Sea to Sky (35 page)

So Hunter had volunteered to take the two of them to the airport. He looked at his watch, then at the automatic doors. He could make out figures approaching the doors from inside, one on foot, pushing the other in a wheelchair. As the doors opened, he popped open the trunk, then stepped outside the car and went around to open the two passenger side doors.

He looked up to see a very pale Adam Marsh being helped out of his wheelchair by a man in a sky blue hospital uniform. The male nurse helped Adam get settled into the back seat, and Hunter bent down, one hand on the roof of the car, the other resting on the boy’s shoulder. “Hi, Adam. You’re looking a hundred percent better than last time I saw you.”

The boy smiled weakly. “Thanks. I feel like shit.”

“You’re going to be fine, kid,” the male nurse shot over his shoulder as he pushed the wheelchair away.

“Remember me?” asked Hunter.

“Yeah. Well, I know who you are. You’re my middle name.”

Hunter grinned. “You got it. They make you take out your stud?” He pointed at his own nose.

The boy nodded glumly. “They
said
it got lost.”

“Where’s your mom?” Hunter turned to look back at the doors, watched the nurse and wheelchair disappear inside.

“She said she had to pick up her suitcase and stuff, but I saw her go into the can. I guess she wanted to fix her face.” Adam closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again as he put his left hand on top of Hunter’s. “Thanks, eh. They say you’re the one got me to the hospital, and if it wasn’t for you I prob’ly would be dead.”

“You’ll live to play guitar again.” Hunter was hoping that Adam had more than that to look forward to, but he wanted to see the boy smile again. It worked.

“I never could play guitar worth shit,” said the boy. “Besides, I’d rather play drums.”

“Drummers are all crazy.”

Adam’s smile broadened. “So, what’s your point?”

Just then Hunter felt a warm hand on his back. He straightened up and turned around to face a vision from his past. Helen was hatless, her fawn colored hair loosely framing her face, and the brown suede coat she wore was open at the throat. A backpack and a soft-sided suitcase sat beside her on the asphalt. At the moment he first saw her face, Hunter couldn’t smile, and he couldn’t speak.

“Hello, Hunter,” she said, and reached for his hand.

THE END

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As solitary an occupation as writing is, there are always thanks due to the many people who help create a work of fiction.  First and foremost, I owe my late husband, Jim Donald, for getting me started and providing the inspiration for the character of Hunter Rayne.  I am also eternally grateful to my father, who supported and encouraged me from the start.  He passed away in March of 2012 at the age of 93, and is sorely missed by those who loved him.

Thanks to fellow Rainwriters including Ed Griffin, Bob Mackay, and Paul Burgoyne for their feedback during my time with the group, and especially to Loreena Lee, who volunteered to help edit the manuscript. Thanks also to Sergeant Peter Thiessen of the RCMP for helping with questions related to the Whistler detachment, and to Laura Gallant, the Public Relations Coordinator for Whistler Blackcomb for information relating to the ski lifts.

I hope readers will forgive any errors I may have made in geography or description, and keep in mind that in I have taken literary license when I felt the story would be better for it. The Chateau Grand Montagne and the Coast Peaks Hotel, like many elements of the story, are products of the writer’s imagination.

Thanks to my partner, the irrepressible French Canadian cowboy, Gilbert Roy, for his patience while I spent hours each day on ‘that damn computer’ instead of outdoors enjoying our Langley farm.  A huge thank you to all my readers, especially to those who have taken the time to give me feedback or post reviews. Your enthusiasm for my mysteries gives meaning to how I spend my working days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R.E. Donald is the author of the Hunter Rayne highway mystery series.  Ruth worked in the transportation industry in various capacities from 1972 until 2001, and draws on her own experiences, as well as those of her late husband, Jim Donald, in creating the characters and situations in her novels. 

Ruth attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., where she studied languages (Russian, French and German) and creative writing to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree.  She currently lives on a ranch in the South Cariboo region of British Columbia. She and her partner, a French Canadian cowboy named Gilbert Roy, enjoy their Canadian Horses (Le Cheval Canadien) and other animals.

Also by R.E. Donald in the Hunter Rayne highway mystery series:

Slow Curve on the Coquihalla

Ice on the Grapevine

Sundown on Top of the World

For information on new releases visit

REDonald.com
or
ProudHorsePublishing.com
.