If this moment was any indication, she would certainly enjoy their time alone together—even if they were camping in the middle of a snowstorm.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Drake fought with the sled as Felix pulled them at a fast clip. The reindeer wasn’t trained on how to pull a sleigh and it showed. All the finesse that the reindeer on the ranch had when they did this kind of work was a dream compared to Felix’s stops and starts and jogs around trees and shrubs. Drake couldn’t relax for a moment or he and Clove would be dumped from the sled.
He had it a bit easier than Clove, who sat with her legs inside the cargo basket and was thrown about. She’d started out leaning against his legs for stability, but that was uncomfortable for both of them. Now, she hunched forward in an effort to not bump him off.
If they’d been able to try the sled out before taking off, he would have extended to running boards so they both could stand. That wasn’t an option anymore, though. When they left Otis’s place about seven, they’d committed to making the journey with the sled just the way it was in an effort to escape under the cover of darkness.
His truck was still parked in front of the B&B. Grandma or Judy would move it each day—drive it around town and whatnot. They’d also turn the lights on in his room at the B&B and turn them off again before they went to sleep. Hopefully, their efforts would fool Hoffman into thinking he and Clove had settled in for a spell.
Man, his thighs burned.
He checked the time. They’d been going for an hour and a half and he was beat. There was no way they were going to make it to their first stopping point before he ran out of steam. If he had any hope of continuing on in the early morning hours, he needed to make camp and give his muscles a chance to rest.
“Whoa!” he called to Felix.
Felix continued on at his jog. His tongue rolled out to the side, and he probably looked like a dog hanging his head out the window on a family vacation. He was all too happy to be in the forest again, seeing the world and gallivanting.
Drake had no idea reindeer likes to gallivant so much.
“Whoa!” Drake called as he pulled back on the reins. Felix didn’t seem to notice. That wasn’t a knock to Drake’s pride at all that his tugging didn’t slow Felix down. A reindeer weighed over four-hundred pounds of pure muscles. Of course, his efforts to halt him weren’t more than an annoyance. Besides, wearing a harness was a new experience, and Felix hadn’t figured it out. That’s why they started training the new ones so young. If they knew to feel for the tug on the reins, if they were aware of their bodies and what was happening more than what was in front of their nose, then they responded appropriately.
“Hey, Felix. Stop!” he finally called.
Felix glanced back, and Drake lifted a hand. “Stop!”
Felix put on the brakes, and Drake put all his weight on the brake to stop them from running into his back legs. They stopped an inch shy.
Felix jerked his nose to the trail:Let’s go!
Drake hopped off and walked around to loosen up his leg muscles. “We’re stopping.” He breathed heavily as he started to sweat. Being wet under his base layers could mean frostbite. He needed to cool off fast and change clothes. Shelter was his next concern.
Clove scrambled out of the seat and walked stiff-legged back and forth. “What’s going on?”
Drake leaned over and took deep breaths in an effort to slow down his heart. “I need a break.”
Felix snorted:Really?
Drake lifted a hand. “Listen, reindeer. This is my first dog, reindeer, sled, experience. I’m learning too.”
Felix looked him up and down:Too?
Drake huffed. His lungs felt stronger, so he stood up and walked to the animal. “You’re not paying attention to what’s going on back here.” He grabbed the harness and pulled back on it. “The difference between me pulling and the weight of the sled isn’t easily discernible. But, you’ll learn the cues with time.”
Felix scowled:I didn’t realize . . .
“No one expected you to. You’re doing really well for a first timer. I promise.” He patted the reindeer’s side. “Do you want to scout out a good tree branch to sleep in?” He unhooked the leather straps. They could get caught on a tree branch and snap, and then they’d be out of luck.
Felix took two steps to the side and looked into the woods:I’m going to walk around.
“Good idea.” His muscles probably hurt, too. Whenever a reindeer did new work on the ranch, they felt stiff and sore.
Fabric whipped and snapped in the wind. Drake spun around to find Clove unrolling the water-protective barrier for the tent. She’d chosen a good spot and gotten to work. Bless her!
He went to help stake things down, but she waved him off. “Start a fire. We need water more than anything.”
She was all business and beautiful besides. He knew she was right, but he thirsted for her more than anything. He pulled her to her feet and pressed his lips to hers. Their warm breath mingled, melting the frozen places on his cheeks and lips.
