Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“No,” May said immediately. “You deserve to get away from work, too. Let’s go to the Green Plate. We can grab the back booth and have some privacy.”
More dishes clanged. “Excellent. How about one thirty?”
“I’ll be there. Thanks.” May ended the call and stared at her reflection in the dark screen for a second. Maybe Amka could help her figure all of this out.
Chapter Eighteen
Ace left Smitty’s cabin feeling like he’d been shoved through a hamburger grinder and spit out on the other side. The air outside hit him warm and bright with the kind of clean summer heat that didn’t last long in Knife’s Edge. Sunlight filtered through the tall spruce, catching on dust and pine sap. Birds were loud again now that the storm had moved on. Everything looked peaceful.
That feeling of peace eluded him. He stopped short when he saw Christian leaning against the front of his truck, arms crossed, one boot hooked over the bumper as he watched him.
“Hey, Ace.” Christian straightened and looked him over. “Wow. Did Smitty punch you a few times or what?”
Ace scrubbed a hand over his jaw. His face felt tight, like he hadn’t blinked enough in the last hour. “No. It just felt like it. Why are you here?”
Christian’s expression didn’t change much. If he didn’t want to share his feelings, there was no getting past that wall. “I was just scouting around.”
Ace slowed. “Did you follow me?”
“No.” Christian shifted his weight. “I often swing by here to make sure everything’s okay with Smitty. I saw your truck, so I figured I’d wait. You look like you need a drink. Or five.”
“He gave me one,” Ace said. It had been enough to loosen things he’d kept locked tight for months.
Christian grinned, a dimple flashing deep in his cheek. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. The edge that defined him was in full force today. “That tracks.”
“What’s going on with you?” Ace asked.
Christian shrugged, then put two fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle that cut clean through the trees.
A blur of gray and white burst from the brush. The half-dog, half-wolf bounded across the clearing and launched itself at Christian’s side before spotting Ace.
“Hey, Tika.” Ace dropped to his haunches and braced as the animal crashed into him with solid muscle. He buried his hands into the ruff at Tika’s neck and gave him a hard scratch down his spine. The animal leaned into it, tail sweeping wide arcs. He had one blue eye and one bluish-brown and was smarter than the rest of them put together. “You got him chasing wildlife again?” Ace asked, glancing up.
“He’s been restless lately,” Christian said. “I think he likes snow better than sun. Maybe it’s too warm for him right now.”
“Maybe.” Ace stood, brushing dirt from his jeans, his frayed instincts still humming. His brother seemed off. “What’s going on with you, C?”
“I don’t know.” Christian moved around the truck and opened the back door without another word. Tika didn’t hesitate. He hopped up onto the seat and turned in a tight circle before settling, his tongue lolling.
Ace watched them both. “I guess I’m taking you and your dog somewhere?”
“Yeah.” Christian slid into the passenger seat and shut the door.
“All right.” Ace walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. The interior of the truck smelled faintly of oil, pine needles, and last winter’s snow gear that still lived behind the seat. He started the engine. It rumbled low and steady, dependable in a way flying no longer felt. He eased the truck away from what could generously be called Smitty’s drive and turned onto the narrow forest road. “You want to talk about it?” Ace asked.
Christian stared out the window, elbow resting on the door, jaw tight. “It’s Amka.”
Ace adjusted the rearview mirror. “What about her?”
“There’s something off.” Christian kept his eyes on the passing trees.
“Huh.” Ace shifted around a pothole and let the truck climb the brief incline toward the main road. “Amka’s a pretty open book. What do you think is going on?”
Christian exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”
“Try.”
Christian dragged a hand through his hair. “Maybe she doesn’t want me to go to training. I’ll be gone for three months. Off and on. I plan to come back during weekends and stuff.” He finally looked over at Ace. “I’m hoping you’ll be flying by then.”
Ace gave a humorless huff. “By next week?”
Christian didn’t smile. The forest opened briefly to a view of the valley below, green and wide under the blue sky. “You talked to Smitty for three hours.”
“Yeah.” Ace kept his eyes on the road. “I’m not fixed, C. After a session with Smitty, I kind of want to crawl in a hole with a bottle of Jack.”
Christian’s wide shoulders shifted as he faced forward again. “I think that’s part of what they call the process.”