Quite a bit older than her. A chance that she could be a widow at a younger age. Con.
Because she’d be alone again.
Her stomach turned. Maybe the list wasn’t such a great idea. She reached into her pocket and let her fingers grip the bottle there.
Peter turned and looked over his shoulder at her.
Heat filled her cheeks.
Did he know what was in her pocket?
SIX
The trip out to the village racked Peter’s nerves. When he’d traveled with other dog mushers out to the remote villages, he’d sworn every time to never ride with that specific driver again.
Reckless and scary. That’s what those journeys were. Every single one of them. So climbing into the sled with Whitney had been an act of courage, but he’d held on to the hope that shehadto be better than the others. Besides, he knew her pretty well. Knew her stellar reputation.
Two hours had passed as the sleds shushed over the snow. For the first little bit, he’d tried to act nonchalant and do some research along the way, but that proved impossible. While the ride was smooth for the most part, he discovered in short order that he needed to pay attention to the curves of the trail. Then there was the fact that the dogs kicked up quite a bit of snow. He didn’t want his books to be sopping by the time they reached the village, so he’d tucked them away.
The rest of the time, he’d worked to relax his muscles. His beautiful driver knew what she was doing and whereshe was going. Besides, he should rest as much as he could on the journey. Once they arrived at the village he would be needed every moment.
But instead of closing his eyes, he let them roam the sparse landscape around them. Deep snow covered everything as far as the eye could see, and if not for the snow glasses Amka had given them, he might very well be snow-blind. The narrow slits in the bands of wood strapped to his head muted the brilliance of the light on the snow and made it easier to see, and he wanted to see it all.
What a fascinating land! And while the terrain wasn’t flat, it didn’t boast the mountains that soared to the heavens like many other areas of Alaska he’d seen. He had come to appreciate and even love the wide-open spaces of Nome and the surrounding region. Even though they were cut off from most of the world.
That last fact was one of the reasons he’d come here.
Grief was a beast. One that liked to hang around and drag a person down. But as much as he’d fought the battle against it, he’d had to make a complete life change to feel like he could move forward. His passion was just as fierce as it had always been, but there was more driving him than ever before.
The need to offer his skills to those who didn’t have access to medical care was the most prominent in his mind and heart. Maybe he could change the outcomes, the would-have-beens, so others didn’t have to suffer or endure the pain that so many had.
Himself included.
“Haw!” Whitney’s command to the dogs had them shift along the trail to the left, and the village came into view. She really was an expert with these animals. Not once had hefeared for his life like he had with other mushers. Mutual trust ran between Whitney and her dogs.
Impressive. That’s what it was. Whatshewas ... if only she could see that herself.
Several people came to the edge of the village to greet them as they approached. The task in front of him was daunting. But he had help. These were Amka’s people, so she would help him gain the villagers’ trust.
Lord, here we go. We need Your help.
Whitney slowed the team, and Peter prepared to hop off the sled and get to work.
And Father, don’t let anyone die on my watch.
Never again.
Chris got off the sled and helped to unload the crates of supplies. Amka was a quiet woman, but she had raved several times about his daughters and their talents. Especially Whitney with the dogs.
He couldn’t help but agree. Watching her in action on the trail had been a sight to behold.
If only he could reach her.
Not that he blamed her for keeping him distant. As a child, she’d seen––and understood––too much of his drunken behavior and the pain it caused. That she’d actually dragged him home ... his throat clogged. How could he have done that to her?
For years, he’d fought the demons of the past, but God gave him a clean slate. Over the past few months, Havyn and Madysen had warmed and come around. But Whitney ... his sweet Whitney. Well, the wounds he’d inflicted on her might be too much for either of them to overcome.
The best he could do was show her he was a new man. Maybe he could at least earn favor from her for his other children. If Matthew, Eli, and Bethany could be welcomed by his girls, he would be content. He didn’t deserve forgiveness from his family. But by God’s grace, he had it from the Father. That was what mattered most.
