My soul is in the sky.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
If one more guy taunted her, called her darlin’, or otherwise flirted with or demeaned her, she’d dump his burger and fries right in his lap.
After I add lots of ketchup!
With a breath for courage, Deline Tsosie bumped her hip against the swinging half door and stepped into the crowded café. The breakfast rush was the worst. She navigated around the wooden tables, chairs, ski coats … ignored the comments, the stares, the whispers. The only thing in season right now were tourists. Annoying, presumptive tourists.
“Hey, darlin’,” a masculine voice called. “Care to hurry? We’ve got to get up to the ranger station.”
Deline stuffed her retort, flashed her best smile, and said, “Sure thing. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She delivered the entrées to Mrs. Cole and her daughter, who gave her an apologetic glance. “Okay, here you go.” Wiping her hands on her apron, she let out a breath. “Anything I forget?”
“You never do, sweetie,” Mrs. Cole said. “Thank you.”
“Deline,” the daughter, Caroline, said, “do you think we could start flying lessons?”
Deline’s heart warmed, but she knew the girl’s mother insisted on Caroline waiting till she turned sixteen. “As soon as you have your Sweet Sixteen.”
Caroline deflated.
“How’s your father, dear?” Mrs. Cole shared the concern that filled Deline’s mind. “Is he still in the hospital?”
“Yeah, docs wanted to run a few more tests.” Nobody needed to know the awful truth. And wearing it on her shoulder didn’t help anyone. Not even herself. “He’ll be home in a week or so, I think. Maybe I can call in backup, see if Lydia will come back for a while since she still hasn’t found a job.” Which reminded Deline that escaping Talkeetna didn’t guarantee anything except distance from this place.
“I’ll keep praying for you and your family,” Mrs. Cole said as she patted Deline’s hand.
“Thank—”
“Darlin’!”
Steeling herself, Deline lifted her chin and her good manners. She smiled at Mrs. Cole. “Thank you. I’ll let Daddy know.” She straightened.
“If they just knew your father kept a loaded weapon back there …”
But he’s not here. I am.
In two more hours, she’d be sailing over the glaciers, soaring up into the maw of the High One with nothing but tingling Alaskan air and at least ten thousand feet between her and the suffocating—
“Morning, Mr. Bender.”
Deline’s blood ran cold. She slowly swung her gaze to the right where Roger Bender entered, his pocked face set like stone. She jerked away before he made eye contact.
“Deline!”
Shoot! Too late. “I’ll be right there,” she called over her shoulder.
“Sorry, I’m short on time.”
And patience.
“You thought about that deal some more?” He motioned around the café with his cap. “Seems you’re mighty busy. Maybe this is God’s way of saying you should stay here—help your pa out, help the Tsosie legacy live on.”
“My dad will be fine. And this café is his pride and joy, Mr. Bender. You trying to steal that from him?” Her heart rapid-fired against his passive-aggressive bullying. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get these orders in because I have a very busy flight schedule.”
He caught her arm. Gripped hard.
She scowled at him. “Hey—”
“Just be careful.” He sneered. “It’s dangerous up there, Deline. Wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Hey, fella,” the demanding customer cut in. “Wait your turn. She’s helping me next.”
Yanking free from Roger Bender, Deline turned toward the other man. “I’ll be right there, sir.”
Roger stormed out.
Letting out a shaky breath, she rubbed her temple. The door chime tinkled again.
A square of light erupted on the far wall, glinting against photos of celebrities who had stopped in before heading into the High One. The glare reached its bright fingers farther into the café. Would it be too much to hope that the rude customer had left, too? Deline turned in that direction.
“‘Bout time, darlin’.”
Sure enough.
If her father hadn’t had a stroke and her mother skipped this earth for a better place, Deline would so walk out the door, get in her Otter, and take to the skies. And never set foot in Tsosie’s Café again.
“Excuse me, miss? Is our order coming?” a woman asked, frustration in her voice but not rudeness. Unlike the guy in front of her.
“The cook is working on it right now,” Deline reassured her.
“Hey!” Grouch-man snapped. “Don’t worry about her. I’ve been waiting—”
“Thanks for coming in.” Deline sucked in a breath and smiled down at them. “Would you like today’s special—”
“No, I don’t want no special where you charge me an arm and a leg.”
Deline gathered the tattered edges of her nerves.
“Deline, honey,” Shana said. “Cook needs you. Question on another order.” She nudged her toward the kitchen.
“Now wait a minute!”
“Darlin’,” Shana said as smooth as honey. “I am waiting. What would you like?”
Hurrying out of sight before the man could break the power Shana’s sweet charms held over him, Deline slipped into the back. She slumped against the wall and looked at Trent. “What’s up?”
He glanced up from the professional cooking station. “What?”
Peeling herself off the wall, Deline filled herself a glass of water. “Shana said you wanted me.”
His gaze skidded around the kitchen, as if he couldn’t remember. “I … not sure why she said that. I’m doing fine, besides scrambling to keep up.” He grinned as he looked down at the eggs on his cooktop.
“Ha. Ha.” Deline guzzled the water. Sweet, dear old Shana. Looking out for her again.
Marji came out from the office. “Deline, Hilary just called in sick.”
“Great.” Deline pressed her hair away from her face. “Okay, I’ll give Gen a call. Ask her to—”
“Gen’s in Washington for the next two weeks, remember?”
Slumped once more against the wall, Deline thumped the back of her head against it. “Why is everything going wrong? I have flights this afternoon. I can’t do both!” Oh, Lord, help. Staying on top of things, keeping her business up and running was key to the merger with Talkeetna Flightseeing and Air Taxi. Curt had worked the flightseeing tour into one of the best in the area, servicing more tours than any other business. He’d helped her get her pilot’s license, guided her in building her own business. When cancer stole his wife then his kidney failed, he came to her, offered to partner up so TFAT could keep her wings.
“What about Emma?” Trent asked as he set a meal on a tray, snatched the ticket from the lineup, and set it beside the plate. “Order up.”
He only mentioned his daughter because she couldn’t get a job anywhere else. And there was a reason for that. Everyone but Trent seemed to know it, too.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but it’s too late for today.” She dropped onto a stool and rubbed her face. It felt like the frozen tundra sat on her shoulders. What should she do? “Okay, let me call TFAT.”
“No!” Marji rounded the door from the pantry. “No, you’re not canceling flights. I’ll stay.”
“But you have Colin and the baby to think about.”
“Well, he can bring Efraim up here and have dinner.”
Despite the smile Marji sent her way, Deline knew Colin wouldn’t be happy. He had looks and money but fell short in attitude and manners. How he ever convinced her friend to marry him was beyond Deline.
“I’m not sure….”
“Well,” Marji said. “I am. So finish up and get out of here. Get up into that plane and kill yourself.”
Deline laughed. “You have to come up with me—”
“Oh no.” Hands up, Marji shook her head. The short, red crop flipped like a saucer around her oval face. “You know very well I’ll never do that. I’m fine working. Things are a bit weird right now. But once your dad’s recovered, I know things will get back to normal. I don’t mind pitching in till then.”
“If you’re sure …” Wow, would it really be this simple? Well, she had prayed, hadn’t she?
The doors swung open again and delivered Shana into the kitchen. She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Lunchtime can’t come too soon.”
The joke couldn’t be missed. One of their busiest times, but clearly she looked forward to it only because it meant Groucho out there would be gone.
“He’s riling up the entire place.”
Laughter burst through the tension-coated air. Voices rose and fell. Deline’s heart gave a little skip, straightening her spine.
“Sounds like a big group just came in.”
This time, Deline wasn’t panicked. “Sounds like David and Jolie.” Grabbing a glass of ice water, she blew a stray strand of hair from her face as she spun through the half doors. She sailed into the dining hall, ready to see familiar faces. Settling into a table at the back, Jolie waited as David took her jacket and stretched up to hang it on a hook. As he slid back into his chair, he grinned and said something to his fellow ranger, Logan Knox.
Logan’s soulful blue eyes hit Deline, and he dropped his gaze.
“There she is!” David announced with a wide smile.
Jolie waved, ever perky, ever perfect. Oh, to be so pristine and poised. Deline wondered what food was stuck to her shirt or face today as she stepped up next to them. “Hey, guys.”
“Wow, you look fried,” Jolie said, her expression the image of innocence.
“Yeah, thanks a lot.” She set the water glasses down, smiling at ranger Logan Knox who had yet to speak.
Her eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t”—she swallowed hard—“I’m sorry, Deline. I didn’t mean—it’s just you look like … I mean—”
David laughed. “Quit before she kills you, Jo.”
The stunning beauty of Denali had nothing on Deline Tsosie. But to Logan, they were both as formidable and forbidding. He lowered his gaze and sipped from the water glass, all too aware she had her hand on the back of his chair.
“It’s just so busy in here. I only meant—” Jolie tried.
“I think she looks fine,” Logan finally spoke. After all, she worked in a restaurant and he knew how crazy that could be. And Deline always looked more than fine. Which made his heart pound worse than being in that Otter with her.
Standing beside him, Deline laughed and swatted his shoulder. “Very sweet, Logan, but we all know that’s a lie.”
Indignation stamped across his chest. “I don’t lie.”
This time, David thumped him. “Easy, chief. She’s teasing.” David glanced at their host. “Is it crazy here today?”
“One of the worst.” Deline flicked that long dark hair out of her face. “But hey, Roger Bender just left, so …”
David held up his hand for a high five. “Any day without him is a good one.”
Even though she tied it back with one of those elastic bands, her hair always seemed to defy the constriction. Logan wished his heart would. And he hated the way fear smothered her delicate features when Roger Bender came into the picture. He had firsthand knowledge of that man’s meanness.
“I’ve got another hour here, then heading up.”
“Tours after this insanity?” David asked, waving around the standing-room-only café. “That’s a long day,” he said as he snagged a bowl of bread the other waitress delivered. “How many tours you doing?”
“Four that I know of, but Curt said there might be another.” Deline took their orders. “How’d you two manage to avoid Base Camp this week?”
Jolie smiled.
“I think I can answer that one without getting in trouble.” Logan laughed. Then realized he was the one now in trouble, but David had been smart enough to hide his smile.
“Anyway,” Jolie said with a glowering look at Logan, “David got his schedule arranged so he can take a few weeks off for our wedding.”
“Oh, wow. That soon?”
“I figured I’d better get him tied down before someone else tries.”
“What? David? Why would anyone want him?” Deline winked and headed back to work.
Was she flirting with David? Right in front of Jolie? Confusion tightened Logan’s chest. Arms folded on the table, he watched out of the corner of his eye as she moved through the restaurant with grace and speed. She’d been here her whole life. The regulars and locals greeted her by name. Asked about her dad, and she shared he was still in the hospital but much better.
She hadn’t been flying much since taking care of her dad and the café became her priority, but she said she was going up today. How had he missed that?
Logan stood and excused himself. He headed for the restrooms and plucked his phone from his pocket. Dialed.
“Talkeetna Flightseeing and Air Taxi.”