On Thin Ice

by Cherry Adair

  Lily couldn't wait to test her own ability and get out there and see what her dogs could do.

  The fragrance of coffee and hot chocolate floated tantalizingly on the crisp air as she walked around her dogs, murmuring encouragement and checking gear for the millionth time as the camera followed her. While she smiled and answered the reporter, her mind was already fixed on what lay ahead.

  "Tell us a little about the race. What do you think you'll encounter? Is it really as dangerous as we've heard?"

  Lily smiled. "The race, from a logistical viewpoint, is practically impossible. Yet most of these same mushers enter year after year. A team starts here in downtown Anchorage and has to make it all the way to downtown Nome—a distance of over eleven hundred miles—in about ten days."

  "That's an incredibly long way for a dog to run. And that sled weighs what? Upwards of four hundred pounds?"

  "About that." Lily glanced around. Where was Derek, for goodness' sake? She'd seen him briefly last night at the banquet, and not since. Had he left? Gone on another of his mysterious trips? Good.

  "The dogs—?"

  Lily brought her attention back to the reporter. "The care of the dogs has to be constant," she said smoothly. "They have to be snacked every hour, and the musher must take frequent rest stops. The dogs have to be nurtured, have booties put on their feet, fed full meals every four hours, and the injured have to be flown back to Anchorage, where prisoners care for the dogs until their owners claim them, sometimes weeks later. Harnesses have to be fixed or replaced, the sled repaired—the list's endless."

  "It sounds exhausting for the musher. When do you get to sleep?"

  "When we can," Lily said with a smile. "Sleep deprivation is an occupational hazard on the trail. Hallucinations are quite common."

  "Have you had hallucinations?" the reporter asked eagerly. Expecting, Lily thought, that she'd reveal something salacious.

  "I had a little blue puppy ahead of me last year," Lily told her, straight-faced. "He turned into a talking donkey at some point."

  The woman laughed. "Say anything interesting?"

  "That I needed a nice long nap." Lily's tone was dry.

  They spent a few more minutes chatting about the trail and the race, and the woman and her crew went off to interview someone farther up the line.

  "Are y'all a movie star now?" a man asked, coming up behind Lily. She turned with a smile, which slipped a little when she saw Don Singleton. He looked like a linebacker, with broad shoulders and no neck and a square head, dressed as he was in a heavy coat and hat. Lily turned to face him fully. She'd dated him a couple of times before Sean and Derek had bought the Flying F six years ago, but there'd been no sparks. Even though he'd tried to start up a more-than-friendly conversation last month when they'd bumped into each other at the diner.

  "Hey, Don, how's it going? All ready?"

  "Had to go and drop two dogs," he said dismissively. "Didn't see y'all last night after we pulled our numbers, little girl. Where'd you get to?"

  "I went back to the hotel. Too much partying gives me a headache. Hi, Susan. Tom." Lily greeted friends from last year, and the four of them chatted for a while, before Don, seeing that he wasn't going to get Lily alone, ambled off.

  "Snowmobiles had to come in again this year, I see," Tom McGuire, a three-time winner, said easily, glancing down at the six inches of snow covering the road. Snow-removal-equipment operators had reversed their normal operations, dumping tons of snow onto Main Street the day before.

  "Snow and freezing temps predicted, though," Susan said with relish. "The dogs will be happy." She crouched down to give Dingbat an ear rub. "Hi there, big boy, ready to do some running?" Dingbat butted her knee with his head. He'd run until the cows came home if Lily'd let him. "You guys want some coffee?" she asked Lily and Tom.

  "No thanks," Lily said. She'd trained all year for this. She just wanted to go.

  "I'll come with you," Tom told Susan, and the two said, "See you later," and wandered off together.

  Lily shivered and pulled her hat down more firmly over her ears. It was bitterly cold. She was dressed much as everyone else, in polypropylene underwear, layers of Thinsulate, Gore-Tex outergarments, wolf-skin gloves and sealskin mukluks. Her numbered bib capped off the outfit. High fashion it wasn't. But she wouldn't freeze.

  "This year," Lily told the dogs as she dragged in a deep breath of the bracing, cold air, "we are going to win." She felt it in her bones.

  "Feeling pretty confident, are you?"

  The too-familiar deep voice sounded way too close. She imagined she could hear the theme music from jaws as the bottom dropped out of her stomach.

  A muscle in her cheek ticked as, steeling herself, she turned around. "Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water…" She tipped her head back and stared up into Derek's eyes.

  He feigned insult. "Lily, you wound me."

  "There's an idea. Hang on while I get my knife." She actually did have her whittling knife tucked in her boot. He smiled. "Go away."

  "It's a public street," he pointed out.

  "It's also crowded. I'm trying to psych myself up."

  "You have plenty of time." He gave her a once-over. "You left early last night."

  "Are you by any chance looking out for me?" she asked suspiciously. Lord, did she have a spot on her face? He was looking at her hard enough to count pores. "Because if you are, it's unnecessary," she assured him, resisting the urge to swipe her hand across her cheek. "I've run this race more times than you have, and I can take care of myself just fine." She turned to make unnecessary adjustments to the straps, already taut across her supplies.

  "Yes, I am looking out for you," he told her mildly, and when she turned around to say something, said, "And yes, before you bite my head off, I know you're perfectly capable, competent and knowledgeable enough to take care of yourself."

  "Then clearly I don't need you, do I?"

  "That remains to be seen. I enjoy watching out for you. Hell, I enjoy looking at you, period. Ignore me if you like."

  Ignoring him would be impossible. "I'd like you to go away."

  His eyes locked with hers, then he reached out and pushed a long strand of hair out of her eyes. Lily shivered as his gloved fingertips briefly brushed her skin. She jerked her head away—after he'd tucked the strand back under her hat. Goose bumps formed on her skin. Even his absentminded touches were potent. She so didn't need this. Didn't want this. Derek was already too deeply commingled with her life for comfort.

  "I'll be going soon enough," he said placidly. "But I won't be far."

  Great. "I don't have time for chitchat. And neither do you. Shouldn't you be with your dogs?"

  "They're fine. Just came by to say good luck."

  "You too. Bye." She tightened the cinch on Finn, and the poor dog looked over his shoulder as if to say, "Hey! It was fine just the way it was." Lily loosened it and apologetically scratched the dog's floppy ear.

  "What number did you pull?" Mr. GQ wasn't wearing his numbered bib. Seventy-two, she hoped. Let him be as far back as was humanly possible.

  "Seventeen." His smile told her he knew exactly what she'd been thinking and was pleased as hell to disappoint her. "Your eagerness is transferring to the dogs."

  Only twelve teams between them? Not nearly enough. Still, he'd be well on his way with that much lead time. "Settle!" She told the dogs uselessly. "It's not my eagerness getting them pumped. They're doing that all on their own. And hearing all their fans yelling and screaming is just adding to what they're already feeling. This is one of the worst parts of the race. The waiting."

  The announcer yelled out, "Number twelve. Ten-nine-eight—"

  Derek smiled, his teeth white against his tanned face. "Ever impatient, Doc. Good things come to those who wait."

  "So speaks the King of Patience," Lily scoffed. Derek had the attention span of a water newt. He'd be home at the ranch for a couple of weeks and then off he'd go, to return days or weeks lat
er with no explanation. He'd look either tanned and fit, or as though he'd been to war. Had to be rough, being a millionaire-playboy type. All those women really took a toll on him.

  He'd just recently returned from yet another of his mystery vacations. He'd blown off some of his training to go and indulge himself—probably with some busty bimbo named Bambi. Clearly, he'd been somewhere hot and sunny, Lily thought, annoyed all over again by his tan. He'd been gone almost two weeks, and had arrived back yesterday, just in time for the party. And just in time to pop her little balloon. She'd about convinced herself that he'd blown off the race. But he'd disappointed her. Again.

  Here he stood, ready to take part in a race that everyone else had been killing themselves getting ready for. Derek, though, did the least amount of work with superior results. No matter what he did. While mere mortals trained relentlessly with their dogs, and stretched themselves to their own physical limits month after month, Derek coasted. And because Lily loved his dogs, she trained his with her own whenever he was gone.

  If he won, or came anywhere near winning this year, Lily would—She didn't know what she'd do. But it wouldn't be pleasant.

  "You'd be surprised just how patient I am," Derek said tightly.

  "Since you've never waited for a single thing in your entire life," she said sweetly, "how would you know?"

  "Honey, there are plenty of things I'm still waiting for."

  She chose not to notice the dark gleam in his eye or the swirl of something liquid and hot spearing through her stomach.

  "Patience doesn't count when all you have to do is lie on a beach and have hot- and cold-running waiters cater to your every whim."

  "You don't have a very high opinion of me, do you, Lily?"

  "Do you care?"

  "What if I said yes?"

  Then she wouldn't believe him, Lily told herself. No way was Derek interested in her. It was just second nature for him to flirt. The danger came if she were ever stupid enough to fall for his baloney. What he felt was more than likely pity. His best friend's widow. Poor lonely thing. Let's be nice to her and boost her ego with a little harmless flirting. For some reason, today particularly, the thought that he hung around out of pity or sympathy really annoyed her. "Look, Derek, I know you're just being nice to me because you think I need a friend right now. Fine. Terrific. Thanks. We're friends. I really need to concentrate now, pal, so would you mind?"

  "Nice…"

  The word faded out, as if he couldn't believe she'd said that, but Lily didn't care. She gave him a pointed look and went back to her unnecessary checking of the dogs.

  "Is there a particular reason why you're so eager to get rid of me?" Derek asked mildly, leaning against the handlebar of her sled and invading her personal space to an uncomfortable degree. He stuffed his hands deep inside the pockets of his thick shearling coat and watched her, as if capable of reading her mind.

  She needed this solitary time—this open space where it was just her, the dogs and survival—to clear her head. To try to find the woman she used to be. Before Sean and trouble had wiped away everything she was, leaving a stranger to look back at her from a mirror.

  Sighing, Lily turned and looked up at Derek. "Look, do I have to draw you a picture? I don't want company. I don't want to visit. I don't want—"

  "Me?" He finished the sentence for her and his eyes fired even as his features tightened, darkened. He nodded, but didn't move. "That's plain enough, Lily. I'll leave you be."

  There was a flash of something in his midnight blue eyes. Hurt? Disappointment? She sighed. Whatever it was, it couldn't be either of those. Her instinct was to reach out and touch him; she resisted. This was Derek. He was neither hurt nor disappointed. He was thwarted. "You do that."

  "For now," he tagged on relentlessly, "I'll give you the race, then we sit down and have a serious talk."

  Lily's spine stiffened. Was he going to admit that he was involved with the whole bull-sperm scam? She tried to read his thoughts, but as usual with Derek, his expression was closed. "About what?" she asked suspiciously.

  "Your future."

  Say what? Her eyebrows rose. "My future?"

  "The thing that comes after."

  "For heaven's sake, Derek!" Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Are you determined to be cryptic as well as annoying? What are you talking about? After what?"

  "After the race. After Sean."

  "Well, I hate to break it to you, Ace, but you're the last person I'd discuss my future with," she told him hotly, annoyance banishing amusement.

  "We're partners, Lily. So that makes me part of your life. Whether you like the arrangement or not is moot. What kind of partners is really the question, and you know it."

  Lily's heart leaped into her throat and her mouth went dry. Matt Kruger, her stepbrother, had warned her not to say anything to anyone until their investigator could discover who was involved in the scam. Was Derek—? "Are—are you threatening me?"

  His dark brows rose. "Did that sound like a threat?"

  "You know it did." The thought of the elegant and sartorially magnificent Derek Wright locked in a jail cell had immense appeal. Try me, Lily thought, mentally rubbing her hands.

  "Brave words from a woman who took the low road because she was afraid of too much passion."

  Lily balled her fists in her pockets to keep from slugging him. "I married Sean because I loved him. Not that it's any of your freaking business."

  "You were mine first," he said mildly.

  Utter and complete astonishment blinded her to the cold, the crowds, the smells and the race. "You egotistical ass! We had three dates! Three. And just so your inflated sense of self is clear, I dated Don Singleton three times before that, and that didn't work, either. Sean swept me off my feet. Something you didn't do."

  "I didn't try," he said in a deep, low, emotionless voice. "And tell the truth: Sean was merely the path of least resistance."

  "My God." Lily stared up at him, stunned by his unsubtle attack. "How can you say that? He was your best friend."

  "Was he, Lily? Or were you just too blind to notice what was going on right under your nose?"

  Three years of resentment spewed up like lava. "You want to know what I noticed, Derek? I noticed it was hard to tell between the two of you who did the least amount of work. I noticed that it wasn't until Sean got sick that you curtailed your social activities enough to help around the ranch! That's what I noticed! So don't come telling me I didn't notice things. I noticed!"

  "I'm guessing this would be the wrong time to tell you how beautiful you look when you're angry?" he said, straight-faced. "No hitting, sweetheart. The camera crews are just looking for something nice and juicy to beam back home."

  "I've never hit anyone in my life." Lily said through clenched teeth. "But there's always a first time." She took a step back, out of his reach, her chest heaving with fury.

  She cast a brief glance around and saw the milling crowd giving them a wide berth. Her checks scalded with embarrassment. "I've never hated anyone as much as I hate you right now," she told him, lowering her voice, her throat tight with tears of anger. "Just go away and leave me the hell alone."

  "I will for now. But we're not done. Not by a long shot." He pushed away from the sled and stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. "Flip a coin and see what's on the other side, Lily. You might be surprised." And he sauntered off.

  Damn you. Lily watched him walk away and her gaze locked on his broad back until the crowd swallowed him. If looks could kill he'd have been toes-up on the ice. "Grrr. Arrogant bastard."

  A few deep breaths and an equal number of possible methods to aid in his demise restored her sense of humor, and gave her a small measure of calm. She even managed a smile.

  "Happy thoughts?" Matt shouted as he came up beside her. With the noise of thousands of raised voices, loudspeakers blaring and dogs barking, she hadn't heard him step up behind her. Lily forced a real smile, pushing disturbing thoughts of Derek out of her mind. S
he was not going to waste any more time thinking about the man. "Why not?" she asked, her breath fogging the air. "It's a glorious day, the kids are tugging at the lines to get going, and unlike some people, I left the party early enough last night to get some sleep." She eyed her stepbrother sympathetically. "You're looking a little rode hard, and put away wettish."

  As one of the veterinarians who'd volunteered to care for the dogs involved in the grueling race, Matt would go ahead to wait at the checkpoints for the mushers to arrive. Until then, he was sharing the runners with her on the big sled. Acting as her handler, he would help her carry supplies to the first drop-off and the restart of the race the next day. After that he'd either fly to the checkpoints or ride one of the snowmobiles available.

  He laughed. "That's just how I feel. It's damn bright out here."

  Tall and lanky with thick brown hair and a crooked smile, Matt was good-looking, but best of all he was a hard worker. Luckily for all of them he'd wanted to stay in Montana to be near his mom. Matt's skills as a vet were an asset to Lily's and her father's practice. Even though there wasn't really always enough work to warrant three vets in such close proximity.

  Still, her dad was crazy about Matt, and Lily was delighted to have a brother. Just because the child in her resented his closeness with her father didn't mean the adult in her didn't welcome him as a brother. Plus, Matt had been a godsend at the ranch when Sean was so sick. Lily would always appreciate the way he'd stepped in to help her.

  "Where are your sunglasses?" she asked.

  He felt the bridge of his nose, grimaced and pulled dark glasses out of his pocket. Shoving them on, he nearly sighed at the relief from the glare of sunlight bouncing off snow. "Now if you could just get the roar of the crowd to turn down a couple of hundred decibels…"

  "Mother Nature will help you with complete silence in a couple of hours," Lily told him, unconsciously scanning the mushers for a familiar dark head. She should probably apologize for losing her cool like that—or not, she thought, irritated at herself. Take control, Lily Marie, she told herself sternly. Just take freaking control of your life. If I want to get flaming mad, I'm totally allowed to do so.