fine. This is a friend call, not a doctor call.”
“Sorry,” Amka said with a relieved breath. “You scared me.”
May smacked her forehead. “I mixed it up with the prenatal vitamin comment.”
Amka laughed. “You can call me and mix it up anytime.”
“Good,” May said, her body relaxing. “Then yes. Are you free for lunch?”
“Always,” Amka replied warmly. “If you want, I can make us salads and we can eat in the back room here.”
“No,” May said immediately. “You deserve to get away from work, too. Let’s go to the Green Plate. We can grab the back booth and have some privacy.”
More dishes clanged. “Excellent. How about one thirty?”
“I’ll be there. Thanks.” May ended the call and stared at her reflection in the dark screen for a second. Maybe Amka could help her figure all of this out.
Chapter Eighteen
Ace left Smitty’s cabin feeling like he’d been shoved through a hamburger grinder and spit out on the other side. The air outside hit him warm and bright with the kind of clean summer heat that didn’t last long in Knife’s Edge. Sunlight filtered through the tall spruce, catching on dust and pine sap. Birds were loud again now that the storm had moved on. Everything looked peaceful.
That feeling of peace eluded him. He stopped short when he saw Christian leaning against the front of his truck, arms crossed, one boot hooked over the bumper as he watched him.
“Hey, Ace.” Christian straightened and looked him over. “Wow. Did Smitty punch you a few times or what?”
Ace scrubbed a hand over his jaw. His face felt tight, like he hadn’t blinked enough in the last hour. “No. It just felt like it. Why are you here?”
Christian’s expression didn’t change much. If he didn’t want to share his feelings, there was no getting past that wall. “I was just scouting around.”
Ace slowed. “Did you follow me?”
“No.” Christian shifted his weight. “I often swing by here to make sure everything’s okay with Smitty. I saw your truck, so I figured I’d wait. You look like you need a drink. Or five.”
“He gave me one,” Ace said. It had been enough to loosen things he’d kept locked tight for months.
Christian grinned, a dimple flashing deep in his cheek. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. The edge that defined him was in full force today. “That tracks.”
“What’s going on with you?” Ace asked.
Christian shrugged, then put two fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle that cut clean through the trees.
A blur of gray and white burst from the brush. The half-dog, half-wolf bounded across the clearing and launched itself at Christian’s side before spotting Ace.
“Hey, Tika.” Ace dropped to his haunches and braced as the animal crashed into him with solid muscle. He buried his hands into the ruff at Tika’s neck and gave him a hard scratch down his spine. The animal leaned into it, tail sweeping wide arcs. He had one blue eye and one bluish-brown and was smarter than the rest of them put together. “You got him chasing wildlife again?” Ace asked, glancing up.
“He’s been restless lately,” Christian said. “I think he likes snow better than sun. Maybe it’s too warm for him right now.”
“Maybe.” Ace stood, brushing dirt from his jeans, his frayed instincts still humming. His brother seemed off. “What’s going on with you, C?”
