Page 88 of The Mechanics of Lust

I might not be sharing that with Zach as I’d hoped, but I’d survived too much and lost too much to ignore the things that sparked any kind of fire in my belly. With or without Zach, I wasn’t going anywhere. The contract had been drawn up and there was no going back. Oakwood was home for the foreseeable future, and that meant I had to find a way to deal with seeing Zach and knowing he wasn’t mine.

I’d just finished wiping down the interior of the chopper and was about to power wash the outside when Gary hurtled out of his office waving his phone.

* * *

Zach and the others were waiting as I finalised my approach. The sight of him standing there did weird things to my heart, all the regret and yearning rising like bile in my throat. I swallowed hard. I couldn’t afford to be distracted, not today.

The daylight and visibility were still decent at Miller Station, but a thick blanket of cloud hung over the sawtooth ranges to the west, and it was beginning to roll down the sides and into the valley in soft, pillowy grey folds. Lane Station sat in the next valley over, under all that cloud. I’d passed the southern end as I’d flown in, and just getting Zach safely to his family’s home at the northern tip was going to mean tightly following the road rather than up and over the ranges as I would normally do. It was going to be a squeeze.

Dressed in full search and rescue winter gear, Zach appeared calm, but I knew better. His jaw had a steely set, his body poised and tense, those pretty green eyes daring anyone to get in his way.Oh boy.One look and I knew I had my work cut out for me.I set the skids down on the damp grass and took a deep breath. Keeping that man from putting his life at risk over the next few hours was going to be nigh on impossible.

He watched me land, hopping impatiently from foot to foot, his dogs harnessed, a huge pack leaning against his leg, not even bothering to turn away from the rotor wash like Gil and Holden did.

I knew that look. There was no way Zach was going to hang about waiting for Blue and Doug before he set out after his dad.

Just as well I had one or two ideas about that.

I glanced at my gear in the back and thanked Gary for having the foresight to insist I pack heavy. Every Wild Run pilot underwent basic alpine survival training, and our choppers carried an impressive emergency kit.

The second the rotors had slowed enough, Zach was at the door with Gil and Holden on his heels.

Holden stuck his head into the cockpit. “How’s the cloud looking around Lane’s?”

I shook my head. “Not great. And it’s ten degrees and dropping.”

“Please tell me you’ve got a satphone on you.”

I patted my flight suit pocket.

He relaxed. “Zach’s promised to keep us up to date. Call if you need us. Good luck.”

“Don’t need luck,” Zach called from outside. “I’ll find them.”

Gil caught my eye and flicked his head toward Zach, mouthing the words, “Keep him safe.”

I answered with my best you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look, because really? There was no question in my mind where this was headed. It wouldn’t matter what the weather was like, Zach was headed up that mountain after his father and brother regardless. And no one was going to stop him.

Unaware of the exchange, Zach finished settling Jojo and Nina inside their carriers, then our eyes met briefly and he nodded. “Thanks for doing this, Luke. It means a lot.”

I frowned at his words. “Jesus, Zach. What the hell else was I going to do? It’s your dad and your brother. Now stop saying stupid shit and let’s get you over there. Gary says he’s a good mind to charge your dad for the nuisance value alone once we get the idiot back on safer ground.”

“You’ll have to get in line.” Zach loaded his pack onto the back seat, surveyed my gear, and threw me a curious look. “And where exactly do you think you’re going with all this?”

I levelled a look his way. “Whereveryouare, so shut up and get in.”

“Oh no, no, no.” He shook his head. “You’re not train—”

“Shut the fuck up and get into your seat. You’re not the only one who can do shit. Do you think I’d just be winging it if this thing crashed up on a glacier? Or maybe you want to drive to your parents’ place instead?”

He stared me down for a few seconds, then mumbled something under his breath that sounded like “Bossy fucker,” and “We’ll see about that,” and clambered into the front seat.

Only then did I remember Gil and Holden still standing there, and when I looked up, sure enough, the two of them were giving us decidedly odd looks.Well, shit.

Gil caught my eye and one of those carefully manicured brows arched in unspoken enquiry. Great.Just what I needed. Waterboarding had nothing on those eyebrows. Holden said something into Gil’s ear and Gil nodded, but I had zero time to worry about whatever they were thinking. I belted my harness, gave Zach’s a tug to check it was secure, and then we were off.

It should’ve been a short fifteen-minute flight, a hop over the ranges and down into the next valley. But with the dense cloud hugging the peaks, I had to sweep back along the valley road toward Lake Tekapo and then turn north again to follow Lane Station’s access road all the way back to their homestead.

For the first few minutes, the atmosphere inside the cockpit was thick enough to cut with a knife. With his gaze locked forward, his body rigid, and his hands clenched in his lap, Zach was practically vibrating.

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