by Wesley Banks
"And there's internet there?"
King let out a groan from the front of the pack.
"I know," Kyle said. "I told you she was difficult."
Katie sighed. "You know, you could have just told me all of this from the beginning."
"You could have just trusted me."
Katie rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath as she turned back around. "Yeah, because you've given me so many reasons to.
“So, do I just sit here?” she asked more loudly.
“Hike!” Kyle yelled.
She jolted back against the sled rails, lightly banging her shoulder, and dropped her notebook as King and the other dogs propelled the sled into motion.
“And hold on,” Kyle added with a grin.
Chapter 19
Thirty minutes later, King halted the pack without Kyle's command, about twenty feet from a long row of wooden fence that lined the road.
The ride had been a little bumpy, but more than worth it.
Once they had lost sight of the barn, the dogs found their rhythm. Each pair had a purpose, Kyle had explained on the way.
Katie loved watching each of the dogs, but mostly she watched King. He was older, but he was strong and steadfast. She noticed the gait of several of the younger dogs change as they went over a small hill or through a thick patch of grass. But King made the change in pace several yards in advance, and the older dogs followed suit.
Kyle had to correct the younger ones verbally at each fault, which was something Katie also found that she came to like. She had not seem him interact much with the dogs verbally, but from the sled all the dogs were in front of him and hand signals couldn't be used.
As Kyle stepped off the back of the sled, the dogs instantly relaxed. They were already panting, but some sat or laid in the cool grass.
There was a wooden box the width of the sled behind where Katie was sitting, and as she got up Kyle opened the lid and pulled out eight plastic bowls and two bottles of water. He put one bowl in front of each pair and poured a quarter of the bottle in each bowl.
Placing the empty bottles back in the box, he pulled out one more full bottle.
He turned to Katie and extended the bottle in her direction.
"No, thank you," she said as she brushed the dirt from the sled off her jeans.
Kyle walked quickly over to King and unhooked his harness, then shook the bottle several times in front of the dog.
King sat as Kyle poured the water from the bottle, slowly enough that it almost looked like King was drinking water like a human. Katie looked around at the myriad of wildflowers that adorned the straw-like grass. There were bright yellow daisies, deep red poppies, bits of baby’s breath, and other blues and oranges she didn’t recognize. They were almost to the edge of the property, where Katie hadn’t been before.
Kyle refilled a few more bowls, pushed a small latch into the ground behind one of the tires—which Katie assumed was some type of brake—and turned to Katie. "Ready?"
"We're just going to leave all the dogs here?"
"No."
"They're coming with us to the store?"
"No."
Katie looked at Kyle with the same look she’d given him earlier in the barn. As they walked, Katie asked the question that had gone unanswered earlier in the barn.
“Kyle,” Katie said, stopping several steps behind him. “I still don’t understand. I get that you train sled dogs, but it just doesn’t make any sense. Aren’t sled dogs supposed to be huskies? Don’t they need to be training in zero-degree weather up in Canada or Alaska or something? Are you from up north? How do you know how to train dogs for this? Where do these dogs even come from?”
Her questions came out rapid-fire. She had so many coursing through her mind. At first they’d just been the questions of an inquisitive writer looking for answers, but now they felt like much more.
Kyle stopped at the base of a small hill. The sound of a car driving by interrupted the silence and Katie realized they must be close to town.
“That’s a lot of questions,” Kyle said, continuing up the hill.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been wanting to ask you, but it never seems like the right time. You’re always busy and you’ve got me running around all day doing chores. Even at dinner you hardly let on about the dogs at all.
“Sometimes there never is a right time,” Kyle offered.
“Don’t you want people to know about the dogs? I can share their story in your own words if you’d let me.”
When they reached the top of the hill, he stopped again and turned to face Katie. “The Siberian husky, the Alaskan husky, the Samoyed, the Canadian Eskimo, the Chinook, the Alaskan malamute. They are all incredible dogs. Intelligent, hardworking, fierce. They make great sled dogs and great sled dog teams.” Kyle hesitated as he looked directly into Katie’s eyes. “But, they will never match a Carolina gray.
“Colder climates would help some, but they don’t matter a whole lot. And as far as where these dogs come from,” he said motioning at King, “you should do some research on the Jindo, the Beringia, the Carolina dog, and the gray wolf.” He looked over at Katie and laughed. “I can’t be doing all the work now.”
Katie pressed Kyle. “I can appreciate that, and I will definitely look into all of it. But I’m not looking for the origin of the dogs, as much as I am the origin of your story with the dogs.”
Kyle was silent for a few seconds as they continued walking. Something moved near the trees off to the right, and King trotted towards it.
I don’t understand, Katie thought. Why is everything such a mystery with him? Am I still just some stranger that he doesn’t want to talk to?
“I was just a boy at the time,” Kyle began. “It was a soft sound, barely audible. And for a moment I almost ignored it. But then I heard it again. Still trying to catch my breath, I took several steps into the woods. Lying on the ground was a black wolf. Or so I thought...”
Kyle stopped walking and turned towards Katie—towards the land that Doc owned. “Years ago, hunters had laid traps all through these lands,” he said, motioning with his hands. “Doc had spent months trying to find them all, but he must have missed one. The animal lay motionless on its side, the steel trap clamped around its back paw, blood and fur matted together. At first I thought it was dead, but when I moved it jolted up, straining against the trap. She screamed like nothing I had ever heard before. It sounded no different than a human screaming out in pain—but that wasn’t the sound I had heard moments before. From behind the wolf, a small black shape moved. A pup.
“When I returned with Doc, he wouldn’t let me near the animal. He had his rifle in hand and told me there was no other choice. I was kicking and screaming for him not to shoot it. I don’t know why, just something went off inside of me. I ran several steps in front of her and stopped, holding my arms out to protect it.”
Katie listened intently, picturing the story as he told it. She imagined him as a young boy—his hair lighter, but his eyes just as brown. She could all but see him standing in front of the wounded animal. Protective, just as he still is.
“I don’t remember what happened next because it all happened so fast. One moment I was standing in front of the wolf, the next Doc was kneeling beside it, prying the trap apart. I had thoughts of Doc freeing the animal and nursing it back to health, but the moment he opened the trap the wolf darted off. Leaving the pup behind.” Kyle pointed at King, who was trotting back towards them.
“So, is King a wolf?” Katie asked.
“For the first few years of his life I still thought I was raising a wolf. That is, until one day a man from the University of Georgia showed up. His name was Dr. Behr Lisbon, and he was an ecologist studying wildlife around the Savannah River. A lot of people get lost around these parts, so when he pulled up I just assumed Doc would be giving him directions and he’d be back on his way. But when he stepped out of the car, a dark gray wolf followed. For a moment, I honestly believed it was King
’s mother.”
Unable to contain herself Katie quickly asked, “Was it?”
Kyle looked up at the sky, and shielded his eyes. The sun was almost directly overhead. “I thought you had something important to do by noon?”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Seriously?”
“Is this some game people play out in California?”
Katie laughed. “You know what I’m asking. Was it King’s mother?”
“Unfortunately not.”
“And…?” Katie said, motioning for him to go on.
“And, I suggest you talk to Dr. Lisbon at some point. He discovered a new breed of wild dogs in the area—which he called Carolina dogs—that travelled in packs with similar characteristics to a dingo.”
“But Earl said your dogs were part wolf.”
Kyle nodded. “My dogs are what I call Carolina grays. They are Carolina dogs that bred with gray wolves years and years ago.”
“What about you?” Katie asked. She regretted the question as soon as she asked it. She was prying again and she knew it. At the same time, though, she couldn’t help herself.
Kyle looked down at King trotting between him and Katie. Then he looked directly at Katie and she saw the same hesitation in his eyes that she’d seen that night at dinner.
What is he hiding?
It seemed to Katie that there were stories he’d locked away somewhere—stories he couldn’t bring himself to share. He shrugged as he ducked between the top and bottom rail of the wooden fence with King following.
Just across the street Katie saw a familiar wooden sign that read "Pearl’s Place."
Chapter 20
Kyle reached the door first, and held it open for Katie. “We’ll be back in a bit,” he said to King. “Stay.”
The door shut behind him and Katie asked, “Will he be okay?”
Before Kyle could respond, Katie heard a familiar voice. “You better not be trackin’ any dirt in here.”
“Good afternoon to you too, Miss Pearl,” Kyle said.
Pearl turned around from behind the far end of the counter, where she had been restocking the shelves with large brown bags of what looked like sugar. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to Kyle. “What can I do you for today?” Pearl said.
“Three dozen eggs, a pound of bacon, and a couple pounds of turkey.”
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll get Earl to round it up. Would you like your usual, as well?”
“Better make it two,” Kyle said, motioning towards Katie.
Pearl looked over at Katie and winked. “Sure thing, dear.”
“Hi,” Katie said with a smile and a wave. Something about being around Pearl just made her feel at home.
“I almost forgot. Miss Price was looking for a place to use the internet,” Kyle said.
Pearl raised her eyebrows. “It’s not a request we get every day, but I think we can do something about that. Why don’t we let Mr. Kyle rummage around out here and you can follow me to the back.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Katie said. She followed Pearl down the aisles and through the back door. She was still skeptical about internet access out here, but any doubt she had faded just a few steps into the backroom.
“Earl!” Pearl yelled. “If you’d ever pull your eyes away from those gosh-darn gizmos you’d know we have customers.” Pearl turned back to Katie. “Sorry dear, believe it or not but he’s obsessed with all this technology stuff.”
Katie couldn’t believe her eyes. Sitting in an old brown recliner in front of two huge television screens was another familiar face: Earl.
“You know they got an entire station about whales?”
“Earl!” Pearl yelled again from the doorway. “Miss Price here would like to use the internet.”
At the mention of Katie’s name, Earl snapped to attention. “Oh, Miss Price is back. Well, why didn’t you tell me we had customers?”
Pearl just shook her head and Katie laughed. “You just tell Earl what you need and I’m sure we’ve got it. He’s got all these satellite contraptions hooked up now.” Pearl shut the door and walked back into the store, leaving Katie with Earl.
He walked over with a grin. “You seen them dogs, ain’tcha?”
“I have,” Katie said.
“And?” he asked.
“They are amazing.”
“I told you. Yep, I told you. I knew you’d like ‘em.”
“I do. And I’m very grateful. Pearl mentioned you might have a place I could get internet access?”
“Ah, yes, right this way.”
* * *
Kyle sat down at the countertop in the back of the store while Pearl whipped up one of her delicious milkshakes.
“So you’ve got that beautiful young lady stayin’ over at your place, I hear,” Pearl said as she worked.
“You hear?”
“Small town,” Pearl said with a grin.
“She’s staying in the cottage. You know, with Mrs. Davis being gone and all…”
Pearl winked at Kyle. “Oh, I know. I tried to convince her not to go snoopin’ around over there. How’s Doc doin’ these days?
“He’s been keeping busy. Between Mrs. Perry having her baby, Mr. Willis’ cows, and a few other house calls, I honestly haven’t seen him much lately.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear he’s doing well. And how about you and your new writer friend? How are you two doing?”
Kyle fought back a smile. He should have known Pearl would have something to say about this. “It’s nothing like that. She’s just looking to use the dogs in one of her stories.”
“Whatever you say, hon. Just remember that girls like that don’t come around here very often.”
Kyle swiveled around in his chair as the back door opened and Katie walked through. Earl followed, talking all the way.
“…four common whales in California? The gray whale, the humpback whale, the blue whale, and the fin whale. The blue whale can be over one hundred tons!”
“Earl! How many times do I gotta tell you the customers don’t want to hear that nonsense?”
Earl looked up at Pearl with a straight face. “Everyone likes whales.” Then he turned back around and walked right out the door still talking. “I mean, there is a whole television station on whales…”
“I’m sorry about that, dear,” Pearl said as Katie walked up to the counter. “Did you get everything you needed?”
“Oh, the internet. Yes, thank you,” Katie said.
Pearl picked up two full glasses and set them on the counter. “Peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, and a little bit of banana. You two enjoy. I’m going to try again to get Earl to cut those televisions off and pack up your order.”
Once Pearl was out of earshot, Katie sat down on the stool next to Kyle. “I didn’t peg you for a milkshake guy.”
“Every Friday,” Kyle said, pulling his glass towards him.
“Well, how do you know I’m a milkshake girl?” Katie asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Katie had this way about her when she asked questions. It was genuine curiosity—like she truly wanted to know the answer. Even now, he could tell she wasn’t being coy. She would probably wait here all day for me to answer even the simplest of questions. He liked how active her mind was, how everything seemed to demand her attention, but he wished sometimes that she would just…relax. Katie tilted her head slightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. And then there’s that look.
Kyle reached for the glass in front of Katie. “Well, if you don’t want it I can always go for two.”
Katie slapped the back of his hand and pulled the glass towards her with both hands, biting down on the straw as she took a sip and smiled. “It just so happens that I do like milkshakes. But why chocolate and peanut butter?”
Kyle took another sip through his straw. “Because nothing goes better with chocolate than peanut butter.”
“Like Colossus and Olymp
ia?”
Kyle laughed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Colossus is like chocolate and Olympia is like peanut butter.”
“I never really thought of it that way, but yes, like Colossus and Olympia.”
“How do you know which dogs to pair together, though?”
“Well…there’s actually several theories on sled dog pairing. Some mushers want dogs of equal disposition or temperament. Some are more concerned with size or speed. For example, a shorter dog running next to a taller dog may create an uneven gait.”
“What do you look for?”
Kyle hesitated for a moment. “I look for dogs who want to be together. You can analyze size, strength, speed, aggression, and so on until you’re blue in the face. But ultimately every dog has a best friend, and those are the dogs I try to pair together.”
“I like that.”
“Like what?”
“The idea that dogs can be best friends.”
He looked at the girl in front of him. Her jeans and boots were starting to get worn from all the work around the barn. Just under her right eye was a smudge of dirt, and a small piece of hay hung in her dark brown pony tail. Kyle had kept his distance from Katie since her arrival, giving her long lists of chore after chore to complete. It was just easier that way. She’d eventually finish her story and that’d be it. But did he really want that to be it?
“What?” Katie said. She ran her hand over the top of her head and brushed down the back of her neck. “Do I have something on me?”
She’ll be gone in another day or so, he thought.
“We better get goin’,” he said, finishing off his milkshake. “I’ll grab the stuff from Pearl and meet you out front.”
“Kyle,” Katie said, as he started to walk away. “Thank you.”
With his back to her, Kyle looked over his shoulder. He started to say something, but instead just touched his hand to the bill of his cap. Before he made it to the backdoor, he heard a familiar voice from the next room yell, “Kyle Merriman Walker!”