Page 46 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
I looked over the valley again, seeing not just its wounds but its potential.The Roberts Mine could be operated with integrity rather than greed.Angel Spring could heal under proper stewardship.
“Now I stay,” I said with certainty.“We stay.”
Her smile was all the confirmation I needed.The lone wolf had found his pack in the promise of a future built with the woman beside me.My grumpy, solitary existence had been shattered by a plane crash and a cheerful, superstitious pilot who refused to be intimidated by my temper.
Angel Spring would know a different kind of Roberts leadership now.And I would know a different kind of life, one where running was no longer necessary, where facing the past meant building a future.
Chapter 13
TANNER
I stood in the center of the town’s community center.The polished oak conference table stretched before me, pristine and waiting for a meeting that would shape this town’s future.Our future.The humble surroundings were a far cry from the boardroom at Roberts Mining’s headquarters, but it was neutral ground, belonging neither to Song nor Roberts.
The door creaked open, and Felicity slipped in, carrying two steaming mugs.Her honey-blonde hair was pulled back in a practical knot, and despite the casual attire, I caught the faint scent of jet fuel clinging to her clothes.She’d flown out at dawn to check on her mother at the nursing home in Huntington Harbor, yet here she was, ready to support me in this important meeting with Logan.
“The Song contingent just arrived,” she informed me, her voice steady with the same calm I’d first noticed in the cockpit during our ill-fated flight.“They’re just reviewing some documents in the lobby.”
I nodded, straightening my tie and rolling back my shoulders.I drew strength from Felicity’s resilience and the way she seamlessly balanced her life here with her weekly flights to the city to oversee her mother’s care.What had started as an emergency pilot assignment had become something neither of us could have anticipated.
The door opened with a decisive click, revealing Logan flanked by an advisor.His tall frame commanded attention despite the lingering stiffness in his movements from the wounds he’d sustained during our battle with Victoria.The scars of that confrontation were still healing, both on our bodies and across this valley.
“Roberts,” he acknowledged with a nod before turning to Felicity with more genuine regard.“Captain Foster.Your proposed emergency medical transport flight paths look solid.My team approved the funding this morning.”
Felicity’s eyes lit up.“That’s excellent news.”
Maps and environmental reports covered the table between us as we sat down.The colored markings showed contamination zones, toxic hot spots, and the slow creep of poison through groundwater channels that fed the entire valley.
“The contamination extends further than we initially thought,” I explained, indicating the red-marked areas that stretched well beyond the mine’s immediate vicinity.“These test results came in yesterday.The eastern aquifer is showing traces of heavy metals.”
Felicity leaned forward, her pilot’s eye for detail evident as she traced the aerial survey lines.“These flight patterns I’ve mapped can monitor the spread more efficiently.They’re the same techniques used to track weather systems for safety.We can mount specialized equipment on the undercarriage to measure concentrations without disturbing the soil further.”
Logan studied the maps with a grim expression, his finger tracing the path of toxins through the groundwater.“My environmental team estimates three years for full remediation if we start immediately.”His jaw tightened.“That timeline assumes no further spread.”
I pushed forward a detailed proposal for a joint venture between Roberts Mining and Song Timber that would revolutionize how both companies operated in Angel Spring.The thick folder contained a vision that would have been unthinkable a year ago.
“Environmentally conscious management,” Logan mused, leafing through the documents with raised eyebrows.“Your father would call this bleeding heart liberalism.”
“My father is dead,” I replied flatly.“And his methods nearly destroyed this town.I’m proposing something different.Sustainable operations that benefit the community instead of poisoning it.”
My bluntness hung in the air between us.Logan’s expression remained unreadable, but his shoulders relaxed fractionally.
Hours of negotiation followed.Logan and I discovered unexpected common ground in our vision for Angel Spring’s revival.We argued over budget allocations, timelines, and jurisdiction, but the fundamental agreement to heal what our families had broken never wavered.
Felicity’s aviation expertise became the unexpected bridge in our discussion.Her practical knowledge of logistics and emergency response systems proved invaluable to our joint planning, bringing up solutions that neither of us had considered.
“The medical center needs helicopter access,” she insisted.“I’ve seen too many rural patients deteriorate during long ground transports.Cutting travel time in half could mean the difference between life and death for trauma cases.”
When Logan questioned the cost of such extensive air transport capabilities, Felicity pulled up comparative mortality statistics on her tablet.“These numbers represent people, not statistics,” she said firmly, her usual cheerfulness replaced by resolute determination.“The aerial medical transport network needs to be our first joint priority.Look at these outcomes from similar rural communities with and without air access.”
Logan studied the figures, his expression shifting.“Song Timber will contribute fifty million to fast-track the medical transport infrastructure if Roberts Mining matches it.”
“Done,” I agreed without hesitation, extending my hand to seal the agreement.For the first time, the names Roberts and Song were attached to creation rather than destruction.
Six weeks later, Felicity landed the first emergency transport helicopter on the newly constructed helipad, the aircraft emblazoned with both Roberts and Song logos.
I watched from the ground as she expertly guided the craft down.The same woman who cheerfully hummed while making coffee each morning was now literally saving lives above Angel Spring.The rotors whipped dust around me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the cockpit where she sat, completely in her element.
Felicity’s community information sessions with Dr.Wu expanded to include first aid and emergency preparedness training.What started as small gatherings in the town hall grew until she had to move them to the community center.Her patience and clarity drew people who’d never trusted corporate initiatives before.
