Poppy watched as the expensive jet swerved suddenly, trying to avoid the brown bear as it charged. The plane spun wildly, spinning off the runway like a toy top out of control. It smashed into a tree with a deafening crunch, snapping off a wing.
She gasped a breath. The bear turned and lumbered back into the woods. Then she felt Lex tug her fingers, and they ran together across the tarmac to the wrecked aircraft, with Stormy by their side.
The cockpit door flew open.
“Freeze!” Poppy shouted to the two men inside. She raised her badge and weapon. “I’m Trooper Poppy Walsh and you’re under arrest.”
Beside her Lex was yanking open the back of the plane. Two small bear cubs looked up at him from inside dog crates.
“It’s okay, guys,” Lex told the frightened cubs softly. “We’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
The client, pilot and Kevin were all sitting handcuffed in one end of the airplane hangar, while Nolan and Ripley sat huddled in the other end what felt like moments later, when she saw three rescue helicopters hovering above them. Will leaped out of the first one as it landed, followed by troopers from the Juneau unit. And suddenly, activity was everywhere as she briefed the team, oversaw the arrests and made sure Nolan and Ripley got medical attention before they were placed into custody. The siblings were already pledging to tell law enforcement everything as their statements were being taken. In the midst of all this, Poppy saw Lex signal her to join him away from the crowd.
She walked over.
“I’ve got to go coordinate with the animal rescue wildlife center about taking the bear cubs,” Lex said. “I’m very hopeful they’ll be able to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild. But I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye and telling you that everyone’s invited back to our place for food later tonight when this wraps up.”
She looked around at the crew of law enforcement and medical professionals expertly wrapping up the scene. “I’m sure everyone will appreciate that.”
“You okay?” Lex asked. “You seem a bit down when I’d have thought you should be celebrating.”
Was she that transparent around him?
“Do you think the brown bear that charged the plane will be okay?” she asked.
“I hope so,” Lex said. “But I’ll make sure the park rangers try to locate it.” Then he frowned. “I just wish we’d been able to save the mama blue bear. It honestly hurts my heart to know that although we saved those little cubs, they’re orphans now.”
Unexpected tears brushed her eyelids.
“Me, too,” she said.
“I think I’m learning that just because an ending doesn’t look the way I hoped it would doesn’t mean it’s not a happy one.” His arm slipped around her shoulders and he pulled her closer to his side in a half hug. “Will I see you back at the house later?”
“I’ll be there,” she whispered.
He walked away.
But will my own story have a happy ending?
* * *
Night had just begun to fall by the time she finally made it back to the bed-and-breakfast. The cozy living space seemed filled to the brim with happy people, including troopers, rescue workers, park rangers and what seemed like the entire town’s worth of friends and neighbors. Potluck dishes spilled over every surface. Will had set up a laptop on the mantel and opened a video chat link for the K-9 team so any of them who wanted to pop into the celebration could. Poppy had made small talk, double-checked that Stormy was happily curled up on the floor with Danny and Mushroom, under Gillian’s watchful eye, and somehow managed to avoid ever being completely alone with Lex before she flew out with Will later tonight.
She slipped out the sliding glass door and into the backyard, craving a moment alone with her thoughts before she had to pack up and say goodbye. Poppy watched as the sun dipped slowly behind the distant mountains, casting the glaciers in dusty rose and purple hues.
Help my heart, Lord. It feels like You just brought Lex back into my life and now we’re going our separate ways again.
She heard the sliding door open behind her and the gentle babble of voices inside the house grew louder for a moment, before it closed again. Then she heard the footsteps of someone walking across the porch, coming down the steps and crossing the grass toward her. Somehow she knew it was Lex, even before she heard him say her name.
“Poppy?” His voice was soft and husky.
She turned around and there he was standing behind her. The dying light cast long shadows down his handsome face. But it was the depth of emotion pooling in his dark brown eyes that made her heartbeat catch in her chest and everything inside her long to throw her arms around his neck and pull him close.
Help me, Lord. How do I say goodbye?
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Pretty good,” Lex said. “I have been wondering something, though, and I didn’t know how to ask it.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “At the airfield, when Kevin crashed the truck, you ran for Ripley and I took him down. Was that for operational reasons or because you knew, on some level, I wanted to be the one who took down the guy who killed my friend?”
“Probably a bit of both,” Poppy admitted. “As a trooper my top responsibility in that moment was making sure Ripley was okay. But I’m glad you were there to take Kevin down. Two things can be true at once. I’ve gotten a lot better at thinking I have to do everything by myself. And I think we make a good team.”
“So do I,” Lex admitted gruffly.
Poppy felt a tired smile cross her face She glanced at Lex and saw a nervous grin brush his lips, too. Then he took a deep breath.
“Which is why I’d like to fly back to Anchorage with you tonight,” he said. “Partly because I want to visit Johnny’s family to pay my respects and ask if there’s anything I can do to help them with the funeral. Also, I’ve been talking to people I know at the animal rescue sanctuary where the baby blue bear cubs are headed and wanted to see what I could do to help the little guys heal from their adventure and start a new life in the wild. Turns out, they’re hiring and want to talk to me about a potential job. As much as I’ve enjoyed living here, I think it’s time for a new adventure.” He took her hands and linked his fingers through hers. “And I want you to be a big part of it. If you want to be.”
She felt her breath catch. He brought her hands to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles.
“What are you saying, Lex?” she asked.
“That I’m a better man with you than I am alone,” Lex said. “You strengthen me and push me, Poppy. You’re strong in areas I’m weak and bring out the best in who I want to be. Moving with my mom and Danny back to Anchorage and starting a new life will be challenging. And I don’t want to do it without you. In fact, I don’t ever want to do anything big without you ever again.”
“I don’t want to do anything big without you ever again, either,” she confessed.
He pulled his hands from hers and wrapped them around her waist as her fingers slid up and linked behind his neck.
“I’m in love with you, Poppy,” Lex said. “Head over heels. I always have been. My mother thinks you’re amazing and Danny adores having you and Stormy around. You complete my family in a way nobody could.”
She felt happy tears shine in her eyes. “I love you, too. I never stopped.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Lex said, and his grin grew wider than she’d ever seen before. “Because I want to marry you. I want to be your husband and I want you to be my wife and Danny’s mom. But more than that, I want to help you plan our new life together. The boring bank meetings, the budgets, the chores—I’m here for all of it.”
“I want to marry you, too.”
Then his lips met hers for a long moment and he kissed her, lifting her feet up off the ground as he swept her into his embrace. And as the sunset swept the Alaskan sky, Poppy wrapped her arms tightly around the man she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to love forever.
* * * * *