Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Damian straightened. “So you’re going to be flying soon, huh?”
“No,” Ace said immediately. “I didn’t say that.”
“Well, once you are, get re-certified. Do whatever you need to do.” Damian remained maddeningly calm. “We have a plane that comes in and out of the facility here. Even during the winter.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.” Ace crossed his arms. “People wouldn’t get their mail all winter if this place wasn’t so generous about sharing that plane. Sometimes it’s a month before anyone can get in or out.”
Damian nodded. “Our pilot is looking to retire within the next couple of years. You’d have a job if you wanted it. As soon as you’re ready.”
Ace blinked. “Really?”
“Absolutely.” Damian drummed his fingers on his thigh. “We have a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.”
“I know what kind of plane you have,” Ace said, anticipation already threading through his blood. The thought of it hit fast and bright. “It’d be a fun one to fly.”
Damian leaned back. “There’s also the town plane. It isn’t getting enough hours.”
Yeah, the town had a Cessna pretty much anyone could use if they had a pilot’s license. Or if they knew how to fly. The rules weren’t followed very well. Ace’s temples throbbed.
“I always figured you’d get a seaplane and fly out to ponds and rivers no one else can reach.” Damian paused before speaking again. “If you need a partner in that venture…”
All of a sudden everybody wanted to partner with Ace. “Thanks, Damian, but I’m taking one step at a time.”
Damian was quiet for a beat. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t really ask one,” Ace retorted.
Damian rolled his eyes, and for a split second Ace saw the kid version of his brother. The older one who always seemed ten years ahead of the rest of them. “Why now? You wouldn’t even talk about flying again a month ago.”
“Blue skies and summer,” Ace said evenly. “I keep looking up.”
Damian wasn’t easily brushed off. “Yeah. That’s not it. Tell me what’s going on with our sweet doctor in town.”
“She’s not our sweet doctor, and nothing’s going on,” Ace said.
“You keep telling yourself that.”
Ace exhaled slowly and clenched his jaw. The image of May flickered uninvited through his mind. Her smile. Her eyes. The way she made Knife’s Edge feel… different. That alone was dangerous.
Damian glanced at his watch. The shift was instant as he moved back to command mode. “I have a conference call with the Joint Chiefs in a few minutes, but I’m hoping to have Christian try to infiltrate this place later this autumn when he returns from training. I wouldn’t mind if you gave him a hand. I want to see how good the security is.”
“Sounds like fun. Count me in.”
“Great.” Damian stood.
Ace rose with him, his muscles loosening.
Damian’s expression turned serious again, brother instead of executive. “Get your head on straight if you’re interested in the doctor. Just from reading her file, she’s a good one, and she needs stability.”
Yeah.
Like Ace hadn’t already figured that out.
Chapter Twelve
After a quick lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich eaten standing at her desk, May walked into Exam Room One.
Amka waited patiently on the table.
Down the hallway, a kid protested loudly while Ivy picked grit out of a scraped knee, followed by dramatic complaints about how football in the road had seemed like a great idea at the time. Nancy answered phones and managed to gossip while taking care of business at the same time.
May shut the door for privacy. “Hi, Amka. How’s it going?”
Amka smiled faintly. “Still upright.”
May returned the smile and stepped closer. “Tell me about your back.”
“It’s better.” Amka shifted on the exam table, adjusting carefully. “I’m still having spasms now and then, and there’s some aching, but honestly? It’s feeling a lot better.”
May nodded, watching her closely. “Okay. Then what’s going on?”
Amka’s hands twisted together. “I think I have cancer.”
May didn’t react outwardly. Patients jumped to worst-case scenarios all the time, but hearing it from Amka landed differently. She kept calm. “All right. Tell me why you think that.”
“I’ve been exhausted. Really exhausted.” Amka swallowed. “And my back still hurts sometimes. I just…don’t feel right.”
May sat and rolled her stool closer. “Anything else?”
A pause. “Maybe. I’ve lost about ten pounds, but we’ve been slammed at the tavern. I usually drop weight during tourist season and put it back on in the winter.” A faint grin flickered. “Like most Alaskans.”
May allowed a small smile. “Any fevers? Night sweats?”
“No.”
“Changes in appetite?”
“Not really.”
May mentally checked boxes as she continued. “Any new pain? Anything different from what you’ve already had?”
Amka hesitated. “My lymph nodes under my arms are killing me.” Her voice rose. “My aunt had cancer. They found it because of swollen lymph nodes.”
Outside the room, the clinic hummed along. Phones rang. Footsteps crossed the hallway. A drawer shut. Inside, May focused. “Okay. Let’s slow this down and take a proper look.” She moved through the vitals with practiced efficiency. Blood pressure excellent. Temperature normal. Pulse steady. Respirations even. Oxygen saturation perfect.