Touching the Clouds: A Novel (Alaskan Skies Book #1)

Humming “I’m in the Mood for Love,” Kate headed down Third Street. She’d heard the song on the radio that morning and it stuck. She pulled her coupe to the side of the road in front of Paul’s hotel. He was already waiting on the sidewalk and ambled toward the car.

“Good morning,” Kate said as he slid onto the front seat.

“Morning.”

“Great day for a fair.” She put the car in gear.

“Perfect.” He rolled down his window. “Lucky for me that I stopped by the store yesterday.”

“Yeah. I’m glad you could join us. It should be fun—the more the merrier.” Kate pulled onto the street. “Is it true, Lily left for the states?”

“Yep. That’s why I was in town. I came in with the Warrens. Lily’s ship sailed yesterday.”

“Where’s she heading?”

“Seattle first. After that, I don’t know. She’s pretty excited, though.”

“How do Patrick and Sassa feel about her leaving?”

“Sassa was in tears. They’re both worried, but that’s normal. Lily’s never been out of Alaska.”

Kate nodded. “I’m happy for her.” She rolled down the car window. “Warm for September.”

“Enjoy it while you can.” Paul settled back into his seat.

“I’ve got to go by Mike’s to pick him up. Frank and Sidney are at the airfield. Frank had a run to Fairbanks last night, but he’s supposed to be back.”

When Kate pulled up at Mike’s, he was sitting on the porch steps. He strolled toward the car, his arms swinging freely at his sides. Opening the back door, he climbed in behind Kate. “You’re late,” he said, leaning forward and dropping a kiss on her cheek.

Kate glanced at Paul. She wasn’t certain he knew about her and Mike. “I’m not late.”

Mike clapped a hand on Paul’s shoulder. “Good to see you.”

“It’s been a while,” Paul said, his tone brittle.

Mike sat back, a smile on his face. “This should be a doozey of a fair. Heard there’s going to be speeches, a rodeo—all kinds of excitement. Folks are wound up over this being the colonists’ first crop.”

Kate caught a wink from him in her rearview mirror. “When we get there, what do you want to do first?” she asked.

“I’d kind of like to see the giant cabbages. The paper said there’s one that weighs twenty-five pounds.” Mike shook his head. “Can’t imagine a twenty-five-pound cabbage.”

Paul glanced over his shoulder at Mike. “Wouldn’t mind seeing that myself.”

“Who cares about cabbages?” The wind blew Kate’s hair into her eyes. “I want to ride the Ferris wheel. One was brought in just for the fair.”

When they pulled into the airfield, Mike leaned out the window, giving the field a good look. “I thought Frank was coming with us. Don’t see his plane.”

“Probably got held up somewhere.” Kate shut off the engine. “Sidney’ll know. Hope he can come. He was really excited about going.”

Mike hurried out of the car and opened Kate’s door for her. “He’s been having trouble with his plane. Wonder if he was forced to put down somewhere.”

“He might be stuck in Fairbanks making repairs,” Kate said, trying to quiet the alarm going off inside.

The three headed for the shop. Mike opened the door and held it for Kate and Paul before following them inside. Sidney was at his desk, going over a map.

“Where’s Frank?” Mike asked. “Thought he was going with us to the fair.”

“He never made it back.” Sidney’s tone was grave.

“Did he leave Fairbanks?” Kate asked.

“Yeah. He called in and told me he was on his way. Should have gotten in hours ago.”

“What time did he call?” Mike’s voice was sharp.

“’Bout five o’clock.” Sidney looked at a map in front of him. “Figure he set down somewhere’s around here.” He ran a finger along the map. “He always follows the Nenana River.” Sidney glanced out the window. “Kenny and Jack are already out looking for him.” He lifted his hat and scratched his head. “Wish he’d put a radio in that plane of his. Every one of you ought to have one.” Sidney sounded angry.

“If they didn’t cost an arm and a leg, we would.” Mike’s voice prickled with irritation.

Sidney stared at him. “I’ll bet right about now Frank’s kicking himself for not spending that arm and a leg.”

Mike ignored the comment and headed for the door. “I’ll get up in the air and have a look.”

Sidney resettled his hat on his head. “A couple of pilots from Merrill Field are searching too. One more pilot wouldn’t hurt, though. Most likely someone’s already found him, and they’ll be back in time to join you at the fair.” His tone was cheerful, but worry lay behind his eyes.

Mike turned to Kate. “You and Paul go ahead. We’ll join you later.”

“I’m not going while Frank’s missing.” Kate folded her arms over her chest. “I want to help.”

Mike pulled a pack of gum out of his shirt pocket. “Frank really wanted to go to the fair.” He unwrapped a piece and stuck it in his mouth. “He wouldn’t want all of us to miss out. It’s the biggest fair in Alaska, for crying out loud.” He chewed. “He’d want you to go. We’ll meet you there. I promise.”

Kate wasn’t convinced. “Another searcher will help.”

“What, you going to follow me?” Mike chewed furiously. “We know his flight path. Shouldn’t be too tough to locate him.” He threw the gum wrapper in the trash. “You know him, steady, dependable. He always takes the same route.”

Kate was torn. Mike was probably right. “Okay, but if you guys don’t show up soon, I’m joining the search.”

“You got a deal.” Mike smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”

He headed for his plane. Sidney walked Kate and Paul to the car. Kate stood beside the coupe and watched while Mike readied his Fairchild. I ought to be helping.

As if reading her thoughts, Sidney said, “Go and have a good time. I’ll let you know if I need you.”

“Okay, but I won’t have a good time, not until I know Frank’s safe.” She opened the door and slid behind the wheel.

Paul climbed in the other side and closed the door. “So, Frank’s a good pilot?”

“Yeah. He’s one of the best.” Kate turned the key, pushed in the clutch, and put the car in reverse. “He’s probably fine.” Her mind envisioned Frank, calmly sitting on a stump somewhere beside his plane, drinking a Coke while waiting to be rescued. She couldn’t imagine anything terrible happening to him.

The fairgrounds parking area was jammed with cars and trucks. Kate ended up sandwiched between an old sedan and a farm truck with manure piled in the bed.

She wrinkled her nose at the smell. “Looks like whoever owns that rig decided to come at the last minute.”

Paul and Kate walked side by side across pastureland. Shouts from barkers, excited squeals, and laughter carried over the open field.

Kate watched a Ferris wheel rise above the exhibits and booths and tried to put Frank out of her mind. “That’s where I’m headed.” She picked up her pace.

Once in the midst of the activities, excitement caught hold of Kate. There were vendors selling hot dogs and candy. Carneys called to people, luring them to spend money on games. Kate had to admit she loved the games and planned to drop a little cash in some of the booths before heading home.

Paul had his eye on the Ferris wheel, which rose high above the fairgrounds. “You ready?”

“You bet.”

Paul and Kate stepped into line with several others waiting their turn on the main attraction. A little girl in front of them gripped the hand of a boy who looked only slightly older than her. Kate figured it must be her brother. The girl’s eyes were wide as she watched the wheel go round and round. She looked frightened.

Kate knelt beside her. “No reason to be afraid. It’s great fun.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“I’ve ridden lots of times. It’s almost like flying.”

The girl didn’t look reassured, but moved forward with her brother. She climbed onto a seat and clung to the boy’s arm as the bar was locked in place in front of them.

Kate glanced toward the parking lot, hoping to see Frank and Mike walking across the field. There was no sign of them.

When it was their turn, Paul gave Kate a hand onto the rocking bench and climbed in beside her. They were pressed together, his broad shoulders taking up a good deal of space. Kate didn’t mind. Paul’s eyes were bright with anticipation, and she realized she’d rarely seen him look excited or happy. She wondered, again, what kind of sorrow he carried.

When the Ferris wheel started turning, enthusiastic shouts resonated from other riders. When they crested the top, Kate couldn’t hold in a laugh. “This is my favorite part.” She gazed across the grounds to the fields and forests at the feet of nearby mountains.

Paul smiled broadly. “It’s impressive.”

Kate looked down at the people below. “Everyone seems so small.”

“Guess you could say we have a bird’s-eye view.” He chuckled.

Kate studied the carnival activity. Remembering Frank, she searched for him and Mike. Still no sign of them.

Paul rested an arm across the back of the bench. It was almost like having his arm around her. Kate liked how it felt being close to him. Her mind went to Mike. He wouldn’t like it. Kate leaned slightly away from Paul.

“Have a look at that,” he said, pointing at a corral with people crowding the fence. A chute opened and a calf broke free. It leaped and twisted, doing its best to unseat a boy clinging to its back.

“Boys . . . they always love a challenge.”

“And girls don’t?” Paul smiled. “Especially ones like you?”

“Okay. Some do.” Kate smiled, enjoying the camaraderie between her and Paul. “I almost forgot how much fun carnivals can be. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one.”

“Me too.” Paul’s expression turned pensive. He stared out over the concession stands to the mountains bordering the valley. The joy seemed to drain from him.

“Have you been to many fairs?” Kate asked, hoping to recapture his good mood.

He looked at her as if he’d forgotten she was there. “What? I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

“Just wondering what kind of fairs you used to go to.”

“Bigger. But they’re all pretty much the same.”

When the ride ended, they walked toward a row of booths where men called out to passersby, tempting them to put down money to play for trinkets.

“You thirsty?” Paul asked.

Kate nodded.

“How about a Coke?”

“I wonder if they have root beer.”

“Well, we’ll find out.” Paul took her arm and steered her toward a stand advertising popcorn, candy, and drinks. “You want something to eat?”

“No, not yet.” She scanned the crowd, hoping to see Mike or Frank, and feeling disappointment when she didn’t spot them.

Paul bought them each a pop and they strolled down a row of vendors. “What do you want to do next?”

“Your turn to pick.” Kate smiled, thinking this was beginning to feel like a date. It wasn’t meant to be. She wondered how Paul felt about it. He seemed to be having a good time.

“Let’s have a look at those giant cabbages,” he said.

“Okay.” They headed toward the produce barn. “You think they’ve found Frank yet?” Kate asked.

“We can go back to the airport if you want.”

“If they don’t show up soon, we’ll go.”

After looking at some of the biggest vegetables Kate had ever seen, she and Paul wandered toward the animal barns. They stopped to watch a pie-eating contest. Kate couldn’t imagine eating so much pie so quickly. Just the thought made her stomach ache.

Frank’s friendly face flashed into her mind. “I wish Mike and Frank would show up.”

“You want to go?”

“Yeah. Do you mind?”

“’Course not.”

“I just can’t stop thinking about him.”

They set off for the car. “Have you had any interesting runs lately?” Paul asked.

Kate remembered the birth that happened on her plane. “If you call delivering a baby interesting, then yes.” She grinned.

“You did what?”

“About a month ago I had a passenger, a woman who was very pregnant. She needed a flight to Fairbanks and neglected to tell me or Sidney that she’d been having birth pains. After we got into the air, the baby decided it was time to meet the world. Things got serious so fast I had to put down. Her husband was no help.”

Paul smiled, admiration in his eyes. “You delivered the baby?”

“Mostly I caught it. The mother did all the work. Still, I wish I’d had a doctor with me or Doris Henley, the nurse from Anchorage hospital.”

Kate started across the field outside the fairgrounds. “Alaska needs doctors. For the most part, people in the villages don’t have any medical care. But the trouble is, most doctors don’t want to spend their lives flying from one Alaskan village to another.”

“I can understand that.” Paul sounded defensive.

Kate wondered why he’d be defensive and was just about to ask him about it when Mike’s car pulled into the parking area. He was alone. The set of his jaw and the angle of his shoulders gave Kate a chill. Something was wrong. She ran to meet him.

When he stepped out of the car, she knew the truth but still had to ask. “What is it? What happened to Frank?”

“Kenny found his plane. He cracked up just north of Tal-keetna.” Kate waited, sick to her stomach and hoping her gut was wrong.

“He’s dead, Kate. The plane came apart when it hit.”

Kate felt her legs weaken. It couldn’t be true. Not Frank. He was the sensible one. He wasn’t supposed to die.

Eyes shimmering, Mike pulled Kate into his arms. Holding her against his chest, he smoothed her hair. She clung to him. “Why Frank? He was a good man.” She felt Paul’s hand on her back. She glanced at him and, again, saw the wound he kept hidden inside.

Mike didn’t answer, but held her more closely.

Stepping back, Kate asked, “Do they know what happened?”

“A couple of us’ll go and have a look. Maybe we can figure it out. But planes are just unreliable.”

Without a word, Paul walked away, cutting across the field. He walked in a hurry, as if he were angry.

Using the back of his hand, Mike brushed away tears. “Frank said the carburetor had been giving him trouble. That might have been it. I should have helped him fix it. He wasn’t a very good mechanic. We’ve got to look out for each other.”

The following day, Kate flew Paul back to his cabin. They didn’t talk much. Kate’s mind was with Frank and his accident. A lot of pilots died. Would her life end that way too?

By the time they reached the creek, a sharp wind kicked up small breakers on the water and sinister-looking clouds drooped above the forest.

Paul climbed out of his seat. “You want a cup of coffee and something to eat before you head back?”

Kate knew she ought to hurry on to get ahead of the storm, but Angel whined from the back of the plane and she enjoyed Paul’s company even though he’d been quieter than usual since learning about Frank. “I guess. Angel needs a run.”

They moored the plane, then walked up the trail to the cabin. Paul’s dogs greeted them with exuberant barking.

Once inside, Kate sat at the table, elbows propped, chin in her hands. She watched while Paul started a fire. With a deep sigh, she said, “I still can’t believe Frank’s gone.”

“Yeah. It’s a shame.” Paul’s voice sounded tight. “He seemed like a nice guy.” He added larger chunks to briskly burning kindling. Wood popped and sizzled. He slid the stove plate back in place, filled the percolator with water, and added coffee to the basket.

“How does bread and cheese sound? Or I could make soup.”

“Bread and cheese is fine.” Kate moved to the window. Wind slapped the bushes and grabbed tree boughs. It didn’t look good. She turned to Paul. “Do you see the Warrens much?”

“Yeah, quite a bit. They’re good neighbors.” He cut a slice of cheese, then glanced out the window at the storm. Wind whistled under the eves.

“The storm’s picking up. I better go.”

“Okay, but take some bread and cheese with you.” A gust blasted the side of the house. “You sure you ought to fly? It’s looking fierce out there.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Like Frank was fine?”

Shocked at the statement, Kate stared at Paul, wondering why he’d say something like that. “I’m not Frank. And I’m sure he was being careful. It was just an accident.”

“Yeah, I know. But . . . well, for crying out loud, Kate, bush piloting is dangerous work. Have you ever thought about not flying?”

“That would be like not breathing.”

“You could work somewhere else. Fly safer routes.”

“To do that I’d have to leave Alaska.”

Paul wrapped the cheese and bread in waxed paper. “You have family and friends down south.” He handed her the small meal.

Kate thought about her friends in Alaska that she’d miss. Paul was one of them. Interestingly his face came to her mind before Mike’s. “There are people here who matter to me too.” She forced a smile. “I’m a good pilot.”

“Frank was too.” Paul stared at her solemnly. “Working somewhere else is better than dying.”

“I’m not going to die. And I thought we were friends. You don’t seem to care where I live as long as it isn’t here.”

“That’s not true. But sometimes being a bush pilot is just plain foolish.”

“You think I’m foolish?” Angry and not sure why she felt rejected, Kate headed for the door. Before Paul could say anything, she stepped onto the porch and into the storm.