Midnight Sun (15 page)

“
Yes,
ma
’
am. Dinner
isn’t for
two
more
hours.
”

She
sauntered
over
to
the
bed.
“
Then
let
’
s
have
dessert
first.”

Chapter
3

Lake
Hood
Float
Plane
Port

Anchorage

Friday,
June
17th

9
a.m.

“
Too
bad
you
can
’
t
come
with
us,
Lonnie,
”
Hilde
said.
“
It
would
be
nice
to
have
another
girl
along.
”

“
Something
tells
me
little
Marcus
will
make
any
camping
adventure
pretty
miserable
for
me,
”
Lonnie
said
as
she
watched
Marcus
load
the
bags
into
the
plane.

“
Yeah,
”
Marcus said.
“
I
don't
think
the
plane
can
carry
all
of
the
food
she'd
need
to
bring
along
for
the
two
of
them.
”

“
Anyway,
”
Lonnie
said,
looking
sideways
at
him,
“
I've
been
where
you
are
going.
You'll
love
it.
 
It
’
s
beautiful.
But
while
you're
enjoying
that
wonder
of
creation,
I've
got
a
wedding
to
attend
here
in
town.
So
I
won't
be
lonely.
”

“
Hopefully
we
can
spend
some
time
together
after
we
get
back,
”
Hilde
said.
“
You
seem
like
someone
I
can
talk
to.
Most
other
women
shy
away
from
me
once
they
find
out
what
I
do
for
a
living.
”

“
I
know
what
you
mean,
sister,
”
Lonnie
said.
“
Until
Marcus
came
back
to
save
me,
I
could
hardly
get
a
dinner
date or have a girls night out
without someone being
afraid
I'd
bust
them
for
something.
”

Hilde
looked
at
the
aircraft
before
them,
took
a
deep
breath,
and
let
out
a
nervous
sigh.
“
I
can't
believe
you
talked
me
into
going
up
in
a
boat
plane.
”

“
Float
plane,
honey,
”
Mike
said.

“
It's
just
as
safe
as
a
regular
plane,
”
Lonnie said.
“
Either
way,
it's
a
fifty-fifty
chance.
”

“
Oh,
that
helps,
”
Hilde said.
“
Thanks
a
lot.
”

“
That's
what
I
do
best,
”
Lonnie said.
“I
nstill
confidence.
”

“
This
thing
has
been
accident
free
since
1952,
”
Marcus said.

“
1952?
”
A
nervous
smile
quivered
on
Hilde’s
lips.
“
This
thing
is
sixty
years
old,
built the year my parents were born,
you
call
it
a
Beaver,
and
you
want
to
take
me
and
Mike
to
the
tallest
mountain
in
North
America
in
it?
”

“
It's
perfectly
safe,
”
Marcus
patted the engine cowling.
“
I've
got
all
the
state
inspection
certificates,
if
you
would
like
to
look
them
over.
”

“
Don't
worry,
Hilde,
”
Lonnie said.
“
It
really
is
safe,
probably
safer
than
driving
a
new
car
on
the
highway.
I
ride
in
it
all
the
time.
”