“Of course you do,” I murmured.
Toren’s low chuckle filled my ear.
I ignored him and kept my eyes on the ground flying by beneath us.
“That looks like a good spot. Let’s take a closer peek, shall we?” Grinning ear-to-ear, Walker angled the plane toward the river in a steep dive.
I let out a little squeal. “You might be a stunt pilot, but I’m not. Can you cool it?”
“Sorry, can’t. It’s a tight squeeze.”
Sparing a glance at Walker’s face, I expected to see levity on his handsome features, but instead, all I saw was fierce concentration.
For some reason that both calmed me and alarmed me more.
“That looks like it’ll work,” Toren said.
Head turning to the left, Walker pulled back on the yoke, taking us above the treetops again. We banked left.
“I agree. It’s tight, but doable.”
I straightened my spine, peering through Walker’s window as the plane turned. “Where are you talking about? There’s nothing down there but water and trees.”
“There’s a sand flat in the river,” Walker said. “It’s free of debris and looks fairly solid. More importantly, it’s a long one.”
My eyes widened. “We’re landing on a sandbar?”
“Yep.”
Sweet Mary. Was he kidding?
“Relax, Ms. Decker. He does this all the time.”
“It’s true.” Walker’s tone was quiet and distracted as we looped around the trees to come back toward the river from the way we’d come.
Over the water again, Walker swooped in low.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch us nose-plant into the river. “Next time, I’m sitting in the back.”
Despite my desire not to watch, I couldn’t keep my eyes shut. Something in me, apparently, had a macabre need to witness my demise.
Water, rocks, and dark sand rushed toward us. Less than a hundred feet over the river, we leveled out, then dropped steadily until the fat tires fitted to the plane touched down on the sandy surface.
Walker braked, then messed with some levers and the engine pitch changed as the plane slowed quickly. Only the harness I’d buckled myself into before takeoff kept me in my seat. In moments, we were stopped with just feet of space between us and the water ahead.
“Oh, I don’t ever want to do that again.” I took off my headset as Walker cut the engine.
He flashed another grin. “Nah. That’s the best way to fly.”
“I’m glad you think so, but I’m ready to keep my feet on the ground.” I unbuckled, not kidding. Flying didn’t normally bother me, but that was a bit much.
“Well, that probably won’t be the first uncomfortable thing you’ll do on this trip.” Toren got up.
Dread punched me in the gut. I knew he wasn’t wrong. Hiking and camping were things I did every year, especially hiking. This trip, though, was more wilderness survival, which was something I’d never done.
Once again, I asked myself what I was doing here.
Maneuvering between the seats, I held out a hand for my backpack as Toren came up the short aisle holding it as well as his own gear—which there was substantially more of than what I carried.
