“You know about the microchips, right?” Robyn asked. “For identification.”
“My dog has one,” the trooper said.
“Well, so do all of these dogs. We put them in our puppies and any dogs we buy that don’t already have them. Patrick’s dogs have them, too.”
“That’s good to know.” He made a notation then glanced up. “Does Sterns know about them?”
“I …” She felt her face color. “He must. It’s common knowledge. But I don’t recall specifically discussing it with him. I should have, but I’ve been so upset about this—him wanting to buy Tumble, and now having six dogs stolen. I’m afraid I didn’t say anything to him about it.”
“That could work in your favor.” He put his notebook away. “We’ll do everything we can, Miss Holland.”
“Thank you,” Robyn said. “We’re talking about a huge loss to the business, as I’m sure you realize.”
Robyn and Rick walked around to the front of the house with him. When he’d driven away, they went inside.
Cheryl sat curled up in Steve’s recliner, sobbing.
“Mom?” Robyn rushed to her side. “I thought you’d left.”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Mom reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyelids. “I shouldn’t have stopped long enough to think about things. I kind of lost it, I’m afraid. I know we’ve done everything we can, but I feel so horrid! It’s my fault.”
“Don’t say that.” Robyn sat on the arm of the chair and hugged her mom close. “If Sterns is behind this, then it’s my fault if it’s anyone’s. I’m the one who made him mad, not you.”
“But right in daylight, of all things, when we have so many dark hours they could have done it in.”
“I know.” Robyn rubbed her mom’s back and caught Rick’s eye. He gave her a sympathetic smile but looked as though he wished he were elsewhere. Robyn continued to stroke Mom’s shoulder. “They probably watched the house for a few days and thought you worked every morning. If they came by the old woods road today, they’d have seen Rick and me hitching up the teams, but they couldn’t see that your car was in the garage. When we left, they assumed the house was empty and they could do whatever they wanted.”
“This isn’t your fault, Cheryl,” Rick said, “or yours either, Robyn. It’s the thieves’ fault. No one else’s.”
Robyn knew that he was right in an elemental way, but she still felt guilty and responsible.
“Do you think they’d have taken more dogs if we hadn’t come back when we did?” Rick asked.
“I don’t know.” Robyn frowned, thinking about the possibilities.
“I upset Grandpa, too,” Mom persisted. “It was stupid of me ever to mention selling the property. When Sterns talked about buying the place, it just popped into my mind as a possible solution to all our financial troubles. But it wouldn’t be, really. I can see that now.”
“Oh, Mom. Stop beating yourself up. I love you so much.” Robyn squeezed her, feeling her mother’s chest wrack with each breath that was more of a sob. “Look, do you want me to call the store and tell them you’ll be late?”
Her mother sniffed and straightened. “No, I’ve already asked them several favors in the last week. I’ve got to go in today. But tomorrow we’ll go to see Grandpa again, all right? Can you go with me?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll be at the clinic tomorrow,” Rick said. “If it’s any help, I could drive you ladies to Anchorage with me. If you want to stay in town all day, that is.”
Mom wiped her face and glanced in the mirror near the front door. “Ick. I’m a mess. Rick, thank you. Why don’t you settle that with Robyn? If she thinks it would be inconvenient, we’ll take the car. Now, I’ve got to run.” She bustled out the door, wiping her eyes with the tissue.
Rick glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going, too. I need to drive to a farm on the Palmer Road. Will you be all right?”
“I suppose so. I locked all the gates when we came out of the yard. You can bet I’ll never leave them unlocked again, even when I’m right here in the house.”
Rick paused, looking down at her, and she suddenly remembered again the hug he’d given her while their dog teams waited on the trail. Her cheeks went hot. In spite of all that had happened in the last two hours, the affinity between them mushroomed to occupy almost all her thoughts.
And yet, she wondered if she ought to let her feelings go too far down that trail. Rick still commuted to Anchorage. Would he give up his small-town practice and go back to the larger clinic? Just because he was helping her now didn’t mean he would always be around.
“I’ll call you later,” he said softly. “And I’ll be praying that the police find the dogs. Think about whether you want to ride with me tomorrow. I’ll leave around eight.”
“Thanks.”
He reached out and rubbed his knuckles gently over her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”
She nodded.
He went out quickly and closed the door.
She stepped to the window and watched him get in his truck and drive away. Her heart longed to be with him. Would his attention last?
Other things vied for her concentration. More than anything, she dreaded calling Patrick, but she couldn’t put it off. Sending up a quick prayer, she pulled out her phone.
eight
That evening, Rick drove to the little church Cheryl had told him the Holland family attended. He didn’t know if they would be there tonight—after today’s events, going out for the midweek Bible study and prayer time would take an effort of the will. But maybe that was best. Without Robyn there to distract him, he might have a clearer mind and make a better assessment of the church.
Three dozen people sat in small groups, sprinkled about the auditorium, talking softly. Rick spotted Robyn and her mother almost at once, in the fourth row. The leap his heart took surprised him a little.
He paused near the door for a moment before walking down the aisle. He couldn’t slip into a seat near the back and let her find out later he’d come in without speaking to them. But would she welcome his presence?
That was silly. Of course she would. But was she ready to let her fellow church members see him single her out?
He walked hesitantly down the aisle.
“Well, hi, Dr. Baker.” A man whose cattle he treated regularly stood and shook his hand. “Glad to see you here.”
“Thanks. Thought I’d visit and check it out.” Rick felt foolish but quickly reminded himself of his purpose.
“You’re welcome any time.”
He nodded and moved away, hoping he’d conversed long enough to be polite. The service would start any minute, and he didn’t want to be caught standing in the aisle.
Robyn looked up when he paused at the end of her pew.
“Hi.”
She smiled and moved over. “Did you see all your patients this afternoon?”
“Yes.” He settled beside her and whispered, “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here, but I wanted to visit this church. The Lord’s helping me arrange things to spend less time in Anchorage, and I’ve asked Him to show me a place to worship near home, too.”
“That’s great. I hope you like it here.”
Cheryl grinned at him. “Hi, Rick.”
He smiled back and faced the front as the pastor moved to the lectern.
Rick was very conscious of Robyn sitting beside him during the Bible study. She listened intently and found her way around her Bible with ease. And she smelled great.
After a while, he was able to rein in his thoughts and concentrate on the pastor’s words. He found himself liking the man and the message, which came directly from Romans chapter 10.
When the time to give prayer requests came, the pastor said, “The Hollands have asked for prayer for Grandpa Steve and also for their business. They had an incident this morning at the kennel, and six of their dogs were stolen. The police are working on it, but pray that the dogs will be found. This could make a
big difference to the business, and some of the dogs were special friends. Robyn tells me two of them belonged to someone else and were here for training.”
Robyn kept her head down as he gave the report. Rick wished he could encourage her. He wanted to give her hand a squeeze, at the very least.
As the pastor moved on to another request, she glanced up at him. Her dark eyes held a sheen of tears.
“You okay?” he whispered.
She nodded. “Thanks for being here. God knows where the dogs are, but … having you here helps.”
Warmth spread through his chest. He sat back, silently giving thanks to the Lord for leading him here tonight.
The next morning, Robyn hurried to feed the dogs and get showered and changed for the trip to Anchorage. She made sure all the gates were securely locked. Even so, she hated to drive off and leave the homestead unoccupied all day.
When she was ready to go, just after eight o’clock, she joined her mother in the living room.
Mom was talking on the phone but signed off and gave her daughter a wan smile. “That was Trooper Glade. The kennel owner in Anchorage confirmed that Sterns is boarding three sled dogs with him.”
“It’s a reputable concern,” Robyn said grudgingly. “I thought I’d heard of them, and I checked out their Web site last night. It looks like a decent place.”
Her mother eyed her cautiously. “Are you sure you want to go today?”
“Yes. I haven’t seen Grandpa for two days. Besides, I’ve got to pick up the vet logs and time sheets for the race.”
“Okay. We can make the bank deposit in town, too.”
“Got it right here.” Robyn patted her leather shoulder bag, where the cash Sterns had given them for the dogs rested. “Let’s go. I’d like to be home by suppertime if we can.”
In the car, Mom drove down the Glenn Highway in silence. The sky was still dark, and the mountains were black hulks in the distance. After a while, she glanced over at Robyn. “You could have ridden into town with Rick.”
“No, we needed our own wheels to do all our errands.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
Robyn swallowed hard and looked out the side window. What she felt for Rick had burgeoned in the past week to more than mere liking. But how could she explain that to her mother?
“I mean, we all like him,” Mom persisted, “but it seemed to me yesterday that there was something a little extra between you two. And then he showed up at church last night.”
“Yeah. I like him. A lot.”
“That’s great. He’s a good man.”
Robyn inhaled deeply and let her breath out in a puff. “Do you think … I mean, I’ve thought for quite a while now God might want me to be single.”
Her mother laughed softly. “How long has this been going on, honey? You’re only twenty-four.”
“I know, but I’m not exactly in a high-circulation area. Who do I meet? The same people at church week after week, and a few dog lovers.”
“Huh.” Her mother shook her head, her lips pursed in an almost-smile. “I guess it would be hard for God to bring the right man for you to Wasilla.”
“You know what I mean.” Robyn scrunched up her face and gritted her teeth.
Mom laughed. “Yes, I do, but for the last year you’ve had a handsome, intelligent, single man living next door to you. Haven’t you ever thought about Rick as eligible until the past week?”
“Well, sure, but …” Robyn turned away again, her old insecurities taking over. She’d never figured she had a chance with Rick. “I wasn’t going to chase him.”
“Of course not. But since the day of Grandpa’s accident, he’s been coming around a lot.”
“Yeah.” More than he had the entire previous year, Robyn thought. She’d first started hoping he would notice her last year, when he helped with the Fire & Ice sled race. But he was always on the go—running to Anchorage to the vet clinic or working at his own new practice down the road. She saw him only now and then, when a dog needed attention. Things had definitely changed in the last ten days.
They went to the bank first, then to the nursing home. Grandpa’s face brightened when he saw them. “Hey, how you doing? My two lovely girls!”
Both kissed him and sat down to talk.
“Only a couple of weeks till the race,” he said. “I gotta get out of this place.”
“You’re getting better,” Mom said. “The nurse told me so.”
“Well, they’d better let me go home before race day, or I’m going to know the reason why.”
Robyn suppressed a laugh. It wasn’t funny—if he couldn’t go home, they would know the reason.
After half an hour, she stood. “I’ve got some errands to run, Grandpa. I’ll come back for Mom in a couple of hours.”
“What are you doing?”
“Picking up supplies and paperwork for the race.”
“Hey, have you got all the vendors lined up?”
“Darby Zale and her mother are doing that. They’ve done a fantastic job, too. And Anna’s got all the volunteers scheduled.”
“Did you get enough people for all the checkpoints?”
“Yes, we did.”
“And Rick is still going to do the vet exams at the start?”
“Yes, Grandpa. Mom can tell you who’s doing what. I need to go get things done.”
After quickly completing several of her errands, Robyn headed toward the newspaper office. The sun had risen, which made her feel more energetic and made it easier to find her destinations. As she nosed into yet another parking spot, her cell phone rang.
Rick’s warm voice greeted her. “Hey! I guess you got to town all right?”
“Yes. I’m just going into the newspaper office. They promised us advance coverage for the race, and I brought them some information. I want them to see my face, so they won’t forget about the article.”
“Sounds like a plan. Say, how about lunch?”
“Together? Uh … you and me?”
“Yeah. Your mom’s welcome, too, if she wants to come.”
“Well, we were planning to eat with Grandpa at the home, but …”
“Of course.”
Robyn sucked in a breath that seemed a little short on oxygen. “If you’re serious, I’ll ask them if they’d mind.”
“Great. There’s a place close to the nursing home. I could meet you there. I’m seeing patients until noon, but I could get over there by twelve thirty.”
Robyn soon arranged the plan with her mother, who sounded thrilled that the two young people were getting together for a meal. Robyn called Rick back to tell him she’d be there.
She took her file folder into the news office and chatted for a few minutes with one of the reporters, who took notes and promised that the article would run the following week.
Leaving the office, Robyn noted that she had only a half hour before she was to meet Rick. She took out the list of Anchorage kennels she’d put together the night before, from Internet searching and the Yellow Pages. No time to visit any of them before lunch, and her stomach had begun to perform forward rolls every time she thought about seeing Rick again. On a lunch date. Deep breaths.
She got to the restaurant before he did. After looking around the parking lot to make sure he wasn’t there, she walked to the shop next door and asked if she could hang a flyer for the race in their window, where other events were posted. The icy cold glass tingled her fingers as she taped up the flyer.
She got back to the restaurant as Rick parked his pickup. He climbed out and grinned when he saw her near the entrance. Suddenly Anchorage in January felt like a tropical beach. Robyn was sure her face turned scarlet.
The restaurant was full, but they waited only a few minutes before a table opened for them.
“Get your errands done?” Rick asked after they’d given their orders to the waitress.
“Yes, mostly. I need to pick up the trophies, but the shop is near the highway, so I think Mom and I will sto
p there on our way home.”
“Everything’s coming together for the race, then.”
“Yes.” She frowned, feeling she must have overlooked something. “Every year it rushes up at us, and we have a thousand details to take care of, then suddenly it’s over.”
“Sounds about right. Have you thought about security?”
“Quite a lot since yesterday. We decided to hire someone to watch the dog lot that day.”
“Too bad it had to come to that.”
“I know, but if we go off all day and leave the place unprotected … and the whole world will know we’re over at the race.”
“Are you taking any dogs?”
“I usually have a few of our best ones hitched up and showing off at the race to advertise. Darby and my brother, Aven, will be helping.” She clenched her jaw for a moment. “Of course, Tumble was going to be our poster child for the kennel. If we don’t get him back … oh Rick, I’m so discouraged.”
“I guess it’s hard not to be.”
“The police don’t have any leads yet, or if they do, they haven’t told us. Mom talked to Trooper Glade this morning, and all he did was assure her that Sterns actually took the dogs he bought to the kennel he said he’d use.” She looked up as the waitress appeared with their plates. After the woman had set them down, Robyn smiled across the table. “Would you like to ask the blessing?”
“Sure.”
After he’d prayed, they began to eat, and Robyn steered the conversation to his work. She enjoyed hearing about the four-footed patients he’d treated that morning.
“It’s been awhile since I examined a ferret,” Rick concluded. “And a woman brought in the most beautiful Persian kittens.”
They ate for a few minutes. He took a sip from his coffee and set the cup down. “Hey, things are going to be okay. You know that, don’t you?”
“Thanks. I admit I’m still fretting over the dogs. Especially Tumble and Pat’s two dogs.”
“We’ll keep praying,” Rick said.
Robyn ate the last bite of her sandwich and opened her bag. As she took out a piece of paper, the waitress approached.
Fire and Ice Page 9
