Wings of Promise (15 page)

P
aul knows what he’s doing
, Kate told herself as she lifted into the air. She glanced down at his cabin. It looked cozy and safe tucked in among the trees—a deceiving picture. The world held no true sanctuaries.

Fresh terror flashed through her as images of the bear charging at her pitched through her mind. She’d nearly been killed.

She circled the area once more, hoping to catch a glimpse of Paul. There was no sign of him. She felt uneasy about him going after that grizzly by himself. She wished he’d waited for Patrick. What if something went wrong? Clearly it was a dangerous bear and now that it was wounded . . . Kate dragged in her worry and prayed,
Lord, protect Paul
.
Help him find that bear and kill it. And then bring him home safely
.

With Paul in her thoughts, she headed up the river. Although they weren’t a couple any longer, Kate couldn’t imagine the world without him in it.

At Susitna Station, Charlie Agnak, the store proprietor, was in his usual spot. The back of his chair rested against the front of the mercantile and his feet were propped on a stump. Kate hauled a mailbag out of the plane and walked up steps cut into the side of the riverbank.

Charlie smiled at her and waved. She noticed he was missing another tooth. Most people in the bush rarely fixed teeth—they pulled them.

“How you doing?” he asked.

“I’m good. You?”

“Can’t complain.” He nodded for emphasis.

Kate swatted at a mosquito. “I could live without these hungry bugs.”

He grinned. “Out here you take the good with the bad.” Charlie dropped his feet to the ground and stood. “By mid-August they quiet down some.”

“That’s another month,” Kate said, unable to keep the whine out of her voice.

“Yep.” Charlie grinned. He didn’t straighten his spine but remained slightly hunched over. “What you got for me?”

Kate handed him the mailbag. His store was the drop-off spot for the local residents. “I’ve got a couple of packages too.” She headed back to the plane. Reaching inside, she hefted a large parcel and lugged it up the steps, then went back for another one. “You order supplies?”

“Sure did. The women around here like to bake. Ran me out of flour, sugar, and spices.” He grinned. “Can’t say I mind. They usually share with me.”

“Do you have a sweet tooth, Charlie?”

“I do,” he said with a nod. “A’course pretty soon I won’t have no teeth.” He broadened his smile to show off his new gap in front and laughed.

Kate shook her head. “I hope you don’t lose them all.”

“Ah, who cares.”

Kate grinned, remembering the one she’d had pulled. She intended to keep the rest of her teeth. “Sorry to be late.”

“I don’t watch no clock.” Charlie set the mailbag down by the door and took the package. “So, why you late?”

“I had a run-in with a bear when I stopped at Paul Anderson’s.”

Charlie’s dark eyes glinted with interest. “Grizzly?”

Kate nodded.

“What happened?”

“From what Paul said, he’d been sniffing around his place when I landed. My plane should have scared him off, but when I headed up the trail to Paul’s cabin the bear came at me. For a minute I thought I was going to be bear food.”

Charlie chuckled. “You’re here, so figure Paul got him?”

“Yes and no. He wounded him, but the bear ran off.”

“That’s not good. Wounded bear’s a mean bear.”

“Paul went after him.”

Charlie pushed black hair out of his eyes. “He better be careful of that critter. Grizzlies can be real smart. Sometimes they come back around on a man.”

Fear shot through Kate. “Do you think he’s in real danger?”

Charlie grinned. “When a man’s hunting a grizzly, they’re always in danger, but I figure Paul will do just fine. And he’ll have a new bear rug.” He chuckled.

Kate didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Well, I gotta go. I still have a couple of stops to make.”

“Okay. See ya.” Charlie headed inside with the packages.

Once back in the air, Kate couldn’t keep her mind off Charlie’s words. What if the bear circled around on Paul and came after him?
He’ll be careful. He knows what a bear can do
. Kate’s reassuring thoughts did nothing to comfort her. Even some of the best hunters had been killed by grizzlies. She wondered how long Paul would be out. Maybe he’d already killed the bear. She agonized over not knowing.

By the time Kate made her final delivery, she’d decided to stop at Paul’s to see if he’d made it back safely. They may not be a couple any longer, but she still cared about him and wouldn’t rest until she was assured he was all right. She reasoned that the bear probably hadn’t gone far, and Paul would be back at the cabin. She had to check.

She turned the plane south and headed for Bear Creek, then put in a call to Jack at the airstrip in Anchorage. She prepared herself for an onslaught of taunting. He wouldn’t be happy.

The radio crackled to life. “Anchorage airport, this is Pacemaker 221. Over.”

“Pacemaker 221, this is Anchorage. Go ahead. Over.”

“Jack, I’m going to be delayed. Putting down at Bear Creek. Over.”

“Unable to copy. Say again. Over.”

“Pacemaker 221 is delayed. Over.”

“Where the heck are you? Over.”

“Bear Creek. Over.”

“Copy that, 221.” A snicker carried over the airwaves. “When will you return? Over.”

“Late tonight or tomorrow morning. Over.” Kate knew she’d get teased when she got back.

“Copy. Over.”

“Pacemaker 221, over and out.”

When Kate motored to Paul’s dock, she hoped to see him appear on the trail with a wave and a big smile, but there was no sign of him.

She tied off the plane, and with memories of her close call taunting her, she headed toward the cabin. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, images of her last visit assailed her. Fear clenched her insides, and she kept looking at the bushes along the trail, half expecting to see the bear emerge. She managed not to run, but did hurry her steps.

A breeze kicked up and swept through the underbrush. Kate stopped and stared into the forest. Was the bear out there? If he was, then where was Paul? Deciding she was being foolish, Kate walked toward the cabin.

“Paul,” she called, and waited for a response. The wind and creaking of tree limbs were the only answer.

If only Angel were with her. Paul’s dogs started barking and Kate called to them. When she stepped into the clearing, Nita and Jackpot were on their leads, Buck woofed from inside the house. The dogs’ hackles lay down and their tails beat the air.

Feeling less alone, Kate gave each dog a pat, then called Paul’s name again. Still nothing. She checked in the shed, then the garden and the smokehouse. He wasn’t anywhere. Maybe he was in the house. Kate walked up the steps and knocked on the door. No answer, except Buck’s whining.

She opened the door and was heartily greeted by the big dog. “Hi, boy.” She patted him gently and called out, “Paul, you here?” She hoped he’d appear from the bedroom, but he didn’t. She looked down at Buck. “Where is he, boy?” She knelt in front of the dog and pulled him into her arms, stroking him. He was thin and his coat uneven with one large patch on his side still mostly bare. Still, considering what he’d been through, he looked pretty good.

Kate stepped inside and closed the door. Maybe she’d fix a meal so it would be waiting when Paul returned. She looked through a shelf with canned goods to see what he had to work with.

A knock sounded at the door, startling Kate. When she opened it she found Patrick looking at her with surprise in his eyes. “What in the world? We heard a plane and when you didn’t take off, we figured we ought to see if everything was all right.” He looked past her into the house. “Paul around?”

“No. I wish he were. He’s off hunting a bear.”

Lily pushed in beside her father. “He went after a bear? Today?”

“Yes. About an hour ago. That’s why I’m here. I was worried. After I finished my deliveries, I came back to check on him. But he’s not here.” She opened the door farther. “Come in.”

“Why in tarnation did he chase off after a bear?” Patrick stepped inside.

“Today while he was working in the shed a grizzly wandered in from the woods and was rummaging around. Paul figured he’d wait him out, but then I showed up and the bear met me on the trail and came at me. Paul shot him but didn’t kill him.”

“It must be the same one who worked over the dogs and tore up Klaus’s place.”

“All I know is he’s big and has a foul temper.”

“I wish Paul would have waited for me.”

Patrick’s concern only fed Kate’s anxiety.

He must have noticed her increasing apprehension because he added, “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a smart man and he knows his way around the bush.” Patrick rested a hand on Kate’s shoulder. “But it’s wise to have another man with you when you’re hunting bear.”

He moved to the window. “Figure I’ll track him, along with that bear.” Kate could see excitement in Patrick’s eyes as he headed for the door. “I’ll see if I can catch up to him. Better get a move on.”

“You think Mama will mind if I stay here with Kate?” Lily asked.

“I doubt it. I’ll let her know you’re here.” Patrick stepped onto the porch and headed down the steps.

Kate stood in the doorway. “What is it about men? They’re always chasing after some sort of adventure or other.”

Lily raised her brows. “Sounds kind of like you.” She grinned.

Kate chuckled. “I guess you’re right.” She stared after Patrick. “So, what should we do while we wait?”

“The garden needs weeding. Paul’s been gone so much he hasn’t been able to keep up with it.”

“Sounds good to me. I like outdoor work. And I was thinking about making some soup—we could add fresh vegetables to it.”

When Kate took a close look at the garden, she was surprised at how badly it had been neglected. It wasn’t like Paul. Maybe he’d been away too much. “Looks like there are more weeds than vegetables.”

“He doesn’t have time.” Lily’s tone was defensive. “The garden’s important. It will feed him this winter.” She sounded protective. “My family helps when we can, but we’ve got our own place to look after. Mama’s putting up some canned goods for him.”

When Kate had convinced Paul to work as a doctor in the bush, she hadn’t considered what that meant for him in practical ways. She felt the swell of guilt at her thoughtlessness. How could he possibly keep up his place while flying all over the territory to care for people’s medical needs? “I’m sorry about all the extra work.”

“No. I’m just grousing. What he does is important. And I don’t mind helping him. He’s a fine man and a good neighbor.”

Kate felt a twinge of jealousy. Was there something between Lily and Paul? She’d never have thought they’d make a match, but Lily was pretty and working with him would bring them closer.

Disguising her envy, Kate said, “I’m sure he appreciates everything you do.”

“We’re neighbors. And neighbors help each other.”

“Do you see him often?”

“He comes to dinner sometimes. And we go fishing once in a while.”

Lily’s tone sounded artificially casual. There
was
something between the two of them. Kate was certain of it.

“Good. It’s always important to have friends you can count on out here,” she said, wishing Lily still lived in Seattle.

Ignoring the sting of bristly spruce needles, Paul pushed a low-hanging branch aside. The grizzly was still moving fast for a wounded animal. Rage might be driving him. He’d left a trail of blood and broken brush. If he kept bleeding, he’d weaken and would be forced to slow his pace.

The bear had followed the creek inland and then crossed to the opposite shore. Paul waded through the shallows, icy water seeping into his boots. His gaze swept across the thick brush on the far side of the stream, but he kept moving, every nerve alert. The grizzly could be anywhere.

When he reached the bank, he stopped to examine deep-set prints left in the damp earth. The hairs on his arms lifted. Studying the shadows, he listened but heard only the chirp of birds and the hum of flying insects.

With the sun dropping low in the sky, he pushed on, fatigue weighing heavily on him. He’d been tracking the bear for hours and needed to stop so he could fix himself something to eat and rest. He wished he’d brought Nita. She’d have kept watch while he slept.

He pushed on, following the bear’s trail, while searching for a safe place to rest. He’d have to spend the night. The long summer days had never bothered Paul, and now he was especially thankful for them. He didn’t like the idea of darkness concealing his prey, especially if the grizzly had reversed roles and Paul had unknowingly become the prey. He tried to push the thought out of his mind. He knew the dangers, and dwelling on them would not accomplish anything other than get him twitchy.

The bear had stayed close to the creek. Paul kept moving, occasionally glancing over his shoulder, feeling as if something were following him. “You’ve spooked yourself,” he said aloud, as if the sound of his voice would drive away trepidation. The muscles in his legs complained and his feet hurt. He needed to rest.