by Teri Wilson
“She’s being serious. We’re going to run out at this rate.” Sue Chase reached for one of the cups and took a sip. “Nothing wrong with a little quality control,” she said with a wink.
Sue had recruited Clementine to join the other mushers’ wives on the Gold Rush Trail Hospitality Committee. Clementine was grateful to have something to do while she waited for Ben to cross the finish line. Passing out hot chocolate was a welcome distraction from the butterflies swirling in her stomach. Nome was a bit cold for butterflies, but Clementine had them in droves.
“How are you ladies doing?” Todd Grayson joined them near the burled arch that marked the finish line for the race.
At the sight of her father-in-law, a swell of anticipation rose in Clementine’s heart. Ben didn’t expect to see his dad in Nome. Both of his parents had been in attendance at the Gold Rush Trail banquet in Aurora, but Ben thought his dad had returned to Florida with his mom once the race began. Having his father witness his first finish since his return to competitive mushing would no doubt mean the world to Ben.
“Hi, Mr. Grayson,” Anya chattered out in greeting.
“Are you ready to see your husband cross the finish line?” Todd asked, a proud gleam shining in his eyes. They were the palest, clearest blue. Just like Ben’s.
Everyone turned their attention to Clementine.
Her husband. The words never failed to both surprise and delight her at the same time. It had been ten months, almost a year, since she’d walked down the aisle at the little white church just down the street. Down a burgundy carpet, lined with family and friends, toward the man she thanked God for every day.
She’d missed him while he’d been gone. More than once, she’d been tempted to climb aboard one of the tiny planes headed for various checkpoints along the trail so she could see him. She needed to touch his face, check his hands for signs of frostbite and make sure he was safe. If Sue and Anya hadn’t been there to stop her, she just might have gone.
It was a good thing her friends had been stubborn in their determination to make Clementine keep her promise to stay and wait for him in Nome. The trail was filled with enough danger, not to mention the ghosts of Ben’s past that Clementine knew still haunted him occasionally. He needed a clear head when he led his team over the frozen trail to the burled arch.
It was her fierce love for her husband that prompted her to stay behind and let him finish his race. In the past seven days, she’d held hands with Sue and prayed for Ben and Reggie. As mushers’ wives, they shared a common bond. Clementine had been there, watching, when Reggie arrived in Nome safely only hours before. And now Sue was here, offering the same support to Clementine.
Tears stung the corner of Clementine’s eyes. She blinked them back and looked at all the anxious faces, waiting for her to say something.
“Of course she’s ready to see Ben.” Anya waved a mittened hand in her direction. “Look at her. She’s a mess.”
Clementine laughed. “Gee, thanks.”
“Oh, Clementine.” Ben’s father placed his hand on her back, between her shoulder blades. “Look.”
She followed the nod of his head until she saw the vague outline of a musher, off in the distance. He had to be at least a half mile away, but the sight of him sent her reeling. A cloud of snow surrounded him, kicked up by the swift feet of his dog team. As he drew closer, his dogs began to bark, spurred on by the excited cheers of the crowd.
Watching his approach, Clementine’s heart expanded. She was full of love—love for her family, love for her friends, both old and new, and love for Alaska itself. But most of all, her heart swelled with love for her husband and the God who’d brought them together, love so strong that it made her chest ache.
Ben’s father spoke, breaking the silent spell that had come over her at the sight of her husband. “What do those dogs have on their feet?”
“I’m sure they’re wearing booties.” Clementine squinted and followed his gaze.
He cleared his throat. “Um, since when do they wear pink booties?”
“Oh. My. Goodness.” Anya clutched Clementine’s arm. “They are pink. He did this for you. Did you know about this?”
“No, I didn’t.” She shook her head. The pink dog booties were a complete and total surprise.
A very sweet one.
So like Ben, Clementine thought.
As adorable as they were, Clementine had little interest in the booties. All she cared about was getting a good glimpse of Ben.
When he drew close enough for her to make out the familiar outline of his face, her cup of hot chocolate slipped through her fingers. Anya or Sue reached down to pick it up—Clementine couldn’t be sure which of them came to her aid. She only had eyes for him.
All around her, people began to shout and cheer. Chants of Ben’s name filled the air in a two-beat staccato. Gray-son, Gray-son, Gray-son. There wasn’t a dry eye in Nome. Everyone in the state was aware of Ben’s history. And for the visitors, the newspapers and television stations had all provided detailed coverage of the “musher who’d triumphed over tragedy.”
Clementine was barely cognizant of any of it. She held her breath, waiting for the moment when Ben spotted her. The second he did, he blew her a kiss. And in that instant, she forgot he was a world-class dog musher or that he’d at long last conquered his past. He was simply her husband. She blew him a return kiss. Her fingers trembled when she sent it out to him, a reaction that had nothing to do with the cold.
He was so close. Clementine’s feet tapped in her bunny boots, itching to break into a run toward Ben’s sled. It was all she could do to stand there and wait for his name to be announced over the loudspeaker. When he was less than thirty feet away, he slowed his team to a stop. Race protocol dictated he pause and allow handlers to guide his dogs to the finish, while an official broadcast was made announcing his background and placement.
Clementine watched as a handful of sled dog handlers moved forward to grab hold of the gang line, just as she’d done the year before for Reggie’s team. She’d wanted to do the same at the finish for Ben’s team this time around, but they’d agreed the dogs would probably be so excited to see Clementine they might ignore Ben’s commands and flop down for her to scratch their bellies. Now she was glad she didn’t have the responsibility of guiding the dogs through the finish chute. She’d been in no way prepared for the strong emotions this experience would elicit.
Anya and Sue each reached for one of her hands and squeezed them tight while she waited. Ben’s father ran forward, past the bright orange fencing and took hold of the line right behind the lead dogs, Kodiak and Moose.
His voice rang out, above all the others, and he waved back at Ben. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Ben lifted a hand to his mouth and shook his head, clearly too overcome with emotion to speak.
The announcer’s crisp voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “And in sixth place, we have bib number twenty four: Ben Grayson, from Aurora, Alaska. This is Ben’s return to the Gold Rush Trail after a five-year absence from competitive dog mushing. Ben’s team is comprised solely of rescue dogs. He hails from a long line of mushers, and guess what, folks? He’s a newlywed. So maybe one day we’ll see the Grayson family tradition continue.”
A renewed cheer rose up from the throng of people packed around the finish line and Clementine’s cheeks burned. She glanced questioningly at Ben and he just grinned from ear to ear.
“Come on, everyone, let’s hear it for Ben Grayson. Bring ’em on in, Ben.”
Somehow the dogs heard Ben’s Hike command over the rowdy onlookers. With the help of the handlers, they trotted straight into the chute and slowed to an easy stop just past the finish line.
Clementine wasn’t sure whether the whoosh she heard when Ben’s sled glided past her was the sound of his s
led runners or her own gasp of delight. The moment he passed the red line beneath the burled arch, Ben hopped off the sled and headed straight toward her. He peeled off the outermost layers of his extreme cold weather gear as he approached, leaving a trail of beaver-hide mittens and thermal neck gaitors in his wake. The smile on his exhausted face reached all the way to his eyes.
When he reached her, she threw her arms around his neck. Despite the fatigue she knew he must be battling, he lifted her clear off her feet and spun her around. His journey had been long. Far longer than the thousand miles he’d mushed from Aurora to Nome.
“Let me look at you,” he breathed.
The world around them ceased to exist. Clementine had no idea where the dogs were. And for once, she didn’t care.
He set her down, pushed back the hood of her coat and buried his hands in her curls. “You’ve no idea how badly I missed you.”
“I think I have an inkling.” She ran her fingertips over his face, reddened from the sun and wind, and slid the pad of her thumb across his chapped lips. “But you did it, Ben. I’m so happy for you.”
“No.” He shook his head and his eyes, still as blue as a glacier, grew shiny. “We did it.”
Clementine bit her lip to keep herself from falling completely to pieces. She nodded toward the dog team, which Ben’s dad seemed to have under control. “Nice booties, by the way.”
“You like those?”
“I do.” Her bottom lip quivered.
He stilled it with a touch from his fingertip. “I thought you might.”
Then he gathered her in his arms and covered her with tender kisses—her hair, her cheeks, her lips—before whispering in her ear, “He has repaid me for the years the locusts have eaten. And it started the day I met you.”
* * * * *
If you enjoyed Teri Wilson’s book, be sure to check out the other books this month from Love Inspired!
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Alaskan Hearts. This story is very near and dear to my heart as it is my first book for Harlequin and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
When I made my first trip to Alaska in 2009 to volunteer as a sled dog handler at the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, I fell in love with the beauty and spirit of our forty-ninth state. Like Clementine, I was nervous and imagined myself falling down and being trampled by a team of happy, eager Alaskan huskies. Or worse, a sled. But God had planted a dream in my heart and it was up to me to trust Him to see it through. How many times in life are we presented with fantastic opportunities only to pass them by because we are afraid? I didn’t fall down that day in Alaska. But if I had, He would have been there to pick me up. God is faithful. We can trust Him with all our dreams and hopes for the future. This is the truth Ben and Clementine both grapple with in these pages.
I went back to Alaska the following year and will continue to do so as long as I’m able. It is a place like no other—wild, rugged and so beautiful it takes my breath away. My prayer is that God will continue to provide me with exciting, new experiences and many more stories to share with you.
Wishing you all of God’s blessings and peace,
Teri Wilson
Questions for Discussion
Have you ever traveled to a faraway place by yourself? How do you think traveling alone differs from doing so with a companion? Why do you think Clementine brings Nugget with her to Alaska?
Why is Clementine so determined not to let Ben tell her what to do? Is her reaction a fair response? Why or why not?
When Ben first meets Clementine, he is overcome with the urge to protect her from the dangers of Alaska. Why do you think he feels this way?
This story centers around a dog sled race. Before reading it, did you know much about dog mushing? In what ways did the story surprise you about the sport?
Clementine is shocked to discover that Ben is a dog musher. Why is she so surprised? And why does she find herself even more drawn to him after this revelation?
What do you think of Ben’s decision to quit mushing after his accident? Do you think the reaction of his friends and family to this decision was helpful or hurtful?
What does Clementine like about her life back home in Texas and in what way does she want her life to change?
Have you ever felt the desire to start over again in an entirely new place? In what ways can this be a good idea and in what ways is it not?
Ben was close to God before his accident but pulled away afterward. Why do you think some Christians struggle with trusting God after a tragedy more than others?
Was the portrayal of Alaska in this story as you expected? Do you feel the Alaskan setting enhanced the romance between Ben and Clementine? Why or why not?
What role do the dogs play in this story? Have you ever had a close relationship with a pet before?
What sort of memories does Ben struggle with when Clementine asks him to adopt the stray dog she finds?
What sort of unique challenges do you imagine Clementine will face once she moves to Alaska? How do you think living there differs from living in other parts of the country?
What significance do the Northern Lights play in Alaskan Hearts? What does their appearance in Nome symbolize to Ben?
What are the central struggles that Ben and Clementine deal with in this book? In what ways do you identify with these characters?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
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ISBN: 9781459230934
Copyright © 2012 by Teri Wilson
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