their way through the shallows.
“You scared them,” she said.
“I did,” he agreed.
She drew a big sigh. “That was pretty great.”
“You city slickers are easy to impress.”
“You didn’t think it was great?”
“It’s always great seeing wildlife. But this next sight is going to be even better. See the mountain to the northeast, the one with the red rock face? When we come around the side, you’re going to see the big falls. They have a vertical drop of nearly fifteen hundred feet.”
“Is that how the town of Mirror Falls got its name?”
“We pretend it was, because these falls are fantastic. Truth is, the town was named after a little waterfall that used to come out of the hot springs. But they dammed that up back in the fifties to improve the pools.”
“Ironic.”
“It is.”
“You’re a pretty good tour guide, you know that?”
“I do this all the time.”
It was easy to believe. Logan looked completely at home in the cockpit, pointing out sights, spouting facts and figures about his hometown. He also looked impressively in control and highly sexy in his flight suit and sunglasses.
“Here we go,” he said as they rounded the mountain.
A giant wall of white foam and falling blue water fanned out in front of them, its spray misting the air on all sides. It was wide as well as tall, in five separate sections, greenery clinging to the rocks in between the channels, and a vivid rainbow arching across the face.
Jade was speechless as they flew closer.
Logan banked the plane so that she had a better view.
“Do people know about this?” she finally managed.
“They do.”
“They should turn it into a national park.”
“It’s pretty inaccessible. The only way to get to the falls is by helicopter or a three-day hike. The river on either side isn’t navigable, even by kayak.”
“It’s like a national treasure.”
He chuckled at that. “They filmed a movie here once. The Lost Lattimores .”
“That was here?” She glanced around, trying to recognize the settings. “I saw that movie. It was pretty good.”
“I watched it. But it’s hard to get into the story when you’ve been behind the scenes. I flew the cast in and out for three weeks.”
“Did you meet Blake Davis?”
“Briefly. He was always surrounded by handlers.”
“I guess that’s what happens when you get famous.”
“I’d hate it,” said Logan.
“I wouldn’t mind having someone pick up my lattes and take care of my dry cleaning, but I’d hate the part where you can’t walk down the street without being accosted.”
“On balance, I think I’ll go with obscurity. Can you see the red roof up ahead? Right where the river curves and widens out?”
Jade leaned forward in her seat, coming up against the safety harness. “Where?”
“Follow the curve of the river. There’s a meadow, then slightly up the hillside, you can see a flash of red.”
She saw it. “Got it.”
“That’s the main lodge at Bowen Valley. As we get closer, you’ll see the chalets scattered around. A couple from Germany bought the place about ten years ago. They recognized the potential and did some significant renovations. Now they’re busy year-round.”
“People really like this kind of vacation?” It would never have occurred to Jade to fly into the middle of the wilderness on a holiday.
“They come from all over the world for hard days and soft nights. You can wear yourself out rock climbing, skiing or kayaking all day long, then settle back and enjoy gourmet food, fine wines, and a five-star chalet for the night.”
The plane decreased in altitude, the trees becoming bigger, and she could clearly see the buildings. “Can you land on the river?” She was no expert, but the water looked pretty swift.
“There’s a small, sheltered bay around the curve. You’ll see it in a second.”
Logan twisted knobs and pulled levers, pushing forward on the stick. The pitch of the engine changed, and they dropped
R. L. Lafevers, Yoko Tanaka