A Matter of Trust(38)

“I know. And I’ll stay right on your trail. I went to the ski store—I bought everything. A pack, sleeping bag, extra clothes, food, and my own avalanche beacon. I’m ready.”

Kacey had climbed into the front cockpit and now glanced back at Gage.

“Do your preflight, Kacey,” he said. She put on her helmet, raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He heard her on the radio, calling PEAK HQ.

“Listen to me, Gage,” Ella said. “You’re right—it is dangerous. But you might as well not go at all than go alone. What if you do find my brother, and he’s hurt? Are you going to ski him down alone? Even my brother brought a buddy.”

He looked out the window. Ty stood beside Jess at the edge of the gate, and Gage heard his friend’s words twine through his head. “Let’s just say that Jess needs me . . . that’s what teammates are for. Standing beside each other even if it doesn’t make sense.”

Brette, Ella’s friend, walked up, stood next to Ty.

Gage turned to Ella. “Let me see that backpack.”

She handed it over. As he sifted through it, he had to admit that she’d thought of everything, and quickly, including hand and foot warmer packets and even a folding snow shovel. He’d forgotten that.

“I’m ready,” she said, as if confirming his thoughts.

“You promise to stay in my line? Trust everything I do, even if it doesn’t make sense?”

“I promise.”

“And you have to promise me, Ella, that if I say we need to get off the mountain, and we haven’t found your brother, you won’t freak out. You’ll obey me, even if it hurts.”

She swallowed. Nodded.

“And then, after this is over, you leave. And I never have to see you again.”

She hitched her breath, as if he’d slapped her. But nodded.

“Fine.” He tightened his jaw and turned to Kacey. “Take us in.”



God, please bring them home.

Ty let the prayer free from where it gathered in his chest, let it follow the chopper as Kacey fired it up.

If there was one thing he’d learned last spring, while trying not to die as the pieces of the chopper scattered in the snow around him, as Chet’s groans bruised the air, was that prayer kept people alive.

At least, it had kept him alive. Him and Chet. And frankly, that prayer had reignited something inside Ty he hadn’t realized he’d needed.

Faith. It was a story he couldn’t quite tell yet. Not with him still floundering, unable to find his feet. Like now—he should be in the pilot’s seat.

Ty stood back as the chopper’s blades churned the snow around them, powder spitting into the wind. He held up his hand and watched Kacey ease them into the air, lifting them out, away.

The blue bird headed into the sunlight, toward the Flathead mountain range of Glacier National Park.

Ty could nearly feel the vibrations through the gear stick, the drop of his stomach as the machine slid into the sky, his right hand controlling the lift.

Once upon a time, flying a chopper felt like an extension of himself.

He missed the view, the soaring over the pine-laden hills, the snow-frosted granite cliffs of the park.

Back when life made sense. He had a job, a reason for being here.

Didn’t stand on the sidelines.

At the very least, he could sit in the copilot’s seat. It wasn’t as if Kacey hadn’t invited him.

Someday, hopefully, he’d figure out what kept him from stepping into the simulator. Maybe even find the words to talk about the accident.

Why it happened.

How they’d lived.

Only Kacey had read the accident report, only she really knew the specifics of the crash. And no one knew the story of how he’d dragged himself to help.

He planned to keep it that way.

No use reliving what he couldn’t change.

“Ella wanted me to ask if I could go back to PEAK Rescue with you and monitor their progress on the radio.” Brette had come up to him and Jess just before the chopper lifted off. She wore a ski jacket, a pair of leggings, utilitarian Sorels, and a headband that held back her mane of pale blonde hair. Short and cute, she’d peppered him with questions about how Gage had tracked down Curry, asking for details on when and where the chopper pilot had dropped Ollie off.

“Sure. You can ride with me,” Ty said. “Gage left his Mustang here. Or you can ride with Jess.”

Jess turned to her, stuck out her hand. “Jess Tagg,” she said. “I’m an EMT for the PEAK team.”

“Brette Arnold. Journalist.”

Only Ty noticed the slight twitch at the sides of Jess’s smile. “Glad to meet you,” Jess said, just a hint too brightly.

“Why don’t you ride with me?” Ty said, and for a fraction of a second, he met Jess’s eyes.