Brides of Alaska (38 page)

“What do you mean? You'd be handling my training, wouldn't you?” Rita inquired.

“Now, Rita, I'm not the young man I used to be. I can't handle the trails like before. I'll take care of things around here, but when you start practicing on the rougher trails, you'll have to do it without me,” August answered.

“But being with you was the biggest reason I was considering it,” Rita said in a pouting tone.

“Rita,” Beth said a little harsher than she'd intended, “your father is entitled to take care of himself. I need him as much as you do.”

Rita turned to face her mother for a moment. There was no need in sharing their differences only twenty minutes into their visit. “I understand that, Mother. I guess if I do it, I'll just run alone.”

“There's really no need to do that. Like I said, I have a couple of trusted friends in the area and you could learn a lot from them. Especially where the newer techniques come into play. Both of them even raced in the Iditarod last year. They know a whole heap more about what to expect than I do. You know very well that my only attempt was several years ago and I didn't even finish the race.”

“Yes, but you won the silver ingots for being the first to reach the halfway point,” Rita offered as consolation.

“I know, but I dropped out shortly after that and these men have both completed the race. Besides, I trust them completely and I know you'd like them. They'd make interesting company and maybe you'd even find yourself fancying one of them. They're both single.”

“Oh Dad,” Rita moaned and rolled her eyes. “I'm certainly not up here to husband hunt.”

“Then what are you up here for? You haven't seen us in over five years and yet I know that it wasn't for the joy of seeing us that you came home. You want that race. You've always wanted it. Are you going to throw away the only chance you may ever have to race the Iditarod? Are you going to give up your dream?” August asked seriously.

Rita contemplated her father's words for a moment. She was grateful that her mother remained silent. Her father was perfectly right about the conditions being too hard for him. He wasn't young anymore, and yet Rita really needed him to be.

“All right,” Rita finally spoke. “I'll go for it. I'll do it your way and I'll finish the race for both of us!”

“Good girl,” August said, slamming his hands down on the table. “By next March you'll be able to run with the pros and I'll expect a healthy finish.”

“What? You don't demand that I win?” Rita said with a laugh.

“No, it'll be enough just to see you run it and do your best,” August replied with pride beaming in his eyes. None of his other children had taken the interest in dogsledding that Rita had, and he was excited about her decision.

Rita turned to her mother. Beth sat quietly eating her sandwich, her face void of anything that would signal to Rita what she thought of the plan.

“Will it be all right with you, Mom?” Rita dared the question.

Beth looked surprised that Rita would consult her about her feelings on the matter. “I support whatever your father wants, Rita. I, too, hope to see you accomplish your dream. It won't be an easy task, but then good things seldom come free of strife.”

Rita nodded. “I guess when I'm done here, I'll unpack my things. Then you can tell me where we go from there, Dad.”

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” August remarked with a quick glance at his wife, “we've planned a bit of a homecoming party for you.”

“I wish you hadn't,” Rita said, with noted frustration in her voice. “You know how I hate parties.”

“That's what I told him, but he insisted,” Beth offered.

“Well,” August continued, “it's just a small get-together. Old friends, new friends, maybe even some family. Tonight at seven, and I promise not to throw another one without consulting you first.” His eyes betrayed the anticipation of showing his youngest daughter off, and so Rita agreed without fuss.

I only have to get through this evening
, Rita thought as she ate her sandwich.
After that everything else will be simple
.

Rita tried on three outfits before finally settling on a calf-length denim skirt and light blue cashmere sweater. She was finishing dressing by pulling on high, black boots when a knock sounded at the door.

“It's open,” Rita called out as she finished with her boots.

“Are you nearly ready?” Beth asked her daughter. She noted how graceful Rita looked as she crossed the room and ran a brush through her short, dark hair. She was so much like her father.

“Just finishing up,” Rita replied over her shoulder. “I couldn't decide what to wear.”

“You look fine,” Beth offered, hoping that it wouldn't offend Rita. Sometimes the strangest things seemed to set her daughter off.

“You really think so?” Rita asked, running a hand down her skirt. “Everything seemed wrinkled.”

“It looks nice, Rita. Your father is really anxious to show you off, and since most everyone is already here, I thought I'd escort you. That is, if you don't mind,” Beth stated hopefully.

Rita was surprised at her mother's gesture but refused to show it. “It sounds fine, Mom,” she said, following her mother into the hall.

Descending the stairs, Rita could hear the soft, classical music her mother had put on the stereo. Mozart. No, Chopin, Rita decided. It sounded nice, and Rita turned to tell Beth so but found her mother's attention already directed to the crowd as they stepped into the vestibule.

“Beth, don't you look pretty,” an older man said as he stepped forward and kissed Rita's mother on the cheek.

“You're kind to say so, Ernie, but I think you'd best have the eye doctor check out your vision,” Beth replied and Ernie laughed. “Rita, you remember Ernie, don't you?”

“Of course,” Rita said and smiled sweetly.

“Well, don't be telling me this is the baby of the family,” Ernie replied, giving Rita a hearty squeeze. “It don't seem possible.”

“I know what you mean,” August said as he came up from behind Beth. “Rita's become a nurse just like her aunt Julie. I can't believe a person could change so much in just five years.”

“I grew up, Daddy,” Rita offered. “That's all. Are you still in the kennel business, Ernie?” Rita hoped her question would take the focus off of herself. She remembered Ernie loved to talk about his dogs.

“Naw, gave it up about a year ago. Got to be too much work for just me,” Ernie replied.

“Boy, that's the truth,” August said, sounding tired. “That's why I got a partner. None of the kids seemed interested in joining me, so it seemed the logical thing to do.”

“A partner?” Rita questioned her father in surprise. “When did you get a partner?”

August chuckled at Rita's reaction. “I guess I forgot to tell you about that. I'll introduce you to him tonight. He's a real nice guy, and one of those fellows I was telling you about earlier.”

Rita bit back a response as her mother pulled her along and into a sea of people. “I thought you said this was a
small
get-together,” Rita commented.

“To your father, this
is
a small get-together,” Beth reminded her daughter.

Rita nodded, knowing how her father loved to keep friends and family close at hand. He was always inviting someone over for some reason.

“Rita!” a woman's voice exclaimed.

Rita looked up to find an old high school friend. “Janice?”

She barely resembled the girl Rita had known. Her once-long blond hair was cut short, and her figure was generously rounded in the expectation of a new child.

“It's really me,” the woman replied. “I can't believe you're finally here. You will come over to spend some time with me and Dave, won't you?”

“Of course,” Rita said, still stunned by her friend's appearance.

“We're living in Tok, same old place, so just make your way on over whenever you can. But I warn you, the place is a mess, what with the kids and all,” Janice said with a laugh.

“Kids? I thought maybe this was your first one,” Rita said, indicating Janice's condition.

“Oh no. This is number five,” Janice replied.

“Five?” Rita questioned. She could see that Janice was radiant and happy and knew there wasn't any sense in spoiling it with lectures of world conditions and such. “How nice,” Rita added instead and left the woman with promises to visit.

She made the rounds bidding “hellos” to all the neighbors and church friends that she'd known. That life seemed a million years ago, however, and Rita felt rather out of place. So many of these people had drifted out of her thoughts and heart, and now she felt hesitant to allow them back in.

Independence had made Rita hard. She knew it and she actually found herself supporting the role. Being aloof and indifferent left her more time to herself and with more control in her life.

She was just trying to figure a way out of the room when August called from the doorway. “Rita, come meet my partner.”

Rita made her way through the crowd of well-wishers and glanced up in time to come face-to-face with Mark Williams.

“Rita, this is Mark Williams, my partner,” August stated. “Mark, my youngest daughter, Rita.”

Mark grinned from ear to ear and extended his hand. “Rita, it's a pleasure.”

“I don't believe this,” Rita said, refusing Mark's hand and turning to her father. “
He's
your partner?”

“Do you two know each other?” August asked, looking curiously from Mark to Rita.

“You'll have to excuse me,” Rita said, and hurried from the room.

She hated herself for the way she'd responded to Mark's presence, but she couldn't imagine anything more embarrassing than having to face Mark Williams again. Making her way through the kitchen and out the back door, Rita didn't stop moving until she was well behind the house and halfway to the creek that ran the full length of the property.

“I don't believe it,” she sighed aloud. “It's bad enough Dad's taken on a partner, but why did it have to be him?”

The breeze picked up, chilling Rita momentarily. She hugged her arms to her chest and gazed up into the sky.

“You really should learn to layer your clothes,” Mark teased.

Rita snapped around to find him not two feet from where she stood. “Haven't you put me through enough? First you give me a speeding ticket, then you make me give up my clothes to a bear, and now I learn that I must endure your company for the months to come if I'm to get the training I need for the Iditarod.”

“In the first place, you deserved the speeding ticket,” Mark said with a shrug. “Now, are you going to dispute that?”

“No, I suppose not,” Rita muttered.

“And secondly, as embarrassing as it was, giving your top to that grizzly got her attention on something other than you, and finally, I told you that your folks and I were good friends,” Mark stated firmly.

“Good friends are one thing. Partners are entirely something else. I had no idea my father had even taken on a partner, much less that it was you,” Rita said, and turned to walk away.

“I wish for the sake of your father and mother, you'd just drop what's gone behind us. I'd like to start over,” Mark said, following Rita back to the house.

Rita stopped and turned to face the man who'd caused her nothing but embarrassment and grief. “Look, for my father's sake I will act civilly and cooperate. But, and this is most important,” Rita said with determination, “I don't need you or anyone else telling me how to live my life. I can take care of myself, just as I have for the last five years. I came here to train for the Iditarod, not to make friends or hunt for a husband, as my father would like me to do.”

“I can't imagine wanting to be either one,” Mark replied sarcastically and left Rita to stare open-mouthed after him.

A
t breakfast the following morning, Rita was still thinking about Mark's words. She wasn't sure why it should bother her so much, but it did.

He had no right to talk to me that way
, Rita thought. She shoveled scrambled eggs and toast into her mouth without even tasting the food.

“You're kind of preoccupied this morning, aren't you?” August asked his daughter and took a seat beside her.

“Sorry,” Rita offered, wiping toast crumbs from her T-shirt. “I just keep thinking about all the work I need to do.” It wasn't a lie, Rita decided. She really had been thinking of a variety of things. It was just that Mark Williams seemed to take up most of her attention.

“Well, I think the first thing we do should be to reacquaint you with the dogs. There's a few of the older ones we use for breeding who'll remember you, but the dogs you'll need to use for the race will be the three- and four-year-old ones.”