Page 62 of Burning Hearts

Logan went out after her.

He grabbed the toggles and kept his focus on Jamie, watching the wind currents that swept her toward the ground. To his right, at the peak that dropped down into the valley, ATVs crested the ridge.

He clocked the others’ chutes, saying a prayer for each one.

A couple of the smokejumpers were already out of sight, on the ground or over the farthest ridge. Safe and out of the way.

To his left, the plane streamed smoke all the way down the valley.

It hit the ground and flipped, bursting into flames.

* * *

If they survived this, Jamie was going tokill him.She screamed all the way to the ground, barely pausing to catch her breath. After a while, the energy to keep up the loud screech dissipated, and she didn’t start up again after the sharp inhale.

Wind battered her, drying her eyes. Whipping her hair all over the place.

The flames from the plane were like a firepit at the end of the valley, but there was nothing inviting about it. Saxon and Neil were dead. That sweet older man. His wife was going to be devastated.

Who knew who else was no longer living?

She couldn’t even think to pray. All she could do was hang on, her mind stuck between blind terror andI have no idea what I’m doing.

The chute swept her to some trees, and she kicked one. It scratched at her.

Jamie dropped between two Alaska spruces, and the chute tangled, jerked her around like a bad boyfriend. She stopped, swaying in mid air. Tangled in the tree.

Hanging from the tree.

I’m gonna kill you, Logan Crawford.

She didn’t even know where he was! He’d just shoved her out of that plane like Rio had shoved Skye off the bridge. Sure, doing so saved her life in the end and got her away from the bad guys, but come on! This was not her world. Not her life.

A single flicker whispered to life in the back of her mind.

It could be.

Jamie couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying. Alaska was beautiful, sure. Logan was here, and they loved each other. The rest of it was just scary.

A branch snapped.

Jamie gasped.

Material tore. She dropped to the ground. A cry escaped her lips, and she managed at the last second to remember to roll. Her legs crumpled under her, and she kept moving.

Her head swam as she rolled…

Downhill?

Jamie tried to fight against the material and rope wrapping around her. Before she could make any progress, she slammed into a tree. All the air in her lungs expelled at once, and she rolled back to stare up at the sky.

Jesus…

She had nothing else right now. But she knew deep in her heart that she would always have God with her, no matter what. No matter how far she went, or how bad things got, the Lord would always be by her side. Just like Logan had said before they’d jumped,The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.“Do not be afraid.”

There was no sound to her voice. Only her lips moved and a whisper of breath left in her. But it was enough to pray.

Jamie lay there, unable to do anything but breathe in and out, fully aware of the presence of God with her. More than at any other time in her life.

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