ranges filled with mining ghost towns and lakes that made the scenery a never-ending tapestry of beauty.
“We’re flying over a portion of the Sapphires on our way,” he explained after they’d reached cruising altitude. “Did I tell you we’re finally showing some real progress on getting rid of the pollution from the old mines?”
“Yes.” She chuckled. He couldn’t help talking about his ideas for cleaning up the rivers to help the fish population thrive.
“I’m happy about the decline in the wolf population, too. Wolves are on a downward trend in the area. It means the tools we’re using to manage them are effective. The impact we’re making there is positive, and there’s more good news. The bill to reintroduce grizzlies into the area was postponed for a month due to pressure from our side. That particular ranching coalition is a tough group, but we’ve prevailed so far.”
“I know you were strongly against it.” Jasmine looked down at the green canopy below.
When she was young and on a hike with her parents, she remembered seeing a grizzly with her two cubs up in the Coffin Lakes area. Her father had whispered, “Isn’t she a magnificent animal?”
Her mother had replied, “And she’s a good mother, too.”
“They have no place in today’s world.” Rob kept talking while she was still thinking about that campout with her folks. “There’s enough trauma without inviting more. Fortunately, enough of my constituents agree with me.”
She felt like changing the subject. “When was the last time you took a real vacation?”
“It’s been a while, but there never seems to be enough time.”
“That’s because you thrive on work.”
“Don’t you?”
“Not in the same way.” It wasn’t a career that consumed her day and night.
“Why do I get the feeling you resent me for it, and that’s why you haven’t flown with me until now.”
“That’s not true at all,” she said. “Please, don’t think that. To love your work makes you who you are. I’m so impressed by your energy and excitement.”
“Impressed enough to want to be my wife?”
There it was! The question she’d been dreading. She hadn’t expected it right this second and clasped her hands in her lap.
“Rob—”
After a silence he said, “That wasn’t the one-word answer I wanted to hear. I knew you were the one for me when we first met. Surely you’ve realized I’m in love with you, Jasmine.”
She wished she could say the same, but she couldn’t. “I care for you a lot, Rob. Otherwise I wouldn’t be with you now, but—”
“But your feelings aren’t strong enough to say you’ll marry me,” he broke in on her.
“I need more time to commit to a decision that will change my whole life.”
“How much more? I’d hoped we’d return from our trip with the engagement ring I bought for you on your finger. I want it there when we attend the rally in three weeks. It’s a good thing I know your feelings now instead of at dinner when I’d planned to propose to you.”
Her heart sank. “I’m so sorry, Rob. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I’ve always been slower to make any important decision. It’s my nature. You know I think you’re wonderful, or I wouldn’t have come with you.”
She felt horrible and wished she hadn’t agreed to come with him. Now she’d ruined the weekend. In the silence she suddenly heard a thump and then there was a burst of feathers in the cockpit. A bird had crashed through the windshield. The propeller fluttered before the engine died.
Jasmine cried out Rob’s name, but his focus was on the controls, pushing in knobs, pulling out others. He turned to her. “We’ve hit a hawk, and now we’re going to have to put her down in the mountains.”
“We’re going to crash, aren’t we?”
“Afraid so, but we have about ninety seconds before we reach the treetops. After impact, we have to get out as quickly as we can. If I’m unconscious, remember to pull these latches to get out of your seat belt and get me out of mine. You need to get away from the plane as fast as possible. Now I want you to cover your head with your arms.”
She turned straight forward in a state of shock while she heard him call, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.” Jasmine couldn’t believe this was happening to them.
“Look—right over there. A logging road that might open into a small meadow. I’m going to head for that. Let’s pray she glides to the opening, and we don’t hit the trees.”
While Jasmine was praying with all her might, she heard him repeat, “Come on, come on. I don’t know if we’re going to make it, but we’re going to try.”
The next thing she was aware of was the crush of branches, and she realized the tail was raking through the trees. All of a sudden she was thrown forward in her seat, and the plane hit the ground. In that horrific moment it slid up a slope to a stop.
Amazed she was still alive, she turned to Jim. His head lay against the side window. She cried his name, but he didn’t respond. He’d been knocked out, but she didn’t see any blood except some cuts on his hands and arms. It took her a minute to think.
If I’m unconscious, remember to pull the latches to get out of your seat belt.
She followed his instructions and reached for the latch to extricate herself. Then she pulled his latch. He still wasn’t moving. She felt for a pulse. He was still alive, thank God.
She had to get them out of there, but when she tried to open her door, it wouldn’t budge. She tried again before realizing it had been dented on impact and would need force in order to pry it open.
The only thing to do was climb out the shattered windshield and jump down so she could pull him out of the plane on his side. First she had to push out the broken glass so she wouldn’t cut herself exiting the cockpit.
With her adrenaline gushing, she cleared it enough to get through, then climbed up on the seat. After gripping part of the dented frame, she swung herself through and took a leap. The ground came up hard, almost knocking the wind out of her. Nausea swept through her. When she could find the strength to stand, she hurried around to the pilot’s side of the plane.
She reached for the door handle and opened it. Jim was six feet and a dead weight in her arms. She tried to work him out of his seat belt. If he had internal injuries or a broken neck or bones, she had no way of knowing. All that mattered was to get them as far away from the plane as possible before something exploded.
Wymon had been driving along one of the logging roads in the Sapphires for about ten minutes when he saw a single engine plane plunge into the trees directly ahead of him.
His
