Page 77 of Paging Dr. Breakup
“No, it’s okay. I mean, there was the one time Mom and Dad took Mav and me backcountry camping for fishing. Dad decided we should all go to a frozen lake way out in the bush. It’d be fun.Whee.” She made a twirling motion with her finger. “As a ten-year-old, I was not impressed. Rather stay home and moon over my NSYNC CDs.”
“That’s fair. Lots of kids thought Justin Timberlake was hot.”
“You’re not wrong.” She shrugged. “So away we went, two sleds, two sets of dogs, ice fishing gear, tents. I’d like to say it was awful, but I really do love the beauty of the landscape here and being outdoors… It was an exciting adventure.” She hesitated.
“Until?”
“Until a couple of things happened. Unbeknownst to our parents, Mav and I had eaten all three days’ worth of snacks on the ride out.” She lifted her hands. “Hey, we were growing kids.”
He laced his fingers in hers. He loved how she closed her eyes and beamed, probably envisioning her parents as they had been years ago, healthy and vibrant. “The second thing?”
With a smile, she continued. “Well, one of the younger dogs back then, Naknek, had been chewing on his harness during the run out. We got to the site, and he finally chewed through and escaped to freedom!”
“I thought the dogs were trained to sit down where they stop.”
“Not when they are young and excitable. And, as it turns out, not particularly well-suited to dogsledding.”
He laughed. “Makes sense.”
“When Naknek took off, Dad ran after him, but the teams thought it was a terrific game. They pulled the brake claw out and took off. I was still on Dad’s sled. So, it was Dad chasing Naknek followed by me in the cargo basket of a driverless sled being pulled by yapping, ecstatic dogs who had a new game to play. Mom threw Mav back on their sled and took off after us with the dogs on her string, who also thought this was a fun game of chase.”
“That had to have been a sight!”
“Oh yeah. My team passed Naknek and Dad within fifty yards and kept on going. Luckily, I crawled back onto the sled runners to steer and finally slowed down the team. I stomped the claw again and stayed on it until Mom arrived. Thirty minutes later, Dad returned with a dog who felt zero remorse but who had a lot of personal pride. By then, we discovered that Mav and I had eaten through so much food, and at this rate we were at risk of becoming the Donner Party.”
He took a mental picture of her happy expression. “What did you do then?”
“Mav started crying because he was already hungry again. Mom walked around talking to herself and making gestures at the sky. Dad fixed Naknek’s harness. That dog still had no regrets. After some choice words, Dad turned us back around and home we went.” She tilted her head and rested her jaw on a fist. Her eyes took on a wistful glow. “We ended up eating cold sandwiches, popping popcorn, and having a slumber party in the family room. Watched DVDs and laughed all evening.”
“I love every bit of that story,” he said.
Her smile dropped. “Good memories, for sure.” She sighed. “Boy, I miss them.”
He pulled her hand to his and pressed it to his cheek for a beat. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
It took her a moment before she said anything. The ever-changing play of emotions over her face fascinated him.
“Thank you for making me remember those times.” Her rough voice contained unshed tears.
“I’m honored, Deirdre.”
They settled into comfortable silence until the waitress brought the check. After he paid, they strolled back to his car. Once buckled up, the atmosphere inside felt thicker but somehow lighter. He was aware of her every movement. Her every breath.
Arriving back to her home, he kissed her gently on the porch. After a minute, he pulled his head back. “Could I come in?”
“Like, coffee—or more?”
“Whatever you want.”
Her shadowed gaze met his. “I want more.”
He bent his head and took the kiss deeper, pressing against her. The scorching kiss went on and on until they pulled away, gasping for air.
“Calvin,” she panted, fumbling with the key and the doorknob.
“Here, let me. Damn it.” He cursed out loud when the key stuck.
His luck. Finally, he wrestled the door open, closed, and he threw the deadbolt.
