Page 85 of His One True Wish

Instead of taking the sled back to the airport, I dug out the Jeep and loaded up the snowmobile. I left Cam at the house and drove into town listening to Houses of the Holy by Zeppelin. The Rain Song began to play as I reached Smoke River.

Oh

Talk, talk, talk, talk

Hey, I felt the coldness of my winter

I never thought it would ever go

As if the weather knew the lyrics, the snowflakes turned soggy and wet as they hit my windshield.

“Rain,” I muttered, feeling the slush of the snow beneath the tires. “Damn weather.”

The only thing worse than never-ending snow was the temperature rising too fast. There was so much snow covering this town that if it melted too fast the river would rise. I’d take care of that after I checked in with Miles.

The parking lot of the Buzz On In was full of melting, gray snow, bleak and wet. A plow pushed slushy snow aside and sprinkling salt on the runway. Pilots were driving planes under cover to do checks. I looked at the sky. It was heavy and gray, but the weather wouldn’t stop anybody from taking off today. Now that the snow was on its wayout, I hope it faded fast before another freeze came on and turned this whole town into a goddamn ice rink.

The bells to the cafe door rang as I stepped inside.

“Hey, Axl,” Alfie said, leaning over the counter. The booths were no longer packed with people. Most everyone had power now, and I figured life was getting back to normal.Things were changing fast. “Hey, your dad around?”

“Yeah, he’s in the office and in the control tower,” Alfie said. “We have one flight ready to go. Just making sure the runway is clear.”

“All right. I’ll head on out there.”

I turned to go just as Angel stepped in front of me, holding a carafe of coffee in her hand. “Hey, darling,” she said. “You got a minute?

CHAPTER 25

AXL

“Iknow that I’m the last person you want to talk to,” she said, “but I made a good pot of coffee and you look like a man who could use a cup.”

“Angel, I’m not in the mood.”

“Axl, just sit down and talk to me,” she said, nodding to a booth.

I glanced into the kitchen to see Alfie raise his eyebrows at me. I didn’t want him to see me acting like a dick, so I sunk into the booth and extended my hand.

“There you go,” Angel said. She placed two mugs on the table. She poured me a cup and pushed it toward me before pouring one for herself.

I took a sip while Angel opened four creamers and two packs of raw sugar.

“Can you even taste your coffee?” I asked, managing a smile.

“You know I can’t handle anything bitter.”

“I know,” I said, smiling at her.

Angel’s long red hair was pulled into a ponytail that trailed down the front of her shirt. She didn’t have on her regular smokey eye liner, and her lips were missing their trademark red pout. She wore a long-sleeved, black T-shirt under her green apron, making her look a bitlike a Starbucks barista. She looked different, that was for sure. She tossed her hair aside, revealing a name tag.

“So, you’re official,” I said.

She laughed, and leaned forward. “Alfie made it for me. He is quite the little techie, and he makes a mean omelette.”

“Angel, please tell me you are not fucking Mason’s son.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

“No,” she said. “I mean, he does have a wicked crush on me, but can you blame him?”

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