I inwardly groaned and took a swig. Of course it was. Although… if he hadn’t said anything, I’d never have known. It tasted spicy and delicious and I felt it go all the way down, warming up my insides.
‘Cheers!’ Henrik shouted.
‘To an awesome day,’ I said, holding it above my head for him to clink. Never had a soft drink tasted so good.
The huskies veered right suddenly, throwing us to one side, their panting getting louder as they pulled towards the home run. They were starting to get tired, but the end was in sight.
‘Videre!’ Kaspar shouted, cracking his whip.Onward.
We kadunked aggressively over the snow and half my ‘schnapps’ went up my nose. I was desperate to capture this moment and the magnificent view, but we were bouncing around all over the place and I didn’t dare risk my phone being knocked to the floor
The sled rounded the final corner towards Tore and the rest of the guests and not a second too soon. The temperature was dropping fast and an icy halo had formed around my hood – even my nose hairs were crispy.
‘There you are!’ Tore said with a big smile. ‘Did you enjoy it?’ I nodded, breathless. ‘Good! That’s everyone back and accounted for now then.’
‘Where have you two been?’ Ethel asked as Kaspar helped me out of the sled.
‘We were only a few minutes behind you.’ I couldn’t understand why they’d left without me, not that I’d have fancied a twelve-man sled-conga, if that’s how they’d travelled.
‘We waited over twenty minutes. Henrik must have taken you the long way.’
‘Henrik did nothing of the sort,’ he said, appearing next to us and shooting Ethel a look.
‘Time must have stood still,’ she replied, with a knowing smile. ‘I saw the pair of you frolicking in the snow while the rest of us waited in the cold.’
‘Sorry Ethel. It was my fault. Inappropriate footwear as usual,’ I said, showing her my boots.
She didn’t look impressed. ‘For someone so smart, you’re not very well prepared.’
‘I wasn’t meant to be coming here,’ I said, getting agitated. ‘It was…
‘Firefly in Sweden,’ Henrik sing-songed. ‘We know, we know.’
‘Ludicrous,’ Ethel said, shaking her head. ‘Booking the wrong retreat is one thing – I can almost see how that happened if they have the same name. But booking the wrong retreat in the wrong country? I’m not sure I’d want you representingmein court.’
‘She’s got a point,’ Henrik said with a snort.
I laughed. ‘Yeah, fair enough. I’d had a few wines – it was an honest mistake.’
*
I took a detour through the forest for a tree-hugging session, transfixed by a pair of dragonflies who led the way. The husky ride had put a spring in my step, and I was proud of myself for sticking it out here when I’d wanted to cut and run. Firefly Forest had jolted me out of myself in more ways than one, and if I’d rushed back home I’d have missed out on so much. I thought of Henrik pulling me out of the snow and felt warm inside; it was nice to have a man to pick me up when I fell down. Kaspar must have thought I was a new member of staff when the two of us arrived in matching Firefly jackets – but I was thankful Henrik had found me one or I’d have frozen my arse off. Not that it really mattered what I’d worn as there was no evidence either way. The only proof I had of travelling by husky was now forever locked away in my memory, where I could wear whatever I liked.
I was weighed down with an armful of battered old sticks when I finally spotted Willow across the clearing, but somebody else was already there, the two of them in a clinch. My own tree cheating on me in broad daylight! I lightened my footsteps to get a closer look.
It was Henrik. Of course it was. Melded into the tree with his eyes closed, completely content. I gave him a few minutes to come back to himself once he’d stepped away.
‘Oi! That’s my tree,’ I whispered, smiling.
He looked up in surprise, then smiled back. ‘She was mine first,’ he teased. ‘We’ll have to share.’
I playfully shook my head. ‘Only child, I’m afraid. That’s not how I do things.’
‘And how do you do things?’ he asked, moving towards me. The intensity in his eyes made me shiver. We were finally alone and away from prying eyes.
‘I decide what I want, then go after it hard.’
‘I like that,’ he said, raising his eyebrows. ‘And you want Willow. Anything else? Maybe we can come to an arrangement.’
