ChapterThree
Sunny tossed her pack into the back of her brother Tiikâan’s Piper PA-18 and climbed in. Her brother adjusted her gear with a huff and strapped it down with a bungee cord. He’d been on her all morning to call the trip off, so if he was upset about her not stowing her gear correctly, she’d revel in her passive-aggressive action.
“You know I’m right.” He shut the door and walked around the front of the plane, eyeing her the entire way. When he opened the pilot’s door, he started right back in. “The weather’s been horrible the last week. Instead of trekking through the normal muskeg and tundra, which is bad enough, you’ll deal with swollen creeks and muddy terrain.”
“So.” Sunny fiddled with her camera, making sure it was ready to shoot.
“So? So, you get stuck in there, and I won’t be able to come get you.” He clicked on the engine, muttering under his breath about pain-in-the-butt little sisters.
She ignored her big, dumb brother’s remarks. Kind of.
“Come on, Teeee-khaaan, when’d you turn into an old man?” She drew out his name and poked him in the arm.
He swatted her hand away. “I’m not an old man. I’m just smart. You don’t know the Interior like I do.”
“Really? If I remember right, I’ve climbed Denali more times than I have fingers to count. That doesn’t include the other mountains I’ve summited around the world, you know… like that big one they call Everest. I’ve spent almost a month trekking across sea ice toward the North Pole, kayaked the Aleutian Islands on my own for a month, and spent my childhood hunting and camping in this area. And you’re worried about me getting muddy?” She huffed a laugh and shook her head. “It’s an adventure. It’s supposed to be difficult.”
“It’s just—”
When he didn’t continue, she turned in her seat. “It’s just what?”
“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling, is all.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s just that I’m leaving for the North Slope tomorrow, and I won’t be around if you need help.”
Okay. Her big, dumb brother wasn’t all that dumb, just a protective teddy bear. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Too bad he had just gotten hired by a company up in Barrow to fly the company’s executive around for the next few months. She might’ve been able to talk him into coming with her otherwise.
“Maybe you’re more nervous about your own new adventure than you’re letting on? I mean, it’s kind of a deviation from your normal clientele.” She poked him in the arm.
“Yeah. Catering to business execs is a heck of a lot different from hunters, but it will set me up for getting my guiding business to the next level.”
“I’m excited for you, and when I get back from this trek, I might just fly up to Barrow to visit.”
“Great. I’ll put you to work as a copilot.”
She tipped back her head and laughed. They both knew she’d never had much luck flying planes. Flipping her camera on, she pointed it at her brother.
“So, Captain Tiikâan, are we ready to fly?”
“Ready as we’ll ever be. Buckle up, Sunshine.” He winked at the camera and slid on his aviator glasses.
She could already see the comments rolling in from her female subscribers. They’d lost their minds over Gunnar’s segments during the expedition to the North Pole. Seeing another good-looking Rebel man on the screen would be good for the ratings. She turned the camera to her, deciding to add fuel to the flames.
“He’s single, ladies. Good with money, engines, and animals. He has a tender heart, a sturdy plane, and a smile to melt over.”
“Sunniva May Rebel, you better not put that on your channel,” he said as he fired up the propeller.
“What? I couldn’t hear you over the noise.”
“Oh, you heard me all right.” He shook his head and lifted his hand at their parents standing off to the side of the short landing strip on their property.
Sunny turned the camera out the windshield and waved at her parents. She loved her family, but she couldn’t leave soon enough. They all had questioned her going. She’d like to think she was strong enough that the requests hadn’t tempted her to stay, but they had. Being alone had never been something she was good at. She blamed growing up in a big family. She’d rarely known what loneliness was.
Now… it consumed her.
But she needed it, right? Needed to grow up and do life on her own for a bit. She didn’t want to be that person, always desperate for others. No, she wanted to be just as happy in her own company as when she had people around.
She filmed the Alaskan bush as they flew over tundra, rivers, and forests. When she got enough footage, she set the camera on her lap and gazed out the side window. She had a map and a compass, but seeing what she’d be trekking through left her slightly daunted.
Thirty minutes later, a gust of wind jerked the small plane just as the skies opened up and released a torrent. Tiikâan lifted an eyebrow at her in a told-you-so move. She just shrugged. A little rain never hurt anyone.