“It’s frozen solid, so I think it’ll be safe.”
“Aye, the lake is solid as a rock,” Ben said. “Just don’t go near the area where the icebreaker comes through.”
“We’ll most definitely steer clear.” Brett worked on securing Tristan’s helmet while Ben helped Morgan and Quinn.
With the helmet firmly in place, Morgan swung her bulky boot over the side of the sled. She fired up the snowmobile and waited for Quinn to slide in behind her.
Brett and Tristan took the lead, cutting through the back of the property. He opened the throttle and sped off across the open field.
Morgan tightened her grip and let ‘er rip.
Quinn held onto her friend’s waist, whooping loudly as they flew over the powdery snow. Crisp, clear skies. Wide open fields of white for as far as the eye could see.
Morgan noticed a row of trees and eased up on the throttle. Brett waited for the women to catch up and lifted his helmet’s visor. “We’ll need to go down the hill to reach the shoreline. Are you up to it?”
Morgan studied the trail—wide enough for her sled with some wiggle room on both sides. “Yeah. I can handle it.”
“Let’s roll!” Tristan lifted his fisted glove in the air and off they went.
While Brett navigated the zigs and zags with ease, Morgan drove a little more cautiously and at a slower pace.
Finally clearing the path and forest, they arrived at the main road, leading all the way around the island. After checking for traffic, they crossed over and reached the shoreline.
Brett shifted to the side, giving her a hand signal, his way of asking her if she wanted to drive on the lake.
Morgan’s heart hammered in her chest. Riding on trails and across open fields was one thing, but driving a heavy sled with two riders over ice?
Quinn nudged her shoulder. “I say we go. If Brett and Ben think the ice is safe, we should be fine.”
Despite the tiny nagging voice in Morgan’s ear, she refused to be the party pooper. She gave her brother a thumbs up.
Brett hit the gas and drove onto frozen Lake Huron. Morgan hesitated for half a second. She hoped they were right and that she and the others weren’t about to break through and fall into the icy waters with no one around to rescue them.
Chapter 16
Morgan gripped the handlebars, gritting her teeth as the snowmobile shot across the frozen lake. She didn’t dare look down, thinking if she did she would jinx them and they would break through the layers of ice.
She and Quinn kept pace with Brett and Tristan, who zoomed full speed across the open expanse. Morgan cast a furtive look over her shoulder. The shoreline seemed so far away. Dotting the ice and up ahead was a cluster of shanties.
Following Brett’s lead, they made a straight shot toward the structures, a mixture of wood and metal.
Morgan eased off the throttle and coasted to a stop behind her brother. “These are cool. I don’t remember seeing shanties last year, but then I wasn’t snowmobiling out on the lake.”
“Welcome to Easton Island Shanty Town,” Brett said. “The islanders haul them out onto the ice as soon as it’s safe and keep them out here until it starts to thaw.”
“I’ve never been in an ice shanty before,” Tristan said.
Quinn shaded her eyes, surveying their surroundings. “Me neither.”
“The one with the fish painted on the side belongs to Denver Coates. Denver’s is luxurious by fishing shanty standards.” Brett removed his helmet and hung it on the handlebars. “You want to check it out?”
“Sure.”
Passing by a set of more modest structures, they cut through the middle until reaching Denver’s shanty.
Plexiglass covered a half-moon window next to the sturdy entrance door. Brett checked to make sure the coast was clear. “Denver isn’t here.”
Morgan crept closer. A built-in wooden bench sat along one side. Next to the bench was a portable heater. “Denver even has a heater.”
