“Stop it. I knew what you meant and you couldn’t be more right anyway.” He put a hand beneath her chin to raise up her face and kissed her. After a moment she relaxed into it, and as always that longing that was never very far off simmer anyway came to its usual instantaneous boil.

She smiled against his mouth. “Hold that thought, Campbell.”

“Text me when you’re fifteen minutes out.”

She saluted and did a quick walk-around to make sure nothing had fallen off the plane in between the time she took off from Anchorage and landed in Blewestown while he loaded the body bag into the plane. She climbed back in the Cessna and he closed the door behind her, watching through the window as she donned the headset and picked up the checklist. He stepped back and after a few moments the engine fired and the prop began to turn. She smiled at him and he stood there watching until she had lifted off again into the sky, as always making it look graceful and effortless.

Flying always looked so much better from the ground.

He got in his truck and drove back into town. When he turned onto Alder the first thing he saw was Sybilla Karlsen, making her way down the hill. At least this time she had her clothes on. He sighed, put the truck into park, and got out. “Hello again, Mrs. Karlsen.” He doffed his cap.

With the erratic memory of someone who has lived a very long time, she knew him at once. “Sergeant Campbell.” She patted her hair. “How nice to see you again. What brings you out on this beautiful day?”

He refrained from pointing to either the post half a block up the hill from where they were standing or the cloudy sky overhead, and said, “Just taking in the sights, ma’am. Yourself?”

For the first time she looked a little uncertain. “I was on my way home.”

He indicated his truck with a sweep of his hand. “May I offer you a lift?”

She fluttered a little as her cheeks went pink. “Why, how kind, Sergeant. It’s just up the hill from here.”

“I remember, ma’am.” He gave her a discreet boost into the passenger seat, whereupon she fluttered some more, and got back into the pickup and put it in gear. When they passed the post she said, “Oh yes, you have that nice young Sally Petroff working for you, don’t you? Such a sweet girl. Pity about the tragedy. I always felt so sorry for Kimberley.”

Liam stopped at the stop sign at Sourdough, waited for traffic, and proceeded across the intersection. “Tragedy, ma’am?”

“Young men can be so thoughtless, don’t you agree?”

“I do,” Liam said. They drew up in front of Sunset Heights, to meet an attendant coming out of the door who looked relieved when she saw Sybilla. “Sybilla, you had us worried.” She smiled at Liam over Sybilla’s head. “Thank you…”