Page 98 of One Last Chance

Axel stepped back, holding Flynn’s hand as Moose turned the plane for takeoff. In moments, it arched around the lake and headed south.

And suddenly, he prayed with everything inside him that Moose was right . . . and that God was on their side.

* * *

And this was why he should never get married. Never have kids.

Moose stood in the parking lot outside the Tooth, watching as the rescue truck pulled away, Boo and Dr. Effie in the back with Echo and Dodge, Shep at the helm.

He wrapped his hand behind his neck, blew out a breath.

“You good, boss?” London glanced at him, her medical bag over her shoulder. She so often stayed in the shadows that sometimes he forgot she was around. She preferred it that way, and he knew why, but sometimes he looked up to see her standing there, watching, thinking, listening, and she seemed more like a covert agent than a woman trying to shake off her broken past.

But she’d come highly recommended last year—pilot, rescue tech, with medical skills, and Shep had vouched for her too—so he’d taken her on.

Hadn’t regretted it. And she’d joined the team without hesitation, even if she kept pretty close-lipped about her past.

Maybe they all did. He didn’t exactly open up about?—

“Is that how you live with Aven’s death?”

Axel’s words in his mind added to the silence between himself and London, and he finally just nodded.

“I’m exhausted,” London said. She keyed in the code to the door of the Tooth and headed inside, down to the supply room. “I’m headed home, unless you want to grab a pizza or something.”

He followed her in, turned on the light “No. Not hungry.”

Actually, starved, but maybe not the kind of hungry that meant sharing a pizza with London. Maybe he could wait for Shep and Boo to return, but . . .

Nope, only one place he wanted to be.

Should be, really.

He pulled out his phone and called Axel.

His brother picked up on the first ring. “How’s Echo?”

“Not sure. She’s headed to the hospital. Her pressure dropped in the air, but the baby’s heartbeat is still beating strong. Where are you guys?”

“Back at the house. Mom’s making dinner. Flynn got a couple of reports from Hank and Deke and is doing some internet sleuthing. Dad is catching up onThe Sizeup. Did you know that Oaken used that song he was working on at your house in the show?”

“No.” He paused. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“You’re not . . . everything’s?—”

“I’m fine, Moose. If you hear anything about Echo, call.”

“Axel—”

“We all made it off the mountain. And thanks for the pep talk. You headed back to Copper Mountain?”

“Not tonight.”

Another pause. “I’m not the only one who needs to consider his regrets. G ’night, bro.” Axel hung up. Moose watched London lift her hand in a wave as she headed outside.

So maybe pride sat behind his regrets too. The regrets that kept him from returning to the Skyport.

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