Sleigh Ride to Love

by Rosemary J. Anderson

  Unexpectedly, loud sounds rushed to the forefront, high-pitched yaps and barks, Zachariah shouting and the sound of wind. Wind? She forced open her eyes. They were free! Free of the water’s pull and out into the open. Her dogs were shaking themselves and barking in relief. They were saved and her last sight before she closed her eyes and drifted off was the face of her beloved Zachariah.

  Holly came slowly awake. Her head was thumping like a big bass drum, her throat was on fire and she felt as if she’d been thrown from a rooftop. Groaning slightly she came fully awake as Zachariah bent over her.

  “It’s okay, Holly, you’re safe.”

  “The dogs?” she whispered through the barbed-wire fence that was her throat.

  “They are all fine, no injuries and, Holly, it was the dogs that saved your life, they’re the heroes, every single one of them. It was the dogs that got you out of the water and pulled you to safety."

  “Panther? He was in the water with me.”

  “Panther’s fine, as is Pilot, and as I said they are all safe. While you’ve been asleep I’ve got them warm and dry and they’ve eaten a hero’s supper and are now fast asleep so stop worrying. Now, how about some soup?”

  “No, my throat.” She croaked. “It hurts like fire.”

  “Mmm, I think you’ve caught a chill. Holly, was your throat hurting before your dip in the water?”

  She nodded but wished she hadn’t as those bloody leprechauns came back. “Some, and my head as well.”

  “Yes, just as I thought, you sounded croaky earlier on so I’ve just had a quick look at your throat and even though I’m no general practitioner I think you’ve got tonsillitis. I’ve given you an antibiotic injection and now I want you to drink this tea and take a couple of these painkillers. Then after a bit of soup you can go back to sleep, you’ll feel heaps better in the morning.”

  “Is it night?” she asked in surprise.

  “Just about, now, up you get.” He lifted her head, and, popping two pills, in her mouth held the cup to her lips.

  Feeling exhausted by so little effort, she thankfully lay back down and closed her eyes.

  Zachariah silently looked at Holly. Her skin was pale and almost translucent and she appeared so fragile and so vulnerable that his heart contracted with love. When he’d seen Astrid sweep past and heard all the commotion behind him his heart missed a beat. Immediately stopping his dogs he’d turned to see Holly going under the water, and felt the dogs rising panic as if it was his own. Thankfully Odin and Zeus, Holly’s lead dogs were strong and intelligent and immediately began pulling forward, raising first the struggling team dogs, then the sleigh and finally Holly, who was thankfully still hanging onto the dog’s leads. Relief that they were all alive and relatively unhurt created strong emotions that brought tears to his eyes. However, emotions to one side, he was first and foremost a doctor with a job to do, so wasting no time on sentiment he got to work warming Holly and caring for the dogs. But if he ever had to go through that again…

  It was some time later before Holly became aware of Zachariah gently shaking her shoulder. Opening tired eyes she gazed a trifle myopically at him.

  “Come on, Holly, it’s time to take your tablets, then after a little more soup you can go back to sleep.”

  Struggling into sitting position with the aid of Zachariah’s strong muscular arm supporting her back, she obediently took the tablets and with a sigh of relief lay down again.

  “Don’t go back to sleep, Holly, not just yet. I want you to have some soup.”

  “K,” she replied tiredly, watching as Zachariah bustled around filling a cup with broth.

  “Here we go.” He held the cup to her lips.

  A few sips were all she could manage and she pushed the cup away.

  “Enough?”

  “Yes,” she croaked, nodding, surprised to realize her head was finally beginning to feel like her own.

  “Right, snuggle on down, I’ll join you in a moment and then we can get a good night’s sleep and you’ll be fit for anything in the morning.”

  “Is it still night time?” Holly asked in surprise.

  “Yep, it’s eight thirty, you’ve been asleep for quite a while, but I guess you needed it.”

  Zachariah took off his boots and coat and joined her in the sleeping bag. Snuggling closer, Holly laid her head on his chest and breathed in the male smell of him. He smelt wonderful, she thought a trifle groggily. Of lemon soap, tomato soup and an earthy masculine smell that stirred her senses. “Pheromones.” She whispered.

  “Did you say something, Holly?”

  “No, no, goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  * * * *

  The dawn’s early morning light was illuminating the tent when Holly next awoke. She swallowed, surprised to find that her throat no longer hurt as much, and that her head had stopped pounding. She felt warm and comfortable and she snuggled further up to the man that was generating the heat.

  “Felling any better?”

  “Mmm.” Holly nodded feeling the rough texture of his shirt under her cheek. “Much.”

  “Hungry?”

  “Mmm, yes,” she murmured softly, thinking that her hunger wasn’t for food. Reaching up she pushed her fingers between the buttons of Zachariah’s shirt and inserted them into his long thermal underwear.

  A hard hand covering hers stilled her movements.

  “Holly, stop it. You don’t know what you’re inviting.”

  “I do, oh, Zachariah, I do. Please, don’t make me beg.” She looked pleadingly up at him.

  Hesitating but for a second Zachariah moved quickly and Holly found herself flat on her back under him.

  Gazing into her eyes he silently asked the question and her response was immediate. Pulling his head down she found his lips and kissed him.

  It didn’t take long for them to dispose of their clothes and coitus was hard, fast, and satisfying. Although the weather outside was freezing, their passion sizzled and fizzed. Soon the air was filled with gasps and groans as Zachariah pushed his cock between the wide open lips of her wet pussy and pounded forcefully into her. Jerking with the power of his possession Holly cried out, clutching at his shoulders with grasping possessive hands. Taking Holly to heaven, Zachariah followed. Climaxing uncontrollably he ejaculated his hot seed deep inside her womb.

  Passion spent, Zachariah pulled her close to his chest and, kissing the top of her head, gently ordered her to sleep.

  Feeling Holly’s warm body snuggle up against his caused Zachariah’s heart to jump, she was truly the woman for him, warm, gentle and caring, she completed him. He sighed heavily, there was still nearly two hundred miles to go and he knew Holly wanted to be with him every step of the way, but he didn’t know if she was really up to it. Although, if he stopped her now, he knew she would never forgive him, not now and probably not ever. It was a dilemma he wished he didn’t have, but could he in all good conscience allow her to continue? She’d suffered enough throughout this race, accidents, injuries, fevers and now near death. Just how much more could she take? Could he let her take?

  Closing his eyes he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair. Later, much later, after he saw how she was, he’d make that gut-wrenching decision, but for now he would just savor the moments he held her in his arm.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Realizing there was a cold space where Holly should have been, Zachariah’s eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up.

  “Morning, Zachariah. I’ve made the coffee cause I know you’ll want to get off as soon as possible as we’ve wasted enough time—right?” Holly smiled cheerfully.

  “Holly?” Zachariah rubbed his hand over his face. “What? How are you feeling?”

  “Fine, I’m fine. In fact I feel great, so c’mon lazy bones, get out of that sack.”

  Zachariah quickly made ready and took the coffee Holly was holding out to him, her smile looking determinedly cheerful. He searched her face,
she still looked tired and had blue shadows under her eyes like bruises, but they were clear and she appeared to be almost back to her normal self.

  “I’ve seen to the dogs and they seem none the worse for wear after our little tumble, and even Panther seems to be his usual lively self, so we can get underway whenever you’re ready.”

  Zachariah caught hold of Holly’s arm and stopped her from leaving the tent.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this, Holly? That was no little tumble you took yesterday, you could have lost your life.”

  “Don’t you think I know that, Zachariah, but thankfully I didn’t, so…” She shrugged smiling cheerfully at him. “I’ve got to put it behind me and get on with things, and anyway, I’m fine.” She placed her hand over his heart. “Please stop worrying, I really am fine.”

  * * * *

  Thirty minutes later and Holly’s sled was skimming across the ice behind Zachariah’s. Luckily he had taken her at face value and allowed her to continue the race, but in reality she was far from the fine she had cheerfully conveyed to Zachariah. Her head, although no longer pounding, was still muzzy and her throat, no longer feeling like she had swallowed barbed wire, did in fact still feel as if someone had swiped at it with a pocket knife. Shock still held her in its deadly grip but she was stubbornly determined to overcome the fear and dread that filled her heart. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Pilot and Panther pacing out the ground. The three of them including herself could have lost their lives and it was all thanks to Odin and Zeus, the lead dogs, that they were here to live another day. Quickly blinking the tears away she shook herself out of the melancholy that was washing over her and determinedly concentrated on the trail ahead.

  The hours passed relatively swiftly. For the first time since the race began all Holly’s attention was on the trail. Reaching Alice Island, Holly gave a small sigh of satisfaction. They were now halfway to Eagle Island and hopefully the rest of the journey would be without incident.

  The snow was beginning again, which of course made the track even more hazardous. Not allowing the fear that was edging in her brain to overtake her, Holly kept tight control of her dogs. Holding onto the handlebar she placed one foot on the ground peddled slowly, whilst leaning heavily on the brake. The scenery was a trifle monotonous. There were some trees but mostly the only thing to look at was the wide open expanse of the powerful Yukon River.

  * * * *

  Dusk was falling, and Holly knew that really they should have been way past Eagle Island by now, but the time spent resting after her tumble in the river had delayed them expansibility.

  Passing Blackburn Island the trail edged toward the West Bank and past the mouth of Bear Creek. Staring into the growing darkness, she searched for the lantern that indicated the checkpoint at Eagle Island.

  There it was! Holly gave a smile of pure joy. Thank goodness they had made it without further mishaps. The checkpoint she knew was on the west side below Kenny Chase’s fishing cabin, but it was just a tent and so there were no actual facilities, except a stove and some bedding shelves where they could have a nap. The checking in completed, Holly amid yapping and bouncing excitement from the dogs broke out the feed. She left Zachariah to collect snow to melt for their drinking water.

  After a quick cold snack to sustain them and another antibiotic injection in her bottom, much to Holly’s disgust, Zachariah was indicating it was time to leave. Next stop Kaltag!

  * * * *

  Leaving the checkpoint at Eagle Island on the west side of the river, it wasn’t long before Holly saw the trail leading off to the left. Zachariah was speeding along at what seemed like a rate of knots, anxious to make up some of the time. Following as closely as safely possible, Holly absently noticed an airplane at the old checkpoint and was reassured that they were on the right track. Not that she really had any doubts, Zachariah wasn’t likely to make that kind of mistake. The scenery was much as it had been before, sandbars and sloughs. It was boring and monotonous—she sighed—and they still had another sixty miles of it.

  Reaching the mouth of Eagle Creek, Zachariah called for a rest and it was with relief Holly pulled up her team and stepped off the runners. Flexing her fingers she grimaced at their stiffness. Since the accident she had subconsciously been holding onto the handlebars as if her life depended on it.

  Quickly dealing with the dogs, she soon had the kettle boiling and called Zachariah for a drink and some soup. Sipping the thick liquid she breathed in its hot delicious aroma. Never had rehydrated soup ever tasted so good. Zachariah’s silence was worrying and Holly kept sending him quick, searching looks wondering what was wrong. A naturally quiet man, today he seemed more silent than ever and in that lay her concern.

  Was there some problem he wasn’t telling her about? Or was he still thinking of sending her home? Or maybe he was regretting the change in their relationship? Or could it be something even more sinister? Gnawing at her lower lip with small, even white teeth she wondered should she ask him. Or should she just carry on as normal, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything? But no, she couldn’t do that, it wasn’t in her nature. She was one of those annoying people who had to know everything that was going on, whether it be good or bad.

  “Zachariah,” she began.

  “It’s nothing, Holly.”

  “Well, it must be something, Zachariah, or you wouldn’t have said it’s nothing—if that makes sense?”

  Zachariah grinned. “Well, no, it doesn’t, however, I know the way your mind works. But, just because I’m quiet doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.”

  “Well, isn’t there?”

  “No, I’m just thinking that’s all.” He put out a hand and she slipped hers into it. Feeling his fingers close around hers like a soft leather glove she felt her heart lurch in response.

  Sitting quietly with Zachariah, surrounded by their dogs and with the white beauty of Alaska all around them, Holly felt a kind of contentment steal over her, a contentment she hadn’t felt in a long time. Could life get any better than being with the person you love surrounded by nature’s beauty?

  All too soon it was time to leave and packing up the small amount of supplies she had used, Holly turned to watch Zachariah. He was so gentle, taking the time to pat and stroke the dogs, pulling at ears and giving extra treats. The dog in basket had been examined and his front leg re-strapped, it was considered Tomahawk was on the mend but not well enough to join the team. So once again he was wrapped in blankets and placed back in the basket. Looking up and catching her watching him, Zachariah smiled, a gentle, tender movement of the lips that changed him from the serious man he was, into one with boyish charm. Rising to his feet he slowly walked over to where she was standing. Gently tugging her into his arms, he lowered his head and kissed her, a slow, sensual kiss that heated her blood and zinged in her veins. But Holly wanted to lose herself in him, in his arms, his kisses and his presence, and she pressed closer, only to have Zachariah gently put her from him. Grinning in real amusement he stroked a tender hand down her cheek, and, turning her from him, gave her a quick smack on her derriere before giving her a gentle push toward her own sled.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  On the trail that ran from behind Quail Island, the wind was blowing so hard that some parts had become windswept. The snow had been blasted away and it was beginning to look like a wasteland. Here, Holly slowed her dogs down so giving them to adapt to the unexpected change in surface. The scenery hadn’t changed much since Eagle Island and it wasn’t until the mouth of Khotol Creek that she noticed a difference. The Magitchie Range was a very unique collection of hills, peaking in some places to one thousand or more feet high, their beauty making an impression on anyone who had the good fortune to see them in person.

  Time passed and nothing problematic happened, much to Holly’s relief. She was now travelling alongside rather than behind Zachariah, which was invigorating and made a huge difference to Holly’s mindset.

  No longer feeling
alone and vulnerable she instead felt free, at one with the Arctic and amazingly stronger. Looking across at Zachariah her heart softened. He was a man very much in control, concentrated and unique. The wind was blowing coldly in his face yet he looked so alive, exhilarated, and on top of the world. The race for him was more, so much more than it was to her. For her it had really been all about her dad, but for Zachariah it was about freedom, pitting his wits against the elements, being at one with nature, and surviving under extreme conditions. She smiled slightly to herself. There was a joy about him. His body language, even under his thick arctic gear, shouted alpha male. The dogs were racing along, their bright yellow jackets almost a blur against the white of the snow. Pulling with strength and power, the team made an impressive sight, coordinated and running like a well-oiled machine. Man and beast working together in respect and companionship. Tomahawk, the dog in basket, his head poking up out of the blanket, and his face alight with excitement, appeared to be grinning. He enjoyed the wind and the taste of clean, pure fresh air.

  The hours ticked perpetually by and soon they were at Big Eightmile Island. The trail this time was different from other years and cut across the Island on the run down to Kaltag. Six miles on and they were at the north end of the island. Holly could see the pronounced headland that was Eightmile Point, and this she joyfully realized meant that they were now only eight miles from the checkpoint at Kaltag. She was exhausted, fatigue sitting heavily on her shoulders and resting painfully in her neck muscles. In the sixty odd miles they had journeyed from Eagle Island they had only had the one stop and now her bones were beginning to feel the strain of being upright for so long. Her head and throat were beginning to feel worse, she needed a hot drink and some painkillers.

  Crossing back to the left bank, Zachariah took the lead as they began the climb up to Kaltag’s main road. The checkpoint was in the community center in the middle of the village. Check-in complete, they walked the short distance to the pump room which was a only block away, and here Holly found with relief, not only hot water but most of all, a real toilet.