Page 36 of Dr. Alaska
“I don’t race anymore.” That wasn’t the answer to her question. Interesting.
“You only have five dogs? On TV, it seems like there are lots more running races.” She eyed several other empty kennels.
“Any number of dogs can pull a sled. It has more to do with the weight of the sled and musher, the distance, the terrain, and the purpose of the activity. Recreational rides on groomed trails are fine with two or three dogs. Long-distance racers run teams of twelve to fourteen, dropping any injured or tired dogs at checkpoints. For the Iditarod, you only have to have five dogs on the string when you finish the race in Nome.” He patted the head of the nearest dog whose tongue lolled out of one corner of its mouth as it stood on back legs to greet Maverick. “I kept my oldest dogs and gave the younger ones to friends who still race.” Gesturing down at the nearest dog who had a white and black fur pattern, he shot her a big grin. “Want to meet everyone?”
Her heart warmed. “You bet!”
“This here fellow is Klister. Runs next to Kenai in lead or behind her in swing position. Will do anything to avoid me putting booties on him.” He slipped the dog into a harness and got him to hold still long enough to put on red nylon booties.
Lee petted Klister and followed Maverick.
“This lovely girl is Denali.”
“She looks different than the others.” Lee took her mitten and glove liner off to sink her fingers into the fuzzy light brown fur over the dog’s otherwise white face. The dog’s eye color was a shocking ice blue, almost white.
“Yes, she’s a malamute. They’re generally fluffier. She is great at the wheel position.”
“Wheel?”
“Closest to the sled. Pulls all day long, any weight, any distance.” He moved over another several feet. “This goofball is Bob. He’s what happens if you took spare parts and crammed them together to make another dog. Not much to look at, but he knows how to pull at the wheel position.”
Bob had an adorable overbite, different colored legs, one ear that stood up while the other one flopped down, and a deep blue eye paired with a light brown eye. Somehow, too, his shoulders weren’t proportional to his hips. “Oh, he’s pitiful, bless his heart.”
Bob nosed the bare hand she offered and licked it,whuffinghis doggy approval as Maverick slid the harness and booties on him.
Finally, they reached the last dog, a larger sturdy black and gray dog whose whipping tail made his whole butt wiggle from side to side. Lee studied his slightly cross-eyed expression. He seemed… simple but happy.
“And this is Kaaktuq.”
“That’s an interesting name.”
“In Inuit, it roughly translates tohungry, which is the perpetual state he’s in. He’ll eat anything, even if it’s not edible.” As the dog leapt up, Maverick held his paws up to his midsection and slipped on booties. “Right, buddy? You like keeping our local veterinarian in business. In other medical mysteries, his flatulence is remarkable, which I know firsthand because guess where it blows?” At the innocent, blank expression on the dog’s face, Maverick leaned over to Lee and whispered, “Kaaktuq here is also dumber than two rocks smashed together.”
Lee shivered at his low voice so close to her ear, and then burst out laughing. “It can’t be that bad.”
“The gas or the brains?” Maverick grinned. “Listen. It’s good he’s a team dog and doesn’t have to make any decisions. Hitch him up and let him run. He’d go forever if I didn’t make him take a break now and then.” He bent and covered the dog’s ears. “Between you and me, Kaaktuq couldn’t navigate his way out of an empty box. Shh, don’t tell him.”
“Poor guy.” Her stomach hurt from laughing at all of the characters.
After Maverick placed the harness, Kaaktuq licked him again and then sat down, tail still wagging, making an arc in the snow. He followed Maverick’s every action with a rapt expression.
Lee paused and took in the foreign but beautiful scene. The lodge behind them, the dogs at their kennels, all the paths carved into the deep snow, trees all around, a large open area with trails several hundred yards away, and mountains climbing toward the sky in the distance. Then there was Maverick, standing tall and confident in the middle of it all. The way he fit perfectly in this environment took Lee’s breath away.
She was far away from her life in Georgia in more ways than distance.
His gaze was inscrutable behind his sunglasses. He stood mere inches away, puffs of vapor drifting up every few seconds. A chilly breeze whipped around them.
“So, want to take the babies on a walk?”
Chapter Fifteen
Mav glanced backas Bob pulled Lee along the trail in the vast meadow behind the lodge. Every time they stopped to rest, she’d give unhandsome Bob a scratch behind the ears and tell him how nice he looked.
Mav was not jealous of a dog.
For Lee’s ease of trekking, Mav had switched out Bob for Kenai, since Kenai had an ingrained need to lead. Kenai’s leash that was attached to Mav’s harness was longest and she strode out in front of Klister, Denali, and Kaaktuq, who snacked on snow along the way. The dogs had settled into the activity, no longer barking with excitement, since now they were doing the thing they wanted to do in the first place.
The midday weather had turned, with increased wind signaling the leading edge of tonight’s predicted storm. He checked his satellite phone, similar to the one he gave the guests to use for trail emergencies. No messages. The guests might still be in town—they had planned to go out for lunch, supplies, and drinks before returning later this afternoon.
