Broken Trails

“That would be … Irish and Rye?” Lainey asked.

Scotch nodded, turning off the road and onto a hard packed dirt lane. “Irish is nine; she’s up to ten dogs now. And Rye runs a full load.”

“Interesting names,” Howry said, hinting for more information.

Chuckling, Scotch said, “Talk to my dad. He loves telling the story.”

“I will,” Lainey responded, her voice soft.

Scotch looked sharply over her shoulder, not certain what she thought she would see. Lainey merely smiled back at her. Turning back to her driving, she wondered why the woman unsettled her so.

Deep in her thoughts Scotch did not catch Howry giving Lainey a raised eyebrow. She returned a warning look, not quite sticking her tongue out at him, though she did give his seat a slight nudge. He slid his eyes back to the scenery.

Her sexual interests were no mystery to the man; they had worked together in South America once. Two months of close association left little in the way of secrets. By the time they returned to the states, they were old hands at discussing the topic of bringing a woman to climax, bragging about their abilities and sharing techniques.

Watching Scotch’s profile, her libido kicked into overdrive. Her masturbatory fantasy of the last three months sat merely inches away. Good God, how was she going to survive this? What ever possessed her to pitch this idea in the first place? Lainey’s sudden rush of nerves unsettled her. She had never felt this way about any woman she was interested in.

Scotch held an unconscious beauty. She needed no makeup, and apparently did not wear any. Her nose was lightly crooked, and Lainey wondered if it was natural or the result of a break. Otherwise her features were flawless. Scotch’s skin was tanned with a light brushing of freckles across her nose. It was not as weathered as when Lainey had first seen her, but back in March, Scotch had just come off the Iditarod trail. Tawny golden curls stuck out haphazardly from beneath a cream-colored baseball cap, curling at the nape of her neck. Lainey was hard pressed to not reach over and finger the tresses.

Her perusal was interrupted by a growing cacophony of sound, distracting both she and Howry. Scotch drove the truck down a driveway, past a sign welcoming them to Fuller Kennels. Hours of operation were posted there, and Lainey wondered why. She made a mental note to get a picture of the sign, focusing her attention on the nearing buildings.

The drive was a huge loop, with a central rest area holding a smattering of wooden chairs and a stone barbecue grill. A station wagon with Virginia license plates sat in a rudimentary parking area to the left, the back piled high with camping gear. Two log buildings were central to the drive, one with a rustic wooden sign proclaiming the Fuller Veterinarian Hospital. That would be why there were hours of operation, of course.

Lainey identified the noise as several dogs barking in excited welcome.

Scotch grinned as she parked in front of the second cabin. “Don’t worry. The dogs only make that kind of racket for our dog trucks. They won’t wake you up for everything on wheels that passes by.”

“That’s a relief,” Howry said, opening his door. “I need my beauty sleep.”

“I’ll say.” Lainey grinned, unrepentant at her dig.

The canine enthusiasm seemed to be contagious. She took Scotch’s hand to steady herself as she climbed out of the truck. A shock traveled up her arm at the touch, and she quickly drew away, lest she follow her body’s natural instincts. Lainey promptly began fishing for the luggage in the bed of the truck, receiving another questioning look from Howry. She ignored him. Now was not the time to get into a discussion of what was going on with her. It was bad enough the head honchos at Cognizance had altered her plan, thereby insuring she would have a colleague witness her foolishness. She did not need to give him any more ammunition than necessary.

Scotch said, “We’ll wait until after lunch to get you settled in.” She hefted a duffel bag with ease, and clambered up the steps of the cabin, setting it near the front door. “In the meantime, let’s leave your stuff here, and I’ll take you on the guided tour.”

“Guided tour, huh?” Howry asked, dropping a suitcase on the porch. “That sounds like you do it regularly.”

“We do,” she said. She relieved Lainey of a full sized backpack, an expression of surprise flickering on her face as she noted how heavy it was. “Two tours a day, Monday through Friday. We also arrange day trips, overnight camp outs with the dogs, weekend excursions, and sled rides or lessons.”

“Impressive,” Lainey said. She pointed at the building they passed as they swung into the drive. “Plus an animal hospital?”

Scotch grinned. “Yeah. That’s my mom’s. She takes care of all the dogs here, and is a volunteer vet for the Iditarod.”

Howry, his camera already in hand, fiddled with a lens as he eyed Lainey with a cocked brow.

She realized she was staring at Scotch with more than average interest, and quickly dissembled.

The cabin’s screen door burst open, a welcome distraction for Lainey, and two bundles of energy rolled out, one human and one canine.

“Dey here! Dey here!”

Scotch scooped both of them up in an effort to contain the potential disaster. Only then were they still enough for Lainey to register what they looked like.

Hefting the child, Scotch said, “I’d like to introduce you to Bon, my youngest brother.” Turning slightly to indicate the puppy, she continued, “And this is Aphrodite.”

Lainey reached out and shook Bon’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The boy extended a bashful smile, and she grinned as he clung to his sister. There was no doubt they were related; both had wavy golden hair, though his coloring was much lighter. Hearing a shutter click, she saw Howry taking a picture.

“Oh, watch out,” Scotch warned, setting her burdens down. “He’s a major ham.”

Bon laughed, and bustled to the screen door, throwing it open. “C’mon, Aph’dite!” The pup gamboled forward, tail wagging eagerly, and they disappeared inside.

Chuckling, Scotch stared after them as she removed her ball cap to run her hand through her hair. Lainey wondered if it felt as wonderful as it looked, mesmerized until Howry bumped her from behind. She gave him a quick glare, knowing she would have a lot to explain the next time they were alone.

Breaking the silence, she smiled brightly. “Well! How about that tour?”

He snorted at her, but followed Scotch’s lead as she headed down the steps and around the cabin.

What was it they said? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Lainey did not know if she had grown more interested about Scotch over the last three months as she planned this excursion. Her attraction was just as strong as it had been the minute she had first laid eyes on the musher. It seemed as if the intrigue was much stronger in Scotch’s presence than when Lainey was in New York. At least there she could fool herself into believing this was all a legitimate gig with a little eye candy to stimulate the senses. Here in Scotch’s presence, everything quadrupled.

She dearly hoped constant contact would break her of this infatuation.

“Lainey? You coming?”

Startled from her musing, she waved at Scotch, noting the guarded expression in her eyes. Small wonder, since Lainey was acting bizarre, even in her estimation. She trotted down the steps to join them.

CHAPTER FIVE

SCOTCH LED THEM around the side of the cabin on a gravel path. Instead of a traditional back yard, complete with manicured grass and rose bushes, the bed of rock opened up before them, encompassing most of the available area. The cabin had a raised deck attached where Bon played with his canine goddess and two other puppies. A handful of out buildings and what appeared to be a carport peppered the expanse, though the covered concrete section did not seem accessible to a vehicle with the clutter of equipment there. Two large kennels held a handful of dogs receiving cautious attention from a family of four.