Chapter 20
Justice had driven out to the LSIMT hangar to work with Cole as he needed one of the helicopters used by the security company to be inspected. He usually completed the necessary maintenance, but she came out when needed to assist or to inspect.
She’d spent the morning running through the checklist and ensuring it was safe.
She and Cole joked around and just like always, she enjoyed his company.
Her dad had met all the Keepers through the American Legion, and as an Auxiliary member, she’d been around Logan’s employees several times, although when on the compound, her time was spent at the hangar.
She wasn’t sure what all they did, but she abided by the NDA she’d signed when McClay’s Mechanics were contracted for the helicopter maintenance.
The sound of a vehicle approaching caused her to turn to see who was approaching. The sun was in her eyes, but she recognized Logan in the driver’s seat. When the passenger climbed down and the two men walked toward her, she blinked. Next to Logan was… Tyler?
Justice remained stunned as her gaze landed on the tall figure standing beside Logan.
Sunlight cut across the hangar floor, and in that golden shaft, Tyler stood with his usual quiet intensity, his arms crossed, expression unreadable until he saw her.
His features softened instantly, as if the sight of her also struck him.
But it wasn’t just Tyler who surprised her. Ever-stoic Logan had a distinct twinkle in his eye, his smile betraying a hint of mischief she rarely saw.
Justice’s mouth opened before she could think. “What are you doing here?”
As soon as the words left her lips, she winced. Tyler’s military background alone would’ve earned respect, but the way Logan stood beside him made it clear there was more. Whether Tyler was here for work or simply as a friend, it wasn’t her place to ask. And with her NDA, she’d just overstepped.
She opened her mouth again to walk it back, but no words came.
Logan chuckled, breaking the tension with ease. “Looks like you two are surprised to see each other.”
Justice grinned and tilted her face toward Tyler, her heart giving a small, unexpected flutter. She’d just seen him last night, but something about seeing him here, standing where she worked, in her world, felt different.
“I had no idea you worked here,” Tyler said, his voice even, but there was unmistakable surprise laced through it.
“McClay’s Mechanics does contract work for…” She jerked her chin toward the helicopter, fumbling. Then looked at Logan helplessly.
Logan’s voice stepped in, firm but amused. “Justice is being careful. She’s honoring her NDA. But since you’re now officially with LSIMT,” he added, turning to Tyler, “and McClay’s Mechanics is one of our contractors, it’s fine that you know you’re both connected to the organization.”
Justice blinked. Now officially? “You’re going to work here?” she asked, the words breathless, laced with more emotion than she meant to reveal.
The truth swelled warm inside her. Tyler being here meant something. He wasn’t just passing through. He was planting roots, maybe for just the job, but maybe for something more. Her smile grew. “Dad’s going to be thrilled.”
Logan clapped Tyler on the shoulder. “Once Justice finishes her inspection, I figured Cole could take you up in the bird. Give you a look at the compound from above. Might be good to see your own property too, from the air.” He turned to her. “You should go, too.”
Justice hesitated only a heartbeat. She glanced at Tyler. He was already looking at her, his expression open and pleased. Her chest expanded on a soft inhale. She nodded. “I’d like that.”
They finished the inspection quickly. She and Cole moved smoothly through their checklist, experience making the work efficient. Once she’d signed off, she handed the clipboard to Logan, who accepted it with a nod before turning to Tyler.
“I know you still have a few things to wrap up with Charlie’s estate,” Logan said. “We’ll finalize your start date in a few days.”
Tyler nodded his appreciation, and before long, he and Justice were strapped into the smaller helicopter, the rotors already whirring as Cole settled into the pilot’s seat and ran through the last of the preflight checks.
With a smooth lift, the bird rose from the ground, slicing upward into the open Montana sky.
Justice felt the lightness in her stomach as the earth dropped away, and the horizon stretched wide and endless before them.
Snow-kissed mountain peaks loomed to the west, their jagged lines illuminated by the bright sunlight.
Below, a winding river shimmered like a ribbon of glass, threading through pine forests and scattered grassy meadows.
Tyler nodded toward the nearest mountain ridge. “That still gets me. Every time.”
Justice smiled as the helicopter banked gently to the left, giving them a full view of the land that surrounded LSIMT headquarters.
“There,” Cole called over the headset, pointing through the windshield. “That’s our northern boundary. That ridge back there? That’s the edge of the eastern border.”
Justice leaned slightly, her shoulder brushing Tyler’s. “And just over there,” she added, pointing below, “is your property. I can see the fence line.”
The house Tyler had inherited sat in a clearing, nestled more on the eastern side of the hundred acres of meadows and trees. It looked small from above, but it stood proud.
“And that’s my place,” she murmured, gesturing toward a stretch of land just east, where her house sat across from the wide meadow between their properties.
“From here they look so close,” Tyler said, glancing over at her, voice low.
Justice met his gaze and nodded.
Cole’s voice came through again, more serious this time. “Anthony Milton wants all of it. Everything between Cut Bank and the edge of the wildlife preserve. Including both of yours.”
“He’s not getting it,” Tyler said, the certainty in his voice absolute. “Not mine. Not hers.”
Justice’s throat tightened. She turned to look out the window again, her hand resting lightly on her thigh, mere inches from his.
The view spread wide below them—fields, forests, winding creeks, and shadows that danced with clouds above. It was wild, raw, breathtakingly beautiful.
For now, they were just two people in the sky, flying above land that had shaped their roots and futures alike. But Justice couldn’t help feeling, at that moment, that something else was beginning to take flight, too.
After landing, Justice stepped down from the helicopter, the whirr of the rotors fading behind her as her boots touched solid ground.
The wind from the blades still tugged at her hair, but she hardly noticed.
Her mind was still soaring with the view of the land, of her home, of the way Tyler had looked at her when Cole had spoken.
She turned to Tyler, her voice soft but energized. “That was incredible. It all looks so different from up there. Like, you can see how it all connects. How it fits together.”
He nodded, his gaze lingering on her. “Yeah,” he said finally. “Gives you a whole new perspective, doesn’t it?”
She smiled, but it was a little tight. “You okay?”
He hesitated, then glanced toward the helicopter, where Cole was doing his post-flight checks. “Yeah,” he said, voice low. “Just thinking. Seeing the place from above makes it real in a different way. Like it’s not just where we live. It’s something worth protecting.”
The way he said we made her chest tighten, just a little. She wasn’t sure if he meant her and her dad, or her and Tyler. Or maybe all three of them.
Before she could reply, Cole walked back over, brushing dust off his sleeves. “You two heading out?”
Justice nodded, then turned to Tyler. “I can give you a ride back to the main building. I assume that’s where your vehicle is.”
“That’d be great.”
Cole smiled at Justice. “Thanks for all your help today. As always, if you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Justice gave Cole a quick wave, then she and Tyler fell in step together as they walked toward her vehicle.
They didn’t speak for a few moments, the crunch of their boots the only sound as they walked along the gravel path. But then Tyler asked quietly, “You and Cole?”
She blinked up at him. “Friends. Good friends. He’s always been easy to talk to.”
Tyler didn’t respond right away. “I can see that.”
The silence stretched. “And what about you and all your easy conversations with Logan and Cory and the rest of the Keepers?” she teased, trying to break the sudden tension.
That earned her a glance and a low chuckle. “Touché.”
As they neared the building, she glanced sideways at him again. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair away from her cheek. His touch lingered just a moment too long for it to be casual.
“Will I see you tonight?” he asked.
“If you want…” She pressed her lips together, wondering if he would be concerned with going out with someone who did contract work for his employer. While not making them coworkers, she didn’t know if he would be on board to keep seeing her.
“I absolutely want to.”
Her breath rushed out in relief. “Good. You know where to find me.”
Laughing, he nodded. “Yep… just a meadow away.”
She thought of the land from above, the clear-cut lines of property and trees, and the way everything looked simpler from that vantage point.
But here, on the ground, things were messier. Complicated. Alive. And somehow, even with all the trouble, she wouldn’t want it any other way.