Page 96 of Reluctant Chemistry

Looking back at Tayla, she hesitated.

“You’ll be fine,” he soothed. “I promise.”

“Have fun, you two.” Tayla waved and walked back inside, leaving CeCe alone with Luka.

Head down and jacket pulled close across her chest, CeCe followed him to the helicopter, the same one he’d flown at Station Winery. Once on board, he handed her a headset before fitting his own.

She held on tight to the sides of her seat as they lifted off, that usual nervousness in her stomach refusing to settle. “Where are we going?”

He headed out over Petrie Bay, then inland to the west. “Up to the national park. It’s magic on a beautiful day.”

“Did your boss say it was okay?”

“I’m not working today.”

“Then how come you have the use of a chopper?”

“This is mine, not SAR’s.”

What?“You own your own chopper? How did I not know this?”

“There are lots of things you don’t know about me.” He flashed her a cocky grin, and as they flew over the rugged terrain of the park, her hands relaxed at her sides. Luka was right: it was amazing on a beautiful day—lush and green against the blue sky.

Luka landed in the same spot as Russo had, adjacent to the hut that had protected her from the elements all those weeks ago. She looked at him and frowned as the blades above spun to a slow turn. “I can’t go inside.”

“That’s up to you. I know you were scared, but this hut kept you safe. Imagine how much worse it would have been if you were stuck where you fell.” He offered his hand once more. “Coming?”

Rooted to the spot, CeCe looked at the hut, then back at Luka. “Will you stay with me?”

“Always. Come on.”

The door stood ajar when they reached the hut, and CeCe hesitated once again before stepping across the threshold. She looked around. The room was larger than she recalled and tidy, as if someone had given it a going-over with a broom and a bucket of hot, soapy water. Although it didn’t smell as bad as it had that night, there was still a mustiness about the space, like too many people had slept in there with unwashed socks on.

CeCe sat on the same bottom bunk, her arms folded against one another. “I lost my watch under this bunk. It’s funny what comes back to you. I loved that watch. It was a Garmin—kept reminding me when to move. By the time you turned up, I’d forgotten all about it.”

Luka dropped to his knees and searched under the slats. “Looks like you might have to ask Santa for a new one.”

“Yes, I guess I will.” She trailed a finger along the end of the bunk and dropped her shoulders. “Thank you for bringing me here. You’re right. It doesn’t seem so scary in the sunlight.”

“I’m glad. It’s such an amazing place—I mean the park, not the hut. I didn’t want one unpleasant experience to taint your memories of it. My father always says it’s good to tie up the loose ends of your life.”

CeCe nodded. Since the rescue, she’d tried to banish her time in this hut from her thoughts, but whenever vivid images surfaced, that’s exactly what the memories felt like. Frayed loose ends. “That’s good advice.”

“Are you ready to go?”

She swallowed hard, determined not to cry in front of him. “May I have a minute?”

“Sure, I’ll just be outside,” he said gently.

Standing in the middle of the confined space, CeCe failed to stop a few tears from falling. She swiped her cheeks with the back of both hands, and just like last time, wished she had a rock. “Thanks, Anna,” she whispered. “If it was you looking after me that night, thank you so much.”

Luka looked up as she walked toward him. He opened his arms, and as she slipped into his embrace, it felt like coming home. They held one another in comfortable silence for several moments until she pulled back and gazed up at him. “You really are a kind man, Luka O’Leary.”

“Yeah?” He put on his aviators and smiled. “Come on, let’s fly over the falls on the way home.”

Home.

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