Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
AXL
A fter a couple hours of clearing, the runway was free from the mess of slush, salt, and sand. Marcus had his hands full keeping crews fed at the bakery and café. I had to admit to myself that Angel was helpful. I stayed out of her way and focused on assisting pilots with pre-flight checks. Most of the planes were just fine. They just required a hell of a lot of antifreeze on the wings and a thorough check to make sure none of the fluids were iced up.
“We’re good,” I shouted from the ground, having completed a round of de-icing. The six-person Cessna was ready to go. The pilot was from Idaho and had been forced to land in Smoke River when the weather shifted. His passengers were a team of consultants from New Mexico, long overdue from their flight home. The truth was this tiny airport provided a safe haven to a lot of people.
Angel’s Gulfstream was parked in the far corner. After the Cessna took off, there would be two planes left, mine and Angel’s. I wanted to pack up a bit but planned to take off soon. I wasn’t one for long goodbyes.
Mason strode by the tarmac, his hat pulled down over his ears, his bright white hair busy and untamed along the edges. “Axl, thanks,” he said, stopping when he saw me waving the pilot forward. “This our last one?”
“Yep.” I nodded at Angel’s plane. “You know what’s happening with the Gulfstream?”
“Angel’s ride?” he said. “I don’t. But she doesn’t seem anxious to go anywhere, and I have to say, she’d been damn helpful to have around.”
“Yeah, well, she runs a multi-million homeware business. The woman is highly capable.”
“Sounds like you’re laying down your arms?” Mason asked, his breath in puffs.
The Cessna rolled down the runway picking up speed, both propellors whizzing as it lifted into the air and glided into the sky above.
Both Mason and I paused to watch the bird take flight. I never got tired of watching planes take off. There was something beautiful about that moment of lift-off. I understood the physics behind flight, but still, the moment of magic when a machine that weighed thousands of pounds lifted into the sky as if made of feathers was awe-inspiring.
“Pretty plane,” Marcus said, giving me a side-eye.
“Yep,” I said.
“So did your pretty landlord go home?”
I snorted and put my hands in my pockets. “Yeah, she’s gone. And I’m going, too.”
Marcus clucked his tongue. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s been good having you out at the cabin.”
“Well, I know you said that Louise hand-picked me for the job, and my lease isn’t over for another six months, but business is calling me back to Florida.”
Marcus laughed. “I still can’t see you in Florida.” He squinted his eyes at me. “There’s something about you in the sun that doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling.” We started walking together, heading back to the café. “So, Marcus, I have to ask, why didn’t you tell me about Louise?”
Marcus stopped on the covered steps of the café, pulled off his hat, and scratched his head. “I feel like that is a conversation over whiskey.”
“No time,” I said, nodding at the runway. “I wanted to give you my notice, close up the cabin, and then Cam and I are heading out of here.”
“I can tell you this much,” Marcus said. “Louise was my friend. She asked me to manage you and the property. She didn’t want me to share anything about her business, so I didn’t.”
I laughed. “Let me guess. You make it a practice not to mess with a Prescott woman.”
Marcus sighed. “I try. I don’t always do it right, but I try, my friend.”
Inside, Angel passed the window holding a tray of dishes. There were a few more cars in the parking lot. It looked like some of the locals were coming out of hiding from the big snow, looking for one of Mason’s legendary cinnamon rolls.
“You mind if I do one quick thing on the computer before I go?” I said, pointing to the airport office.
“Be my guest,” Marcus said. “Make sure you say goodbye. I’ll send you with a box of baked goods or at least some homemade dog biscuits for Cam. Don’t tell anyone, but Ethan uses the kitchen to make dog treats when I’m done with the morning bake.”
“I don’t want you or the boys to be put out,” I said. “You all have got to be exhausted.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “You’ve been a good friend to us, and I’m sorry you’re leaving, Axl, but I understand.”
I reached out to shake his hand, but Marcus pulled me into a hug. It wasn’t goodbye, but the hole in my chest felt a bit bigger. I knew it was silly to feel like I was leaving home. I’d only been here for six months, but I felt like I was leaving something magical. Smoke River was more than a place. It was a moment in time, and now it was over.