Chapter 27
K reston
On the way to his place, Kreston remarked, “Jessie said you were good for me.”
“Really? In what way?”
“She said you grounded me and added balance to my life.” His heart did the tumble thing again, grateful he’d persuaded Sadie to come back. He didn’t want to be pushy about her decision to stay beyond another week, but it killed him to be patient.
Kreston thought about the past Christmases he’d spent in Polar Creek. While he’d loved them all, he’d always been the responsible one, the capable one, the one everyone counted on to keep things moving and organize the town’s celebrations and activities. He’d filled his empty void by burdening himself with responsibility.
But now, with Sadie here, he was rethinking all of it. To him, it seemed everything he’d done so far in his life had led to the exact moment he’d met Sadie in her impractical boots and ruined suede jacket. Life was full of surprises.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, studying him.
He glanced at her. “You really want to know, or are you just making conversation?”
“I really want to know.”
“Still have those fashionable thigh boots of yours? ”
She narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “I’ve only been dragging them around with me everywhere I’ve been since they’re not functional up here. Why?”
“Functional is a matter of opinion.” He gave her a searing look. “For my Christmas present, I want you to put those boots on wearing nothing else...unless you have a G-string and some pasties.”
Her eyes widened. “That is honest-to-God what you were thinking?”
“I’m a guy. What’d you expect?” He gave her a lopsided grin.
She laughed. “Or...I could do the same wearing my bunny boots.”
Kreston wrinkled his face. “Nah, although you would look hot no matter what boots you put on. But the ones with those tall heels...” He invoked his best California valley accent. “That would totally do it for me.”
Sadie threw back her head and laughed. “Well, my name isn’t Cinnamon, and I’m not an exotic dancer. But I suppose I could arrange something, but minus the pasties.” She gave him a coy look. “Maybe after the sled dog ride?”
He perked up. “I can live with those terms.”
Behind them in the distance, the town’s Christmas lights twinkled, and his sled dogs howled and barked an enthusiastic welcome as he pulled into the driveway. Good friend that he was, Lucky had fed the dogs and plowed his driveway. As he unbuckled and got out, Kreston made a mental note to do something nice for him.
“I can’t wait to pet Denali,” gushed Sadie. She dove out of her passenger seat and beelined toward the dog lot. “Hi puppy dogs!”
Kreston couldn’t help smiling at her delight as they approached the dog yard. The team’s excited yips filled the crisp air, their breath creating puffs of vapor in the fading afternoon light. The howling and barking became frenzied as Sadie and Kreston worked their way along the dog line, petting each one as they stood wagging on top of their doghouses.
Kreston grabbed seven harnesses. “Ready for Mushing 101? First rule: never let go of the sled. Second rule: dogs must always be under the musher’s control. No exceptions. You can’t do one without the other.”
He showed her how to harness each dog, explaining their positions and personalities. “Denali’s the smartest, and that’s why he’s the lead dog. He takes after his namesake, proud and strong.”
“Like his musher,” Sadie teased.
He grinned. “Flattery will get you everywhere. Okay, let’s hook them up.”
After connecting the dogs to the gangline, Kreston gave her a quick lesson. “Commands are simple: ‘Haw’ for left. ‘Gee’ for right. ‘Hike’ means go and ‘whoa’ means stop. Got it?”
“So, it’s like voicing commands to a Tesla, only with fur and better listening skills?”
Kreston chortled. “Just don’t let go of the sled, or you’ll be sitting in the snow while your team ends up five miles ahead of you.”
“I’m so sorry those snowmachines crashed into your team,” said Sadie. “ I can’t imagine how awful that was.”
He nodded grimly. “It was. I hated losing those huskies.”
Sadie stroked Denali’s fur, letting him snuggle into her. “That would destroy anyone.”
“Watch what I do, and you’ll get the hang of it.” Kreston stepped to the back of the sled to stand on the runners. He demonstrated the commands by mushing the dog team along the road toward Grayling Lake. The Alaskan huskies bounded in perfect synchronization, their excitement a joy to witness.
When they reached Grayling Lake Campground, Kreston halted the team to give Sadie control. She commanded the team like an old pro, mushing the dogs onto the frozen lake through the deep snow, passing the group of empty ice fishing shacks.
“No one’s fishing. We have the lake to ourselves,” she called out as he hunkered on the sled. The memory of her catching the fish and winning the bet made Kreston smile.
“If Hardware Bob were in town, he and Janet would be out here today. They’re ice fishing fanatics.” He hoped Bob was improving. It was too bad he and Janet were stuck at the hospital for Christmas.
“Whoa, huskies!” hollered Sadie, and the team halted. “Look, they stopped!” she shouted incredulously.
Kreston laughed, climbing out of the sled. “Of course they did. Hey, check out the sunset.” He gazed at the lava-streaked sky and the purple mountains. “Tucker should be out here painting this.”
As he set up a portable heater to melt snow for dog water, he noted Sadie taking in this Alaskan vibe—vapor clouds from panting dogs, the untouched snowy landscape, and the moon beginning to rise as the sun dipped below the mountains .
“Kreston, thank you for all of this. I love this so much!” Arms outstretched, Sadie spun in a joyful circle, her exuberance warming him. A long-buried flame flickered to life inside his chest.
Sadie was a natural musher. He was impressed by her confident commands and how she handled his dog team.
He bit his tongue before saying, “Enough to move here and stay with me?” He didn’t want to pressure her or rush her decision.
Kreston took control of the sled, wearing a headlamp to light his way as he mushed his team home. When they reached his place, Sadie helped him water and feed the dogs. He was impressed she’d memorized each dog’s name and could point out their individual personalities.
When they finished, they hurried inside. Kreston built a fire while Sadie heated Jessie’s Christmas feast in his well-equipped kitchen. The log home soon filled with warmth and delicious aromas, but Kreston was interested more in Sadie than the food. She moved through his space easily, like she belonged there, humming Christmas carols as she worked. He refused to dwell on the fact she may not be staying after New Year’s. He hoped for the best, but so far, she hadn’t given him any sign one way or the other.
After dinner, they settled in front of the fire with hot buttered rums.
Sadie abruptly rose. “Back in a minute. Got things to do.” She left the room.
Kreston rested his head back and closed his eyes, letting the whirlwind of the past several days settle in his brain. Deciding to fly to Talkeetna from Anchorage had turned out to be one of his better decisions. Sadie wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t done it.
He gave himself a pat on the back for that one, crossing his fingers for a positive outcome.