“By the way, Nolan’s really taken a shine to you even though you seem to be ignoring him. And by the look of things, you don’t care a penny for him. Must be nice having some man head over heels crazy about you. I’ll never know what it’s like.” She threw the remark over her shoulder and then disappeared into the storage area. Back she came in a few minutes.
Leanna laughed at the mournful look Alice affected for her benefit. “If you mean Dad, keep working on him. I wouldn’t give up if I were you. You’re good for him.”
Alice moved toward the coat hanger and picked up her well-worn sneakers. “Why, thank you. Now, if only he’d 54
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think the same. Hand me my purse, will you? I’m off to the supermarket.”
“Dad’s like a kid in some ways. He needs to be shown what’s good for him.”
Leanna had seen loneliness in Chester’s face, but he’d be the last to admit it. Carpentry kept him busy on most days.
That and his old buddies at the VFW, where they sat around a thick oak table and spun yarns.
“What if Nolan gets serious? Would you marry him?”
“Marry him!” Leanna gave her a quick glance and stashed away sales receipts. “Of all the hare-brained ideas.” The thought gave her a sour taste in the mouth.
“Don’t knock it, young lady. He’s pleasant and rich.”
“And I don’t love him. You should know better than that.
Life isn’t always about marrying some rich guy,” Leanna said with emphasis.
“I know, I know. Just checking.” Alice watched Leanna as if she had deeper concerns she hadn’t expressed.
She knew that Alice thought of her as the daughter she never had, hence the nagging, sundry fears.
“Independence is what I want. And that’s how it’s going to stay.” Leanna’s voice had a ring of quiet confidence.
“Good for you, girl. And now, I’m really off.” Alice hugged Leanna and then shouldered her bag, both in a bear-like gesture.
The day had gone by fast and Leanna prepared to close up shop. She smiled to herself at Alice’s oblique tactics in finding out what was on her mind regarding Nolan. Leanna had no doubt that she was rooting for Bryce. As if this were a medieval jousting tournament with Leanna dropping her silken handkerchief onto the tip of the victor’s spear. Yet, she couldn’t really blame Alice for thinking the way she did.
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The back door opened and her father walked in humming tunelessly. One of his singing moods had overcome him.
“In here, Dad. Just closing up.”
“How is my Kai-ling?”
“Gramps, what d’you get for me.”
“Were you pestering Gramps?” Leanna asked her.
“No, that’s what grandfathers are for. Got you a stuffed bunny.” He held out a cute little white rabbit.
“Thank you.” Kai gave him a hug.
“That’s a double treat. She’s going over to Cecily’s later.”
Leanna shut off the computer. She was on her way toward the back door when her father spoke again.
“That Robertson guy is going to rent his own plane to get around the island and come here when he wants to.”
She turned around. “His own plane?” Her heart beat like a tom-tom drum. Bryce plus plane spelt easy access to the mainland and herself.
“That’s what they said at the VFW. They’ll be using the spot out by the dock cabin for takeoffs and landings. Guess he figured they couldn’t keep waiting for the Queen to take ’em back and forth. I hear he goes to Wisconsin a lot.”
“He has his research office there, I imagine.” As soon as she said it, she felt she shouldn’t have popped up with an explanation, when ostensibly, she didn’t know much about him.
“There’s never been a plane taking off and landing at Pelican Harbor before. There’ll be plenty excitement stirrin’
up around here.”
Leanna nodded. “They’re doing wolf population studies.”
“Didn’t other folks come here and study wolves before?”
“They did, but not with this amount of intensity.”
“It’ll bring publicity.”
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“Which isn’t all bad.” Leanna wondered if Bryce would agree. “Although, some people might say that it might spoil the natural splendor of Pelican Harbor.”
“Folks here could use the jobs it might bring to Pelican Harbor,” Chester said.
“Bryce mentioned he was concerned about tourists scaring away or doing harm to the wolves.”
“When did he say that?”
“I ran into him by chance when I took the tourists there.”
Chester gave her a quirky look; his fuzzy eyebrows poised high like furry caterpillars. “Interesting.”
“What?”
“That you ran into that fella. Seems like he knows his stuff.” Chester sounded impressed. “Sure to go far, too.”
“What are you really trying to say, Dad? That I should try to get to know him better maybe?” She tensed, waiting for his reply.
“No, nothing like that. But you sure seem lonely sometimes.”
“Funny, I thought the same about you.”
“Did you, now? Stop worrying. I’m fine. Besides, nobody could replace your mother.”
Leanna glanced at Kai, fidgeting with the back door with a child’s typical impatience so that it twanged like an improvised wind instrument.
“You surprise me, Dad. You weren’t home a lot when she was alive.” She tried to keep bitterness out of her voice.
“You think I don’t realize that every day?”
“I’m sorry. I know you do.” Warmth and sympathy surged through her, and she felt the pain her tired old father must have experienced, first when he realized his shortcomings, and then, when her mother died. Still, that didn’t alleviate the hurt of bygone days.
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She gave him a hug. “I’ve got to go before Kai breaks the door.”
Chester laughed. “Goodnight, Lea. You’ve always been a good kid. And now you’re a good mother.”
Leanna stepped out into the blazing sunset-filled air, feeling curiously soothed. It was the first time she had been able to reach out to her father long enough to detect the hurt he carried around. She had assumed he didn’t have any.
* * * *
Bryce kept his eyes peeled when Kip LaSalle circled the small Piper Cub aircraft around a wolf pack several times until his head roiled from the dizzying aerobatics that Kip performed.
“Go easy, will you? I’d like to hang on to my breakfast.”
Bryce had his head half out of the window with a hand on his camera’s telephoto lens.
“How do the pictures look? I can get closer.” Ever the intrepid pilot, Kip winged even lower, making smaller and smaller circles with each pass.
Bryce’s camera snapped noisily as he took several frames in rapid succession. “You can tell the camera’s quality by the amount of noise it makes.” When he was finished he sat back and let out a sigh of relief.
“Easy, Bryce. Relax; I’ve been flying close to fifteen years. You have nothing to fear.” Kip surveyed his boss with a grin. “Did I ever tell you about the time I lost one engine and had to bail out?”
“Please, Kip.” Bryce hid his alarm with a poker face. “I’m sure you did fine then. But for now, just get us back to the ground.”
Kip chuckled, as if enjoying the whole thing. “You got it.
You finished with the count?”
“No, not yet. Just go easy on the rollovers.”
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Bryce had gotten pictures of a wolf pack on a new kill in a cedar swamp, thanks to some landmarks that Kip had previously located. The next time, Kip could probably bring the plane around in a tight turn so Bryce could get a closer look for more pictures.
Kip had taught Bryce everyth
ing he needed to know to locate wolves from the aircraft. They had been together at previous aerial surveys in Minnesota and other states. Kip’s ability to follow wolf tracks was indispensable to Bryce and his research group. Kip did this by simply turning the plane on its side and circling tightly, all the while watching for subtle clues on the ground.
Several close passes later, Bryce was satisfied with the pictures he’d taken and decided it was time to descend. He made a count of the wolves he’d seen, associating the wolves with familiar landmarks to return to them. Obviously, a den stood somewhere nearby, judging by all the wolf tracks he’d seen.
“Okay. Haul away.”
“Aw, just when I was enjoying it.”
“There’ll be other times.”
“If you promise.”
Bryce grinned at Kip’s enthusiasm. He was fearless and a little crazy at times. And, most likely, born in the cockpit of an aircraft.
No sooner had Bryce given the word than Kip climbed to a comfortable altitude. When they reached their cabin location, he brought the plane down smoothly.
“How’s that?” Kip asked.
“Perfect landing.”
“Good old retractable landing gear. No extra charge, either.”
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“Can’t thank you enough, Kip,” Bryce said, entering the cabin. “Excuse the cramped living quarters. Hope you don’t mind sharing with Fred and me.”
“That’s all right. I know when I get back to civilization I can more than make up for all this.” He waved his hand about the cabin.
To Bryce, Kip looked like a pirate with his cap on backwards and an earring in one ear. But he had a sharp eye for wolf tracks and a sturdy constitution.
Bryce pushed aside a stack of computer printouts and laid his camera bag on the table. He emptied the camera and stored the film roll in a canister he’d found in his duffel bag.
He had two more canisters of films to be processed.
“I’ll need you to take these to the Wisconsin lab, Kip.”
“Sure thing. If you don’t need me here the next few days, I’ll take a run up that way tomorrow.”
“Any excuse to get into that flying saucer of yours, huh?”
Bryce grinned at him.
At that moment, Fred came in with a loping walk. “You back?”
Bryce nodded. “All in one piece. Where were you?”
“In the storage shed, measuring the wolf specimen we found yesterday. Don’t worry, I used gloves and had a wash and scrub up there.” He held up his forearms in mock-surgeon fashion.
“All right. I buy that.” Bryce resumed examining his camera.
“So how was the…interview…with that woman
reporter?” The insinuating glint in his eye spoke volumes.
“She’s from The Environmentalist, and has interviewed me before.”
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“Lucky she caught us during our browse study. She’d have walked right past us if we hadn’t come out of the woods behind the patrol cabin.”
“The dry log outside made a good bench to be
interviewed on,” Bryce said.
“She’s a babe.”
“Is she?” Bryce hadn’t noticed. “She’s all yours.”
“Thanks, partner, but as long as you’re around, she won’t notice me.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you,” Bryce said with deliberate nonchalance. The only woman he wanted to notice him seemed to be avoiding him like the plague. The picture in his mind was that of Leanna’s tantalizing face and thick, dark hair, cascading to the shoulders, not that of a pushy, blond reporter.
The whole time he had been in the plane during the aerial tracking, he’d wished Leanna had been with him enjoying the view. He had a rare feeling of conquest and elation when looking down despite the illusion of danger, which Kip did everything to foster. Darn his troublesome antics!
“She’ll be ba-a-ack,” Fred said in a singsong voice. “She’s set her cap for you, buddy.”
“Tell you what,” Bryce said. “If she does return, I’ll suggest that she interview you. After all, you’re my associate.”
“Bathing in your glory. You’re the big name in this business.”
“No, I’m not. And there are no ‘big names’ in preserving wildlife. We’re all pulling together.”
Fred patted him on the back. “You’re an okay guy, you know.”
Bryce grinned. Fred was just an overgrown kid. “Coming from you, that’s a whopping big compliment.”
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It had been several weeks since Bryce had seen Leanna standing there amidst copper artifacts, glass ornaments and agate jewelry of her store. He went to the cabinet in the kitchen area and, opening it, peered inside. The cans of food were dwindling. He could send Kip to fetch supplies from Pelican Harbor, but it wasn’t right to send him for food supplies.
He was strictly there for aerial surveys and emergencies.
Bryce would have to thumb a ride with him to Pelican Harbor to pick up supplies.
His breath hitched. He had just figured out a way to see Leanna without causing the least bit of suspicion. He looked at Fred, who sat staring at the logbook. He made entries as soon as he completed a job. Bryce had impressed upon him the necessity of noting the time, the atmospheric temperature, and the conditions under which a specimen had been found.
“We’re running out of supplies,” Bryce said. “Of course, I can always get them from the only food supply store at the island.”
“Are you crazy?” Fred nearly had apoplexy. “The stores here ask for a pound of flesh along with your money.”
“You’re so right. I’d better go to Pelican Harbor. Kip?”
“Say no more, boss. Just let me know when, and I’ll take you there.”
Bryce hadn’t decided. He just wanted to know that if he wanted to he could see Leanna. But first, he had his own entries to make, entries about where he’d taken the pictures, if the wolves were in packs or if they were strays, the altitude at which they had been flying. He took out a ledger-type hard cover book and started jotting notes, which he would later put in the computer.
He glanced at Fred, busy scribbling away in his log book and grinned to himself. He could be trouble if he chose, 62
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kidding him about going across to the Harbor. Fred had to read momentous meanings in everything Bryce did that didn’t have to do with wolf tracking.
“What speed were we flying?” Bryce looked at Kip. He had been so busy hanging on to his camera, his breakfast, and sometimes, dear life itself, that he had neglected to check the instrument panel.
“Ninety miles an hour.”
“And how long does the fuel last?”
“About two and a half hours.”
“Good. That’s plenty.”
“Wait till the weather gets bad.”
“And then what happens.”
“We have to remember the direction of the cabin,” Kip said with blatant complacency.
“Sorry I asked.” Bryce returned to his entries.
* * * *
Bryce sat back in his seat as the Piper soared over Lake Superior and headed toward Pelican Harbor. No camera to wield today, or wolf tracks to observe, just the crystal blue of lake and sky. And the prospect of seeing Leanna’s round-eyed surprise when he walked through the door to pick up his supplies. Would she be pleased to see him this time? The once beckoning look in her eyes had vanished in the years they’d lost touch with one another. He had sensed cold disillusionment in them even though she’d spoken to him in a soft voice. It must have been hard to raise a child on her own.
Well, he could change all that. Not overtly; he was more subtle than that. Maybe he could put the light back in her eyes.
“You’re very quiet, boss,” Kip said, glancing at Bryce out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not even doing any flips. What’s on your min
d?”
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“Just making a mental note of the things I need to get.
Thanks for dropping off the films at the Wisconsin lab.”
“Sure. I’ll have to get more fuel, anchor rope and such.
We’ll be landing near the dock cabin. Okay by you?”
Bryce nodded, then strained to look out the cabin window. “Our jeep is parked there. I’ll be using that to get around.”
In a short while, Kip touched down on the blacktopped landing area. He tipped his index finger in a playful salute as Bryce ducked and rushed toward the Park Service parking lot.
Minutes later, Bryce ran lightly up the steps and pulled open the door of The Tug. Leanna would soon look up from her computer and there he would be standing in front of her.
This time he hoped she’d look up with delight instead of the blanched look he had gotten the last time.
The bell overhead tinkled as he walked in. His gaze sought the counter where he’d seen Leanna last time and he stood frozen for a moment.
“May I help you?” It was one of the elderly ladies he’d held open the door for last time. “Oh, it’s you, Mr.
Robertson. How are you?” She pushed aside a cardboard box on the counter. “You and your men have been so quiet over at the island that we’d all been wondering what you were up to.”
“Actually, we’ve been busy tracking wolves,” Bryce replied with a grin. He ignored the impatient thud in his chest. “Is…er…Leanna here?”
“No, she works part of the day managing apartments.”
With annoying deliberation Alice started taking out small shell-like objects by the handful. She seemed determined not to say anything more and just keep him swallowing his impatience.
“Really?” Bryce gave her a bright smile which caused her to abandon her work and gape at him. “Which apartments?”
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He picked up a postcard with studied carelessness and put it back.
“The new Lakeview Apartments, a mile up toward town.
They belong to Nolan Packard. He owns several buildings around Pelican Harbor.”
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