When Lauren woke up the next morning, Shane was already out and about—and full of energy, too.
“Good morning, sleepyhead!” he said as he hefted a giant pack onto the kitchen table. His crutches wobbled beneath his arms, but he stood strong.
“Sleepyhead?” Before she could stop it, her mouth stretched wide in an audible yawn. “Is that my new nickname?”
“It’s only fair with you calling me Mr. Grump all the time.” He rummaged through his supplies and turned to Lauren with a satisfied smirk. “Well, hurry up and grab some breakfast. We’ve got a busy day ahead.”
Lauren wasn’t sure what she had expected in the wake of their huge blowup and mutual apology last night, but this probably wasn’t it. She padded over to the refrigerator in her house slippers and grabbed a container of yogurt.
“You’ll need to wear something comfortable,” Shane added, searching back through his bag again. “And warm.”
“I always dress warm and comfortable.” She dipped her spoon into the yogurt and leaned back against the sink. “You gonna tell me what you have planned?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now get dressed and help me load up the truck.” He headed outside without her, which meant she needed to hurry through her morning routine if she were going to accompany him on whatever journey he had planned. And, oh, how she looked forward to this surprise!
Lauren had only ever seen Shane’s car, so she was startled to hear him talk about a truck. She was even more surprised to find it outfitted with traveling cages for the dogs built right in. They stood two rows high on each side, with six cubbies per row facing outward, each housing open flaps for the dogs to stick their heads through. She helped Shane get the sled tied to the top of the truck, then watched in awe as he effortlessly lifted the dogs into their cubbies, a feat that was all the more impressive given his injury.
“We only need ten dogs today. We’ll take the others on the next trip.”
“Can we bring Briar Rose?” Lauren asked as Shane helped Fred into one of the open kennels. “She’s my favorite.”
He laughed. “Fine, if you insist. She won’t do us much good, but we have Alice as a spare, I suppose.”
“Why not?” she asked, but Shane reached across her to open the passenger door without answering.
“Get in. You’re driving.”
In all her life, Lauren had never driven such a giant, hulking vehicle, but she was too excited about the mystery adventure to argue.
“Hope you can you drive a stick,” he said as they both buckled up.
“And if I can’t?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Then you’ll just have to figure it out. Not many folks on the road at this time anyway.”
“Well, it’s lucky I already know how then. I don’t want to be responsible for killing ten of your finest dogs.”
“Or me,” he added.
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. This felt good, like the way they were always meant to communicate with each other.
“Okay, killer. Take it easy,” Shane said, pointing out the window. “Take a right out of here and head toward Bay Road.”
“You going to tell me where we’re going?”
“I already told you, you’ll find out soon enough. It’s about an hour off.”
“So no talking until then?” She did her best to focus on the road ahead, but the image of Shane in her periphery distracted her more than once.
“We can talk.” He seemed relaxed this morning. Was he relaxed enough to open up? She had to try.
Only half joking, she turned to wink at him and said, “Okay, then tell me your mysterious secret, please.”
“Har har. I don’t think so, but now that you mention it, you haven’t exactly shared your life story either.”
She bit her upper lip, something she used to do all the time as a child before a retainer corrected her underbite. “That’s because there’s not much to tell.”
“That doesn’t really surprise me,” he quipped.
“Hey! Wasn’t part of being friends now making sure we’re nice to each other?”
“Who’s not being nice? I haven’t said a mean thing to you all day.”
She rolled her eyes again as they turned onto the highway. “Great job, considering it’s already seven AM.”
“You going to tell me your life story or what?”
“My entire life story? You really want to know the whole, long thing?”
“Okay, maybe not the whole thing, but you could start by telling me why you’re here.”
“Well...” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to build the suspense. His eyes were glued to her now. Was he every bit as eager to learn about her as she was to learn about him? She might as well have a little fun with it by teasing him the way he so often teased her. “I’m here now because you told me I have to come with you to this mysterious destination. By the way, where are we going?”
“I don’t think so, Lauren.” A little shiver ran up her spine at the sound of her name on his lips yet again. “Really, why did you take this job with me?”
She confessed, “I’m trying to learn about my father, and this seemed like a good place to get started.”
“Is your father Edward Dalton? I thought it was just a coincidence, your name. Didn’t realize you actually have ice in your blood.”
“You knew my father?” This entire time she could have asked Shane. Did he hold the keys not only to his own secrets, but to hers as well?
“I knew of your father,” Shane clarified, and just as quickly as her hopes had risen toward the sky, they came plummeting back to earth—a sad, pathetic fallen star. “He was a great racer.”
She sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “That’s what I hear, but I didn’t find out until he died earlier this year.”
“Earlier this year? It’s only February.”
“I know.” She took her eyes off the road a minute to look over at him.
“That explains a lot, actually.”
“Like?” Had he figured her out because he was interested in learning about her as well, or was it just that she was so plainly transparent?
He fiddled with the shoulder strap on his seat belt as he spoke, almost as if the topic of Lauren’s past made him nervous. “Why you showed up out of the blue with no experience. Why you insisted on staying when I tried to get rid of you. Why you seem sad sometimes.”
She felt the hot sting of tears but refused to let them fall. She’d shed so many for her father already, but she also knew he wouldn’t want her to be unhappy when remembering him. She forced a smile and said, “I miss him. Have you ever lost anyone you loved?”
Shane frowned. “I don’t love, remember? And, besides, we’re here.”
Lauren studied him for a moment, and when it was clear that he would reveal no more, she turned to study the scene before them. Several trucks like their own stood in the open field. Men hefted sleds and other supplies from their trucks, and dogs whined as they were tied to their gang lines. The entire scene buzzed with excitement, and Lauren buzzed, too, looking out at it, knowing that soon she’d be among them.
He’d brought her to a race, her first ever, and a fresh chance to prove herself.