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“I have to admit,” Lux said, “this isn’t exactly how I pictured my week going, but it’s not so bad.”

Zoey glanced over at her, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Yeah, who would’ve thought we’d end up here? But at least we’re together.”

They ate in comfortable silence, savoring the simple meal. The fish tasted better than Lux had expected, or maybe it was just the satisfaction of knowing they had managed to catch and cook it themselves.

As they finished their meal, the air around them began to shift.

“Do you hear that?” Lux asked, her voice low.

Zoey tilted her head, listening intently. The sound grew louder and more defined.

“Helicopters!” Zoey exclaimed.

They both scrambled to their feet, scanning the sky. The sound of the helicopters grew louder, the deep thrum of the blades unmistakable now.

“There!” Zoey pointed, and Lux followed her gaze, her heart pounding with hope and disbelief.

Three helicopters appeared in the distance, their shapes small but unmistakable against the clear sky. They flew in formation, heading straight toward the rocky terrain where Lux and Zoey stood.

“They found us,” Lux said, her voice thick with emotion. “They found us!”

Zoey grabbed Lux’s hand, squeezing it tightly as they watched the helicopters draw closer. The noise was deafening now, the wind from the blades kicking up dust and debris around them.

One of the helicopters hovered above them, slowly lowering itself until it was just a few feet off the ground. The side door slid open, and a figure leaned out, waving at them.

Lux’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized the pilot’s gaudy orange hair.

“It’s Jay!” Lux shouted.

Zoey laughed, a sound of pure joy as she waved back at Jay. The helicopter touched down, and the wind from the rotors buffeted them, but they didn’t care. They were finally going to be safe.

Jay jumped out of the helicopter, waving to them with a wide smile. “You two sure know how to survive against the odds,” she said, her voice booming over the noise.

Lux threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Took you long enough to find us!”

Jay chuckled, patting her back. “It takes more than a little fire to keep me away.”

Jay pulled back, looking at both of them with pride and concern. “Let’s get you out of here,” she said, leading them back to the helicopter.

Lux took one last look at the rocky terrain that had been their refuge as they climbed in. The fire still raged in the distance, but they left it behind, heading toward safety.

As the helicopter lifted off, Zoey reached for Lux’s hand again, holding it tightly as they soared into the sky. Lux glanced over at her, their eyes meeting in a shared moment of understanding.

They had made it. Together.

The landscape below them blurred as they flew farther away from the fire, and Lux allowed herself to relax finally.

They were going home.

25

LUX

Lux took a deep breath, trying to shake off the residual unease that had settled in her chest since they’d been rescued.

“Is it me or did you grow fatter out there?”

Lux turned to see Joe, her older brother, on a chair next to her hospital bed, and a smile crept up her lips. He’d left his business in Vegas to come all the way to Phoenix Ridge as soon as he heard she was stuck in the fire.