Let There Be Light: The Sled Dog Series, Book 2

by Melissa Storm

  Scarlett felt her stomach churn. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m being a horrible guest. I guess I’ve become too accustomed to what these dogs have been through.”

  “How do you deal with it?” she asked, not taking her eyes off Fantine as she spoke.

  “By focusing on their future instead of their past. You know everyone has parts of their past they’d rather forget, some beyond their control. In those cases, you’re left with two choices. You can dwell on it and never be free, or you can focus on making sure tomorrow is the best it can possibly be.”

  Scarlett nodded. The vision of Fantine’s mismatched eyes merged with Henry’s, and she wondered how she could have gotten things so wrong when it came to him.

  “I’ll protect you,” she told the dog and hoped that somewhere Henry had heard her words, too.

  As much as Scarlett looked forward to meeting Lolly Winston, she just couldn’t bring herself to leave Fantine. Not yet.

  This dog had been abandoned and discarded all her life. She had nursed who knew how many puppies and had them all taken away without explanation. She’d been broken, and Scarlett wanted to be the one to finally put the pieces back together. To give this dog a happily ever after.

  “Shane’s asking if you’re ready to go over the paperwork,” Liz’s father, Ben Benjamin, announced, stepping into the shed with Scarlett and Oscar.

  “Are you going to be okay?” the veterinarian asked her.

  “Yeah, we’ll be fine,” she answered, stroking Fantine between the ears and trying not to feel discouraged as the dog stared at her with hollow, frightened eyes.

  “I can send you some books on caring for pregnant dogs and puppies. Would you like that?”

  “The answer is always in a book,” Scarlett said with a sad smile. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll see you inside when you’re ready.” Oscar headed to the cabin, but Liz’s father stayed behind.

  “It’s hard seeing them suffer,” Mr. Benjamin said, and Scarlett realized then that this sight must be particularly hard for him.

  “Liz’s mom…” she started, not knowing how she planned to finish.

  Ben dropped to his haunches and let Fantine smell his hand.

  “It must have been so hard raising her on your own.” She’d always known that Ben loved Liz more than anything, and she doubted things would have been any different if he hadn’t lost his wife at the same time he welcomed his daughter into this world.

  “Liz is a good kid, always has been. It was hardest not having a partner going through life. It’s lonely not having that support, that friendship.” If there were tears at this memory, they had long since dried up. A quarter of a century is a long time to miss someone. Scarlett’s heart went out to the poor man.

  But she didn’t know what she could say. The loss of his wife in childbirth clearly still stung after all these years. How could it not? Scarlett had always felt sorry for Liz, for never having known her mother’s love, never having had the chance to meet her.

  A new compassion for Ben Benjamin took root. He’d loved and lost, lost everything. Was that really any better? It was impossible to say.

  She hardly knew Henry but already felt as if she’d lost something important in not being able to pursue a relationship with him, not now. Ben must feel it one-million fold to have planned a life together, to have started living it, and then… to end up alone despite all that.

  Tears sprung to her eyes again.

  “It’s Fantine,” she said, not wanting to upset the man who she’d looked up to ever since they first met.

  He nodded and gave her a quick hug. “I know.”

  “Did they go to jail? The people who did this to her?”

  “I don’t know, but we can ask Oscar.”

  “How could people…?”

  He sighed and scratched the dog between her ears. “I don’t think you or I could ever understand, and that’s a blessed thing.”

  “Henry Mitchell, he did this to dogs.” Scarlett turned angry at this realization. Had this cruel man ever laid a hand on his children? His grandchildren?

  “He did,” Ben said, and Scarlett wasn’t sure which question he was answering.

  “And he never got punished for it,” she moaned.

  Neither said anything as they watched the frail husky twitch her legs and whine in her sleep. Fantine was about to be a mother again and still having nursing dreams from her own puppyhood. What a sad juxtaposition.

  As hard as it was to continue this conversation, Scarlett knew she might not get Mr. Benjamin alone again that night—and she had a promise to make good on. “What do you think about his grandson going for the Iditarod?”

  If Ben was surprised by this question, he didn’t show it. His answer, however, was rather unexpected. “Frankly, I feel bad for him.”

  Scarlett turned to him, hope filling her chest. Finally, somebody understood, and it was exactly the person who needed to—but she had to be sure before she could say any more. “What do you mean?”

  “The hoops he has to jump through. The threat of losing everything if he doesn’t complete some stupid list at his grandpa’s bidding. Make no mistake, if he doesn’t get that money, I don’t doubt there will be hell to pay with his family and the business shareholders. I wonder if the grandfather did it on purpose, as a way of getting the last laugh.”

  “But why would he do that to his own family?”

  Ben shrugged. “Why would he torture his dogs? Why would he do any of the horrible things he did? It’s not for you or me to understand.”

  Scarlett sniffed. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted her Henry to win his challenge so that he could move on with his life and finally be free, or if it would be better for him to fail and let that miserable old man down once and for all. “Do you think he can do it? Do you think he can finish the list like he says?”

  “It would be a long shot for anyone, but without a proper coach, he hasn’t got a snowball’s chance in Florida.”

  This was her chance. She had to take it. “Would you be willing to help him?”

  Ben blinked over at her. When he saw the serious look on her face, he answered, “If he asked me, sure. I’d be willing to give him a chance to prove himself rather than expecting him to pay for the sins of others. I was given a second chance long ago, and I wouldn’t be here today if not for those willing to take a chance on me.”

  Scarlett wanted to ask him what he meant. She hadn’t heard of any sordid past, but then again, maybe Liz didn’t know anything had ever been less than peachy about her father’s past. Had Mr. Benjamin made an accidental slip in conversation, or was he trying to confide something deeper in her now?

  She had two choices then.

  She chose to honor her promise to Henry.

  “Will you call him?” she asked after quickly explaining their exchange earlier that day. She let him know that Henry wasn’t a bad person but left it to her forbidden friend to share more if and when he wanted to divulge it. “Will you help give him a chance?”

  Ben frowned. “I—”

  “Dinner’s ready,” Lauren called, barging into the shed and cutting off Ben’s answer before he could give it. “Chop, chop!” She clapped her hand and motioned for Ben and Scarlett to come back inside with her.

  As they passed through the yard, Ben caught Scarlett’s eye and gave her a quick nod.

  Now Henry’s fate was in his hands.

  Dinner was divine, and Scarlett’s cherries jubilee were a big hit, too.

  “You’ve got to give me your recipes,” Oscar said. “I’d love to surprise Lolly with a home-cooked meal when she comes home from a long tour.”

  “Don’t you go with her?” Liz asked, cracking into another crab leg even though they’d already had dessert.

  “Sometimes,” Lolly answered, rubbing Oscar’s shoulder and staring at him lovingly. “But our schedules don’t always match up, and our work with the dogs is too important to put on hol
d.”

  “But you’re Lolly Winston!” Liz argued.

  “Yes, she is,” Oscar said and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

  “You know, I have a friend I’d like you to meet the next time she is up in Anchorage,” Lolly told Liz. “She’s also a very enthusiastic music lover. Her name’s Riley, and she’s my future sister-in-law.”

  “Oh, my gosh!” Liz shouted. “Does that mean you consider me a friend now?”

  “Of course, just as long as you maybe shout a little less?” She winked at Liz.

  “Oh, I bet it’s loud at your concerts. You probably have headaches all the time,” Liz whisper-yelled. “I’ll keep it down, I promise!” By the time she finished that sentence, Liz had made it back to full volume again.

  Scarlett and Ben laughed at the crestfallen look on Liz’s face when she realized her gaffe.

  Oscar and Lolly took that opportunity to give each other a quick kiss, and Lauren and Shane held hands across the table, each wearing a huge smile. The sight of these happy couples made Scarlett’s heart sting with longing once again. She’d always been content to be single. How could meeting one man change what she thought she wanted?

  “How did you two meet?” she asked Lolly and Oscar.

  “Oh, it’s a long story.” Lolly laughed. “But a good one.”

  Everyone listened as the two took turns revealing the case of mistaken identity that had led to love. When they got to the part of the story about starting the Sled Dog Rescue Organization, their light-hearted banter turned more somber.

  “Timber changed everything for me,” Lolly said. “I miss him every day, but I’m so happy we were able to make his final years happy.”

  “He’s the patron dog of SDRO,” Oscar added. “We have a picture of him in the office, and our logo is actually adapted from one of his pictures.”

  “Did you ever get another dog?” Liz asked.

  “We don’t have one dog now. We have hundreds. All the SDRO dogs are our babies. They all need our love, and we are all so grateful for your help.”

  Something flashed in Liz’s eyes. “Hey, is your song ‘Soft Heart’ about Timber?” she practically shouted, too excited to give the moment the respect it deserved.

  Lolly nodded. “That and many others. First I loved the dog, and then I loved the man that had given him to me.”

  “That sounds familiar,” Lauren said, squeezing Shane’s hand.

  Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder if the love of dogs would also bring her very own prince charming—if maybe it already had.

  Scarlett soon found the days blurring together as she fell into her new routine. She woke up early every morning to give Fantine a bit of extra attention and found herself sneaking out to the shed after dinner every night to read with her and give her little snacks from the food Lauren had cooked that evening.

  Spring was slowly coming to Alaska as it did every year, although for Alaskans it was known as the big “Break Up.” The packed snow that had covered the roads for the last several months now melted and shattered like miniature glaciers, turning everything a dirty, mucky brown and gray. It wouldn’t be long until they needed to start using wheeled practice sleds and an ATV to run the dogs.

  After a quick run around the property, Scarlett once more gravitated toward the shed. The moment she opened the door, she could tell something wasn’t right. Fantine appeared to have shredded the towels and pillows that made up her bed and now stalked back and forth like a coyote on the hunt.

  Panic seized Scarlett as she tried to make sense of the scene before her. She needed to do something, but what? If Fantine got too agitated, what would happen to the pup—

  The puppies!

  She raced into the shed, slipping on a small puddle of dog vomit on the floor as she went directly to her birthing book Oscar had lent her. After a few minutes of frantic page flipping and hurried reading, she determined that very soon the shed would house a whole family of husky pups. The last time Oscar had been out to the cabin, he’d given Fantine a thorough check up and shared his prediction that her litter would be five puppies in size.

  Part of Scarlett felt she should call Lauren or Shane out to the shed. However, that thought quickly left her when she looked into Fantine’s eyes and saw the fear reflecting back at her. Scarlett knew then she’d have to be the one to help the soon-to-be mother deliver her new pups into this world.

  “It’s okay, girl. I’m going to be here with you the whole time. Are you ready to meet your puppies?” Scarlett gently stroked the dog’s head with light pressure and pulled out a copy of the same Victor Hugo masterpiece that had served as the dog’s namesake. “Now, where did we leave off, Fantine?”

  She started to read aloud the way she did every night, hoping that this familiarity would comfort the dog. A few hours later, Javert had been thwarted once more and five little blobs now squirmed around Fantine, fighting for the best nursing spots. Scarlett wasn’t sure why, but something still seemed wrong. And she couldn’t take any chances here. This was a matter of life and death, and Fantine needed her to be brave.

  After a few minutes of the dog continuing to whine and Scarlett not able to do a single thing to comfort her, she tried calling Oscar. When he didn’t pick up, she left a hasty message and then immediately called again.

  “Please pick up, please pick up,” she mumbled, but it was no use.

  Whether Fantine lived or died would be up to her and her limited experience. Doing her best to keep her voice steady, she read the birthing book aloud, looking for answers and trying to comfort the dog both at the same time. After everything the dog had been through, it didn’t seem fair to lose her when she finally had a safe home.

  Fantine panted heavily between whines and Scarlett felt tears welling in her eyes. Just then, the dog made a small noise and collapsed into the whelping box, her breaths coming out slow and fitfully. Scarlett began to cry in earnest now. “No! You need to hang on, girl. Don’t give up now.” she breathed out between the sobs.

  It wasn’t fair.

  How? How, after all of that?

  She knelt down and hugged Fantine’s head to her chest.

  A tongue flicked out and licked some of her tears away. Scarlett looked down into Fantine’s mismatched eyes. The husky weakly wagged her tail and pulled herself away from Scarlett. Circling around, the dog nudged a sixth puppy with her nose. It was the smallest of the litter and mostly reddish in color.

  “Oh! You still had another puppy in there! How silly of me. You obviously couldn’t have a litter without your little Cosette. But let’s see here. Who are your other puppies? Obviously, this big guy here should be… Lenny. Lenny Small. Aww, and this little girl looks like a Molly Bloom. This little guy looks like a Sam to me. Yeah, Sam Spade. And this confused looking pup is Don Quixote. And his grey and white buddy is Yossarian. There we go, Fantine. A litter of literary littles.”

  She laughed, stroking the head of each puppy lightly as she whispered their names.

  Love had saved the day, and she knew her relationship with the dogs would be forever changed.

  Scarlett thought of Henry often, but she rarely needed to wonder how he was doing. The local news stations loved him. He’d even had some national coverage, which meant that Scarlett couldn’t go for long without seeing his face or hearing his voice.

  She most liked the times when she managed to catch a segment without Lauren or Shane nearby. It gave her some alone time with Henry—or at least, as close to it as she could come.

  Every time her friends spoke ill of Henry, Scarlett felt her grip on his secrets loosening. It was so hard to hear them put voice to all the thoughts she’d once harbored as well, all the thoughts that Henry constantly endured from others.

  It wasn’t fair to any of them. She knew that when Lauren and Shane found out the truth, they’d feel guilty for all the unkind things they had said against Henry. But it wasn’t her place to set the record straight. Everyone else always told Henry what he had to do, and she
refused to be one of them.

  As she watched him on the television now, she saw through his carefully made-up facade. Where he claimed confidence, she could see the utter terror that belied his words. When he smiled and laughed, she knew it hurt him somewhere deep inside to do so. He was a prisoner of his grandfather’s legacy, living out the old man’s final wishes, though he never got the chance to pursue any of his own.

  Not yet, anyway.

  Scarlett often prayed that Henry would find peace one day. Happiness. Love.

  He deserved all of it.

  After all, what good were all the riches of this world if he had to lose his soul to secure them? Scarlett would rather be poor and happy any day of the week.

  Thank goodness she had friends like Lauren and Shane to provide her with this opportunity for her now, and even crotchety old Mrs. Caputo at the library who had come up with the once-in-a-lifetime chance to reach for the stars while still hanging onto all the things she loved on the ground.

  The interview with Henry ended and a commercial for laundry detergent took over the screen. She powered the TV off and thought back to what she had learned.

  A whole lot of nothing.

  Henry continued to give the carefully constructed soundbites, continued to play in to what the press wanted to hear, what they expected of him. He hadn’t given any real information about how his training was going, how he was liking it, or whom he was working with.

  She thought back to her conversation with Ben Benjamin. He also hadn’t reached out to tell her whether Henry had ever gotten in touch, or vice versa.

  And Scarlett needed to know. Somehow, knowing Henry was being looked after by Mr. Benjamin would tell her that he’d be all right, that he at least had someone in her corner.

  After placing a call to the old home phone at the Benjamin residence, she waited as it rung out several times with no answer. She’d always found it funny that they had a land line at all. Sure, Ben was of an older generation, but he had a cell phone, too. Why hang on to the home number when they didn’t really need it?