“Are you nearly ready?” Beth asked her daughter. She noted how graceful Rita looked as she crossed the room and ran a brush through her short, dark hair. She was so much like her father.
“Just finishing up,” Rita replied over her shoulder. “I couldn’t decide what to wear.”
“You look fine,” Beth offered, hoping that it wouldn’t offend Rita. Sometimes the strangest things seemed to set her daughter off.
“You really think so?” Rita asked, running a hand down her skirt. “Everything seemed wrinkled.”
“It looks nice, Rita. Your father is really anxious to show you off, and since most everyone is already here, I thought I’d escort you. That is, if you don’t mind,” Beth stated hopefully.
Rita was surprised at her mother’s gesture but refused to show it. “It sounds fine, Mom,” she said, following her mother into the hall.
Descending the stairs, Rita could hear the soft, classical music her mother had put on the stereo. Mozart. No, Chopin, Rita decided. It sounded nice, and Rita turned to tell Beth so but found her mother’s attention already directed to the crowd as they stepped into the vestibule.
“Beth, don’t you look pretty,” an older man said as he stepped forward and kissed Rita’s mother on the cheek.
“You’re kind to say so, Ernie, but I think you’d best have the eye doctor check out your vision,” Beth replied and Ernie laughed. “Rita, you remember Ernie, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Rita said and smiled sweetly.
“Well, don’t be telling me this is the baby of the family,” Ernie replied, giving Rita a hearty squeeze. “It don’t seem possible.”
“I know what you mean,” August said as he came up from behind Beth. “Rita’s become a nurse just like her aunt Julie. I can’t believe a person could change so much in just five years.”
“I grew up, Daddy,” Rita offered. “That’s all. Are you still in the kennel business, Ernie?” Rita hoped her question would take the focus off of herself. She remembered Ernie loved to talk about his dogs.
“Naw, gave it up about a year ago. Got to be too much work for just me,” Ernie replied.
“Boy, that’s the truth,” August said, sounding tired. “That’s why I got a partner. None of the kids seemed interested in joining me, so it seemed the logical thing to do.”
“A partner?” Rita questioned her father in surprise. “When did you get a partner?”
August chuckled at Rita’s reaction. “I guess I forgot to tell you about that. I’ll introduce you to him tonight. He’s a real nice guy, and one of those fellows I was telling you about earlier.”
Rita bit back a response as her mother pulled her along and into a sea of people. “I thought you said this was a small get-together,” Rita commented.
“To your father, this is a small get-together,” Beth reminded her daughter.
Rita nodded, knowing how her father loved to keep friends and family close at hand. He was always inviting someone over for some reason.
“Rita!” a woman’s voice exclaimed.
Rita looked up to find an old high school friend. “Janice?”
She barely resembled the girl Rita had known. Her once-long blond hair was cut short, and her figure was generously rounded in the expectation of a new child.
“It’s really me,” the woman replied. “I can’t believe you’re finally here. You will come over to spend some time with me and Dave, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Rita said, still stunned by her friend’s appearance.
“We’re living in Tok, same old place, so just make your way on over whenever you can. But I warn you, the place is a mess, what with the kids and all,” Janice said with a laugh.
“Kids? I thought maybe this was your first one,” Rita said, indicating Janice’s condition.
“Oh no. This is number five,” Janice replied.
“Five?” Rita questioned. She could see that Janice was radiant and happy and knew there wasn’t any sense in spoiling it with lectures of world conditions and such. “How nice,” Rita added instead and left the woman with promises to visit.
She made the rounds bidding “hellos” to all the neighbors and church friends that she’d known. That life seemed a million years ago, however, and Rita felt rather out of place. So many of these people had drifted out of her thoughts and heart, and now she felt hesitant to allow them back in.
Independence had made Rita hard. She knew it and she actually found herself supporting the role. Being aloof and indifferent left her more time to herself and with more control in her life.
She was just trying to figure a way out of the room when August called from the doorway. “Rita, come meet my partner.”
Rita made her way through the crowd of well-wishers and glanced up in time to come face-to-face with Mark Williams.
“Rita, this is Mark Williams, my partner,” August stated. “Mark, my youngest daughter, Rita.”
Mark grinned from ear to ear and extended his hand. “Rita, it’s a pleasure.”
“I don’t believe this,” Rita said, refusing Mark’s hand and turning to her father. “He’s your partner?”
“Do you two know each other?” August asked, looking curiously from Mark to Rita.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Rita said, and hurried from the room.
She hated herself for the way she’d responded to Mark’s presence, but she couldn’t imagine anything more embarrassing than having to face Mark Williams again. Making her way through the kitchen and out the back door, Rita didn’t stop moving until she was well behind the house and halfway to the creek that ran the full length of the property.
“I don’t believe it,” she sighed aloud. “It’s bad enough Dad’s taken on a partner, but why did it have to be him?”
The breeze picked up, chilling Rita momentarily. She hugged her arms to her chest and gazed up into the sky.
“You really should learn to layer your clothes,” Mark teased.
Rita snapped around to find him not two feet from where she stood. “Haven’t you put me through enough? First you give me a speeding ticket, then you make me give up my clothes to a bear, and now I learn that I must endure your company for the months to come if I’m to get the training I need for the Iditarod.”
“In the first place, you deserved the speeding ticket,” Mark said with a shrug. “Now, are you going to dispute that?”
“No, I suppose not,” Rita muttered.
“And secondly, as embarrassing as it was, giving your top to that grizzly got her attention on something other than you, and finally, I told you that your folks and I were good friends,” Mark stated firmly.
“Good friends are one thing. Partners are entirely something else. I had no idea my father had even taken on a partner, much less that it was you,” Rita said, and turned to walk away.
“I wish for the sake of your father and mother, you’d just drop what’s gone behind us. I’d like to start over,” Mark said, following Rita back to the house.
Rita stopped and turned to face the man who’d caused her nothing but embarrassment and grief. “Look, for my father’s sake I will act civilly and cooperate. But, and this is most important,” Rita said with determination, “I don’t need you or anyone else telling me how to live my life. I can take care of myself, just as I have for the last five years. I came here to train for the Iditarod, not to make friends or hunt for a husband, as my father would like me to do.”
“I can’t imagine wanting to be either one,” Mark replied sarcastically and left Rita to stare open-mouthed after him.
Chapter 3
At breakfast the following morning, Rita was still thinking about Mark’s words. She wasn’t sure why it should bother her so much, but it did.
He had no right to talk to me that way, Rita thought. She shoveled scrambled eggs and toast into her mouth without even tasting the food.
“You’re kind of preoccupied this morning, aren’t you?” August asked his daughter and took a seat besi
de her.
“Sorry,” Rita offered, wiping toast crumbs from her T-shirt. “I just keep thinking about all the work I need to do.” It wasn’t a lie, Rita decided. She really had been thinking of a variety of things. It was just that Mark Williams seemed to take up most of her attention.
“Well, I think the first thing we do should be to reacquaint you with the dogs. There’s a few of the older ones we use for breeding who’ll remember you, but the dogs you’ll need to use for the race will be the three- and four-year-old ones.”
“I thought of that,” Rita said, sipping hot coffee. “I can do the feeding and care for the ones you pick out.”
“We’ll work together to pick out twenty or thirty that look like good possibilities for the race. You can work with those dogs on a daily basis,” August stated. “We can choose them after breakfast, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sounds good to me,” Rita replied. She looked forward to working with her father and, in spite of her worries about his health and age, Rita knew the kennel was his domain.
Half an hour later, Rita followed her father from dog to dog. The Eriksson kennel had over one hundred dogs, far more animals than had been there before Rita had gone to Anchorage. It was easy to see why August needed a partner.
After only ten minutes of listening to her father point out the virtues of one dog after the other, Rita was annoyed to find herself having to deal with Mark again.
“Good morning,” Mark said as he passed by with a bag of feed hoisted over his shoulder.
“It was,” Rita muttered and turned to her father. “What’s he doing here?”
“I told you. He’s my partner. One hundred and ten dogs need a lot of attention. We work at this thing on a constant basis,” August replied.
“But I thought he was a cop,” Rita said without thinking her father might wonder how she knew that detail of Mark’s life.
“Oh, that,” August said with a shrug. “He just fills in on the weekends. Most of the time he’s here with me.”
“Great,” Rita stated sarcastically and walked away to look at the dogs on her own.
“There’s a lot of anger in that woman,” Mark stated, putting the feed on the ground beside him. He pulled out a ball cap from his back pocket and secured it on his head.
“I know,” August replied. He watched as Rita moved from dog to dog. She’d always gotten along better with animals than people, August reminded himself. It wouldn’t have been all that surprising had she handled Mark with cool indifference, but her hateful attitude seemed out of place, even for Rita.
August turned to Mark. “What happened between you two? She has a real mean streak for you.”
Mark chuckled and relayed his first and second meeting with Rita. He finished up by telling August about their conversation the night of the party.
“I guess she thought she was losing control of the situation. Control has always been a big issue with Rita.” August’s words caused Mark to sober considerably.
“She won’t have as much control out there on the trails. The weather, the wildlife, all of it has a mind of its own,” Mark stated as if August didn’t already know it.
“Rita’s always cherished independence,” August replied. He was still watching Rita and knew she was trying not to notice Mark and August as they talked. “Since she was a little girl, Rita has alienated herself from just about everything for fear it might require she give up some form of control in her life. Didn’t matter what or who it was. She put up a wall between herself and her mother, God, teachers, friends, and sometimes even me.”
“I wonder why she feels so insecure?” Mark questioned.
“Insecure? I’ve thought of Rita as a lot of things but never insecure. Why, she trekked out of here on her own as fast as her car could take her. Of course you know how she is behind the wheel,” August added with a laugh.
Mark smiled, but he challenged August’s words. “Rita strikes me as the type of person who’s never found her niche. She seems out of place and I think she purposefully makes it that way in order that no one and nothing get too close. I think she’s insecure about forming relationships. Maybe she’s afraid that the feelings she puts out won’t be reciprocated.”
“I suppose that’s a possibility. I just never thought about it. Now that I do, it seems to make some sense. I just always thought she was spoiled and headstrong.”
“Oh she is that, August,” Mark agreed. “But I don’t think it’s the reason she distances herself. No, I think Rita’s been hurt by someone, and she’s not about to let anyone have the chance to let her down again.”
August grimaced at Mark’s words. He knew only too well of the soured relationship between Rita and Beth. Rita had turned away from her mother at a very early age, but for what reason, August was never sure. Beth had never wanted to discuss it, and Rita claimed to never understand it. August had been forced to stand by helplessly while the relationship deteriorated at a rapid pace.
“Dad!” Rita called from the dogs. “Is this dog one of Blueberry’s pups?”
August smiled. Blueberry had been Rita’s favorite pet before she’d left for Anchorage. “You’ve got a good eye, Rita. That’s Dandelion, so named because he used to chew on them all the time. He’s a good runner and one of the very dogs I thought you could use.”
Rita ran her hand over the husky’s backside. “He feels real firm,” she replied.
“And he’s a great leader,” Mark added. He and August walked to where Rita continued to check him out. “I’ve run him in lead just about every time I’ve had him out. He seems to get out of sorts if you do otherwise.”
“I know the feeling,” Rita muttered under her breath. Mark caught the words but said nothing.
“Look, Rita,” August began, “I want you and Mark to work well together. Do you suppose you could put whatever is bothering you aside and just try to make the relationship work?”
Rita’s head snapped up. She bit off a rhetorical reply when she saw the pleading in her father’s eyes. He was the only man for which she’d even consider backing away from a fight.
Mark noticed the change in Rita’s facial expression as she caught sight of her father. She truly loved the man, which gave Mark hope. At least she was capable of love. Now, why did that matter? Mark tossed the thought from his mind and waited for Rita to make some formal statement of peace.
Rita struggled for the right words. She didn’t like giving in or letting Mark win, but for some reason it was important to her father and that made it important to her. “I’m sorry, Mark,” Rita finally said, turning to face her adversary. “I guess I got carried away with my anger. Truce?”
“Truce,” Mark said and offered his hand.
Rita reached out and took Mark’s hand. She was instantly aware of the way his big hand engulfed her smaller one. It was difficult to allow the contact and yet almost pleasant the way he squeezed her hand and smiled.
Rita quickly dropped his hand, confused by the feelings Mark had stirred. “So what dogs do you recommend, Mark?” she quickly asked to cover up her feelings.
By late in the afternoon, Mark, Rita, and August had picked twenty-two dogs that seemed to fit the description of what Rita needed. These dogs had endurance and youth, experience and grace. They were a sturdy breed of husky, with crystal-blue eyes and stout, firm bodies.
Rita worked with the men to relocate the dogs. They moved dog houses, straw, stake-out chains, and dogs, until Beth called them for supper.
“Have dinner with us, Mark,” August said, walking with Rita to the outdoor pump.
“Naw,” Mark said, pulling off the ball cap and stuffing it into his back pocket again. “I’ve got things to take care of at home. Besides, I threw a roast in the crockpot before I left this morning.”
Rita was relieved at Mark’s reply but said nothing. She pushed and pulled at the pump handle until icy water flowed in a steady stream. Washing her hands and face with the strong, disinfectant soap that was left on a m
etal stand beside the pump, Rita felt refreshed and famished.
The days that followed found Rita in a constant state of retraining. Things she’d learned as a child had to be reviewed, while new ideas and techniques were introduced.
Rita had taken to jogging with Dandelion, whom she immediately dubbed “Dandy.” She wanted to establish a strong relationship with the dog before working with the others. If the leader and driver were to work as one, they had to know each other intimately.
Rita enjoyed the playful dog. He was easy to love and filled a void in Rita’s heart. No wonder she’d always found the dogs such pleasant company. They didn’t ask about your feelings but simply accepted whatever you were capable of giving.
One crisp morning as she finished her run with Dandy, Rita was surprised when Mark appeared on the gravel road astride a motorcycle.
“Morning,” he called out as he came up alongside Rita and Dandy.
“Hi,” Rita said and slowed to a rapid walk.
“Want a ride back?” Mark offered.
“No, I’m fine,” Rita replied, trying to soften the severity of her tone. “I need to walk. I still have flappy legs and no muscle tone.”
“You look pretty good to me,” Mark said with a grin.
Rita blushed and tried to ignore the fact that Mark noticed her discomfort with a broader smile.
“Dad tells me that you’re going to race in the Iditarod,” Rita said, hoping to steer the conversation away from herself.
“That’s right,” Mark replied, keeping even pace with Rita.
“I wouldn’t miss it. Last year I came in high enough to make money on it. I intend to win it this year.”
“Oh, really?” Rita said as her eyes met Mark’s.
“Do I denote a bit of challenge in that question?” Mark asked.
“You might,” Rita said, enjoying the banter.
“You realize the odds are against you. Few women even race the Iditarod, much less win it. Besides, I’m more experienced than you and you have flappy legs. Remember?” Mark’s amusement was contagious.
Rita smiled in spite of her resolve to be serious. “I thought you said they looked pretty good,” Rita answered.
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