Broken Trails

by D. Jordan Redhawk

  Staring after her, Lainey felt alternating hot and cold. Surely Scotch was joking, not flirting. Wasn't she?

  She carefully put the very vivid image of a naked Scotch out of her mind. Her skin remained flushed, and she muttered under her breath, "God help me. Seven more months of this.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE DOGS WERE not pleased to be left behind. As the ATV roared away without them, they set up a clamor loud enough for Lainey to hear over the engine. She held on for dear life, as Scotch played dare devil, accelerating along the familiar trails at speeds Lainey had not attained. Not that holding Scotch was such a hardship on Lainey's part. Had she known she would be allowed to cuddle against Scotch's back, arms about her slim waist, she would have leapt at the chance to go to the swimming hole long ago.

  As they traveled, Lainey tried to keep her lascivious thoughts in line, though her success rate left much to be desired. She mentally followed the trail, noting familiar landmarks, known distances, and turnoffs to other paths. Never mind that Scotch's belly held just the right amount of give to it, indicating a muscled figure with the proper amount of curve to be interesting; or that even with the wind whipping by, the smell of Scotch's hair was strong enough to induce Lainey into hyperventilation as she inhaled as deeply as possible again and again.

  The vibration through the seat made thinking of anything else difficult, too.

  Feeling deliciously illicit, Lainey leaned her cheek against Scotch's back, soaking in her proximity. Without thought, she gave Scotch a gentle hug, only realizing what she had done when Scotch responded with a squeeze of her arm on Lainey's. Horrified at her faux pas, Lainey attempted to release her, but was held firmly in place.

  “Hang on!” Scotch called back.

  Lainey, her insides as jittery as her emotions, signaled her understanding with another hug. Scotch patted her arm and returned to driving the ATV.

  She closed her eyes, adding this latest interaction to the host of others she had gathered over the last month and a half. Sometimes it seemed Scotch was definitely gay. The woman often made comments that could be misconstrued in a certain way if she were so inclined. But, if she were straight, her remarks would seem normal in every day conversation. Even Howry had noticed, and the two of them had spent quite a bit of time comparing notes.

  It was enough to make Lainey cry.

  “Almost there.'

  In an effort to distract herself, Lainey returned her attention to her surroundings. She recognized the trail though she had not taken the turn that Scotch drove toward. They dropped fairly fast down an incline, and she clutched at Scotch, feeling a rumble of laughter through her arms. The air become cooler almost immediately as they leveled off onto a trail that paralleled a river.

  “When the river's frozen, we take the dogs through here,” Scotch yelled. “There are more trails on the other side.'

  The trees seemed to draw back as they pulled into a clearing already occupied by most of the Fuller clan. One of the trucks, sans dog trailer, sat off a dirt road with its tailgate down, its bed filled with a couple of coolers, an assortment of towels and Bon playing with a beach ball. His mother rummaged through one of the coolers for drinks. The clean smell of fresh water was disturbed by mesquite charcoal smoke as a barbecue squatted nearby, manned by Miguel. Two folding tables and a number of deck chairs clustered together, various picnic items scattered on their surfaces.

  Scotch drove up to the truck and turned off the engine.

  A whoop of sheer joy exploded into the sudden quiet. Lainey turned to see Howry, wearing a pair of shorts and ratty tennis shoes, swinging on a rope that hung from a tree looming over a small cove. At the apex of his swing, he let the rope go to fly a short way before hitting the water like a cannonball. Irish and another girl her age were already swimming, and yelled at his boisterous arrival in mock indignation.

  Lainey's brow furrowed at seeing the strange girl. She reluctantly released Scotch and dismounted the ATV, taking a closer look at the clearing.

  The rope moved of its own accord. Lainey followed the action with confusion until she realized there was another rope attached to it, and someone was hoisting it back up the embankment for another round. A young man about Scotch's age stood there, long brown hair tied back in a tail and a light beard adorning his jaw. He wore less than Howry, who had surfaced with another shout.

  “Who's that?" she asked, nodding toward the man, not too pleased with his physique. Obviously he worked out with regularity, and his tight swim trunks left little to the imagination.

  Scotch, who had begun rummaging in a carry sack she had cradled between her legs for the trip, looked up and smiled. “That's Martin Schram. His family lives right over that ridge." She waved. 'Hey, Martin!'

  The man turned toward them and smiled when he saw Scotch. He waved back. 'Get up here, Scotch! Let's show these chechakos how to swim in Alaskan waters!'

  Laughing, Scotch nodded and returned to her bag, pulling out her swimming gear.

  Disgruntled, and trying not to show it, Lainey asked, 'Chechakos?'

  Scotch chuckled. 'Newcomers, greenhorns, people who haven't lived in Alaska before.'

  “Oh.'

  “Where's Dad and Rye?” Scotch asked her mother.

  Helen, playing catch with her youngest son in the back of the truck, said, 'Soaking around the bend. Phyllis is with them.'

  Scotch saw the question before Lainey could utter it. 'Martin's mom. And the girl with Irish is his sister, Teresa." She scanned the vegetation a safe distance from the river. 'We can probably change over there. If the others are soaking, they'll be on the other side of those boulders.'

  Lainey ignored the stab of jealousy as she watched Martin sail gracefully through the air to splash into the natural pool. It was not as if she had any claim to Scotch's attention. Hell, she still had no true idea if Scotch was straight or not. It looked like the question would probably be answered here and now.

  “Lainey?'

  She spun around, focusing on Scotch. 'Um, yeah, over there is fine," she answered hastily. Whether her sudden forced cheerfulness registered with Helen or not was moot. The smile Scotch gave her more than triggered Lainey's warning bells. She promptly busied herself with her daypack, extricating her shorts and t-shirt. 'Shall we?" she asked, doing her damnedest to look innocent.

  Scotch led the way. Behind them, the girls and squealed at some game or other they played. Lainey's last sight was of Martin picking over the stones at the riverbank, rubbing his muscular upper arms. He looked cold, and Lainey suddenly wondered about the wisdom of swimming in an Alaskan river.

  “You can change here,” Scotch said, gesturing to a sheltered area behind some huckleberry bushes. 'But keep your eyes open. The hot springs are right through there; sometimes people cut through here to get to the swing.'

  Lainey blinked. 'Hot springs? Now that sounds like fun.'

  “It is,” Scotch said with a grin. 'And when you get too hot, you can take a dip in the river. It's a hell of a wake up, let me tell you.'

  She laughed. 'Where are you going to change?'

  Scotch pointed to another cluster of berry bushes. 'Right over there. See you in a couple of minutes.'

  “Okay.'

  Lainey waited until she saw Scotch disappear into her impromptu changing room before beginning to undress. She shucked out of her clothes, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings as she donned her sleep shorts and a black t-shirt. Folding her clothing, she set her boots on top of the pile. On her feet were the tennis shoes she had purchased at the general store in the village for working in the dog yard.

  Now dressed, her attention wavered toward the cluster of bushes where Scotch disappeared. She saw some movement, caught a tantalizing flash of pale skin, but nothing more. Unable to help herself, she took a step closer, standing on her toes to maybe catch sight of her libido's desire.

  “See anything interesting?'

  Startled, Lainey jumped and spun around at the loud voice. Howry
stood on a passing trail, water still dripping from his body. He shivered, and clutched a towel tighter across his shoulders, but his obvious discomfort did not lessen his joy at busting his friend in a little peeping action. His grin was almost insolent, and he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  Lainey scowled at him. She could not respond the way she wanted, being so close to Scotch's hiding place, and he knew it. "Nope, just waiting for Scotch to finish," she said, waving him urgently to move along.

  Howry's smile widened. 'Hey, Scotch. Need any help in there? Lainey's offering.'

  Her mouth dropped open as she glared daggers at him. She took a step forward, intent on strangling him with his towel, when Scotch answered.

  “Naw, I'm done."

  Lainey plastered a pleasant expression onto her face as she turned to see Scotch emerging from her hiding place.

  “What do you say we drop these at the truck, and then go to the springs?" she asked, indicating the clothing in her arms.

  “I'll see you there," Howry said, winking at Lainey before continuing down the path.

  “Sounds like a plan," Lainey agreed, relieved he was going away, but dreading the fact he would now be laying in wait for them.

  At the truck, Lainey was formerly introduced to Teresa. The two girls were eating hot dogs, doing their level best to ignore Bon making a mess of his ketchup and mustard just out of reach. The handsome Martin was nowhere to be seen. Lainey figured he was with the others at the hot springs.

  There was still time to back out. Scotch would not mind if she took the ATV back, would she? Howry would be a pest, Lainey knew, but his teasing was a known entity. What if this Martin fellow had designs on Scotch? She was a beautiful - and single - young woman; he would be a fool not to notice her in that manner.

  What if Scotch felt the same way toward him?

  Lainey's heart sunk further as Scotch showed her the way to the springs. Well, you wanted to know where you stand, she thought, castigating herself.

  The atmosphere became more humid as they neared. The springs were just past the boulders, an area both natural and manmade. Sturdy wooden steps led down to the pool, ending at a long deck flanking the two edges of the pool. Large flat stones circled the remainder of the water, and it was here that Lainey discovered Thom, Rye, and a woman who had to be Phyllis Schram. Martin and Howry sat shoulder deep in the water, warming up after their dip in the river.

  Scotch called a greeting and went down the steps toward the deck. Lainey followed, displeased at the overt interest she sensed in Martin, who swam closer.

  “Lainey Hughes, Martin Schram. Martin, Lainey,” Scotch said in introduction. She slipped into the water with a sigh, not looking to see if Lainey joined them.

  “Pleasure to meet you," Martin said.

  Up close, Lainey was heartened to see that at least the man had bad teeth. Unfortunately, that was the only negative thing she found about his appearance. 'It's nice to meet you, too," she lied.

  The water was deep enough that Scotch was treading it as she moved away from the deck. 'You coming in? It's cooler over here. Warms up as you make your way to the rocks.'

  “Sure." Lainey sat on the deck and put a tentative foot in the water. Her tennis shoe immediately became sodden as warm water washed over her ankle. "Oh, it is nice," she said with a smile, forgetting Martin's presence for a moment. She eased over the side, holding the deck to keep afloat.

  “It's really good in winter," Martin said.

  Scotch agreed and they shared a smile. Lainey's lip curled. When the woman looked back at her, she ducked under the water to hide her expression, surfacing with a grin. 'I'll bet it is.'

  “Come on,” Scotch said, beginning to swim toward the others.

  Lainey had little choice but to follow.

  Scotch lounged in the back of the truck. Her brother, Bon, lay beside her, napping. Irish and Teresa had left with Phyllis to stay the night at the Schram cabin. Helen had taken the ATV home, needing to check on one of her canine patients at the clinic. The coals in the barbecue had long since burned out, and the men idled around the clearing in patio chairs, digesting a heavy lunch of potato salad and hamburgers as they discussed life, evolution and politics.

  As expected, Martin had put the moves on Lainey. Scotch felt a combination of relief and displeasure at his antics. He had always been a player, even when they were children. She had fended off hundreds of advances from him over the years, so his distraction had been a joy. Still, when he had first begun flirting with her friend, happiness was not her first response.

  She watched him walking with Lainey along the river. Scotch was uncertain whether Lainey's suggestion of a stroll had been to spend more time with the outgoing young man or to be rid of him. Lainey was a healthy woman. Surely she would want to sow some oats here and there; it wasn't as if she had a steady boyfriend. Traveling the world as she did, she probably had a man in every port and no strings attached.

  Did this particular port have to hold Martin though?

  And what if Lainey had meant to take a walk with Scotch instead? There was a moment there that Scotch could not tell which her friend wanted. For some reason she had had difficulty reading Lainey's signals all day, which caused Scotch quite a bit of consternation. After a month and a half of close quarters, she thought she knew Lainey pretty well. Today every look or word made her question that supposition. It was like Lainey was hiding something from her. Did she think Scotch and Martin had a thing for each other, and did not want to cause a scene between them? What else could explain that sense of duplicity she had?

  Scotch saw they were returning. She eased out of the truck bed, careful to not wake Bon. Wandering over to one of the tables, she stood and nibbled at potato chips until Lainey and Martin were near enough. 'Welcome back," she said. 'I think I'm going to head home and catch a nap before feeding the dogs. Want to come?'

  “That sounds like a great idea!" Lainey answered.

  Her lack of hesitation buoyed Scotch's spirits. 'Mom took the ATV, but we can walk.'

  “I'm in." Lainey turned to Martin. 'It was really nice meeting you." She offered her hand and gave him a handshake.

  Scotch grinned at the reappearance of her friend's ultra professionalism. Apparently Martin had not swayed Lainey to his side after all.

  He could do nothing but respond in kind under the watchful eye of the others. 'Sure. Let me know if you want to go fishing. I know the perfect spots.'

  “I'm sure you do. We'll see how it goes," Lainey said.

  Howry snorted in humor, and Scotch glanced at him. She wondered what was funny, but let it go as Lainey returned to the truck to gather her clothes and change back into her boots.

  “Ready? "

  Hastily, Scotch grabbed her belongings. “Yeah, let's go."

  Feeling light at heart, and not knowing why, Scotch joined Lainey at the trailhead.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  October

  LAINEY WOKE BEFORE Scotch's alarm went off. Her room was gray, a product of the eventual return of winter to this area. If she stayed up late enough at night, she could be treated to full dark instead of the impending nightfall that had been all she had seen since her arrival. She stretched in the warmth of her bed, noting the chill on her face. Was it colder than usual this morning?

  Knowing from experience to not prolong the torture, she sat up and tossed off her blankets. Had she wanted to return to sleep, she would have eased out from the covers to preserve her body heat inside. At least this way she gave herself a reason to stay out of bed rather than to have a warm haven to which to return. It was colder. She cursed under her breath as her bare feet came in contact with chill boot leather. It was time to start sleeping with a change of clothes. She could kill for warm socks right now.

  She shivered, feeling the beginning ache in her ribs. She could even see her breath as she stood and tiptoed toward the stairs. Quietly, she eased past the curtain dividing her half of the loft from Scotch's. She smiled as she passed through th
e room, unable to keep from studying her sleeping roommate. This was one of the reasons Lainey enjoyed waking so early; it afforded her an opportunity to examine her favorite subject unawares.

  Despite the appearance of not noticing the cold, Scotch had graduated to a long sleeve t-shirt instead of the sleeveless one she had worn through summer. Still, she lay sprawled across her bed, blankets gathered at her waist. Lainey saw an appetizing flash of skin where the t-shirt had hiked up from the waistband of her sleep shorts. Glimpses like this were what fueled Lainey's desire. She supposed if Scotch had flaunted nudity, Lainey would have become inured to its effect. Instead, the bits and pieces teased her almost to desperation.

  Lainey resisted the urge to cover Scotch with her blankets. She had no illusions that she simply desired to be congenial. What she wanted was to touch and explore the available skin, to finally taste it, and to see what remained hidden beneath the layers of cloth and personality.

  She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Scotch seemed to respond to Lainey's surge of desire. Sighing, she rolled over onto her side, facing her audience, the blankets falling further to reveal the incredible curve of waist, swell of hip, and the barest hint of a pale thigh.

  Lainey fled. Considering the strength of her yearning, it was safer to stay far, far away; she was not sure she could fight the impulse in any other manner. It was helpful that Scotch had no return interest in her. At the door, she grabbed a jacket and stepped outside, closing the door softly behind her.

  Christ! This was the worst case of infatuation she had ever experienced. Lainey leaned back against the door, its solidness a balm to her unstable emotions. She tried to recollect the number of times she had felt this way about anyone, and was not pleased to realize the answer was never. Part of her uneasiness stemmed from the fact that she was in completely new territory. Even her best friend and fuck buddy, Carol, did not cause this sort of confusion and desire.

  There was nowhere to go, nothing to be done about it now. The Fullers had entered into a contractual agreement with Lainey to train her for the Iditarod. She had authorized the transfer of money from her magazine, Cognizance, months ago. Everything was signed, sealed, and - while not necessarily delivered - she expected to run the race of her life in March. If Lainey folded now, she would owe her editor, Strauss, a lot of money. Running was not an option.